Recognizing the Retirement of Sergeant Major Troy E. Black

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGARVEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize an extraordinary American patriot, Sergeant Major Troy E. Black, United States Marine Corps, on the occasion of his retirement following a distinguished 37-year career in faithful service to our Nation.

Sergeant Major Black's journey began in Louisville, Kentucky, where the values of duty, discipline, and perseverance were instilled early in his life. In July 1988, he answered the call to serve and reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. There, he began a journey that would span nearly four decades and see him rise to the highest enlisted ranks in the Marine Corps and in our Armed Forces.

After completing infantry school and earning his military occupational specialty as an 0331-Machine Gunner, Sergeant Major Black trained at Marine Security Force School before deploying aboard the USS Forrestal (CV-59) in support of Operation Just Cause. He deployed again in 1990 with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines to Kuwait during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

From the beginning, Sergeant Major Black distinguished himself not only through valor in combat but also as a dedicated mentor and leader. He served as a two-time drill instructor at Parris Island, ultimately rising to the roles of Senior Drill Instructor, Drill Instructor School Instructor, and Drill Master of the Recruit Training Regiment. It was there, fittingly at the very birthplace of Marine transformation, that he met his wife Stacie, herself a proud Marine who would later retire as a First Sergeant.

Following the tragic attacks on our Nation on September 11, 2001, Sergeant Major Black deployed repeatedly to the frontlines of the Global War on Terror. With the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, he completed two combat deployments to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and later, with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, he deployed twice more to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In one unforgettable moment of heroism, Sergeant Major Black ran through uncleared territory to rescue a wounded Marine struck by an IED. For this act of extraordinary courage under fire, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat ``V'', a testament to his unwavering commitment to those he led.

His exceptional leadership culminated in his appointment as the 19th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, the highest enlisted position in that service, and subsequently as the 5th Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the most senior enlisted position in the entire U.S. Armed Forces.

Over the course of nearly four decades, Sergeant Major Black's work has had an immeasurable impact on our Joint Forces servicemembers and the civilian employees of the Department of Defense. His dedication to the mission, to the men and women and then families who accomplish it, and his tireless efforts to lead from the front, have contributed to the safety and security of all Americans. Today, his legacy lives on through the Black family, with their daughter, Corporal Are'wynn Black, following in her parents' footsteps in the Marine Corps.

On behalf of a grateful Nation, I offer my deepest thanks and best wishes to Sergeant Major Troy Black, to 1st Sergeant Major Stacie Black, and to their entire family as they begin this well-earned new chapter.

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