Sergeant Major (SGM) Leon Nelson enlisted in the Army in October 1999 and has held enlisted leadership positions in the Army Reserve Infantry and NCOAs, ranging from Fire Team Leader, Anti-Armor Section Leader, Heavy Weapons Squad Leader, NCOA Small Group Leader, Support Platoon Sergeant, Line Platoon Sergeant, Reconnaissance Platoon Sergeant, Operations NCO, NCOA Chief of Staff, and First Sergeant for Echo and Charlie Infantry companies. SGM Nelson is bi-lingual and well versed in the Samoan language and has joint training experience with foreign partner nations within the Indo-Pacific region, including participation in combat exercises in Korea, Okinawa, Malaysia, Micronesia, the Philippines, New Caledonia, and the South Pacific Islands. SGM Nelson’s deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom III as part of the 100th BN 442d Infantry Regiment from Hawaii. One of SGM Nelson’s major career accomplishments was being selected in 2021 to stand up a new Infantry unit at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) in Washington State and being selected to be the First Sergeant for Charlie Company, 100th BN 442d IN Regiment.
SGM Nelson’s military education includes all levels of the Noncommissioned Officer Education System, including graduating Commandants List from class 73 of the Sergeants Major course. Battle Staff, Master Resilience Training, Casualty Notification Officer and Casualty Assistance Officer Train the Trainer, the Marine Corps Joint Jungle Warfare Leader Certification, Tactical Rappel and Suspension Techniques, and the Army Heavy Weapons Leaders course. SGM Nelson holds a master's in public administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (3rd award), the Army Commendation Medal (5th award), and the Army Achievement Medal (4th award). He has earned the Combat Infantry Badge and the Norwegian Foot March award. SGM Nelson is married and has three children.