FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. –
The Pennsylvania National Guard's senior enlisted leader retired recently after 38 years of service in the National Guard and Army.
Command Sgt. Maj. Jon Worley retired during a ceremony Sept. 15 here after serving as the senior enlisted leader for the past three years.
“My tenure here has been an unprecedented time in the National Guard, with our response to COVID, our response to civil unrest; at one time we had more than a third of our force activated, which probably hasn’t happened since World War II,” said Worley.
The senior enlisted leader is the most senior noncommissioned officer in the Pennsylvania National Guard, acting as an adviser to the adjutant general and serving as a link between the adjutant general and the thousands of enlisted Guardsmen serving under his command.
“I think it would help us all if we all started thinking bigger,” said Worley. “The new generation wants to understand how they fit into the global picture.”
Command Sgt. Maj. Shawn Phillips succeeds Worley as the new senior enlisted leader. Phillips previously served as the operations sergeant major at the Pennsylvania National Guard Joint Operations Center at Fort Indiantown Gap.
“I have known CSM Phillips for years, and I have all the faith and confidence in him,” said Worley. “I think we picked the right individual at the right time for the Pennsylvania National Guard.”
Worley said his major accomplishments as SEL include more transparency in selections to senior enlisted ranks and academies and reinvigorating the unit career counselor program to address the force-wide recruiting and retention shortfalls.
Prior to becoming SEL, Worley served 22 years as the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Chief of Police at Fort Indiantown Gap. He joined the active-duty Army in 1985 and the Pennsylvania National Guard in 1989, serving in a variety of roles.
Another source of pride for Worley during his time as SEL is the role he played in the State Partnership Program with Lithuania.
“We just came back from Lithuania and watched the 28th ID band represent the United States of America in a military tattoo in a foreign land, a land that’s been conquered throughout history and now they’re free because they rely on NATO to defend them, they rely on us,” said Worley, adding that he felt tremendous pride seeing the red keystone and the American flag while the crowd of Lithuanians and people from other NATO allies cheered.
Many members of Worley’s family joined Pa. Guard senior leaders, colleagues, and friends at the ceremony to celebrate his long, distinguished career of service and wish him well during the next phase of his life.
“Because of this job I probably have a honey-do list two arms long,” said Worley, anticipating retired life.
Worley said he is considering volunteering with Veterans’ organizations.
“It may be time to give back in a different way,” Worley said.