Noted for his myriad achievements in service to the military, SMA Preston accrued numerous merits across the span of his enlistment.
MOUNT SAVAGE, MD, December 21, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Kenneth O. Preston has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Well-regarded for his military leadership, SMA Preston served as the 13th Sergeant Major of the Army, a unique non-commissioned rank and office within the United States Army. In this capacity, he earned distinction as the most senior enlisted member of the Army from 2004 until his retirement in 2011, the longest-serving incumbent to do so since the creation of the office in 1966. Among his duties during this time, SMA Preston advised the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army on all matters of discipline, training and quality of life during a period of intense action abroad in the Middle East, and was consistently invited to testify before the U.S. Congress regarding these subjects.
Prior to being named as the Sergeant Major of the Army, SMA Preston began his service in 1975, and held a variety of leadership roles for more than 35 years, including as a cavalry scout and tank commander. To wit, he functioned as the command sergeant major of the V Corps and Combined Joint Task Force 7 from 2001 until 2003, and in similar roles for the 1st Armored Division between 2000 and 2001, the 3rd "Grey Wolf" Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division from 1998 to 1999, and the 3rd Battalion of the 8th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division from 1996 until 1998. SMA Preston had previously served as the deputy commandant of the Noncommissioned Officer Academy at Fort Knox, Kentucky, between 1994 and 1995.
Following his retirement from the military, SMA Preston distinguished himself as the co-chair of the Chief of Staff of the Army's Retired Soldier Counsel from 2011 to 2016 and, between 2013 and 2020, as the vice president of the non-commissioned officer and soldier programs of the Association of the U.S. Army, which seeks to provide a voice for soldiers and honors those who have provided security on behalf of the nation. As of 2020, he continues to hold a senior fellowship at the nonprofit organization. SMA Preston also served as the president of Homes for Our Troops, a charitable endeavor that strives to build and donate homes adapted for use by severely wounded veterans at no cost, from 2012 until 2013. He has also held a variety of leadership roles for numerous other organizations, including the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the Eagle's Watch Foundation and the Army Historical Foundation.
Outside of his nonprofit roles, SMA Preston works in the private sector as a military advisor for Veterans United Home Loans, a mortgage lender for VA loans that is based in Columbia, Missouri. He has also availed himself in a similar role for Veterans United Realty.
SMA Preston studied vocational education and instruction at the University of Louisville, from which he graduated with an Associate of Arts in 1989. Following this, he undertook military studies at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy in Fort Bliss, Texas, from 1995 to 1996. A decade later, he returned to civilian education and attended Trident University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2007 and a Master of Business Administration in 2009. In recent years, SMA Preston has undertaken automotive mechanics technology coursework at the Lincoln College of Technology.
Noted for his myriad achievements in service to the military, SMA Preston accrued numerous merits across the span of his enlistment, such as an Army Distinguished Service Medal, a Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, a Bronze Star Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, a Joint Service Commendation Medal and an Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters, among many others. He was the first enlisted soldier to receive the George C. Marshall Award from the Association of the United States Army, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the military and to the nation at large.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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