- Platoon Sergeant
In most armies, a platoon sergeant is the title and position given to the senior enlisted member of a
platoon , who advises and supports the platoon'scommanding officer in leading the unit.ingapore
In the
Singapore Armed Forces , a platoon sergeant serves as the "bridge" between theplatoon commander and the rest of the platoon, leading the platoon in many assigned tasks and assuming command in the platoon commander's absence. In some platoons, there may be more than one platoon sergeant.Platoon sergeants exercise authority over section commanders who are only responsible for the management of a given section in the platoon. Platoon sergeants work with the
Company Sergeant Major and subordinatesection commander s. They are responsible for the discipline and training of the men. The platoon sergeant is responsible for preparing the men for parades and ceremonies. In exercises and operations, he is in charge of logistics and medical aid.For NSFs (conscripts), platoon sergeants are selected as third sergeants. They are usually specialists who graduated with a Silver/Gold Bayonet. On completion of the platoon sergeant course at the
School of Infantry Specialists , they will assume their appointments. Promotion to the rank of 2SG will be determined by the parent unit.For Regulars, they are usually first sergeants. It is a must to have completed their section commander tour before assuming the appointment.
United States
In the
United States Army , a platoon sergeant is usually aSergeant First Class . The platoon sergeant is the senior enlisted member of the platoon, and is the primary assistant and advisor to theplatoon leader (and acts as the platoon leader in his or her absence). Unless the platoon leader has extensive prior experience as anenlisted member before being commissioned as a lieutenant, it is likely that the platoon sergeant will have a greater wealth of military experience due to the disparity in military service length between a new lieutenant and a Sergeant First Class (typically a platoon leader has between 1 and 3 years of service, whereas a platoon sergeant has from 7 to 15 years of service). Service experience, however, is not a prerequisite for commissioning and command. On occasion, when a Sergeant First Class is not available, either organically within the platoon or from another unit, a responsibleStaff Sergeant will probably be appointed to fill the platoon sergeant position instead. Here is an excerpt from the Army's Field Manual titled "The Army Noncommissioned Officer Guide" (FM 7-22.7)."While "Platoon Sergeant" is a duty position, not a rank, the platoon sergeant is the primary assistant and advisor to the platoon leader, with the responsibility of training and caring for soldiers. The platoon sergeant helps the commander to train the platoon leader and in that regard has an enormous effect on how that young officer perceives NCOs for the rest of his career. The platoon sergeant takes charge of the platoon in the absence of the platoon leader. As the lowest level senior NCO involved in the company METL, platoon sergeants teach collective and individual tasks to soldiers in their squads, crews or equivalent small units."
In theUnited States Marine Corps , the billet of platoon sergeant is usually held by a Staff Sergeant (E-6).ee also
*
Platoon
*Sergeant
*Non-commissioned officer
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