Sergent Major is a very high rank, I counted 5 service stripes, in the USMC that means 20-23 years of service. One would have to be really squared away to make a Sergent Major in 20 years. He did not looked “squared away” to me. And the Marine was correct a real Sergent Major would not have walked away. Guilty.
An army vet (yours truly) could spot instantly (because I did) numerous problems with his military appearance and bearing that no professional soldier would mistake.