Academy sergeant major

Academy Sergeant Major
Academy Sergeant Major
	Insignia of the Academy Sergeant Major
	Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Style	Academy Sergeant Major
Abbreviation	AcSM
Precursor	Regimental Sergeant Major, RMAS
Formation	December 1960
First holder	JC Lord

The academy sergeant major is the senior non-commissioned officer instructor at a military academy.

British Army

At the British Army's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the academy sergeant major (AcSM) holds the rank of warrant officer class 1. Almost always held by a guardsman, it is one of the most senior warrant officer appointments in the British Army.

List of academy sergeant majors

Name	Took office	Left office	Regiment
Lord, JCWarrant Officer Class One JC Lord MVO MBE	December 1960 (1960-12)	August 1963 (1963-08)	Grenadier Guards
Phillips, CHWarrant Officer Class One CH Phillips MBE	August 1963 (1963-08)	December 1970 (1970-12)	Welsh Guards
Huggins, RPWarrant Officer Class One RP Huggins MBE	December 1970 (1970-12)	February 1980 (1980-02)	Grenadier Guards
Cleary, DPWarrant Officer Class One DP Cleary MBE	February 1980 (1980-02)	September 1987 (1987-09)	Irish Guards
Nesbitt, MWarrant Officer Class One M Nesbitt	September 1987 (1987-09)	August 1993 (1993-08)	Grenadier Guards
Cox, DLWarrant Officer Class One DL Cox	August 1993 (1993-08)	August 1994 (1994-08)	Grenadier Guards
McCormack, RHWarrant Officer Class One RH McCormack	September 1994 (1994-09)	April 1997 (1997-04)	Coldstream Guards
Crawford, AJWarrant Officer Class One AJ Crawford MBE	May 1997 (1997-05)	April 2000 (2000-04)	Scots Guards
Convery, RWarrant Officer Class One R Convery	April 2000 (2000-04)	December 2002 (2002-12)	Scots Guards
Gaunt, MWarrant Officer Class One M Gaunt OBE	December 2002 (2002-12)	August 2005 (2005-08)	Grenadier Guards
Nichols, SimonWarrant Officer Class One Simon Nichols MBE	August 2005 (2005-08)	August 2007 (2007-08)	Irish Guards
Carr, P.JWarrant Officer Class One P.J Carr	August 2007 (2007-08)	April 2010 (2010-04)	Coldstream Guards
Martin, RossWarrant Officer Class One Ross Martin	April 2010 (2010-04)	December 2011 (2011-12)	Irish Guards
Stokes, AndrewWarrant Officer Class One Vern Stokes MVO MSM	December 2011 (2011-12)	2014 (2014)	Coldstream Guards
Haughton, GlennWarrant Officer Class One Glenn Haughton (born 1972) MSM	January 2014 (2014-01)	2015 (2015)	Grenadier Guards
Macphee, DWarrant Officer Class One D. Macphee (born 1972)	April 2015 (2015-04)	April 2017 (2017-04)	Scots Guards
Taylor, CarlWarrant Officer Class One Carl Taylor	April 2017 (2017-04)	January 2021 (2021-01)	Welsh Guards
Purcell, AndyWarrant Officer Class One Andy Purcell	April 2017 (2017-04)	August 2021 (2021-08)	Irish Guards
Kirkwood, ColinWarrant Officer Class One Colin Kirkwood	August 2021 (2021-08)	April 2023 (2023-04)	Scots Guards
Cope, DanielWarrant Officer Class One Daniel Cope	April 2023 (2023-04)	Present	Welsh Guards

Australian Defence Force

At the Australian Defence Force Academy, the academy sergeant major (ASM) also holds the rank of warrant officer class 1 or equivalent and is drawn on rotation from all three services.

Sri Lanka Army

At the Sri Lanka Military Academy, the academy sergeant major (ASM) is of the rank of warrant officer class I.

Notes

↑ In the plural, modern practice by the British Ministry of Defence uses the term 'sergeant majors' rather than 'sergeants major'.
↑ ASM in the British Army stands for artificer sergeant major, an appointment in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

References

↑ "Rank Structure". British Army. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
↑ Weiner, E. S. C.; Delahunty, Andrew (1993). "1.39, Plural formation". The Oxford Guide to English Usage (2nd, revised ed.). Clarendon Press. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-19-863137-8. But brigadier-generals, lieutenant-colonels, sergeant-majors.
1 2 Alford, Richard (1981). Fensome, P. E.; Jelf, A. M. F. (eds.). To Revel in God's Sunshine: The Story of RSM J C Lord MVO MBE (PDF) (2nd ed.). p. 96. Retrieved 22 August 2025. The upgrading from RSM to Academy Sergeant Major in December 1960 had been to recognise the fact that this long-term post could mean foregoing any likelihood of a commission. It was also an appropriate rank for one of the most senior RSMs in the British Army. This required a special design of an arm badge in which Major General Sir Philip Ward had taken a decisive part.
↑ "WO1 (GSM) Andrew 'Vern' Stokes, Coldstream Guards". Trooping the Colour. Retrieved 7 July 2021.

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[3] In the plural, modern practice by the British Ministry of Defence uses the term 'sergeant majors' rather than 'sergeants major'.

[5] ASM in the British Army stands for artificer sergeant major, an appointment in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

[1] "Rank Structure". British Army. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 20 July 2026.

[2] Weiner, E. S. C.; Delahunty, Andrew (1993). "1.39, Plural formation". The Oxford Guide to English Usage (2nd, revised ed.). Clarendon Press. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-19-863137-8. But brigadier-generals, lieutenant-colonels, sergeant-majors.

[Alford_1981-4] 1 2 Alford, Richard (1981). Fensome, P. E.; Jelf, A. M. F. (eds.). To Revel in God's Sunshine: The Story of RSM J C Lord MVO MBE (PDF) (2nd ed.). p. 96. Retrieved 22 August 2025. The upgrading from RSM to Academy Sergeant Major in December 1960 had been to recognise the fact that this long-term post could mean foregoing any likelihood of a commission. It was also an appropriate rank for one of the most senior RSMs in the British Army. This required a special design of an arm badge in which Major General Sir Philip Ward had taken a decisive part.

[6] "WO1 (GSM) Andrew 'Vern' Stokes, Coldstream Guards". Trooping the Colour. Retrieved 7 July 2021.