Sergeant Major Steven R. Merrill

Institute for Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development

Training and Concepts Analyst

Sgt. Maj. Steven R. Merrill enlisted into the United States Army in 1975 as a Personnel Actions Specialist. Upon completion of basic and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, he was assigned to the U.S. Army Engineer Center and School working in the Adjutant Generals office at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Upon completion of his three year enlistment, Sgt. Maj. Merrill was released from active duty and he joined the U.S. Army Reserve and was assigned to the 3101st Theater Army Area Command in Fort Belvoir. In 1985 he entered the Active Guard Reserve Program serving in different units culminating in his selection as the first Plans and Training Leader Development Directorate sergeant major for the Training and Doctrine Command Deputy Commander of Operations. During this time Sgt. Maj. Merrill personally managed various NCO leader development issues impacting NCOs worldwide. He was responsible for and completed an E-1 through 0-6 Critical Task/Site Selection Board for Common Tasks which served as the complete common core training requirements for the Army.

In 2007, he transitioned from active service becoming part of the civilian workforce in the newly created Institute of Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development serving as a training and concepts analyst for the Learning Execution and Evaluation Division. Here he was responsible for maintaining and updating the Army Leader Development Program initiative – transforming NCOES in support of Unified Land Operations. Being a member of the INCOPD team from its initial conception on paper to the lnstitute’s operational stand-up, he served as the lead representative in numerous high visibility work groups impacting both the Noncommissioned Officer Education System (NCOES), as well as Noncommissioned Officer Academies (NCOAs) worldwide. Examples of his expertise in assisting the development of current and future NCOs include Decision Point 59.1, the study of Noncommissioned Officer Academy overhead staffing to the implementation of both the Sexual Harassment Response Program (SHARP) and Hazing training within NCOES.

Sgt. Maj. Merrill’s responsibilities also included providing and authoring key NCOES inputs, revisions and edits to the Noncommissioned Officers Annex of the Army Leader Development Strategy through a coordinated effort with the Combined Arms Center and TRADOC staffs. In addition, he provided the initial INCOPD information for the Profession of Arms imperative and continually worked with Army Command staffs ensuring emerging requirements were properly integrated into NCOES.

Sgt. Maj. Merrill is a 2003 graduate of the Sergeants Major Nonresident Course of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Michigan University and a Master of Arts degree from Central Michigan University. His awards include six Meritorious Service Medals and the Legion of Merit.