NCOs
Corporals and sergeants
NCOs is the plural of NCO, an abbreviation for noncommissioned officer—a military rank between enlisted personnel and commissioned officers.
Sergeants and corporals are NCOs.
They typically rise through the enlisted ranks rather than entering through officer training, and serve as the operational backbone of military units: The NCOs kept the platoon running while the lieutenant was away.
Signed up formally
- infantryGround combat troops
- platoonSmall infantry formation
- squadSmall working group
- battalionMid-sized military unit
company · regiment · brigade · barracks · deployment · combat · tactics · operations
Mid-level military rank
- corporalOf the flesh
- staff sergeantNon-commissioned officer rank
- gunnery sergeantSenior Marine noncommissioned officer
- master sergeantSenior enlisted military rank
first sergeant · sergeant major · petty officer · chief petty officer · warrant officer · lance corporal · platoon sergeant
Developing abilities through practice
- drillHole-boring device
- supervisionOverseeing people or processes
- inspectionFormal assessment of condition
- disciplineTrained self-control or specialty
mentorship · instruction · field training · weapons training · physical training · personnel management · formation · readiness
Military ceremonial field
- mess hallMilitary dining facility
- rockerChair on curved rails
- chevronV-shaped line or symbol
- esprit de corpsShared pride among members
enlisted
Signed up formally
battalion · company · regiment · brigade · barracks · deployment · combat · tactics · operations · mission
sergeant
Mid-level military rank
- corporalOf the flesh
- staff sergeantNon-commissioned officer rank
- gunnery sergeantSenior Marine noncommissioned officer
master sergeant · first sergeant · sergeant major · petty officer · chief petty officer · warrant officer · lance corporal · platoon sergeant
training
Developing abilities through practice
- drillHole-boring device
- supervisionOverseeing people or processes
- inspectionFormal assessment of condition
discipline · mentorship · instruction · field training · weapons training · physical training · personnel management · formation · readiness · morale
parade ground
Military ceremonial field
esprit de corps · military bearing · attention to detail · standards
- armyinfantry, cavalry, soldiers, artillery, officers
- military personnelsoldiers, soldier, midshipmen, officers, troops
- British militaryBritish Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, RAF, brigade
- French Infantry WWIIfoot soldiers, riflemen, infantry units, platoons, battalions
- Air Force Enlistedenlisted, airmen, non-commissioned officers, staff sergeant, tech sergeant
- Military Reservesreservist, reservists, reserve unit, reserve units, Army Reserve
Formally appointed military leaders
officers · officer corps · brass · lieutenants · captains
NCOsprivates
Lowest enlisted rank
rank and file · recruits · enlisted men · enlisted personnel · grunts