non-commissioned officer
Corporal or sergeant
A non-commissioned officer is a military member who holds authority over lower-ranking personnel but has not received a commission from the government.
NCOs—sergeants and corporals in most armies—rise through enlisted ranks rather than entering as officers.
They form the backbone of military units, translating officers' orders into action and maintaining discipline: The non-commissioned officers drilled the recruits daily.
Mid-level military rank
- corporalOf the flesh
- staff sergeantNon-commissioned officer rank
- master sergeantSenior enlisted military rank
- gunnery sergeantSenior Marine noncommissioned officer
Authoritative instruction given
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
- experiencePractical knowledge from life
- guidanceAdvice for decisions
- responsibilityState of being answerable
delegation · motivation · example · professionalism · initiative · judgment · decisiveness · integrity
Head of small military unit
- platoon sergeantSenior enlisted unit leader
- section leaderHead of a subdivision
- drill instructorMilitary trainer of recruits
- team leaderHead of a group
Signed up formally
- barracksSoldiers' residential building
- deploymentOrganized distribution of resources
- serviceAid or maintenance
- uniformIdentical throughout
duty · regiment · battalion · brigade · company · platoon · squad · mess hall
Developing abilities through practice
- disciplineTrained self-control or specialty
- supervisionOverseeing people or processes
- drillHole-boring device
- inspectionFormal assessment of condition
mentoring · counseling · evaluation · readiness · morale · instruction · enforcement · coordination
sergeant
Mid-level military rank
- corporalOf the flesh
- staff sergeantNon-commissioned officer rank
- master sergeantSenior enlisted military rank
gunnery sergeant · first sergeant · sergeant major · lance corporal
command
Authoritative instruction given
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
- experiencePractical knowledge from life
- guidanceAdvice for decisions
responsibility · delegation · motivation · example · professionalism · initiative · judgment · decisiveness · integrity · mentorship
squad leader
Head of small military unit
- platoon sergeantSenior enlisted unit leader
- section leaderHead of a subdivision
- drill instructorMilitary trainer of recruits
enlisted
Signed up formally
- barracksSoldiers' residential building
- deploymentOrganized distribution of resources
- serviceAid or maintenance
uniform · duty · regiment · battalion · brigade · company · platoon · squad · mess hall · formation
training
Developing abilities through practice
- disciplineTrained self-control or specialty
- supervisionOverseeing people or processes
- drillHole-boring device
inspection · mentoring · counseling · evaluation · readiness · morale · instruction · enforcement · coordination · reporting
non-commissioned officercommissioned officer
Formally appointed military leader
officer · lieutenant · captain · major · colonel
non-commissioned officergeneral officer
High-ranking military commander
flag officer · private · recruit · raw recruit · four-star general
commission, commissioned, officer, commissioners, commissioner, commissioning, commissions, decommission, decommissioned