Behind the Camouflage: An Interview with First Sergeant Stacie Black, USMC (Ret)
Posted on: February 19,20251stSgt Stacie Black is a Marine Who Understands the Challenges of Being a Military Spouse.
First Sergeant Stacie Black, USMC (Ret) may no longer wear a uniform, but she is still a part of the Marine Corps family and she continues to serve the larger military community. She is a passionate advocate for military families; she has a firsthand understanding of the challenges they experience. Black, who served 21 years as an active-duty Marine, is also a Marine spouse. Black’s husband is Sergeant Major Troy E. Black, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (his previous assignment was 19th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps).
A lifelong musician, 1stSgt Black enlisted in 1992 and after completing recruit training, she went to the Naval School of Music in Norfolk, Va., as a French horn player. In 1996, she made a lateral move to an accounting MOS and was stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. At the completion of that assignment, she was selected for drill instructor duty. During her tour at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., she served as a DI, a senior DI and series gunnery sergeant. She also was a combat water survival instructor and was a member of the Marine Corps Rifle Team, setting a national record with the all-female team.
“I was just talking to spouses last week and it was all services and … it all comes back to like the same four or five things. We’re all worried about the childcare, [education], you know, spouse employment, food security …” – 1stSgt Stacie Black, USMC (Ret)
She met her husband, then-Staff Sergeant Troy Black, when they were both stationed at Parris Island.
In 2006, she was assigned as the 1stSgt of Transportation Support Company and deployed with CLR-15 in support of combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
After her 2013 retirement from the Marine Corps, Black attended the Art Institute of California where she earned a baking and pastry diploma. She now runs her own business creating custom cakes and pastries, specializing in military celebration cakes.
“I feel blessed that I get to serve,” said Black who recently sat down with Leatherneck to talk about her career, her role as a Marine spouse and how grateful she is to continue to have a role supporting the military community.
Leatherneck: What was your path to the yellow footprints?
1stSgt Black: Well, a lot of the men in my family served. My dad went to Vietnam and my uncles … They all served, well drafted, and so [did] my grandfathers. They both served. They didn’t talk about their time though. Then my sister went in the Navy, and she is four years older than me, so she went in the Navy, and it was kind of like, ‘I want to follow her where she goes.’ And I went to a high school and my path was supposed to be to go to college on my swimming and my music scholarship. And that darn recruiter being in his blues right by the band hall. And I’ve been a musician since I was 7. I started playing cello when I was 7. I love music, and so when he was standing by the band hall, and you know it’s like what are you doing after high school? I [said], I want to go in the Navy. I want to follow my sister, if I didn’t go to college. Anyway, fast forward, I had to do an audition, and the audition was the hardest audition I’ve ever done. And the one thing that honestly really taught me a life lesson because the major who auditioned me, [said] listen ‘you’re not the best player, you’re teachable, you’re willing to listen and you’re willing to try what I’m telling you to do.’ And that’s why they took me.
Leatherneck: What has it been like balancing your roles as an active-duty servicemember, now a business owner and Marine spouse?
1stSgt Black: I think I’m like a juggler in the circus sometimes. It’s been a challenging but incredibly rewarding journey. Each role demands a great deal of time, energy and focus. My military background instilled discipline and foces, which helps me in my business, while being a Marine spouse has taught me the value of flexiblity and emotional resilience. One of the hardest things is trying to give my best without feeling like I am sacrificing one for another. There are days when balancing the demands of being a mom, my business, my schoolwork and supporting my husband’s career can feel overwhelming, but I lean on my tribe—my support network—and take it one day at a time. I try the best I can.
Leatherneck: How was your husband’s role as Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps and now Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, impacted you?
1stSgt Black: I am so proud of my husband’s accomplishments through his service and leadership. Being by his side during these roles has allowed me to connect with other spouses and military families from all services. I’m here to help advocate for them. Ultimately, his leadership roles have deepened my sense of pride—not just in him, or in the Marine Corps, but the whole military community. It’s an honor to support him as he serves our country at this level, and I feel blessed that I’m able to represent the spouses and military families.
Leatherneck: What advice do you have for dual service couples?
1stSgt Black: I think it was different for me because I was a staff NCO when we got married so with me being on my own and independent for 10 years, that helped me with communication. Communication, I think, is the best thing.
Leatherneck: Have there been particular moments in your joint military career that stand out as especially meaningful or memorable.
1stSgt Black: Well, I think one of the best memories that I have is my husband promoted me. He was a gunnery sergeant and we were engaged. I was picking up gunnery sergeant and wanted him at my promotion. I’m standing there trying to be hardcore and that’s when he came up to me, took off his chevrons and put them on me. Oh man, I didn’t know that was going to happen. That was so meaningful because I looked up to him. I still look up to him and I’m thinking, ‘oh my gosh this man, he’s giving me his chevrons.’ Chevrons are extremely important and meaningful.
Leatherneck: In what ways has your dual military experience influenced your perspective on military life and the needs of service members and spouses.
1stSgt Black: Having experienced military life from both sides—as a servicemember and as a spouse—this has given me a unique perspective. Living through the demands of Marine Corps life, from deployments to PCS moves, it’s a constant adjustment.
As a spouse, it requires flexibility. My experience has shown me the importance of a strong support network. I believe that service members perform best when their families are supported. It’s not just about individual readiness, it’s about family readiness, which impacts morale, retention and overall mission success. I feel my experiences help me make a positive impact on our spouses and military families.
Leatherneck: What was your best day in the Marine Corps?
1stSgt Black: The day I graduated boot camp and became a Marine that was the start of a dream that I knew was possible. I didn’t know how strong I was until I went to boot camp and, it’s my very best day just because it let me understand that I could do something if I put my mind to it.
This article was written by Nancy S. Lichtman and was published in the February 2025 issue of Leatherneck Magazine.
