Sergeant Major Carlton Wayne Kent (born November 5, 1957) was the 16th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is a unique non-commissioned rank and billet in the United States Marine Corps....

, assuming the post on April 25, 2007. He succeeded John L. Estrada

John L. Estrada

John L. Estrada was the 15th Sergeant Major of the United States Marine Corps. He succeeded Alford L. McMichael on June 26, 2003, becoming the 15th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. Estrada stepped down on April 25, 2007, turning over the post to SgtMaj Carlton Kent...

, who had been serving in that capacity since June 2003. He was replaced by Micheal Barrett on June 9, 2011.
Carlton Kent was born in Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

. He graduated from South Side High School in Memphis.

He completed recruit training

United States Marine Corps Boot Camp

United States Marine Corps Recruit Training, commonly known as "boot camp", is a program of initial training that each recruit must successfully complete in order to join the United States Marine Corps...

 at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island

Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island

Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island is an military installation located within Port Royal, South Carolina, approximately south of Beaufort, the community that is typically associated with the installation. MCRD Parris Island is used for the training of enlisted Marines...

, South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

 in March 1976 and was assigned to the 1st Marine Brigade

1st Marine Brigade

The 1st Marine Brigade could refer to:*1st Provisional Marine Brigade: A US Marine Corps ad hoc formation active in World War II and the Korean War.*1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade permanent US Marine Corps expeditionary brigade....

.

In May 1978, Kent was transferred to Marine Security Guard Battalion where he served as a Marine Security Guard at Embassies in Kinshasa

Kinshasa

Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....

, Zaire

Zaire

The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...

, and in Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

.

In June 1981, Kent transferred to Fort Benning

Fort Benning

Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...

 for Airborne School

United States Army Airborne School

The United States Army Airborne School — widely known as Jump School — conducts the basic paratrooper training for the United States armed forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion , 507th Infantry, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia...

 and Parachute Riggers

Parachute rigger

A parachute rigger is a person who is trained or licensed to pack, maintain or repair parachutes. A rigger is required to understand fabrics, hardware, webbing, regulations, sewing, packing, and other aspects related to the building, packing, repair, and maintenance of parachutes.- Military...

 School at Fort Lee, Virginia

Fort Lee, Virginia

Fort Lee is a census-designated place in Prince George County, Virginia, United States. The population was 7,269 at the 2000 census.Fort Lee is a United States Army post and headquarters of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command / Sustainment Center of Excellence , the U.S. Army Quartermaster...

.