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Sergeant first class may serve in a position subordinate to the platoon sergeant or
When first sergeants are exceptional, their units are exceptional, regardless of any
may serve as the NCOIC of the section with all the attendant responsibilities and
duties of the platoon sergeant. Whether platoon sergeant or sergeant first class,
this is the first level at which the term senior NCO properly applies. The platoon
sergeant or sergeant first class generally has 15 to 18 years or more of military
experience and is rightfully expected to bring that experience to bear in quick, all
accurate decisions that are in the best interest of the mission and the soldier. The
platoon sergeant is expected to embody all the traits of a leader. Watching a of the
successful platoon sergeant operate on a daily basis is an unforgettable For the
experience. There, he is training the platoon or section in their collective tasks;
here, he is checking maintenance. There, he is planning, executing; perpetual
motion; a blur; the personification of a military leader and "hot stuff." When you are
talking about the first sergeant you are talking about the life-blood of the Army.
There can be no substitute of this position nor any question of its importance. and
When first sergeants are exceptional, their units are exceptional, regardless of any
a leader during our personal success or failure.other single personality involved.
Perhaps their rank insignia should be the keystone rather than the traditional one
depicted here. It is the first sergeant at whom almost all unit operations merge.
The first sergeant holds formations, instructs platoon sergeants, advises the
Commander, and assists in training of all enlisted members. The first sergeant
may swagger and appear, at times, somewhat of an exhibitionist, but he is not
egotistical. The first sergeant is proud of the unit and, understandably, wants
others to be aware of his unit’s success. For the first time, the title of address for
this grade is not sergeant, but first sergeant. There is a unique relationship of
confidence and respect that exits between the first sergeant and the Commander
not found at another level within the Army. In the German Army, the first sergeant is
referred to as the “Father of the Company." He is the provider, the disciplinarian,
the wise counselor, the tough and unbending foe, the confidant, the sounding
board, everything that we need in a leader during our personal success or failure.
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