Division Sergeant Major
18" x 22"
Oil on Canvas

4th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington
Major General Arthur S. Collins, Commanding
1966
 Division Sergeant Major Thomas Tobin – Waukegan, Il.

Sergeant Major is the highest enlisted rank a soldier may attain.
Among the qualities required of men in this rank are dedication, experience, diverse skills,
good judgment, dependability, adaptability, good physical condition, and military bearing.
The duties of each Sergeant Major are tailored specifically to the needs of his Commanding Officer
and the type of unit he serves. As the senior Non-commissioned Officer, he represents his men
to their Commander and the Commander to his men. He is responsible for the safety of
his Commanding Officer. Through the chain of command, he is responsible for the performance
and discipline of the troops. He is required to sit on promotion boards.
Sergeant Major Tobin was born in Waukegan, Illinois.  He enlisted in the Army at 17
and went into combat four years later with the paratroopers in Korea.

After assignments in various states, the Pacific Theatre, and European Theatre,
and with the help of Army technical schools, he became a Sergeant Major in 1962
at the age of 31. Although he was highly qualified for the rank, it was necessary for
the "Exceptional Soldier Waiver" to be invoked because of his youth.