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First Sergeant
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First Sergeant is the name of a military rank used in some countries.
irst Sergeant is a Specialist rank in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff Sergeants. The rank insignia for a First Sergeant features the three chevrons pointing down shared by all Specialists, and two chevrons pointing up.
In combat units, First Sergeants are often given the responsibility for independently-operating detachments of support weapons.
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Encyclopedia
First Sergeant is the name of a military rank used in some countries.
Singapore
First Sergeant is a Specialist rank in the Singapore Armed Forces. First Sergeants are the most senior of the junior Specialists, ranking above Second Sergeants, and below Staff Sergeants. The rank insignia for a First Sergeant features the three chevrons pointing down shared by all Specialists, and two chevrons pointing up.
In combat units, First Sergeants are often given the responsibility for independently-operating detachments of support weapons. They are often given instructional billets as well.
Sweden
First Sergeant is a new Swedish team (about 6 men) leader rank above Sergeant and below Sergeant First Class reached after 23 to 29 months of total time in training and service. The rank is the most junior professional NCO rank (OR6) and was established by the Swedish Armed Forces to align Swedish ranks better with NATO. Below First Sergeant is Sergeant, which is second in command of a team ( 6 men).
United States
In the United States, First Sergeant is the title given to holders of certain ranks and positions within the United States Armed Forces. While the specifics of the title may differ between the United States Army, Marine Corps and Air Force, all First Sergeants are non-commissioned officers and can be identified by the presence of a "French lozenge" (diamond shaped figure of four equal sides) on their rank insignia.
United States Army
In the United States Army or United States Marine Corps, the rank of First Sergeant is above the rank of Master Sergeant and below the rank of Sergeant Major. The rank is abbreviated as 1SG. While superior in rank to Master Sergeant, it is the same pay grade (E-8). Master Sergeants are laterally promoted to First Sergeant upon selection by the senior leadership at Battalion or higher depending on available positions ("billets") and opportunities. Upon reassignment to a non-First Sergeant billet, the soldier reverts back to their original rank of Master Sergeant. First Sergeants are generally the senior non-commissioned officers of company (battery, troop) sized units, and are unofficially but commonly referred to as "Top", "Top Kick", or "Top Hat", due to their seniority and their position at the top of the company's enlisted ranks. They are also sometimes referred to as "Second Hat," in recognition that even though a company includes several lieutenants, it is more often the First Sergeant that the Company Commander will turn to when entrusting important responsibilities.
First Sergeants handle the leadership and training of their Non-Commissioned officers, manage the promotable soldiers within the company, and are the first step in an Article 15 (Nonjudicial punishment) proceeding, as well as have a host of other responsibilities.
A First Sergeant holding or temporarily filling the position of Sergeant Major will be referred to as "Sergeant Major"
First Sergeant Course (FSC)
The FSC is a functional course used to prepare Promotable Sergeants First Class (SFC), Master Sergeants (MSG), and First Sergeants (1SG) for the duty as a First Sergeant. The FSC is taught in two phases.
Phase I
- Phase I is a self-study program. The student is issued pre-resident training packages that require the student to research 31 lessons over a 60-day period. Students must demonstrate mastery of those subjects prior to moving onto Phase II.
- Phase I Subjects
- Article 15
- Awards & Decorations
- Briefings
- Casualty Evacuation
- Civilian & Military Workgroups
- Command Climate
- Communications
- Counseling
- Develop Subordinates
- Drill & Ceremonies
- Duty Roster
- Environment
- Ethics
- Law of War
- Manual for Courts Martial
- Media Facilitation
- Military Appearance
- Military Customs & Courtesies
- Mortuary Support
- NCO Development
- Personnel Security
- Physical Fitness
- Pretrial Confinement
- Preventive Medicine
- Privacy Program
- Soldier’s Rights
- Wartime Strength Accounting
- Total Army Quality
- Unit Readiness
- Unit Manning Report
Phase 2
- Phase II is a 15 academic day course that is taught via to T-NET to distant sites from the US Army Sergeant’s Major Academy. Students are evaluated using written performance tests and practice exercises. Students must also demonstrate their ability to correct an NCO Efficiency Report and present a military information briefing during Phase II.
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Program (ADAPCP)
- Army Family Team Building (AFTB)
- Army Operations
- Absent With Out Leave (AWOL)
- Combat Orders
- Combat Service Support
- Company Training Meeting
- Counseling
- Drill & Ceremonies
- Enlisted Promotions
- Enlisted Reductions
- Enlisted Separations
- Equal Opportunity
- Ethics
- Finance Planning
- Military Property
- Mission Essential Task List (METL)
- Physical Fitness
- Physical Security
- Retention
- Risk Management
- Role of the 1SG
- Soldier Team Development
- Stress Management
- Suicide Prevention
- Supply Management
- Train a Company
- Training Assessment
- Training Execution
- Troop Leading
- Unit Combat Readiness
- Unit Sponsorship
- Weight Control
United States Marine Corps
In the United States Marine Corps, First Sergeant is one level below Sergeant Major and Master Gunnery Sergeant and is the next rank above Gunnery Sergeant. It is equal in grade to Master Sergeant, although the two ranks have different responsibilities. First Sergeant have a command responsibility while Master Sergeants have technical responsibilities. Unlike the First Sergeant and Master Sergeant programs in the U.S. Army, no lateral movement is possible between the two ranks in the Marine Corps. In their annual performance evaluations, called "fitness reports," eligible Gunnery Sergeants indicate whether they wish to be considered for promotion to Master Sergeant or First Sergeant. A First Sergeant is then eligible to be promoted to a Sergeant Major while a Master Sergeant would be on the promotional track for Master Gunnery Sergeant.
United States Air Force
In the United States Air Force, First Sergeant is not a rank, but a special duty held by a senior enlisted member of a military unit who reports directly to the unit commander. This billet is held by individuals of paygrades E-7 through E-9 (Master Sergeant, Senior Master Sergeant and Chief Master Sergeant), and is denoted on the rank insignia by a French lozenge, but is more often called a diamond device. Often referred to as the 'first shirt', or 'shirt', the First Sergeant is responsible for the morale, welfare, and conduct of all the enlisted members in a squadron and is the chief adviser to the squadron commander concerning the enlisted force. Most units have a Master Sergeant in this position, while larger units use Senior Master Sergeants and Chief Master Sergeants as First Sergeants.
First Sergeant is also a cadet position held by a senior grade NCO at the squadron level in the Civil Air Patrol (USAF Auxiliary). In keeping with USAF procedures the position of First Sergeant is also used in both Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC). They perform the same function as in the USAF but to a less significant degree. In cadet programs, First Sergeants assist with drill procedures, morale control and report on squadron status.
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