Command Sergeant Major Martin R. Wells enlisted into the Army in May 1983 from Rockville, Md. He first served as a Lance Missile Crewmember at the 8th U.S. Army Field Artillery Detachment in Steenwick, Holland. Following this assignment, he served as an Instructor at the Field Artillery Center and School at Fort Sill, Okla.

In 1988, CSM Wells was selected for recruiting duty and assigned to the Las Vegas Recruiting Company where he eventually converted his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) to Career Recruiter (79R). His additional assignments within the Phoenix Recruiting Battalion included Station Commander and Operations NCO.

CSM Wells was selected to become an instructor at the U.S. Army’s Recruiting and Retention (RRS) School at Fort Jackson, SC in 1995. In 1997, he was assigned as the First Sergeant of the New Haven Recruiting Company, Albany Recruiting Battalion and then returned to Fort Jackson as a Division Chief for the RRS from 2000 to 2001. CSM Wells was then selected for and graduated from Class 52 of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy in May 2002 and executed a follow-on assignment as the Command Sergeant Major of the Des Moines Army Recruiting Battalion until May 2004. Following this assignment, he was the first 79R to be selected as the Commandant of the Soldier Support Institute, NCO Academy at Fort Jackson, SC. In September 2006, CSM Wells began his assignment as the 16th U.S. Army Recruiting Command (USAREC) CSM and served in that position until April 2008. CSM Wells’ current tenure as the CSM of the United States Military Academy at West Point began on 7 April 2008.

CSM Wells holds a Master’s Degree in Business Management from Webster University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Auburn University. His accomplishments include being named the 1994 USAREC Soldier of the Year, the 1995 Recruiting and Retention School NCO of the Year and the 1999 Albany Recruiting Battalion First Sergeant of the Year. He has also earned the Recruiter Ring and the Glenn E. Morrell Award, the two highest awards in USAREC.

He has graduated from all NCOES courses, Airborne School and several USAREC courses to include the Sergeants Major Course, First Sergeant Course, Station Commander Course and Guidance Counselor Course. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, and Army Achievement Medal with eight Oak Leaf Clusters.