State Command Sergeant Major
COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR DARYL A. KEITHLEY
Command Sgt. Maj. Daryl A. Keithley was appointed the command sergeant major of the state of Nevada on August 5, 2009. Prior to the appointment, he served as the command sergeant major for the 991st Troop Command and command sergeant major of J?3 Domestic Operations / Anti?Terrorism and Force Protection.
Keithley was born in Missouri and attended college at the University of Missouri?Columbia. In 1978, he joined the active duty Army as a military police officer at Fort Bliss, Texas. During this time, he became a military police investigator. He then received an honorable discharge from active duty in April 1982 and began a career in civilian law enforcement.
In 1987, he joined the Missouri National Guard and he subsequently served as a military police investigator, a military police investigations supervisor, a rear battle plans sergeant, a law and order sergeant, and a battlefield circulation control sergeant with the 175th Military Police Battalion from 1987?1995. He also served in the capacity as a law and order sergeant for Missouri during the flood in 1993. In 1995, he completed an interstate transfer to Nevada and became a platoon sergeant for the 72nd Military Police Company in Henderson, Nev., and he became first sergeant of the unit in 1997.
The 72nd worked at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga., in 1996 and performed annual training at Mannheim Prison in Germany in 1998 and 1999. In 2000, the unit went to Taegue, South Korea, and in 2001 it went to fort Polk, La., with 19th Special Forces Group and conducted base defense operations.
After Sept. 11, 2001, the 72nd MP Co. was deployed in support of Operation Noble Eagle and provided force protection and conducted law and order operations at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey through 2002. In February 2003, Keithley was deployed with the 72nd MP Co. in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 72nd MP Co. began and sustained criminal detention operations on the grounds of the Abu Ghraib Prison complex located 20 kilometers west of Baghdad, Iraq. The company opened the first and largest prison facility in Iraq on Aug. 24, 2003. The 72nd returned home from Iraq in November 2003.
In June 2005, Keithley graduated from the Sergeant’s Major Academy in Fort Bliss, Texas. In August 2005, he deployed with the 72nd MP Co. to support the relief effort stemming from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The 72nd was responsible for the search, rescue and evacuation of 35,000 displaced civilians at the New Orleans Convention Center. In November 2005, Keithley received the Nevada Army Guard’s First Sergeant of the Year Award. In December 2005, he was promoted to command sergeant major and became the command sergeant major of the 1st Battalion, 421st Regiment Regional Training Institute. In May 2006, he became the command sergeant major of the 991st Troop Command in Reno, Nev.
In January 2009, Keithley accepted an active?duty position as the operations command sergeant major supervising the missions of the Joint Operations Center’s Domestic Operations/Anti?Terrorism and Force Protection office.
Keithley’s military decorations include: the Bronze Star; Meritorious Service Medal, 6th Award; Army Commendation Medal, 2nd Award; Army Achievement Medal; Good Conduct Medal; Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, 6th Award; National Defense Medal, 3rd Award; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Humanitarian Service Medal, 2nd Award; Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Bronze Hourglass and M Device, 2nd Award; Non?commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon with numeral four; Combat Action Badge; Driver’s Badge; Nevada Distinguished Service Medal; Nevada National Guard Commendation Medal; Nevada National Guard Meritorious Service Ribbon, 2nd Award, Nevada National Guard Service Medal; Nevada National Guard Recruiting Ribbon with numeral three; Missouri National Guard Commendation Medal; Missouri National Guard Humanitarian Service Medal; Adjutant General’s Top 20 Badge and Ribbon; Missouri National Guard Service Ribbon and Louisiana National Guard Humanitarian Service Medal.
Keithley is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 3396, the Enlisted Association of the National Guard, the Association of the United States Army and is former member of the Rotary Club, Lions Club and Jaycees.