Sgt. Maj. Howard K. Long is the Command Senior Enlisted Leader to the Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and U.S. Strategic Command Center for Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction (SCC-WMD), and to the commander of the Standing Joint Force Headquarters for Elimination of WMD (SJFHQ-E), all located on Fort Belvoir, Va. As the Command Senior Enlisted Leader, he offers an enlisted perspective on operational issues and missions.

The DTRA mission is to safeguard the U.S. and its allies from Weapons of Mass Destruction (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) and High Yield Explosives by providing capabilities to reduce, eliminate, and counter the threat and mitigate its effects. The agency is the Department of Defense’s Combat Support Agency for the Combating WMD (CWMD) mission and develops improved CWMD capabilities for the warfighter. The mission of the SCC-WMD is to synchronize the CWMD plans of the warfighters, and identify and advocate for needed CWMD capabilities. Together, these organizations provide CWMD expertise, support, and products at strategic (global and national), operational (theater and regional), and tactical (battlefield) levels to prevent the proliferation of WMD, deter and defeat WMD use, and reduce the effects of WMD that may be used against us. The SJFHQ-E assists in the DoD’s critical mission to counter the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction by providing a full time, scalable, flexible, and deployable joint WMD elimination headquarters in support of Geographic Combatant Commands. The SJFHQ-E can quickly integrate into strategic-to-operational level HQs to provide WMD elimination expertise in planning, intelligence, and operations.

Sgt. Maj. Long was previously assigned to Training and Education Command, Marine Corps Combat Development Command at Quantico, Va.

His military career includes assignments in all four Marine Divisions, the Marine Logistics Group, the Marine Air Wing, the Marine Forces Reserve, Drill Instructor Duty, and the diplomatic arena in the Embassy Security Group. He has three combat tours in the Middle East working jointly with coalition forces in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and numerous other deployments, operations and exercises throughout the U.S., the Far East, the South Pacific, and the Middle East.

He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Religion with an emphasis in Leadership from Liberty University, a Master of Arts degree in Religion, and Master of Divinity degree with an emphasis in Leadership from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School at Liberty University. Sgt. Maj. Long is also a graduate of the Keystone Command Senior Enlisted Leader Course at the National Defense University.

His military education includes completion of the Senior Enlisted Leader Course in Military Justice and Civil Law, Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute Senior Enlisted Leaders Course, Hazardous Materials Incident Commanders Course, Public Affairs Officers Course, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Course, Critical Incident Stress Management Training Course, senior seminars, and numerous Professional Military Education Development courses.

Sgt. Maj. Long’s military awards include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with two gold stars in lieu of third award, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with one gold star in lieu of second award, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two gold stars in lieu of third award, the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and numerous unit and service awards.