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Master Sergeant

A Master Sergeant is:

• the eighth enlisted rank in the U.S. Army
  United States Army
  The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
  
  , just above sergeant first class
  Sergeant First Class
  Sergeant First Class is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is the first senior non-commissioned officer rank...
  
  , below sergeant major, Command Sergeant Major, Sergeant Major of the Army
  Sergeant Major of the Army
  The Sergeant Major of the Army is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Army. The holder of this rank is the most senior enlisted member of the Army, unless an Army NCO is serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman, when in that case that NCO will be the most senior...
  
   and equal in grade but not authority to first sergeant. It is abbreviated as "MSG" and indicated by three chevrons above three rockers. A Master Sergeant is typically assigned as a brigade-level section noncommissioned officer in charge and serves as the subject matter expert in his or her field, but may also hold other positions depending on the type of unit.
• the eighth enlisted rank in the U.S. Marine Corps
  United States Marine Corps
  The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
  
  , just above gunnery sergeant
  Gunnery Sergeant
  Gunnery Sergeant is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant and First Sergeant, and is a staff non-commissioned officer...
  
  , below master gunnery sergeant
  Master Gunnery Sergeant
  Master Gunnery Sergeant is the ninth and highest enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps...
  
  , sergeant major, and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
  Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
  Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is a unique non-commissioned rank and billet in the United States Marine Corps....
  
  . It is equal in grade to first sergeant. It is abbreviated as "MSgt." In the U.S. Marine Corps, master sergeants provide technical leadership as occupational specialists at the E-8 level. General command leadership at this paygrade is provided by the separate rank of first sergeant.
• the seventh enlisted rank
  Enlisted rank
  An enlisted rank is, in most Militaries, any rank below a commissioned officer or warrant officer. The term can also be inclusive of non-commissioned officers...
  
   in the U.S. Air Force
  United States Air Force
  The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
  
  , just above technical sergeant and below senior master sergeant
  Senior Master Sergeant
  Senior Master Sergeant is the eighth enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Master Sergeant and below Chief Master Sergeant and is a senior non-commissioned officer ....
  
  . It is abbreviated as "MSgt." Advancement to master sergeant is one of the most significant promotions within the enlisted Air Force. At the rank of master sergeant, the Airman
  Airman
  An airman is a member of the air component of a nation's armed service. In the United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force , it can also refer to a specific enlisted rank...
  
   enters the senior non-commissioned tier and his or her duties begin to focus on leadership and management rather than technical performance. Per Air Force Instruction 36-2618, MSgts typically serve as flight chiefs (analogous to platoon sergeants in the U.S. Army) and section chiefs (leaders of duty sections within a squadron
  Squadron (aviation)
  A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
  
  ). It is also the lowest rank in the Air Force that one can hold in order to attain the special duty position of first sergeant. These Air Force first sergeants occupy the grades of E-7 through E-9 and are referred to officially as "first sergeant" regardless of their pay grade, and unofficially as "first shirt" or simply "the shirt." In 1991 the Air Force changed its NCO insignia so that a maximum of five stripes, or rockers, were placed on the bottom of the chevrons. The master sergeant rank insignia was changed by removing the bottom (6th) rocker, and relocating it above as a single chevron, on top of the five lower stripes.

In the U.S. Army, the rank of master sergeant is usually held by staff members serving as NCOIC

Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge

The designation Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge, usually abbreviated to NCOIC , signifies an individual in the enlisted ranks of a military unit who has limited command authority over others in the unit....

s as well as commonly held by the motor pool NCOIC as the advisor to the motor pool chief, who is usually a warrant officer

Warrant Officer (United States)

In the United States military, the rank of warrant officer is rated as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1...

. When holding the position of first sergeant, while uncommon, the master sergeant is referred to as "first sergeant", however; when not in the position of first sergeant, master sergeants are addressed as, "sergeant." This is the standard address for all grades E-5 through E-8. Use of the term "top" or "master sergeant" is not a requirement, but is considered courteous and remains to be at the discretion of the one addressing the master sergeant. Only in the Marine Corps, are master sergeants required to be addressed as "master sergeant."

In the Marine Corps, master sergeants may be referred to by the nickname of "top." This usage is an informal one, however, and would not be used in an official or formal setting. Use of this nickname by Marines of subordinate rank is at the rank holder's discretion.

As with the first sergeant, a master sergeant is usually given the courtesy of having a room called to "at ease" upon entrance, regardless of duty position.

All master sergeants are senior non-commissioned officers.

Singapore

In the Singapore Armed Forces

Singapore Armed Forces

The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...

, a Master Sergeant is a high level Specialist

Specialist (Singapore)

In the Singapore Armed Forces , Specialists are the group of ranks equivalent to non-commissioned officers in other armed forces. This term was introduced in 1993, for a more "positive" rank classification. In the SAF, Warrant Officers are not considered Specialists.Like many other modern...

, ranking above Staff Sergeant

Staff Sergeant

Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...

 and below Third Warrant Officer

Third Warrant Officer

Third Warrant Officer is a Warrant Officer rank in the Singapore Armed Forces. It is the most junior of the Warrant Officers, and holders of this rank are given appointments such as Company Sergeant Major. The rank was newly introduced on 14 May 2009, and went into effect on 01 April 2010, as part...

. In the Singapore Army

Singapore Army

The Singapore Army is the branch of the Singapore Armed Forces responsible for land operations. It is the largest of the three armed services and heavily reliant on a conscript army, comprising the majority of Singapore's Operationally Ready National Servicemen .-Capabilities:The mission of the...

, Master Sergeants are usually instructors, staff specialists, or Sergeants Majors of Battalion or Company-sized units.

See also

• Comparative military ranks
  Comparative military ranks
  This article is a list of various states' armed forces ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. Several of these lists mention NATO reference codes. These are the NATO rank reference...
  
  
• Singapore Armed Forces ranks
  Singapore Armed Forces ranks
  The Singapore Armed Forces has two rank structures.One rank structure is similar to that of other military in other country. One major difference is that the SAF uses a unified rank structure, with identical rank names and insignia throughout the Army, Navy, and Air Force. For example, traditional...
  
  
• Specialist (Singapore)
  Specialist (Singapore)
  In the Singapore Armed Forces , Specialists are the group of ranks equivalent to non-commissioned officers in other armed forces. This term was introduced in 1993, for a more "positive" rank classification. In the SAF, Warrant Officers are not considered Specialists.Like many other modern...
  
  
• United States Military Pay
  United States Military Pay
  United States Military Pay is money paid to members in the United States Armed Forces. The amount of pay may vary by the member's rank, time in the military, location duty assignment, and by some special skills the member may have.-Pay versus Allowance:...
  
  
• U.S. Army enlisted rank insignia
• U.S. Marine Corps enlisted rank insignia

External links

• U.S. Army Enlisted Rank Insignia - Criteria, Background, and Images
• The Master Sergeant Watershed - A Practical Guide for Supervisors of the Air Force's Critical Stripe