History of the First Sergeant
Abstract
Over the course of my career I have had the opportunity to speak with a number of senior NCOs regarding their careers. All have told me that their time spent as the first sergeant of a company or troop had been the most challenging, yet the most rewarding positions they had ever held. This held true no matter what branch they were serving in, infantry, transportation, aviation, armor, etc. Even General John W. Vessey, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was a first sergeant and stated in a 1983 interview with Soldiers Magazine, the toughest job I had, and the one I remember as having more personal responsibility than any other, was being a first sergeant in combat. This was a good job also(Vessey). After five years as a first sergeant, I have come to understand just what they all meant by their comments. Being a first sergeant has been, without a doubt, the most challenging, thankless and yet most rewarding position of my career so far. To better understand why most first sergeants feel that way we need to take a look at just what it is a first sergeant does and how their role has evolved over the years.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- AD1133981
Entities
People
- James L. Jr Campbell
Organizations
- United States Army Sergeants Major Academy