Sergeant Major Levi A. Gates was born in Burleson, Texas and enlisted in the Marine Corps on 25 July 2005. Upon completion of recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, in October 2005, Private First Class Gates was assigned to the School of Infantry West for Marine Combat Training aboard Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California. Private First Class Gates was then assigned to Marine Aviation Training Support Group-21 in Pensacola, Florida.
Upon Graduation from Flight Equipment Technician school in August 2006, Lance Corporal Gates was assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron-26 at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina.
In October 2007, Corporal Gates transferred to Helicopter Medium Light Attack Squadron 167, Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. There, he completed two deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and was promoted the the rank of Sergeant.
In March 2010, Sergeant Gates was assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. He completed one deployment in support of Joint Operation Black Sea Rotational Force to Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania.
In October 2012, Sergeant Gates received orders to Basic Recruiter's Course (BRC) at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, California. Upon completion of BRC, he was assigned to Marine Corps Recruiting Station Fort Worth, Texas. He served eighteen months as a canvassing recruiter, eighteen months as a Recruiting Sub-Station Commander and was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant.
In December 2015, Staff Sergeant Gates was transferred to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron-24 at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, where he held the billets of Quality Assurance Representative, Aviation Life Support Systems Division Chief, and was promoted to the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.
In January 2019, Gunnery Sergeant Gates executed orders to Marine Helicopter Squadron-1, Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico, Virginia where he served as the Aviation Life Support Systems Division Chief and Power Plants Division Chief for the Executive Flight Detachment. Gunnery Sergeant Gates was selected to First Sergeant and frocked in March of 2021.
In May 2021, First Sergeant Gates was assigned as the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, Region 5, First Sergeant in Frankfurt, Germany. While there, he served as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader to 22 Marine Security Guards Detachments across 18 countries spanning Western Europe, Scandinavia, Eastern Mediterranean and Northwest Africa.
In July 2024, First Sergeant Gates transferred to 8th Engineer Support Battalion, Bulk Fuel Company, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and served as the Unit Senior Enlisted Leader until being promoted to Sergeant Major.
Sergeant Major Gates arrived to his current billet as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for 2d Intelligence Battalion in April 2025. Sergeant Major Gates has a Bachelors degree in General Studies from Columbia College. His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy/Marine Corps commendation medal with 1 gold star and the Navy/Marine Corps achievement medal with 1 gold star.