The U.S. Army’s Drill Sergeants Academy will not only welcome their next commandant this September, but the nation’s first female to hold this prestigious position at Fort Jackson, S.C.
The 369th Adjutant General Battalion’s Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa King, a 28-year Army veteran, learned of the selection a few weeks ago, and will replace Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Newsome.
King said it has not really set in that she will be the first woman to hold the school’s top spot, but said she hopes the selection will encourage other women.
“Because I’m doing it … that means another female command sergeant major can do it,” King said during an interview at Fort Carson, Colo. “I think it’s going to set the bar higher for them. Not just for drill sergeants but for other female Soldiers.”
She added that she is honored and humbled by the selection, and is grateful for the chance to take the reins.
“I feel like I’m chosen to lead a noncommissioned officer who is charged with a high degree of responsibility. I’m responsible for them as they lead, mentor, counsel and train America’s finest, “There’s nothing else that can compare to that.”
-Jenn Domashevich, Army Public Affairs
