I Said Hooah! – CSM Jimmy Nugent Retires After 36 Years of Service
Story by 1st Sgt. Thaddeus Harrington
Soldiers bid farewell to their outgoing Command Sgt. Major James Nugent, command sergeant major of the Maryland Army National Guard, and welcomed his replacement, Command Sgt. Major David Harry, in a change-of-responsibility ceremony at the Fifth Regiment Armory, in Baltimore, Maryland, on Dec. 4, 2022. Nugent also retired after 36 years of service to the U.S. Army.
“As we looked over the Capitol Grounds one evening, CSM Nugent said to me, ‘Wow, why me?’,” recounted Army Brig. Gen. Janeen Birckhead, commander of the MDARNG, while observing forces protecting the Capitol after the civil unrest on Jan. 6, 2021. “By now, I think you all know by now. He epitomizes what a Soldier should be and do.”
Born in New York City, Nugent grew up in Montgomery County, Maryland, and enlisted in the United States Army in 1986 as a cavalry scout. His deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom; Operation Joint Guardian, serving as the command Sgt. major of the Southern Command Post in Kosovo and Operation Inherent Resolve serving as the command sgt. Major of the Combined Joint Operations Center in Jordan.
“My service as a Soldier was the first thing I’d ever done that I was ever good at and was actually productive to society,” said Nugent. “Accepting this job [as MDARNG CSM] was one of the best decisions I made since joining the Army… It’s the end of the most exciting and busiest assignment of my career.”
In addition to his traditional National Guard role, Nugent served for ten years as an analyst with the Maryland National Guard Counterdrug Program, providing support to Maryland’s law enforcement agencies. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, University College.
“Sergeant major [referring to Nugent], you’ve left impossibly large shoes to fill… I’m going to have to walk my own path,” said Harry. “I appreciate your sage advice throughout this process and throughout the years.”
Command Sgt. Major David Harry, born in Georgetown, Guyana, South America, immigrated to the United States in 1979 and enlisted in the United States Army in 1997 as a paralegal specialist. Harry deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a first sergeant, his unit was charged with training and managing the Iraqi Corrections Officer Training Academy from 2007 to 2008.
Harry led multiple training events in support of the MDARNG State Partnership Program with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Estonia. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Excelsior College.