A
senior enlisted advisor (
SEA) is the most senior
enlisted service member in a uniformed unit who acts as the top advisor and representative of enlisted personnel in the unit to the
commanding officer. Formally,
E-9 billets for the senior enlisted advisor are established from the field level (battalion, wing, etc.) up to the
senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. SEAs are also known as command senior enlisted leaders (CSEL). The SEA is the principal link between the commanding officer and the enlisted service members under their charge, communicating the CO's wishes to the enlisted ranks of their assigned unit. For effective command and control of troops as well as liaising with external and atypical authorities (especially in international coalitions), a unit's senior officers and senior enlisted leader must work in concert. The highest-ranking senior enlisted advisors represent the service branches of the
uniformed services of the United States and advise the four-star chief of their service branch on enlisted matters: • The
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC) • The
Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) • The
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SMMC) • The
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) • The
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF) • The
Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force (CMSSF) • The
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG) • The
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau (SEA) ==List of senior enlisted positions==