Kenneth Preston

Kenneth O. Preston (born February 18, 1957) is a retired United States Army soldier who served as the Sergeant Major of the Army. He was sworn in as the 13th Sergeant Major of the Army on 15 January 2004. Preston served 7 years and 2 months as Sergeant Major of the Army (January 2004-March 2011) making him the longest serving Sergeant Major of the Army to date.

Early life and education Preston was born 18 February 1957 in Annapolis, Maryland. His father served in the U.S. Army, his mother in the U.S. Air Force and his grandfather in the Army during World War I. They would move the family to Mount Savage, Maryland. He also wanted to improve the NCO education system because he had seen that small units and junior NCOs were the primary leaders in modern war. On 1 March 2011 Preston retired.

Post-military career

Since August 2011, Preston has volunteered as the co-chair of the Chief of Staff of the Army's Retired Soldier Counsel. The 14-member counsel works with the Army staff, supporting agencies and subject matter experts to review all recommendations and issues submitted from the field impacting retired soldiers and surviving spouses from the Army. The counsel prepares a final report with all recommendations for the Chief of Staff of the Army.

Preston also volunteers as a member the Board of Directors for Homes for Our Troops since October 2011. Home for Our Troops is a nonprofit organization with the mission to build and donate specially adapted homes to severely wounded veterans at no cost. Severely wounded veterans in need of a specially adapted home as qualified by the VA predominantly spend all or part of their daily life in a wheelchair. Many of these veterans are young with young children. A specially adapted home allows the veteran total access to all rooms in the home to including a child's nursery, use of all kitchen and laundry facilities and garage to support their reintegration back into their family and their community.

Preston has served as the Vice President of noncommissioned officer and soldier programs at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) since May 2013. AUSA is the Army's professional educational association and serves as a voice for the Army and support for the soldier.

Awards and decorations