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{{Short description|Non-commissioned officer military rank}}
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{{refimprove|date=January 2013}}
{{distinguish|First sergeant}}
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'''Sergeant First Class''' ('''SFC''') is a [[military rank]] in some militaries and other uniformed organizations around the world, typically that of a senior [[non-commissioned officer]].
{{Multiple issues|
{{primary sources|date=April 2018}}
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{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}
}}


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'''Sergeant First Class''' ('''SFC''') is typically a senior [[non-commissioned officer]] rank, used in many countries.
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==United States Army==
[[Image:Army-USA-OR-07.svg|right|100px|Sergeant First Class insignia]]
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Sergeant First Class (SFC) is the seventh [[enlisted rank]] (E-7) in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]], ranking above [[staff sergeant]] (E-6) and below [[master sergeant]] and [[first sergeant]] (E-8), and is the first [[non-commissioned officer]] rank designated as a senior non-commissioned officer (SNCO).


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==United States==
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A sergeant first class is typically assigned as a platoon sergeant at the company level or ''battalion operations non-commissioned officer in charge'' at the battalion level, but may also hold other positions depending on the type of unit. In a combat arms role, a sergeant first class is typically in charge of from 18 soldiers and four tanks in an armor platoon to 40 soldiers in a rifle platoon. A sergeant first class' primary responsibilities are tactical logistics, tactical casualty evacuations, and serving as the senior tactical adviser to the platoon leader. Sergeant first class replaced the rank of [[technical sergeant]] in 1948. (However, the U.S. Air Force, which separated from the Army in 1947, retained the rank of technical sergeant and the U.S. Marine Corps had the rank of technical sergeant until 1959).
{{Infobox military rank
| name = Sergeant first class
| native_name =
| image = Army-USA-OR-07 (Army greens).svg
| image_size = 80px
| alt =
| caption = Sergeant first class insignia
| image2 =
| image_size2 =
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| image3 =
| image_size3 =
| alt3 =
| caption3 =
| country = {{flag|United States}}
| service branch = {{army|United States}}
| abbreviation = SFC
| rank group = [[Non-commissioned officer]]
| rank =
| NATO rank = OR-7
| Non-NATO rank =
| pay grade = [[Uniformed services pay grades of the United States|E-7]]
| formation = 1948
| abolished =
| higher rank = [[Master sergeant#United States|Master sergeant]]
| lower rank = [[Staff sergeant#United States|Staff sergeant]]
| equivalents = {{ubl|[[Gunnery sergeant]] {{small|([[United States Marine Corps|USMC]])}}|[[Chief petty officer#United States|Chief petty officer]] {{small|([[United States Navy|USN]] & [[United States Coast Guard|USCG]])}}|[[Master sergeant#United States|Master sergeant]] {{small|([[United States Air Force|USAF]] & [[United States Space Force|USSF]])}}}}
| history = [[Technical sergeant#United States|Technical sergeant]]
}}


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Sergeant First Class (SFC) is the seventh [[enlisted rank]] (E-7) in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]], ranking above [[staff sergeant]] (E-6) and below [[master sergeant]] and [[first sergeant]] (E-8), and is the first [[non-commissioned officer]] rank designated as a senior non-commissioned officer (SNCO).
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A sergeant first class is addressed as "sergeant" except in certain situations, such as field artillery units, in which a sergeant first class serving as platoon sergeant is commonly referred to as "Smoke". If a sergeant first class is appointed to fill the role of [[first sergeant]], he or she is addressed as "First Sergeant". Typically a sergeant first class assigned on a manning document to fill a first sergeant role while being promotable to master sergeant can be [[frocking|frocked]] to first sergeant rank and hold the insignia due its position.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}


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A sergeant first class is typically assigned as a [[platoon sergeant]] at the company level or ''battalion operations non-commissioned officer in charge'' at the battalion level, but may also hold other positions depending on the type of unit. In a combat arms role, a sergeant first class is typically second in charge (under an officer, typically a second lieutenant, serving as the platoon leader) of from 14 soldiers and four tanks in an armor platoon to 36 soldiers and four squads in a rifle platoon. A sergeant first class's primary responsibilities are tactical logistics, tactical casualty evacuations, and serving as the senior tactical adviser to the platoon leader. Sergeant first class replaced the rank of [[technical sergeant]] in 1948. (However, the U.S. Air Force, which separated from the Army in 1947, retained the rank of technical sergeant and the U.S. Marine Corps had the rank of technical sergeant until 1959.)
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Sergeant first class is the first enlisted rank in the U.S. Army to be selected by the centralized promotion system. As such, it is considerably more difficult to achieve than the previous ranks. A sergeant first class is the first enlisted rank to be considered a senior non-commissioned officer, and a soldier achieving the rank gains not only prestige, but several benefits due to the position. For example, a sergeant first class cannot be demoted by standard non-judicial punishment. To demote a senior non-commissioned officer requires a court martial, or congressional approval, and normally only for offenses that carry heavy punishments.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}


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A sergeant first class is addressed as "sergeant" except in certain situations, such as field artillery units, in which a sergeant first class serving as platoon sergeant is commonly referred to as "Smoke." If a sergeant first class is appointed to fill the role of [[first sergeant]], he or she is addressed as "First Sergeant." Typically a sergeant first class assigned on a manning document to fill a first sergeant role while being promotable to master sergeant can be [[frocking|frocked]] to first sergeant rank and hold the insignia due its position.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}
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The rank title of sergeant first class (SFC) existed in the Army from 1890 <ref>26-Stat-653</ref> until 1920 when it was eliminated in an army-wide simplification of enlisted ranks which had grown into a system containing 128 different rank insignia. The rank of SFC was used in several technical branches such as the Army Medical Department and in the Ordnance, Signal, and Quartermaster Corps and was equivalent to the field service ranks at the company/battery/troop "staff" NCO level, such as color sergeant, supply sergeant, or radio sergeant. The Army restored the rank of SFC in 1948 when it replaced [[technical sergeant]]. (Perrenot, 2009)<ref>Perrenot,P. ''United States Army Grade Insignia Since 1776'' (2009)</ref>


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Sergeant first class is the first enlisted rank in the U.S. Army to be selected by the centralized promotion system. As such, it is considerably more difficult to achieve than the previous ranks. A sergeant first class is the first enlisted rank to be considered a senior non-commissioned officer, and a soldier achieving the rank gains not only prestige, but several benefits due to the position. Contrary to popular belief due to a common apocryphal saying, it does not take an act of Congress to reduce a sergeant first class in rank. The reduction authority from sergeant first class to staff sergeant is reserved for Commanders of organizations authorized a commander in the rank of colonel or higher. For separate detachments or companies, the reduction authority will be the next higher headquarters within the chain of command. The higher headquarters must be authorized by a commander in the rank of colonel or higher.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
==Israel Defense Forces==

[[Image:IDF Ranks Rasal.svg|50px|right|(רב-סמל (רס"ל Rav samal (Rasal)]]
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The rank title of sergeant first class (SFC) existed in the Army from 1890 <ref>26-Stat-653</ref> until 1920 when it was eliminated in an army-wide simplification of enlisted ranks which had grown into a system containing 128 different rank insignia. The rank of SFC was used in several technical branches such as the Army Medical Department and in the Ordnance, Signal, and Quartermaster Corps and was equivalent to the field service ranks at the company/battery/troop "staff" NCO level, such as color sergeant, supply sergeant, or radio sergeant. The Army restored the rank of SFC in 1948 when it replaced [[technical sergeant]].<ref>Perrenot, P. ''United States Army Grade Insignia Since 1776'' (2009)</ref>
''Rav samal'' (רב-סמל) or ''rasal'' (רס"ל), sergeant first class, is the lowest non-commissioned officer (נגדים) rank in the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF), above ''samal rishon'', סמל ראשון (''samar'', סמ"ר), [[staff sergeant]]. Because the IDF is an integrated force, it has a unique rank structure. IDF ranks are the same in all services (army, navy, air force, etc.). The ranks are derived from those of the paramilitary [[Haganah]] developed to protect the [[Yishuv]] during the [[British Mandate of Palestine]]. This origin is reflected in the slightly-compacted [[Israel Defense Forces ranks|IDF rank structure]].<ref>[[Israel Defense Forces ranks]]</ref>

{{IDF NCO ranks}}
==Gallery==
<gallery class="center">
<!-- In alphabetic order of Country please -->
File:North-Macedonia-Army-OR-5.svg|{{lang|mk|Водник 1 класа}}<br />{{lang|mk-Latn|Vodnik 1 klasa}}<br />([[1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade (North Macedonia)|North Macedonian Ground Forces]])<ref name="NorthMacedonia">{{cite web |title=УРЕДБА ЗА ОЗНАКИТЕ ЗА УНИФОРМИТЕ НА АРМИЈАТА НА РЕПУБЛИКА СЕВЕРНА МАКЕДОНИЈА |trans-title=Regulation on the Markings for the Uniforms of the Army of the Republic Northern of Macedonia |url=https://dejure.mk/zakon/uredba-za-oznakite-za-uniformite-na-armijata-na-republika-severna-makedonija-1 |website=dejure.mk |access-date=24 May 2021 |language=mk |date=12 November 2020}}</ref>
File:Maldives-Army-OR-7.svg|{{lang|dv|ސާރޖަންޓް ފަސްޓް ކްލާސް}}<br />{{lang|dv-Latn|Saarjant fast klaas}}<br />([[Maldives National Defence Force]])<ref name="Maldives">{{cite web |title=ރޭންކް ސްޓްރަކްޗަރ |url=https://mndf.gov.mv/mndf/ranks |website=mndf.gov.mv |publisher=Maldives National Defence Force |access-date=2 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229225234/https://mndf.gov.mv/mndf/ranks |archive-date=29 February 2020 |language=dv}}</ref>
File:05-Montenegro Army-SFC.svg|{{lang|cnr|Vodnik 1 klase}}<br />([[Montenegrin Ground Army]])<ref name="Montenegro">{{cite journal |title=IV. Izgled Činova u Vojsci |journal=Official Gazette of Montenegro |date=16 August 2010 |volume=50/10 |pages=22–28 |url=https://wapi.gov.me/download-preview/f21585eb-2399-4cf3-ab40-7f0e245093be?version=1.0 |access-date=17 September 2021 |language=cnr}}</ref>
File:Nl-landmacht-sergeant der 1e klasse-wachtmeester-der-1e-klasse.svg|{{lang|nl|Sergeant der eerste klasse}}<br />([[Royal Netherlands Army]])<ref name="Netherlands">{{cite web |title=De rangonderscheidingstekens van de krijgsmacht |url=https://www.defensie.nl/binaries/defensie/documenten/brochures/2021/01/15/rangen-krijgsmacht/rangonderscheidingstekens.pdf |publisher=Ministry of Defence (Netherlands) |access-date=18 March 2021 |date=19 December 2016 |language=nl}}</ref>
File:Norway-Army-OR-5b.svg|{{lang|no|Sersjant 1. klasse}}<br />([[Norwegian Army]])<ref name="Norway">{{cite web |title=Militære grader |url=https://www.forsvaret.no/om-forsvaret/uniformer-grader-medaljer/grader |website=forsvaret.no |publisher=Norwegian Armed Forces |access-date=26 May 2021 |language=no |date=4 February 2021}}</ref>
File:Army-USA-OR-07 (Army greens).svg|Sergeant first class<br />([[United States Army]])<ref name="US_Army">{{cite web |title=U.S. Army Ranks |url=https://www.army.mil/ranks/ |website=army.mil |publisher=United States Army |access-date=27 May 2021}}</ref>
File:CHE_OR5a_Obwm.svg|{{lang|fr|sergent-chef}}<br />([[Swiss Army]])<ref name="Switzerland">{{cite web |title=Insignes de grade de l'armée suisse |url=https://www.vtg.admin.ch/fr/groupement-de-la-Defense/moyens/insignes-militaires/gradabzeichen-und-farben-der-achselschlaufen.html#ui-collapse-405|website=vtg.admin.ch |publisher=Swiss Armed Forces |access-date=19 December 2023 |language=fr |date=19 December 2023}}</ref>
</gallery>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 35: Line 78:
[[Category:Military ranks of the United States Army]]
[[Category:Military ranks of the United States Army]]
[[Category:United States military enlisted ranks]]
[[Category:United States military enlisted ranks]]

[[fi:Vääpeli]]

Latest revision as of 02:20, 8 February 2024

Not to be confused with First sergeant.

Sergeant First Class (SFC) is typically a senior non-commissioned officer rank, used in many countries.

United States[edit]

Sergeant first class
Sergeant first class insignia
Country United States
Service branch United States Army
AbbreviationSFC
Rank groupNon-commissioned officer
NATO rank codeOR-7
Pay gradeE-7
Formation1948
Next higher rankMaster sergeant
Next lower rankStaff sergeant
Equivalent ranks
Related articles
HistoryTechnical sergeant

Sergeant First Class (SFC) is the seventh enlisted rank (E-7) in the U.S. Army, ranking above staff sergeant (E-6) and below master sergeant and first sergeant (E-8), and is the first non-commissioned officer rank designated as a senior non-commissioned officer (SNCO).

A sergeant first class is typically assigned as a platoon sergeant at the company level or battalion operations non-commissioned officer in charge at the battalion level, but may also hold other positions depending on the type of unit. In a combat arms role, a sergeant first class is typically second in charge (under an officer, typically a second lieutenant, serving as the platoon leader) of from 14 soldiers and four tanks in an armor platoon to 36 soldiers and four squads in a rifle platoon. A sergeant first class's primary responsibilities are tactical logistics, tactical casualty evacuations, and serving as the senior tactical adviser to the platoon leader. Sergeant first class replaced the rank of technical sergeant in 1948. (However, the U.S. Air Force, which separated from the Army in 1947, retained the rank of technical sergeant and the U.S. Marine Corps had the rank of technical sergeant until 1959.)

A sergeant first class is addressed as "sergeant" except in certain situations, such as field artillery units, in which a sergeant first class serving as platoon sergeant is commonly referred to as "Smoke." If a sergeant first class is appointed to fill the role of first sergeant, he or she is addressed as "First Sergeant." Typically a sergeant first class assigned on a manning document to fill a first sergeant role while being promotable to master sergeant can be frocked to first sergeant rank and hold the insignia due its position.[citation needed]

Sergeant first class is the first enlisted rank in the U.S. Army to be selected by the centralized promotion system. As such, it is considerably more difficult to achieve than the previous ranks. A sergeant first class is the first enlisted rank to be considered a senior non-commissioned officer, and a soldier achieving the rank gains not only prestige, but several benefits due to the position. Contrary to popular belief due to a common apocryphal saying, it does not take an act of Congress to reduce a sergeant first class in rank. The reduction authority from sergeant first class to staff sergeant is reserved for Commanders of organizations authorized a commander in the rank of colonel or higher. For separate detachments or companies, the reduction authority will be the next higher headquarters within the chain of command. The higher headquarters must be authorized by a commander in the rank of colonel or higher.[citation needed]

The rank title of sergeant first class (SFC) existed in the Army from 1890 [1] until 1920 when it was eliminated in an army-wide simplification of enlisted ranks which had grown into a system containing 128 different rank insignia. The rank of SFC was used in several technical branches such as the Army Medical Department and in the Ordnance, Signal, and Quartermaster Corps and was equivalent to the field service ranks at the company/battery/troop "staff" NCO level, such as color sergeant, supply sergeant, or radio sergeant. The Army restored the rank of SFC in 1948 when it replaced technical sergeant.[2]

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ 26-Stat-653
  2. ^ Perrenot, P. United States Army Grade Insignia Since 1776 (2009)
  3. ^ "УРЕДБА ЗА ОЗНАКИТЕ ЗА УНИФОРМИТЕ НА АРМИЈАТА НА РЕПУБЛИКА СЕВЕРНА МАКЕДОНИЈА" [Regulation on the Markings for the Uniforms of the Army of the Republic Northern of Macedonia]. dejure.mk (in Macedonian). 12 November 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  4. ^ "ރޭންކް ސްޓްރަކްޗަރ". mndf.gov.mv (in Divehi). Maldives National Defence Force. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  5. ^ "IV. Izgled Činova u Vojsci". Official Gazette of Montenegro (in Montenegrin). 50/10: 22–28. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  6. ^ "De rangonderscheidingstekens van de krijgsmacht" (PDF) (in Dutch). Ministry of Defence (Netherlands). 19 December 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Militære grader". forsvaret.no (in Norwegian). Norwegian Armed Forces. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  8. ^ "U.S. Army Ranks". army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Insignes de grade de l'armée suisse". vtg.admin.ch (in French). Swiss Armed Forces. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
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