SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Eilers assumed responsibility as the command sergeant major of the 25th Infantry Division during a ceremony on Weyand Field at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, June 25, 2026.
The day’s events began with a demonstration by the Koa Team of a Hui Ha’a, a performance involving chants and coordinated movements to display warrior spirit and honor the heritage of the local Polynesian community.
The assumption of responsibility is a traditional military ceremony that marks the formal acceptance of authority and duties by a new senior enlisted leader. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James Bartholomees, the commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii, presided over the ceremony to officially instate the incoming leader.
“His vast operational experience comes with a rare combination of intellectual curiosity, leader empathy, humility, and an unshakable passion for developing our noncommissioned officers,” Bartholomees said. “Which is evident in everything he does.”
The assumption-of-responsibility ceremony culminates in the passing of the division colors, which symbolize the unit’s lineage and honors. In a significant moment of the ceremony, Bartholomees expressed his confidence in Eilers by entrusting him with the division’s colors. By accepting these colors, Eilers took on the role of custodian of the division’s legacy, serving as the senior enlisted advisor and principal advisor to the commander.
Eilers is a native of Lancaster, California, and enlisted in November 2002 as an infantryman. Since attending one-station unit training at Fort Benning, Georgia, he has held every leadership position from team leader through brigade command sergeant major. As Eilers assumes his new role, he is joined by his wife, Jennifer, and their two daughters, Angela and Emily.
“A mentor of mine, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Bryan Lambert, once told me that words are thunder and should always be followed by lightning, which is action,” Eiler said. “Let all our actions strike like Tropic Lightning.”