Meet Your Army: 7 little-known facts about SMA Dailey

By Master Sgt. Michelle JohnsonJune 24, 2016

Meet Your Army: SMA Dailey
1 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Coal miner Halloween: "I didn't have a costume one Halloween, but I wanted to go trick or treating with my friend, so my dad went to the basement to get his hard hat, then he got some charcoal from the fireplace to smudge on my face," recalled Sgt. M... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Meet Your Army: SMA Dailey
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Meet Your Army: SMA Dailey
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Meet Your Army: SMA Dailey
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Meet Your Army: SMA Dailey
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Meet Your Army: SMA Dailey
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Meet Your Army: SMA Dailey
7 / 7 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from Battery C, 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command take a "selfie" with Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel A. Dailey during his visit on April 5, 2016 to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. Th... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

When Sgt Maj. Daniel A. Dailey was sworn-in as the 15th sergeant major of the Army -- a top advisor to the Army chief of staff and secretary of the Army -- on Jan. 30, 2015, he said "I was just a poor average kid from Northeast Pennsylvania."

Since then, he's been working to be an above-average advocate for common-sense policy changes that increase Soldier morale, communicate the impacts of legislative proposals to members of Congress, and make improvements to the noncommissioned officer educational system that will help Soldiers earn academic credit and professional certifications in the future.

Here are a few little-known facts about Dailey -- the down-to-earth Soldier whose mission is to prepare and support the nearly 1 million men and women in uniform to fight and win. They were compiled from his own words:

1.) My favorite thing about my hometown -- Palmerton, Pennsylvania - - is the small-town feel. There's nothing but mountains, family businesses and farms. We have two traffic lights. The Home Depot is a 45-minute drive from our house.

2.) My least favorite thing about my hometown is, it's small. The Home Depot is a 45-minute drive from our house.

3.) When I was 10 years old I wanted to be a carpenter. But, I liked to play Army all the time with my best friend, too. My dad served and my older brother did as well. I knew it was something I would do because my family always impressed upon me the importance of service, but didn't think it would be my career. It took an NCO named Staff Sergeant Davis to show me what great leadership really was. My chain of command believed in me, and told me I should go to the NCO Academy to make me see there might be more for me in the Army than just two years and out. That's why it's so important for NCOs to let Soldiers with potential know they have value.

4.) When I was a kid, all I remember doing was playing basketball. I wasn't the greatest basketball player - I was average, but I was part of a championship team - the Palmerton Blue Bombers. We were undefeated. I like being on a winning team, that's why I'd so proud and humbled to be on the Army Team!

5.) Now-a-days, a relaxing day is spent in the garage/woodshop/workshop tinkering and making furniture. I can even upholster the furniture. We didn't have much growing up, so my dad taught us how to fix things and my mother taught us boys how to sew (handy skill to have when you need to sew a patch on your uniform). I also like to hunt and fish.

6.) My favorite line from a movie is anything from a Will Ferrell movie. There are so many to choose from ... "If you ain't first, you're last," or "You stink, you don't smell like Santa," or "You're an angry little elf."

7.) If you caught me singing in the car, I'd be singing Lady Gaga or something else crazy my son put on my IPOD.

Related Links:

Army News Service

Army.mil: Sgt. Maj. of the Army Daniel Dailey

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