The Sergeant Major

The term Sergeant Major is a common term among military persons and I am sure that many civilians have heard this term used but did not know exactly what it meant. Well the purpose of this article is to explain the duties and responsibilities of the Sergeant Major to those who may not know and maybe to add to the knowledge of those who do know.

The Sergeant Major is the highest ranking enlisted person in a military unit battalion level or above unit. Battalion level is approximately 500 troops, but the size varies according to the type of unit, and its mission. The unit can actually be much bigger or smaller. He or she functions as the senior representative for the enlisted troops to the commander. The Sergeant Major also functions as a mouthpiece from the commander to the enlisted troops in the case of the command Sergeant Major. Most people have the impression that the Sergeant Major is the big dog whose job is to yell at soldiers all of the time but this is not true. The Sergeant Major is the rankingest Sergeant in the unit so he manages all Sergeants. Notice that I didn't say supervise. He is not a supervisor, he is a manager. Whenever he has an interaction with a lower ranking enlisted man it is probably for some routine purpose. He will make on the spot corrections if he has to but if the first line supevisor is on top of his job the Sergeant Major won't have to correct.

The rank of Sergeant Major may also be an administrative position within the battalion. Units larger than the battalion also each have Sergeant Majors. Although the brigade or division Sergeant Major is the same rank as the battalion Sergeant Major he or she is recognized as the senior and usually has more time in service. There may be several Sergeant Majors in a unit but the senior Sergeant Major is called the Command Sergeant Major. The Sergeant Major is a staff position except for the Command Sergeant Major which is a leadership position because he represents all of the troops in the unit The person holding the position of Sergeant Major sometimes won’t have the rank but will be acting in that position. This does happen occasionally due to personnel shortages within the unit.

The Sergeant Major is the most experienced non commissioned officer in the unit so he or she serves as a mentor to the soldiers and NCO’s of the unit as well as the troops. He or she is the voice of the enlisted persons in the unit and has the respect of the officers and enlisted troops in the unit. Officers will often consult with the Sergeant Major for wisdom on various matters and have learned to trust his advice on all types of matters. I learned early on to ask the Sergeant Major for advice when contemplating actions which would affect enlisted troops. His is a wisdom which comes from experience. A good Sergeant Major is concerned about all of the people in the unit both officer and enlisted and doesn't mind being asked and looked up to for guidance. He will do all that he can to help you out because he doesn't have anything to gain other than seeing that things are done right.

The Sergeant Major by default is the biggest, baddest, ugliest, non commissioned officer in the battalion. This is probably the most respected rank in the military because of his wisdom and strength. The noncommissioned officer is the backbone of the armed forces and the Sergeant Major is the backbone of the noncommissioned officer corps.

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Cedric Rice is the founder of Riceland Enterprises, which is composed of several different business ventures. This company is currently located in Georgia. Fragrance Oil Express is one of several web sites that Mr. Rice owns and operates which is oriented towards consumers. along with Military Ring Express Mr Rice also maintains an blog Military Ring Informationtitled Military Ring Information in which he discusses all types of current and past military issues and provides educational material about military rings.

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