The Army Sacks Another Senior Enlisted Leader in the Washington, DC, Area

Another senior enlisted Army official -- the second in the past week -- has been fired from their position in the Washington, D.C., area, according to the service.

Command Sgt. Maj. Harold "Ed" Jarrell, the top enlisted leader for the Army's 1st Information Operations Command, was relieved Tuesday, though it was unclear what led to his dismissal. That follows the firing of the senior enlisted leader in charge of the Army branch that oversees operations across the greater D.C. region on Aug. 8.

Jarrell was fired due to a "loss of trust and confidence in his ability to lead effectively," Maj. Lindsay Roman, a spokesperson for U.S. Army Cyber Command, told Military.com, declining to go into detail.

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"Loss of trust and confidence" is the go-to line for the service when a senior official is fired. Those reasons could range from immoral conduct, poor performance or criminal activity -- though Jarrell was not facing any military criminal charges as of Thursday, according to a review of the service's legal docket.

Military.com was unable to reach Jarrell for comment ahead of publication. It was also unclear whether he had hired an attorney. He previously served as the command sergeant major of the 311th Military Intelligence Battalion at Camp Zama, Japan.

The 1st Information Operations Command primarily handles intelligence analysis and cybersecurity for the Army.

Jarrell has a relatively robust Army resume: He initially enlisted into the National Guard in 1999 as an infantryman, according to his military record, and eventually transferred to active duty, spending much of his platoon-level time with the 10th Mountain Division. He changed jobs to counterintelligence in 2009.

He served as a Ranger School instructor; deployed eight times, including four tours to Afghanistan; and earned a spot on the commandant's list for every noncommissioned officer school he attended, including the Sergeants Major Academy. He served in counterintelligence roles in 10th Special Forces Group and the 75th Ranger Regiment. His awards include five Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

Jarrell's termination comes immediately after another senior enlisted leader in the region was fired last week. Those two sergeants major are under different commands.

Command Sgt. Maj. Veronica Knapp, the top enlisted leader for the Army's Military District of Washington, which encompasses much of the service's force around the nation's capital, was fired Aug. 8.

Knapp is among the highest-profile women in the service, previously serving as the command sergeant major for the prestigious 101st Airborne Division from 2021 through mid-2023.

She joined the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region/Army Military District of Washington in June 2023. Her portfolio in the role included much of the Army's ceremonial apparatus, including the United States Army Band and the Old Guard, which perform ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery.

Last month, across the globe, Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Carlson was also fired from his role as the senior enlisted leader of the 173rd Airborne Brigade based in Vicenza, Italy.

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