Photo By Spc. Andrew Crowl | Command Sgt. Maj. David C. Harry, command senior enlisted leader of the Maryland...... read more read more
Subscribe
The Maryland National Guard held a joint ceremony where they bid farewell to the outgoing and retiring Command Sgt. Maj. David Harry, command senior enlisted leader of the Maryland National Guard, and welcomed his replacement, Command Sgt. Maj. Larry LeCates, during a change-of-responsibility ceremony at the Fifth Regiment Armory, May 2, 2026.
Maryland Army National Guard Maj. Gen. Janeen L. Birckhead, the 31st adjutant general of Maryland, presided over both ceremonies and lauded Harry for his leadership during his tenure as the state’s top enlisted member.
“Today, we celebrate Command Sgt. Maj. David Harry, a Soldier, a leader, a mentor, and a friend, as he concludes 29 years of service to our nation and to this great state,” said Birckhead. “CSM Harry’s greatest legacy is not written on his uniform, it is written in the leaders he developed, the Soldiers he mentored, and the formations he strengthened.”
During the first portion of the ceremony, the ceremonial passing of the sword marked the moment Harry relinquished his position to LeCates.
“Larry, you are stepping into a role with tremendous responsibility, but also tremendous opportunity. You inherit a formation that has been shaped and strengthened by CSM Harry,” said Birckhead. “I have full confidence that you will continue to build on that foundation, bringing your own experience, your own perspective, and your own leadership style to the force.”
LeCates enlisted in the Maryland Army National Guard in 2003 and has served in positions of increasing responsibility, including regimental command sergeant major for the 70th Regiment Regional Training Institute. He has also served as the command sergeant major for the 1297th CSSB, 104th Medical Company first sergeant, and senior enlisted advisor for the National Mission Brigade, Afghanistan.
After the change of responsibility from Harry to LeCates, the ceremony shifted to honoring the nearly three decades of service for Harry.
At the beginning of the retirement ceremony, remarks were given by Senior Enlisted Advisor (SEA) John T. Raines III, the 7th Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, and Command Sgt. Major James B. Kendrick, the 14th Command Sergeant Major of the Army National Guard, who both praised Harry for his personality and leadership style.
“Sgt. Maj. Harry is just one of those unique sergeant majors that has the right amount of wisdom, education, experience, poise, and is just a good guy,” said Kendrick. “He’s a guy that at the end of the day, after listening to a day's worth of briefings, you could sit and talk about what you heard and what you learned and then switch gears and talk about football or any number of things.” He continued, “I am going to miss him, and I know that the other 53 states and territories are going to miss you too.”
Born in Georgetown, Guyana, Harry immigrated to the United States in 1979 and enlisted in the United States Army in 1997. He has served with distinction across a wide range of assignments, including multiple key leadership roles within the Maryland Army National Guard culminating as the command senior enlisted leader. His career includes service in operational, training, and staff positions, as well as a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has also contributed significantly to the State Partnership Program, the State and National Best Warrior Competitions and professional development and talent management across the force.
“I’ve definitely made it a lot farther than I ever thought that I was going to,” said Harry. “When looking at the significant achievements, it is the relationships that I’ve built over 29 total years. It is littered with the people that you work with, and you hope that you left a lasting impact.”
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.03.2026 08:31 |
| Story ID: | 564225 |
| Location: | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Maryland National Guard welcomes incoming command senior enlisted leader and bids farewell to CSM Harry, by SMSgt Christopher Schepers, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
