Command Sergeant Major Sheryl D. Lyon became the Senior Enlisted Leader of United States Cyber Command, and the National Security Agency on 25 September 2020. She is a native of Tompkinsville, Kentucky.
Upon enlisting in the Army in 1991, she attended basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, followed by the Basic Arabic course at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California. She was awarded the MOS 35N (then 98C), Signals Intelligence Analyst, from Goodfellow Air Force Base, San Angelo, Texas. Her first assignment was with the 319th Military Intelligence Battalion, 525th Military Intelligence Brigade, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She then relocated to Bad Aibling, Germany, as part of the 718th Military Intelligence Group. After her tour in Germany, she became part of the United States Army Office of Military Support (USAOMS) in Washington, D.C. This was followed by an assignment to Camp Zama, Japan, with the 441st Military Intelligence Battalion, 500th Military Intelligence Brigade, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. From Japan, she moved to the Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, and Fort Stewart, Georgia. She deployed to Operation IRAQI FREEDOM/Operation NEW DAWN as part of the 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. Her next assignment was with the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (previously and now the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, during which she served as the Multinational Battlegroup-East Command Sergeant Major for Kosovo Force 17. Afterwards, she served as the senior enlisted leader for the Joint Functional Component Command for Global Strike, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. From Nebraska, CSM Lyon moved to take the seat as the U.S. Army Europe CSM in Wiesbaden, Germany and most recently served as the U.S. Army Cyber Command CSM, located in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Command Sergeant Major Lyon has held every leadership position from Team Sergeant to First Sergeant to Command Sergeant Major at the brigade level and senior enlisted leader at the nominative level. Her military education includes Primary Leadership Development Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course, Advanced Noncommissioned Officers Course, First Sergeant Course, and the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy. Other schools include the Basic Arabic course, Airborne School, Jumpmaster course, Master Fitness Trainer course and the SERE High Risk course. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Western Kentucky University.
Her awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star (1 OLC), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC), Meritorious Service Medal (2 OLC), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal (1 OLC), Good Conduct Medal (9th award), Kosovo Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Army Superior Unit Award, National Defense Service w/ Bronze Star, Medal w/ Bronze Star, NCO Professional Development Ribbon w/ numeral 4, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal, Master Parachutist Badge, Basic Aviator Crew Badge, and the Military Intelligence Corps Association Knowlton Award.
CSM Lyon has a daughter, Alison, who also serves in the U.S. Army as a Veterinarian. She is stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.