Command Sergeant Major Cynthia A. Pritchett served as the Combined Forces Command — Afghanistan Command Sergeant Major beginning on May 9, 2004, and relinquished her duties on April 5, 2006. She is the first senior enlisted female to serve as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader of a sub-unified combatant command in a time of war.

From May 9, 2004, until April 5, 2006, Command Sergeant Major Pritchett was the principle advisor to the Commander, Combined Forces-Afghanistan on all matters concerning joint/combined force integration, utilization. Her final assignment was to USCENTCOM as the Senior Enlisted Leader of the Headquarters US Army Element CENTCOM. She currently works as the strategic planner for the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies and serves as their Liaison to U.S. Central Command in Tampa. She retired on February 28, 2010 after over 36 years of active service.

A native of Concord, New Hampshire, CSM Pritchett entered the Army on July 2, 1973, as a supply specialist. During her career, she has served in a variety of leadership positions including Squad Leader, Section Sergeant, Platoon Sergeant, Operations Sergeant, First Sergeant, Battalion Command Sergeant Major, Installation Command Sergeant Major, Student and Faculty Battalion Commander, and Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth Command Sergeant Major. She also served as a Drill Sergeant, an Army Recruiter, and an Instructor at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy (USASMA).

Her duty assignments include Fort McClellan, AL; Fort Knox, KY, Germany; Philadelphia, PA; Camp Carroll, Korea; Fort Bragg, NC; Fort Bliss, TX; Fort Campbell, KY; Mogadishu, Somalia; Fort Belvoir, VA, Fort Leavenworth, KS, Kabul, Afghanistan, and MacDill AFB, FL.

Her military education includes Drill Sergeant School, Recruiting School. She is a graduate of Class 37, United States Army Sergeants Major Academy. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Excelsior College in Administration and Management and a Master of Science in International Relations (Global Studies) from Troy University.

CSM Pritchett’s awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, three awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, three awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, five awards of the Army Commendation Medal, two awards of the Army Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the United Nations Medal (Somalia), the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, as well as Drill Sergeant and Army Recruiter Badges.

She continues to give back by volunteering to serve as the First Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Army Women’s Foundation.  She is a member of Park’s Military and Public Service Advisory Council. She is a member of the Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) Advisory Council. She also serves on the St. Stephen Catholic School Advisory Board. She is a former member of the JPMorgan Chase Military and Veterans Affairs Advisory Council.

She resides in Brandon, Florida with her cats, Ranger, Scout, and Maddie.