Non-commissioned officer
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A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an armed force who has been given authority by a commissioned officer. "Noncom" is the lesser-used term in many militaries since it may also refer to non-combatants. The NCO corps includes all the grades of sergeant and, in some militaries, corporals and warrant officers. The naval equivalent includes some or all grades of petty officer, although not all navies class their petty officers as NCOs.
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[edit] Function
The non-commissioned officer corps is the "junior" management of the military. They serve as administrative or training personnel and as advisors to the officer corps. However, their most valuable function is as a link between the 'common soldier' and the (commissioned) officer, who in most armies is encouraged to not develop a too close personal relationship with his charges. Because officers - other than those who join as enlisted soldiers and are later commissioned - begin their careers in a position of authority but lack practical experience, senior NCOs are also often responsible for giving them on-the-job training.
[edit] National usage
An experienced NCO corps is a key component of Western armies: in many cases NCOs are credited as being the metaphorical "backbone" of their service. By contrast, the weak NCO corps of the modern-day Russian armed forces, and those modelled after it, is widely blamed for the perceived ineffectiveness of those militaries. Russia has recently recognized this problem and plans to develop a fully professional NCO corps[citation needed].
[edit] Canada
In the Canadian Forces, the Queen's Regulations and Orders defines a non-commissioned officer as:
"A Canadian Forces member holding the rank of Sergeant or Corporal." QR&O 1.02 [1]
By definition, with the unification of the CF into one service, the rank of Sergeant includes the naval rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class, and Corporal includes the Naval rank of Leading Seaman; Corporal also includes the appointment of Master Corporal (Naval Master Seaman).
NCOs are officially divided into two categories: Junior Non-Commissioned Officers (Jr NCOs), consisting of Corporals/Leading Seamen and Master Corporals/Master Seamen; and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (Sr NCOs), consisting of Sergeants and Petty Officers 2nd Class. In the Canadian Navy, however, the accepted definition of "NCO" reflects the international use of the term (i.e. all grades of Petty Officer).
Junior Non-Commissioned Officers mess and billet with Privates and Seamen; their mess is usually referred to as the Junior Ranks Mess. Conversely, Senior Non-Commissioned Officers mess and billet with Warrant Officers; their mess is normally referred to as the Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess (Army and Air Force establishments) or the Chiefs and Petty Officers Mess (Naval establishments).
As a group, NCOs rank above Privates and below Warrant Officers.
[edit] Rome (Historical)
Some have compared the centurions of the Roman Army with modern NCOs. At some levels this comparison may be apt, but a Roman centurion was responsible for between 60 and 1,200 men, making him much more comparable to an officer. The Roman decurion held a small-team leadership position similar to that of a junior NCO.
[edit] Singapore
In the Singapore Armed Forces, the term "non-commissioned officer" is no longer used, being replaced with Specialist. Apart from the different name, Specialists perform similar tasks and roles as NCOs in other militaries.
[edit] United Kingdom
In the British Armed Forces, NCOs are divided into two categories. Lance Corporals, Corporals and Lance Sergeants are Junior NCOs (JNCOs). Sergeants, Staff Sergeants, Colour Sergeants, and (in the Royal Air Force) Chief Technicians and Flight Sergeants, are Senior NCOs (SNCOs).
Warrant Officers are often included in the SNCO category, but actually form a separate class of their own. SNCOs and WOs have their own messes, which are similar to officers' messes (and are usually known as Sergeants' Messes), whereas JNCOs live and eat with the unranked personnel.
The Royal Navy does not refer to its Petty Officers as NCOs, but calls them Senior Ratings (or Senior Rates). Leading Ratings and below are Junior Ratings.
[edit] United States
In the United States Army, United States Air Force and United States Marine Corps, all ranks of Sergeant are termed NCOs, as are Corporals in the Army and Marines. In the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, all ranks of Petty Officer are so designated. Junior NCOs function as first tier supervisors and technical leaders.
NCOs serving in the top three enlisted grades are termed senior noncommissioned officers (Chief Petty Officers in the Navy and Coast Guard). Senior NCOs are expected to exercise leadership at a more general level. They lead larger groups of service members, mentor junior officers, and advise senior officers on matters pertaining to their areas of responsibility. Within the Marine Corps these senior NCOs are called Staff NCOs. They include all ranks between E-6 and E-9.
A select few senior NCOs serve at the highest levels of their service, advising their service Secretary and Chief of Staff on all matters pertaining to the well-being and utilization of the enlisted force.
Unlike other militaries, Warrant Officers in the United States Armed Forces are never considered NCOs; they have their own rank tier.
[edit] In fiction
In fiction (especially in movies), NCOs often have a rather stereotyped role. They represent the old, grizzled veteran, the fatherly voice of reason to both his enlisted charges and his superiors. A classic example of this stereotype is Lee Marvin's "The Sergeant" from Sam Fuller's World War II classic The Big Red One.
This NCO is almost always very competent, and often used as a dramaturgical foil or mirror to an incompetent officer. A good example of this archetypical role would be Sergeant Apone (Al Matthews), in Aliens, with Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope) as the clueless officer.
[edit] Related abbreviations
- NCOA - Noncommissioned Officers Association (U.S.)
- NCOER - Noncommissioned Officer Evaluation Report (U.S. Army)
- NCOIC - Noncommissioned Officer In Charge (U.S./UK/Canada)
- NCOWC - Noncommissioned Officers' Wives Club (U.S.)
[edit] See also
es:Suboficial fr:Sous-officiers nl:Onderofficier ja:下士官 no:Underoffiser pl:Podoficer ru:Унтер-офицер sl:Podčastnik fi:Aliupseeri sv:Underofficer wa:Bas oficî
