Division Command Sergeant Major

CSM Rick Merritt entered the Army in March 1984. His first duty assignment in the Army was with Company C, 1^st Battalion, 6th Infantry Brigade, Illesheim, Germany as a Rifleman and M60 Machine Gunner.

His initial service with the 75^th Ranger Regiment started with  Bravo Company, 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning, Georgia, as a Squad Automatic Rifleman, Team Leader, Rifle Squad Leader, Weapons Squad Leader, and Rifle Platoon Sergeant.  A follow-on assignment included one year with the Ranger Indoctrination Program at the 75^th Ranger Regiment’s Ranger Training Detachment.

In 1996, he was assigned to the Jungle Operations Training Battalion as a Senior Instructor and Team Sergeant at the U.S. Army’s Jungle School, Fort Sherman, Panama. He served there for 17 months and then was assigned to 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Georgia as a Rifle Platoon Sergeant with Bravo Company, the S-2 NCOIC and Battalion Operations Sergeant in Headquarters Company, and as the 1SG of Charlie Company. 

In 2002, he attended and graduated the US Army Sergeants Major Academy and returned to 3^rd Battalion, 75^th Ranger Regiment in 2003 as the Battalion Operations Sergeant Major.

In 2005, he became the Operations Sergeant Major for the 75th Ranger Regiment; six months later he returned to 3^rd Battalion, 75^th Ranger Regiment as the Command Sergeant Major. In January 2009, he was selected as the Command Sergeant Major to the Regimental Special Troops Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. 

In March 2010 he became the 14^th Regimental Sergeant Major of the 75^th Ranger Regiment and served as the US-JSOTF-AFG Command Sergeant Major.

CSM Merritt has served 57 months in combat with the 75^th Ranger Regiment in Panama, Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. 

CSM Merritt has attended all the standard Basic and Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Courses to include:  the Battle Staff Course, First Sergeant Course, U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy- Class 53, and the British Section Commander’s Course in Brecon, Wales. CSM Merritt holds an Associate’s Degree from Shawnee State University and was a Paramedic/Firefighter before joining the military at age 23.

CSM Merritt's awards and decorations include: Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, Bronze Star Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with arrowhead and star, Joint Commendation Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal with four oak leaf clusters, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award, Joint Service Achievement Award, Combat Infantryman’s Badge - 2nd award, Expert Infantryman’s Badge; the Global War on Terrorism Medals, and numerous other awards.