Sergeant First Class

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Sergeant First Class (SFC) is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, above staff sergeant and below master sergeant and first sergeant, and is the first senior non-commissioned officer rank.

In a United States Army platoon, the position of platoon sergeant is normally held by a sergeant first class. The platoon sergeant is the primary assistant and advisor to the platoon leader, a first lieutenant or second lieutenant. When necessary, the platoon sergeant acts as the platoon leader in his absence. Unless the platoon leader has extensive prior enlisted experience, the platoon sergeant has more professional military experience due to the difference of time-in-service, since prior military service is not a prerequisite for a second lieutenant's commission. On occasion, when a sergeant first class is not available, a staff sergeant will perform as platoon sergeant.

A Sergeant First Class is still addressed as "sergeant" except in certain situations; such as Cannon Artillery units, where a Sergeant First Class serving as Platoon Sergeant is commonly referred to as "Smoke". If a Sergeant First Class is appointed to the fill the role of First Sergeant, he or she is called "First Sergeant".

[edit] External links

• U.S. Army Enlisted Rank Insignia - Criteria, Background, and Images

[edit] See also

• Military rank
• Sergeant
• Comparative military ranks
• U.S. Army enlisted rank insignia

v • d • e U.S. enlisted ranks
	E-1	E-2	E-3	E-4	E-5	E-6	E-7	E-8	E-9
Air Force:	AB	Amn	A1C	SrA	SSgt	TSgt	MSgt	SMSgt	CMSgt - CCM - CMSAF
Army:	PV1	PV2	PFC	SPC - CPL	SGT	SSG	SFC	MSG - 1SG	SGM - CSM - SMA
Marine Corps:	Pvt	PFC	LCpl	Cpl	Sgt	SSgt	GySgt	MSgt - 1stSgt	MGySgt - SgtMaj - SgtMajMarCor
Navy:	SR	SA	SN	PO3	PO2	PO1	CPO	SCPO - CMDCS	MCPO - CMDCM - FORCM - FLTCM - MCPON
Coast Guard:	SR	SA	SN	PO3	PO2	PO1	CPO	SCPO	MCPO - CMC - MCPOCG