Command Sergeant Major Victor M Benavides is native of Lima, Peru. He enlisted in the Army in February 1997 as an Infantryman. He completed One Station Unit Training (OSUT) at Fort Benning, Georgia. CSM Benavides has served as a Rifleman, Squad Automatic Weapon Gunner, Team Leader, Squad Leader, Marksmanship Instructor, Platoon Sergeant, First Sergeant, Operations Sergeant Major, and Command Sergeant Major.
His assignments include 1st Battalion, 325 Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; 3rd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 165th Infantry Brigade, Basic Combat Training (BCT) Fort Jackson, South Carolina; Division Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion (DHHB) 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas; 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina; 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colorado; 197th Infantry Brigade, One Station Unit Training (OSUT) Fort Benning GA. His overseas assignments include a six-month tour in Sinai, Egypt in support of the Multinational Force & Observer (MFO). CSM Benavides deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II and Operation Iraqi Freedom 07‐09 and once to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom XIV.
CSM Benavides’ awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal (3rd award), Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal (5th award), Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal (9th award), Good Conduct Medal (7th award), Afghanistan Campaign Medal with 1 Campaign Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with 5 Campaign Stars, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon w/ numerical 4, Army Service Ribbon, Army Overseas Service Ribbon w/ numerical 6, NATO Medal, Multinational Force & Observer Medal. He also has the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge, Air Assault Badge, Airborne Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Ranger Tab, Italian Parachutist Badge, Spanish Parachutist Badge, German Parachutists Badge, the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency (Gold) and the Primicerius Order of Saint Maurice.
CSM Benavides’ military education includes OSUT, Combat Lifesaver Course, Basic Leaders Course, Advanced Leaders Course, Senior Leaders Course, First Sergeant Course, United States Army Sergeants Major Course (Class 64), Combative Program Level One, Battle Staff Course, Master Resilience Trainer Course, Marines’ Marksmanship Course, Airborne School, Air Assault School, Pathfinder School, and Ranger School. CSM Benavides continued his education while serving in the Army graduating from Excelsior College in 2014 with an Associate in Applied Science in Administrative/Management Studies and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Management.