Command Sergeant Major Patrick Couser was appointed as the SDNG's thrid senior enlisted leader on June 15, 2019, and is the tenth SD Army National Guard state command sergeant major.
Couser first
served his country in the South Dakota Army National Guard as a heavy vehicle
driver with Detachment 1, 740th Transportation Company in March 1982
in Aberdeen, SD. He deployed in 1991 as a team leader with the 740th
during Operation Desert Shield – Desert Storm. Upon his return, Couser
served as a squad leader for four years with the 740th
Transportation Company and then was selected as the truck master for the 1742nd
Transportation Company in Sioux Falls, SD, in 1996 . In January 2003,
Couser was transferred to the 727th Transportation Company to deploy
as a platoon sergeant in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Upon his return,
he was selected as the senior maintenance supervisor for the 88th
Troop Command in 2004. In December of 2005, he was selected as the first sergeant of the 665th
Maintenance Company in Mitchell, SD. In
July 2007 to May 2008 he attended the Sergeants Major Academy (Resident course
Class 58)at Fort Bliss, Texas. From June
2008 until June 2011, Couser served as the Command Sergeant Major for the
881st Troop Command in Sturgis, SD.
In June 2011, Couser was
selected as the command sergeant major and the NCOES commandant for the 196th
Regiment (RTI). In March of 2015, Couser was
selected as the 109th Regional Support Group command sergeant major.
Couser
received his Bachelors degree from SDSU in 1994 and completed his Masters
Degree in 2008 at the University of Texas at El Paso while attending the United
States Army Sergeants Major Academy.
Couser’s Deployments include: Desert Storm (Nov 1990-July 1991), Operation
Iraqi Freedom (Jan 2002-March 2003) with additional tours in Korea (1989),
Panama (1993), Netherlands(1997) & Egypt (2005).
A few of Couser’s awards include the Bronze Star
Medal, Meritorious Service Medal(3 awards), Army Commendation Medal, Army
Achievement Medal (4 awards), Combat Action Badge and selected as a member of
the Ancient order of Saint Christopher.