THE FIRST SERGEANT
PAST AND PRESENT
.....The
First Sergeant has always held a highly visible and distinctive, albeit
sometimes notorious, position in the military. While there is little written
history, and many obscure gaps, we are able to follow some of the evolution
of the First Sergeant.
.................
.....The
17th Century Prussian Army appears to have been the starting point for
what later was called the First Sergeant in the American Army. The Prussian
Army Feldwebel, or Company Sergeant, by today�s practice seems to have
combined in his person the duties of not only the First Sergeant but of
the Sergeant Major as well. Standing at the top of the noncommissioned
hierarchy of rank, he was the "overseer" of all the company�s
enlisted personnel. To this end, he was to keep the Hauptman, Company Commander,
informed of everything that went on in the company; whether NCOs were performing
their duties in a satisfactory manner, that training was properly accomplished,
and finally, that at the end of a busy day, all soldiers were accounted
for in their quarters. He was the only noncommissioned officer allowed
to strike a soldier; an especially disorderly soldier could be given three
or four blows, but no more, with the Feldwebel�s cane. He was forbidden
to flog a soldier, and any Feldwebel who overstepped his authority in this
manner would himself be pilloried (a device with holes for the head and
hands, in which offenders were formerly locked and exposed to public scorn).
Moreover, he must see to it that none of the NCOs beat their soldiers.
.....................
.....In
setting up the American Army, General Washington relied heavily on the
talents of General Baron Von Steuben. During this time, Von Steuben wrote
what is referred to as the "Blue Book of Regulations." This book
covered most of the organizational, administrative and disciplinary details
necessary to operate the Continental Army. While Von Steuben outlined the
duties of such NCOs as the Sergeant Major, Quartermaster Sergeant and other
key NCO�s it was to the Company First Sergeant, the American Equivalent
of the Prussian Feldwebel, that he directed most of his attention. This
noncommissioned officer, chosen by all the officers of the company, was
(as he had been in the 17th century) the linchpin of the company. The discipline
of the unit, the conduct of the troops, their exactness in obeying orders
and the regularity of their manners, would "in large measure, depend
upon his vigilance." The First Sergeant therefore must be "intimately
acquainted with the character of every soldier in the company and should
take great pains to impress upon their minds the indispensable necessity
of the strictest obedience as the foundation of order and regularity."
His tasks of maintaining the duty roster in an equitable manner, taking
"the daily orders in a book kept by him for that purpose and showing
them to his officers, making the morning report to the captain of the state
of the company in the form prescribed, and at the same time, acquainting
him with anything material that may have happened in the company since
the preceding report," all closely resembled the duties of a 17th
Century Company Sergeant. The First Sergeant also kept a company descriptive
book under the captain�s supervision. These descriptive books listed the
names, ages, heights, places of birth and prior occupations of all enlisted
men of the company. The army maintained the books until about the first
decade of the 20th Century when they were finally replaced by the "Morning
Report." Since the First Sergeant was responsible for the entire company,
he was, in Von Steuben�s words, "not to go on duty, unless with the
whole company, but is to be in camp quarters to answer any call that may
be made." and on the march or on the battlefield, he was "never
to lead a platoon or section but always to be a file closer in the formation
of the company, his duty being in the company like the Adjutant�s (a military
staff officer who assists the commanding officer) in the Regiment."
.......................
.....For
any First Sergeant who has received that 0230 telephone call or marched
at the rear of the squadron mass, there may be reason to believe that little
has changed since Von Steuben. But change it has, through sometimes long
in coming. It wasn�t until the 1832/33 period that any significant changes
came about. NCOs could already be distinguished by various colored epaulettes
and other distinctive trappings, but now the First Sergeant was distinguished
by a red sash around his waist. Another development of the 1832/33 period
was the formal recognition, in the form of increased pay of the position
of the Company First Sergeant. A new pay scale enacted by Congress in 1833
established the rates as follows: Sergeant Major, Quartermaster Sergeant
and Chief Musician - $16 per month; First Sergeant of a Company - $15 per
month; all other sergeants - $12 per month; Corporals - $8 per month; musicians
and privates - $6 per month. Compare that to the First Sergeant�s pay in
1944 of $185 per month and today�s pay of more than $1500 per month. The
regulations for the Uniform of the Army of the United States, 1847, authorized
the wear of chevrons on the fatigue jacket for noncommissioned officers.
It also authorized the Lozenge (French, for diamond) to designate the First
Sergeant. Indications are that this was the first appearance of the diamonds
as insignia devices. The years went by with few changes in the life of
First Sergeants. Certainly one of the things that did not change was the
recognition of the importance of the position of the First Sergeant. The
following is a quote form an article by Colonel Charles A. Romeyn, printed
in The Cavalry Journal, July 1925: "After many years effort, we at
last got our First Sergeants a big increase in pay. Yet, I believe we have
not gone far enough. He is the most important enlisted man in the Army.
I almost feel like making all Second Lieutenants salute him. The ones I
have worked with in the past and many others I would gladly give the first
salute. The First Sergeant is the Captain�s Chief of Staff. A poor one
will ruin a good troop no matter what kind of Captain he has. Many a poor
Captain has had his reputation saved and his troop kept, or made good by
a fine First Sergeant. Am I right?"
.......................
.....Although
there are still some folks who think the First Sergeant is the biggest,
meanest dude in the valley, the position still to this day commands respect
and even admiration from all corners of military society. In 1947 when
the Air Force became a separate service, the First Sergeant made some changes
too. The Air Force First Sergeant became a position rather than a rank
and position. The AFSCs for First Sergeants began as 731X0s with ranks
of E-6 or higher. In the late sixties the AFSC changed to 10070 and 10090
and, at the same time, allowed new First Sergeants from any career field.
April 1971 saw the deletion of Technical Sergeants as First Sergeants except
those who had been selected for Master Sergeant. Early 1981 brought about
a Special Duty Identifier (99607) for Medical Squadron Section First Sergeants.
In the late eighties the 10090 and 99607 AFSCs were combined into one single
AFSC 10090. In the early nineties the First Sergeant AFSC was changed back
to a Special Duty Identifier and given the designation of 8F000.
..........................
.....Yes,
"We�ve come a long way." From the caning of disorderly soldiers
by the Feldwebel, to the inspector and records keeper of Fredrick Von Steuben�s
"Blue Book", to the sash wearing, sword toting soldiers of the
1830s, all the way to today�s First Sergeant who exercises general supervision
over assigned enlisted personnel, one theme remains clear. It was in the
Feldwebel�s job description, dwelled upon by Von Steuben, a part of Colonel
Romeyn�s article, and even larger part of the 1956 job training package
for First Sergeants, and the 1971, 10070 STS, and today makes up the greatest
portion of the job description in the Air Force Instruction on First Sergeants;
the First Sergeant is now and always has been in the business of helping
people.
.....................
First Sergeant
Page / First Sergeant Job Description (DD From
2586) / "The Diamond" (a poem)
First Sergeant
Creed / How to Recognize a First Sergeant
/ First Sergeant Job Description (humor)
New Unit Arrival
Checklist / First Sergeant Board Question Bank
/ Sample Shirt Tales Format
Newcomers
Orientation / First Sergeant Academy Country
Store / Rules of Order