Regimental Sergeant Major Of The Army
The senior warrant officer in the Australian Army holds the rank of Warrant Officer and the appointment of Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army. The position of RSM-A was established in 1983 with the first incumbent being WO1 Wally Thompson OAM. The RSM-A is responsible to the Chief of Army, but responsive to all ranks across Army.
The RSM-A is a member of the personal staff of the Chief of Army. The RSM-As primary role is to represent to the Chief of Army, and others, the solicited and unsolicited views concerns and opinions of Soldiers in the Army, but also carry the Chief of Armys message down and across the ranks. The current Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army is Warrant Officer Grant McFarlane, OAM.
Chevrons And Wings Vs Epaulettes
Between 1821 and 1895, the U.S. Army insignia of rank for enlisted soldiers above the grade of private was generally the chevrona “V”-shaped piece of cloth or braid, typically worn on the sleeve. With exceptions from 1832 to 1846 , and from 1847 to 1851 , the chevrons were a worn point down.
From 1821 to 1832, enlisted personnel wore dark blue “wings” trimmed in yellow on each shoulder and a horizontal row of four gold buttons on each cuff. Additionally, senior NCOs wore a single point-up yellow chevron on each upper sleeve , sergeants wore their chevrons on the lower sleeves , corporals had just a single chevron on the right upper sleeve . This system echoed the grading system of company-grade officers from 1821 to 1832 .
For enlisted personnel in staff, artillery, and engineers the system of epaulets was retained: senior NCOs were indicated by a pair of epaulets with a brass crescent, sergeants with no crescents, and corporals just a single epaulet on the right shoulder.
From the early days of the Continental Army, the wearing of a sword and a crimson worsted sash had served as a badge of rank for all sergeant grades. Since 1821 the worsted sash became a privilege to first sergeants and above only. In 1872, sashes would cease being worn by all ranks . The wearing of the M1840 NCO sword would be abolished by general orders No. 77 dated August 6, 1875.
Army Ranks For Enlisted Personnel
There are 13 enlisted Army ranks: private, private second class, private first class, specialist, corporal, sergeant, staff sergeant, sergeant first class, master sergeant, first sergeant, sergeant major, command sergeant major and sergeant major of the Army.
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In general terms, these Army ranks are broken down into three groups — Junior Enlisted , NCOs and Senior NCOs .
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Us Army Ranks And Insignias
Founded in 1775, the Army is the oldest branch in the U.S. Armed Forces.
U.S. Army ranks and insignias are divided into three categories: enlisted personnel , warrant officers and commissioned officers .
A service members rank and insignia indicate their pay grade, as well as the level of responsibility they hold.
Warrant Officer Class Two
Warrant Officer Class Two Insignia
This is a senior management role focusing on the training, welfare and discipline of a company, squadron or battery of up to 200 soldiers. WO2s act as senior adviser to the commander of a sub-unit. Company Sergeant-Major in all sub-units except for the following:
- Squadron Sergeant-Major in Armoured, Aviation and Engineer sub-units
- Artificer Sergeant-Major in RAEME sub-units
- Battery Sergeant-Major in Artillery sub-units.
WO2s are also employed in more senior logistics and technical trades across most corps of the Army. They can have titles such as Artificer Sergeant-Major, Chief Clerk or Quarter Master Sergeant. WO2s are also employed as supervising instructors in Army schools.
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Sergeant Major Of The Army
The sergeant major of the Army is a rank held by only one enlisted soldier at a time. The holder of this rank is the most senior enlisted member in the Army. The SMA’s primary function is to address the issues of enlisted soldiers at the Army’s highest levels. The SMA is the senior enlisted adviser to the Army Chief of Staff and is selected based on their outstanding leadership, extensive experience and ability to communicate up and down the Army chain of command. The SMA is giving the highest level of honor and respect of any other enlisted soldier.
Each SMA’s duties are determined by the current chief of staff. As a rule, though, the SMA serves as the Army hierarchy’s eyes and ears, keeping the chief of staff abreast on virtually any subject that affects enlisted soldiers and their families.
Basic Allowance For Housing
Basic Allowance for Housing is a monthly payment meant to subsidize a servicemember’s housing while deployed. The amount of BAH received each month depends on the location in which they live.
The average Basic Housing Allowance for a Sergeant with dependants is $1,736.42, or $1,431.98 with no dependants.
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How Much Does A Staff Sergeant Earn
Basic pay for an entry-level Staff Sergeant with 2 or less years of experience is $2,849.40 per month.
A Staff Sergeant receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years.Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Staff Sergeant’s final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Army Staff Sergeant may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including retirement benefits, education allowance, food allowance, hazard pay, and more.
For full details on the Army’s Staff Sergeant compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2022 Army Staff Sergeant Pay Chart. A full table of the Army’s current paygrades are available at the Army Pay Chart.
Senior Noncommissioned Officer Ranks
Those in pay grades E-7 through E-9 are referred to as senior NCOs and their higher NCO ranks have more responsibilities. While they only have three pay grades, there are six separate ranks for senior NCOs. Promotions within these ranks come from the Headquarters of the Department of the Army . There is no minimum TIG, but candidates must meet TIS requirements.
Sergeant First Class
A sergeant first class is a senior NCO who typically serves as a key assistant and adviser to a platoon leader. This is a duty position, not a rank. Also known as platoon sergeants, they lead the platoon in the commanding lieutenants absence. A platoon usually has two to four squads with 16 to 44 soldiers. Depending on their assignment, they may be the NCO in Charge . An SFC is responsible for training and overseeing soldiers and staff sergeants in their crews, squads or small units. SFCs generally have 15 to 18 years of military experience.
Promotion is based on the competitive point system. However, they must have at least six years TIS to be eligible to compete for promotion to master sergeant or first sergeant.
The E-7 grade pay range is $38,491 to $69,185 per year.
Master Sergeant
A master sergeant is the principal NCO at the battalion level or higher. Although not assigned with the same amount of leadership responsibility as sergeants first class, master sergeants still effectively lead soldiers directly under their charge.
The E-8 grade pay range is $55,375 to $78,977 per year.
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Army Sergeant Major Of The Army Pay Calculator
Starting pay for a Sergeant Major of the Army is $5,789.10 per month, with raises for experience resulting in a maximum base pay of $8,988.90 per month.You can use the simple calculator below to see basic and drill pay for a Sergeant Major of the Army, or visit our for a more detailed salary estimate.
United States Army Enlisted Rank Insignia
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The chart below shows the current enlisted rank insignia of the United States Army, with seniority, and pay grade, increasing from right to left. The enlisted ranks of corporal and higher are considered non-commissioned officers . The rank of specialist is also in pay grade E-4, but does not hold non-commissioned officer status it is common that a soldier may never hold the rank of corporal, and instead be promoted from specialist to sergeant, attaining junior NCO status at that time.
| OR-1 |
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| ¹ PVT is also used as an abbreviation for both private ranks when pay grade need not be distinguished.² SP4 is sometimes encountered as an abbreviation for specialist instead of SPC. This is a holdover from when there were additional specialist ranks at pay grades E-5 to E-7.³ First sergeant is considered a temporary and lateral rank and is senior to master sergeant. A first sergeant can revert to master sergeant upon leaving assignment. |
In the beginning, U.S. Army enlisted rank was indicated by colored epaulets. The use of chevrons came into being in 1821, with the orientation changing over time from point-down to point-up and back again, to the point-down orientation seen in the American Civil War. Around the turn of the 20th century, point-up wear of chevrons returned and has remained so.
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How Much Does A Sergeant Major Earn
Basic pay for an entry-level Sergeant Major with Over 10 years of experience is $5,789.10 per month.
A Sergeant Major receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years.Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Sergeant Major’s final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Army Sergeant Major may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including food allowance, retirement benefits, hostile fire pay, and more.
For full details on the Army’s Sergeant Major compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2022 Army Sergeant Major Pay Chart. A full table of the Army’s current paygrades are available at the Army Pay Chart.
Equivalent Ranks To An Army Staff Sergeant
A Staff Sergeant is a Noncommissioned Officer, with a military paygrade of .The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly under the federal government’s .
The table below lists the equivalent ranks of an Army Staff Sergeant, and their insignia, in the other four branches of the United States’ Armed Services.
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Us Army Enlisted Ranks
The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed’s data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.
The United States Army follows a clearly defined ranking system for enlisted soldiers below the level of officer. Enlisted personnel generally perform specific occupational specialties while officers have more command responsibilities. Understanding U.S. Army ranks may help you set your own goals for service or better understand the accomplishments and responsibilities of soldiers. In this article, we discuss the 13 enlisted ranks, pay grades, leadership levels and responsibilities.
Army Ranks: Senior Non
Although the Army does not make the official distinction in the rank structure, enlisted ranks of sergeant first class and above generally are referred to as Senior NCOs, and they carry increasing levels of responsibility and demand greater levels of respect and deference.
Although there are only three pay grades, the SNCO ranks actually cover six separate ranks or designations — sergeant first class , master sergeant, first sergeant, sergeant major, command sergeant major and sergeant major of the Army.
Unlike the promotion processes for private through staff sergeant, unit commanders have little to do with the promotion process to the SNCO ranks. These promotions are centralized completely at the Headquarters of the Department of the Army .
There is no minimum time-in-grade requirement for promotion to the Army SNCO ranks, but candidates must meet the following minimum time-in-service requirements to be eligible for promotion:
- Sergeant first class — six years.
- Master sergeant/first sergeant — eight years.
- Sergeant major — nine years.
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A Nation’s Trust Among Our Ranks
Whether as an Enlisted Marine or Marine Officer, your rank will determine many of the responsibilities you will be expected to successfully carry out. But Marines of every rank can expect to train together and rely on one another in the collective fight for our Nation. Learn more about the ranks of our Corps and the leadership hierarchy.
Warrant Officer Class One
Warrant Officer Class One Insignia
The senior soldier rank in the Australian Army, typically reached after about 18 years of outstanding service. WO1s are the senior advisors of their units Commanding Officer, with leadership, discipline and welfare responsibilities of up to 650 officers and soldiers and their equipment. The Sergeant Major of a unit is a Warrant Officer Class One and holds a special position within the unit as the commanders right hand man and his senior soldier.
He or she is known as the Regimental Sergeant Major regardless of whether the unit is a Regiment or Battalion. WO1s also fill very senior and important supervisory roles as clerks, tradesmen, storemen and in technical trades and have titles such as Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant, Trade Conductor and Senior Technical Advisor. WO1s from all corps can be employed as advisors, career managers and senior instructors.
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How Much Does A Sergeant Earn
Basic pay for an entry-level Sergeant with 2 or less years of experience is $2,610.30 per month.
A Sergeant receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years.Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Sergeant’s final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Army Sergeant may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including clothing allowance, education allowance, housing allowance, retirement benefits, and more.
For full details on the Army’s Sergeant compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2022 Army Sergeant Pay Chart. A full table of the Army’s current paygrades are available at the Army Pay Chart.
Army Ranks: Junior Enlisted
The term as a military rank seems to come from the 16th century when individuals had the privilege of enlisting or making private contracts to serve as private soldiers in military units. Before then, many soldiers were forced into service by royalty or feudal lords.
Some sources claim that the use of “private” as an official “rank” dates back to the 18th century, when the French Army, under Napoleon, established the permanent rank of Soldat.
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Equivalent Ranks To An Army Sergeant Major Of The Army
A Sergeant Major of the Army is a Noncommissioned Officer , with a military paygrade of .The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly under the federal government’s .
The table below lists the equivalent ranks of an Army Sergeant Major of the Army, and their insignia, in the other four branches of the United States’ Armed Services.
Present: Chevrons Point Up
| firstclass |
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Smaller rank insignia that were to be worn point up was introduced in 1902, but with the transition from the older, larger point down insignia to the new versions, there was some confusion concerning the proper manner of wear of the new insignia. War Department Circular 61 of 1905 directed that the points be placed up and designated certain colors for each branch of the military, for uniformity.
During World War, I troops overseas in France used standard buff stripes inset with trade badges in the place of colored branch stripes or rank badges. Rank grades were numbered from the top-down, from the general of the army, as number 1, to corporal, number 19 NCO ranks were grades 13 through 19. Confusingly, pay grades were different, less senior ranks with more technical training being paid more than senior staff NCOs.
On 22 July 1919, the military approved “an arc of one bar” for a private first class. This was later changed to a single chevron in 1920.
The Joint Service Pay Readjustment Act of 1922 divided the grades into inverse “pay grades” for enlisted personnel and “pay periods” for officers. The pay rates would stay the same from July 1, 1922, to May 1942.
| Cpl | Pfc |
| CPL | PFC |
| Specialist insignia of 1959 | |
|---|---|
| SP5 | SP4 |
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Advancing Through The Ranks
Every Marine, from the very beginning of their time in the Corps, holds a rank with an associated pay grade and set of responsibilities and education requirements. Making up a force that is always on the advance, Marines are expected to do all that is necessary to rise in rank with time and experience.
Equivalent Ranks To An Army Sergeant
A Sergeant is a Noncommissioned Officer, with a military paygrade of .The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly under the federal government’s .
The table below lists the equivalent ranks of an Army Sergeant, and their insignia, in the other four branches of the United States’ Armed Services.
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