Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher A. Holder is a native of Lubbock, Texas. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in January 2002 as an M1A1 Armor Crewmember. Holder attended one-station unit training at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Holder's early assignments include gunner in the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry unit in Fort Hood, Texas; gunner in the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry unit in Fort Hood, Texas; and the tank commander in the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry unit in Fort Hood, Texas. Holder participated in deployments with the 4th Infantry Division including Operations Iraqi Freedom from April 2003 to March 2004, and Operation Enduring Freedom from December 2005 to January 2007.
Upon assignment to the U.S. Army Recruiting Command in June 2007, Holder served as a detailed recruiter in the Dallas Battalion from June 2007 to August 2010, Station Commander of the Terrell and Garland from August 2010 to November 2012, Station Commander in Ocala, Florida from November 2012 to May 2015, Senior Guidance Counselor for the Memphis MEPS from May 2015-August 2017, First Sergeant of the Richmond Company from September 2017 to May 2020, First Sergeant of the Omaha Company from June 2020-June 2021, student at the Sergeant Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas from August 2021 to July 2022, and Operations Sergeant Major at the Indianapolis Recruiting Battalion from August 2022 to September 2023.
Holder is a graduate of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy (Class of 1972), Recruiting Company Commander First Sergeant Course, Senior Leader’s Course, Advanced Leader’s Course and the Basic Leader’s Course. He has also attended the Army’s Basic Recruiter Course, Station Commander Course and the Guidance Counselor Operations Course. He holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Texas – El Paso and a Bachelor of Human Resources from Columbia Southern University.
His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart (1st award), Meritorious Service Medal (5th award), the Army Commendation Medal (7th award), the Army Achievement Medal (4th award), the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, the Combat Action Badge, the Recruiter Ring and the Glen E. Morrell Award for Recruiting Excellence.