Command Sergeant Major James D. (Danny) Ashley was appointed State
Command Sergeant Major for the Alabama Army National Guard on 3 January 2005.
Prior to his assignment to the State CSM position, he was serving as Command
Sergeant Major of the 1169th Engineer Group in Huntsville.
CSM Ashley
was born 28 January 1950, in DeKalb County, Alabama. He earned a Bachelor
Degree in education and a
Masters Degree in school administration from Jacksonville State University,
and a AA Degree in School Administration from Alabama A&M University. CSM
Ashley worked as an educator in the DeKalb County school system for more than
32 ½ years. He served as Principal of Fyffe High School for ten years prior
to his retirement from the school system December 31, 2004. His military
education includes the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, the Command
Sergeants Major Course, Senior NCO Course, Advanced NCO Course, Battle Skills
Course and the Combat Engineer Course.
In September
1972, CSM Ashley enlisted in the Alabama Army National Guard’s Headquarters,
151st Engineer Battalion in Fort Payne as a personnel specialist.
Other assignments in the 151st Engineer Battalion included Company
Clerk, Battalion Retention NCO, Personnel Support Team NCO, and Operations
Sergeant. He was assigned as First Sergeant for Company D, 1343rd
Engineer Battalion in Piedmont in January 1994. Just over two years later, in
March 1996, he was selected as Command Sergeant Major for the 1343rd
Engineer Battalion in Fort Payne. He was assigned as Command Sergeant Major
in the 1169th Engineer Group in January 1998.
CSM’s
military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement
Medal, Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with silver oak leaf cluster and
two bronze OLC), National Defense Service Ribbon (with one bronze star),
Humanitarian Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with hour glass
device), NCO Professional
Development Ribbon with numeral 4, Army Service Ribbon, Army Reserve
Components Overseas Training Ribbon with numeral 2, and the Veterans Service
Medal, Faithful Service Medal (with 1 silver and 3 Bronze Saint Andrews
Crosses) and The Basic Training Ribbon of Alabama.
His membership in professional and religious organizations include the
Enlisted Association of the United State, Enlisted National Guard
Association of Alabama and
member of Nazareth Baptist Church where he serves as Deacon. CSM Ashley is married to the former Ann
Long of Fyffe. He has two children, daughter Jennifer Fields, and a son, Jonathan,
and two grandchildren, Triston O'Connor and Whitley Fields.
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