First Sergeant
A US Army noncommissioned officer, E-8 and NATO OR-8, the senior enlisted leader of a company-sized unit.
Overview
First Sergeant wears the Master Sergeant chevrons with a lozenge, a diamond, between them, and is the senior soldier of a company of one hundred to two hundred. The holder is called First Sergeant or informally Top, and answers for discipline, accountability, pay problems, family readiness, and the welfare of every soldier in the unit. The title is ancient: from the eighteenth century the first sergeant kept the company roster and books. Soldiers are often addressed to the First Sergeant before the commander, a measure of the office.
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