Staff Sergeant

Staff Sergeant is the fifth enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force, just above Senior Airman and below Technical Sergeant. It is the lowest form of non-commissioned officer.

Staff Sergeant is the sixth enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, just above Sergeant and below Sergeant First Class, and is a non-commissioned officer. They are generally placed in charge of squads, but can also act as platoon sergeants in the absence of a Sergeant First Class.

Staff Sergeant is the sixth enlisted rank in the U.S. Marine Corps, just above Sergeant and below Gunnery Sergeant, and is a non-commissioned officer.

British Army

In the Royal Marines the rank of Colour Sergeant is used instead. Flight Sergeant or Chief Technician are the Royal Air Force equivalents. In the Household Cavalry, the equivalent rank is Staff Corporal. Staff sergeants can also hold other appointments, such as Company Quartermaster Sergeant, and are usually known by that appointment. An infantry staff sergeant is always known as Colour Sergeant, no matter what his appointment.

British staff sergeants are never referred to as "Sergeant", which would be reducing their rank, but are referred to and addressed as "Staff Sergeant" or "Staff" ("Staff Jones", for instance) or by their appointment or its abbreviation. In some cavalry regiments (e.g. the Queen's Royal Lancers [1]), a staff sergeant is addressed as "Sergeant Major".

Republic of Singapore

Staff Sergeants usually fill senior specialist billets such as Company Sergeant Major. Staff Sergeants should not be addressed as "Sergeant", which would be reducing their rank. They are usually addressed as either "Staff" or "Encik" (a Malay term of respect).

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