Sergeant
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- For other uses, see Sergeant (disambiguation).
| Naval forces | Land / Air forces | Commonwealth air forces |
|---|---|---|
| This table shows the hierarchy of widely recognized military rank titles. Not all variants ranks in between are included. If "broadly" equivalent ranks do not appear alongside each other, they are indicated by matching numerical notation. | ||
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organisations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "who serves", through the French term Sergent.
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[edit] Military usage
In most non-naval military or paramilitary organizations, a Sergeant is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) ranking above Privates and Corporals, and below Warrant Officers and Commissioned Officers.
There are usually several ranks of Sergeant, each corresponding to greater experience and responsibility for the daily lives of the soldiers of larger units.
The responsibilities of a Sergeant differs from army to army. In the British and most other Commonwealth armies a Sergeant is second-in-command of a platoon (30-50 soldiers) or troop (the commander of a platoon typically being a 2nd Lieutenant or Lieutenant). In the US Army a Sergeant and Staff Sergeant are both ranks corresponding to command of a squad (7-10 soldiers), with a Sergeant First Class equating to a British/Commonwealth Staff Sergeant.
In some armies, particularly the German army with its system of mission-based tactics, sergeants have much greater responsibility and use of initiative than in other armies.
Sergeants Major are senior NCO appointments of a company/squadron, battalion, or regiment. (In the US army company/troop senior NCO rank is Master Sergeant or First Sergeant; in British and most Commonwealth forces, sergeant major is an appointment e.g. (company sergeant major (CSM) or Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), whereas the rank is Warrant Officer Class 2 or 1. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force have a single Warrant Officer grade. Although even the most senior sergeant major (or equivalent) is lower in rank than any officers, the position of Sergeant Major is in many ways more prestigious than junior officer ranks.
[edit] Police usage
The rank of Sergeant or its equivalent is common to the police of many countries. It is usually the highest rank which performs direct field supervision.
In the British police, Sergeant (officially Police Sergeant (PS)) is senior to Police Constable and junior to Inspector. British Police Sergeants are usually addressed by their subordinates as "Sergeant", "Sarge", "Skipper" or "Skip". Constables must have completed their two years' probation before taking their sergeant's exams; if they pass then they may apply for promotion. The Metropolitan Police also maintained a more senior rank, Station Sergeant (or First Class Detective Sergeant in the Criminal Investigation Department), from 1890 to 1973.
In most American police departments, Sergeant is the rank junior to Lieutenant. Many police forces also use the rank of Corporal.
In the Irish Garda Síochána, Sergeant is senior to Garda and junior to Inspector.
The New Zealand Police and Australian police services also have the rank of Senior Sergeant.
[edit] Australia
Sergeant (SGT) is a rank in both the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force. The ranks are equal to each other and the Royal Australian Navy rank of Petty Officer (PO).
However, the RAAF rank of Flight Sergeant (FSGT) outranks the Army rank of Staff Sergeant (SSG). There is no Navy or RAAF equivalent of SSG, however the Navy rank of Chief Petty Officer (CPO) and Army rank of Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) are equivalent to a Flight Sergeant.
In the Australian army the rank of Sergeant is above Corpral but below Warrant Officer Class 2. Although Staff Sergeant is technically between the two ranks, this rank is currently being phased out of the Australian Army. The insignia of a Sergeant in the Australian Army is three chevrons vertically adjacent to each other. Sergeants are non commissioned officers and are usually the 2ic's of infantry platoons or armoured/ transport troops.
[edit] Canada
Sergeant (Sgt) (French: sergent) is an Army or Air Force non-commissioned member (NCM) rank of the Canadian Forces. Its Naval equivalent is Petty Officer 2nd Class (PO2) (French: maître de 2e classe). It is senior to the appointment of Master Corporal (MCpl) and its equivalent naval appointment, Master Seaman (MS), and junior to Warrant Officer (WO) and its naval equivalent, Petty Officer 1st Class (PO1). Sgts and PO2s together make up the cadre of senior non-commissioned officers (Sr NCOs).
In army units, Sergeants usually serve as section commanders; they may often be called to fill positions normally held by Warrant Officers, such as Platoon or Troop Warrant, Company Quartermaster Sergeant, Chief Clerk, etc.
The rank insignia of a Sergeant is a 3-bar chevron, worn point down, surmounted by a maple leaf. Embroidered rank badges are worn in "CF gold" thread on rifle green melton, stitched to the upper sleeves of the Service Dress jacket; as miniature gold metal and rifle-green enamel badges on the collars of the Army dress shirt and Army outerwear jackets; in "old-gold" thread on postman-blue slip-ons on Air Force shirts, sweaters, and coats; and in tan (Army) or dark blue (Air Force) thread on CADPAT slip-ons on the Operational Dress uniform. Sergeants are generally initially addressed as "Sergeant Bloggins" and thereafter as "Sergeant"; the colloquialism "Sarge" is used only in informal situations.
Colour Sergeant in the Canadian Forces is not a rank of Sergeant, but a Warrant Officer in one of the two Foot Guards regiments (the Governor General's Foot Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards). Likewise, a Sergeant-Major (including Regimental Sergeant-Major) is not a Sergeant rank, but an appointment held by a Master Warrant Officer or Chief Warrant Officer.
Sergeants generally mess and billet with Warrant Officers, Master Warrant Officers, and Chief Warrant Officers, and their naval counterparts, Chief Petty Officers and Petty Officers. Their mess on military bases or installations is generally named the Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess.
Historically, the rank of sergeant was severely downgraded after Unification of the three services in 1968. An Army Sergeant before unification was generally employed in supervisory positions, such as the second in command of a platoon sized unit (ie an infantry Platoon Sergeant, or Troop Sergeant in an armoured unit). After unification he was downgraded in status to section commander, a job previously held by Corporals, and the former "Platoon/Troop Sergeant"s were replaced by "Platoon/Troop Warrant Officers."
[edit] France
There are three sergeant ranks in France, although the most junior, contract sergeant, is rare now that conscription has been suspended. In general, the term "sergeant" is used indifferently for both contract sergeant and career sergeant. Contract sergeant is classified as the lowest sub-officer rank, the rank below being chief corporal.
- Contract sergeant: Sergeant de contrat: One gold chevron. A rank used for junior sergeants, either conscripts or reservists. Junior to commonwealth sergeant but senior to commonwealth corporal.
- Career sergeant: Sergeant de carriere: Two gold chevrons. Normal sergeant rank, though normally directly recruited from civilian life into this rank, so the rank implies less experience than for a commonwealth sergeant. Normally simply referred to as sergeant, dropping the "de carriere". With long service, promotion to chief sergeant is automatic. Equivalent to a US sergeant. Roughly equivalent to, but slightly junior to, a commonwealth sergeant.
- Chief Sergeant: Sergeant-chef: Three gold chevrons. With long service, a sergeant's promotion to chief sergeant is automatic. This rank corresponds exactly to a US staff sergeant. There is no commonwealth equivalent, this rank lying between commonwealth staff sergeant and commonwealth sergeant. The rank may be said to be roughly equivalent to, but perhaps slightly superior to, a commonwealth sergeant. The next rank up is adjutant.
French sergeant ranks are used by the entire Air Force, and by traditionally dismounted arms of the French army. Traditionally mounted arms of the French Army do not use sergeant ranks, but instead use three equivalent ranks of "marshal of lodgings" (which are indicated by the same number of chevrons but in silver.)
[edit] Germany
In the German language, the rank of Sergeant is known as Feldwebel. The rank has existed since the 18th century, with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. One important difference between Sergeants and Feldwebeln exists: in a typical Bundeswehr company, only one Zug (platoon) is under the command of an officer, while the other Zugführer (platoon leader) positions are held by Feldwebel-ranked NCOs (typically Hauptfeldwebel and above).
In the modern Germany Army, Feldwebel and Oberfeldwebel have a NATO rank code of OR-6, with Unteroffizier (historically considered generically equivalent to Corporal) and Stabsunteroffizier having a rank code of OR-5.
[edit] India and Pakistan
[edit] Army
In the British Indian Army, the equivalent rank to Sergeant was Daffadar in cavalry regiments and Havildar in other units. These ranks are still used in the Indian Army and Pakistan Army.
[edit] Police
In many metropolitan police forces in India e.g. Kolkata Police, a Sergeant is senior to an Assistant Sub-Inspector but junior to an Inspector.
[edit] Ireland
Sergeant (Sgt) (Sáirsint in Gaelic) is the second rank of non-commissioned officer within the Irish Army. The Naval equivalent is Petty Officer (PO).
The Army rank insignia consists of three winged chevrons (or "stripes"). The Service Dress Insignia consists of three wavy red chevrons 3½ inches wide bordered in yellow. The main infantry role of a Sergeant is as Second in Command of a platoon or commander of a Fire Support Section of a weapons platoon, such as an anti-tank or mortar platoon. Another role is that of Company Clerk and Instructor. There are higher ranks of Company Sergeant and Company Quartermaster Sergeant.
Sergeant is also the second rank of NCO in the Irish Air Corps. Before 1994, the Air Corps was considered part of the Army and wore Army uniforms with distinct Corps Badges, but the same rank insignia. With the introduction of a unique Air Corps blue uniform in 1994, the same rank markings in a white colour were worn, before the introduction of a new three-chevron with wing rank marking. There are higher ranks of Flight Sergeant and Flight Quartermaster Sergeant.
[edit] Poland
In the Polish Army rank insignia system there are two grades of sergeant: Sierżant (OR-6 in NATO code) and Starszy Sierżant (OR-7). The rank first appeared in Henryk Dąbrowski's Polish Legions in Italy in the late 18th century. Both ranks are used in the infantry, armoured forces, air force and cavalry. In the artillery the equivalent is Bombardier or Ogniomistrz (literally Firemaster). In the Polish Navy, the equivalent is Bosman (literally Boatswain).
[edit] Singapore
In the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), there are five different grades of sergeant: Third Sergeant (3SG), Second Sergeant (2SG), First Sergeant (1SG), Staff Sergeant (SSG), and Master Sergeant (MSG). Sergeants are considered Specialists in the SAF. They are equivalent to the non-commissioned officers of other militaries.
Soldiers must complete their Specialist course at School of Infantry Specialists (SISPEC) or other training institutes before being promoted to Third Sergeant. While active duty National Servicemen may be promoted to Second Sergeant, most personnel holding ranks above that are career soldiers.
Promotion from 3SG to SSG takes an average of 6 years, although there are many factors which may cause a soldier's promotion to cease. These factors include failure to pass an annual physical fitness proficiency test, poor performance in their appointments or getting charged for offences.
3SGs are usually section commanders. They may also hold certain logistics or administrative posts such as Company Quartermaster Sergeant. 2SGs usually serve as platoon sergeants. 1SGs, SSGs, and MSGs usually serve as Company Sergeant Majors or administrative Specialists at company level or higher.
In the Singapore Police Force, the rank of Sergeant lies between Corporal and Staff Sergeant.
| Rank | Third Sergeant | Second Sergeant | First Sergeant | Staff Sergeant | Master Sergeant |
| Abbreviation | 3SG | 2SG | 1SG | SSG | MSG |
| Insignia | Image:Army 3SG.jpg | Image:Army 2SG.jpg | Image:Army 1SG.jpg | Image:Army SSG.jpg | Image:Army MSG.jpg |
[edit] United Kingdom
A Sergeant (Sgt) in the British Army wears three point-down chevrons on their sleeve and usually serves as a platoon or troop sergeant, or in a specialist position. Staff Sergeant is the next most senior rank, above which come Warrant Officers. The Household Cavalry use the rank of Corporal of Horse instead, the only regiments to preserve the old cavalry tradition of having corporals but not sergeants.
The official spelling was Serjeant (Sjt) until after the Second World War, although the modern spelling had already been in common use for many years.
The Royal Marines and the Infantry use the ranks of Sergeant and Colour Sergeant.
The Royal Air Force also has the rank of Sergeant, wearing the same three chevrons. The rank lies between Corporal and Flight Sergeant (or Chief Technician for technicians and musicians). Between 1950 and 1964 sergeants in technical trades were known as Senior Technicians and wore their chevrons point up.
On 1 July 1946, aircrew sergeants were redesignated as Aircrew IV, III or II, replacing the chevrons with one, two or three six-pointed stars within a wreath and surmounted by an eagle. This was unpopular and in 1950 they returned to the old rank, but have worn an eagle above their chevrons ever since. Sergeants of the Royal Flying Corps wore a four-bladed propeller above their chevrons.
British sergeants are usually addressed as "Sergeant". The shortening "Sarge" is sometimes used by subordinates, although many sergeants object to this term. In the British Army and Royal Marines, however, the abbreviated "Sarn't" is commonly heard.
| OR-1 | OR-2 | OR-3 | OR-4 | OR-5/OR-6 | OR-7 | OR-8 | OR-9 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Navy: | ORD - AB | LH | PO | CPO | WO2 | WO1 | |||||
| Royal Marines: | MNE | LCpl | Cpl | Sgt | CSgt | WO2 | WO1 | ||||
| Army: | Pte | Pte | LCpl | Cpl | Sgt | SSgt / CSgt | WO2 | WO1 | |||
| Royal Air Force: | AC | LAC - SAC - Jnr Tech | Cpl | Sgt | Chf Tech - FS | WO / MAcr | |||||
[edit] Sweden
[edit] Army
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Sergeant (Sgt) is a rank awarded after 15 months of conscript training as squad leader (Swedish Cavalry). The rank corresponds to Corporal in the British Army.
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[edit] United States
[edit] Army
In the United States Army, although there are several ranks of sergeant, the lowest carries the title of Sergeant (SGT), colloquially referred to as buck sergeant when needed to distinguish it from the higher ranks. Sergeant is the fifth enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, just above Specialist and Corporal and below Staff Sergeant, and is the second-lowest grade of non-commissioned officer.
Army NCOs of any rank between Sergeant and Master Sergeant may be addressed as "Sergeant," but First Sergeants and Sergeants Major only by their full rank. Though not technically required, a Master Sergeant is still typically referred to by his or her full rank, as a show of respect.
Drill Sergeants are always addressed as "Drill Sergeant", regardless of rank (only when on an instruction tour indicated by the brown round.) For example; if a Drill Sergeant is done with his/her instruction tour, they go back to wearing their beret and are called sergeant again. The Drill Sergeant will always wear the Drill Sergeant badge indicating they completed the school. The Army Drill Sergeant badge appears on the right lower shirt pocket.
[edit] Marine Corps
Similarly, the United States Marine Corps has several ranks which carry the title of Sergeant, the lowest of which is Sergeant (Sgt). Marine Sergeants are the fifth enlisted rank in the U.S. Marine Corps, just above Corporal and below Staff Sergeant.
In the Marine Corps, enlisted ranks above Sergeant are referred to as Staff Non-Commissioned Officers (Staff NCOs or SNCOs). These ranks, Staff Sergeant through Sergeant Major, are always referred to by their full rank and never merely as "Sergeant". Gunnery Sergeants are commonly addressed as simply "Gunny", Master Sergeants as "Top", and Master Gunnery Sergeants as "Master Guns". A Marine Corps Sergeant is always addressed as "Sergeant" and never "Sarge" or any sort of nickname or abbreviation, and 1st Sergeants and Sergeants Major are always addressed by full rank title.
[edit] Air Force
The U.S. Air Force rank of Sergeant (E-4) was phased out in the 1990s. Previously, Senior Airmen were promoted to Sergeant and granted NCO status after 12 months time in grade; this lateral promotion is no longer conferred and Senior Airmen compete directly for promotion to Staff Sergeant. In today's Air Force, the term Sergeant refers to all Air Force NCOs up to and including Senior Master Sergeant.
| E-1 | E-2 | E-3 | E-4 | E-5 | E-6 | E-7 | E-8 | E-9 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force: | AB | Amn | A1C | SrA | SSgt | TSgt | MSgt | SMSgt | CMSgt - CCM - CMSAF |
| Army: | PV1 | PV2 | PFC | SPC - CPL | SGT | SSG | SFC | MSG - 1SG | SGM - CSM - SMA |
| Marine Corps: | Pvt | PFC | LCpl | Cpl | Sgt | SSgt | GySgt | MSgt - 1st Sgt | MGySgt - SgtMaj - SMOMC |
| Navy: | SR | SA | SN | PO3 | PO2 | PO1 | CPO | SCPO | MCPO - CMCPO - MCPON |
| Coast Guard: | SR | SA | SN | PO3 | PO2 | PO1 | CPO | SCPO | MCPO - CMCPO - MCPOCG |
[edit] Types of Sergeant
"Sergeant" is generally the lowest rank of Sergeant, with individual militaries choosing some additional words to signify higher ranking individuals. What terms are used, and what seniority they signify, is to a great extent dependent on the individual armed service. The term "sergeant" is also used in many appointment titles.
[edit] Ranks
- Chief Master Sergeant
- Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
- Colour Sergeant
- Command Sergeant Major
- Company Sergeant
- First Sergeant
- Flight Sergeant
- Gunnery Sergeant
- Master Gunnery Sergeant
- Master Sergeant
- Senior Master Sergeant
- Senior Sergeant
- Senior Staff Sergeant
- Sergeant First Class
- Sergeant Major
- Sergeant Major of the Army
- Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
- Staff Sergeant
- Station Sergeant
- Technical Sergeant
[edit] Appointments
- Academy Sergeant Major
- Band Sergeant Major
- Battery Quartermaster Sergeant
- Battery Sergeant Major
- Company Quartermaster Sergeant
- Company Sergeant Major
- First Sergeant
- Garrison Sergeant Major
- Lance Sergeant
- Platoon Sergeant Major
- Provost Sergeant
- Quartermaster Sergeant Instructor
- Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant
- Regimental Sergeant Major
- Sergeant Major Instructor
- Squadron Quartermaster Sergeant
- Squadron Sergeant Major
- Staff Sergeant Major
- Troop Sergeant Major
[edit] External links
- United States Army sergeant duties
- U.S. Army Enlisted Rank Insignia - Criteria, Background, and Images
[edit] See also
- Military unit
- Military rank
- Comparative military ranks
- British Army enlisted rank insignia
- RAF enlisted ranks
- Irish Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
- U.S. Army enlisted rank insignia
- U.S. Marine Corps enlisted rank insignia
- Regimental Sergeant Majorda:Sergent
de:Sergeant es:Sargento fa:گروهبان fr:Sergent nl:Sergeant ja:下士官 no:Sersjant ru:Сержант fi:Kersantti sv:Sergeant tr:çavuş
Categories: Military ranks of Singapore | Military ranks | Military ranks of the Commonwealth | Military ranks of Australia | Military ranks of Canada | Military ranks of Ireland | Military ranks of the United Kingdom | Military ranks of the United States Army | Military ranks of the United States Air Force | United States Marine Corps enlisted ranks | Police ranks | Police organisation in the United Kingdom
