Staff Sergeant (USMC)

The Marine Corps E-6 grade, NATO OR-6, the first rank of the staff noncommissioned officer corps.

Overview

In the Marine Corps the staff noncommissioned officer ranks begin at E-6, so promotion to staff sergeant moves a Marine into the senior enlisted community and its wider leadership responsibilities. The insignia is three chevrons above a single rocker, with crossed rifles in the center. Staff sergeants commonly serve as platoon sergeants in infantry units, section leaders in support units, and instructors at recruit depots and schools. The grade demands both tactical competence and administrative skill, and staff sergeants are central to training and mentoring the sergeants and corporals below them.