Command Sergeant Major Joseph Spencer

640th Regiment Regional Training Institute

August 2007 – July 2009

Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Spencer is a native of Henderson, Nevada. He enlisted into the Utah Army National Guard in 1984, beginning his military career at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. During the next 25 years, Command Sgt. Maj. Spencer devoted himself to improving and finding new ways to train, develop and educate U.S. Army National Guard Soldiers and noncommissioned officers. His experiences as an operations training NCO and instructor with the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps at Southern Utah University set the stage for his later contributions to educating Soldiers and NCOs.

His most significant contributions to leader development began in early 2003 when he was selected to be the Army National Guard’s subject matter expert on the One Army School System and Multi-component NCO Academy. His leadership and guidance directly contributed to regional and component barriers being brought down and the Army training as one. While serving as the Utah G3 Operations Sergeant Major and Regional Training Institute Command Sergeant Major he developed the initative to train military intelligence in the National Guard, something that was normally left to the Army Reserve. His leadership and guidance set the example for integrating new mission lanes for the Army National Guard. Because of his efforts, he was awarded the Knowlton Award by the Military Intelligence Corps Association in July 2005. Command Sgt. Maj. Spencer is also credited with returning the Battle Staff NCO Course to the 640th Regional Training Institute, one of only two sites that train the course within the Army National Guard.

Command Sgt. Maj. Spencer has also contributed immensely to the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy’s mission of education Soldiers and NCOs Army wide. He has served as a subject matter expert on NCOES transformation; helped to establish, equip and man Warrior Leader Course Mobile Training Teams in support of the Kosovo mission in 2004; facilitated conducting Warrior Leaders Courses in Kuwait in support of the Global War on Terrorism in 2008; was instrumental in the development of the Multi-component NCO Academy at Fort Carson, Colorado; and helped to coordinate, plan and support three NCO Academies in piloting the (then) new First Sergeant Course.

Command Sgt. Maj. Spencer’s awards are many and include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with two oak leaf clusters), and the Army Commendation Medal (with one silver oak leaf cluster).

Command Sgt. Maj. Spencer holds a Bachelor Degree in Organizational Management from Ashord University, Clinton, Iowa. He is a graduate of every level of noncommissioned officer education to include the Nonresident Sergeants Major Course Class 28, the First Sergeant Course and Battle Staff NCO Course.

He holds membership in several professional and civic organizations to include lifetime member in the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of Utah, Noncommissioned Officers Association, Field Artillery Association, the Association of the United States Army, the NCO Museum Association and, the Benevolent and Protected Order of the Elks.