Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer ("NCO") is an enlisted soldier or sailor who has been delegated leadership or command authority by a commissioned officer. The non-commissioned officer corps is the mid-level management of any military. An experienced NCO corps is a very important part of Western armies. In the American military, NCO's are called the "backbone" of the service.
Many consider that the centurions in the Roman Army were NCOs. However, the senior centurion of a legion was responsible for training and leading a unit of 3-4000 men and had the powers and responsibilities of a modern colonel.
Typically NCOs serve as administrative personnel, as advisors to the officer corps, and as both supervisors of, and advocates for, the lower-ranking enlisted personnel.
The ranks of NCO includes all the grades of Sergeants, Corporals, and Petty Officers. In the United States military, those NCOs receiving advanced military training receive an award known as a Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon.
In the British Armed Forces, NCOs are divided into two categories. Junior NCOs (JNCOs) include Lance Corporals, Corporals and Lance Sergeants. Senior NCOs (SNCOs) include Sergeants, Staff Sergeants, Colour Sergeants and (in the Royal Air Force) Chief Technicians and Flight Sergeants. Warrant Officers are often included with SNCOs, but actually form a separate class of their own. SNCOs and WOs have their own messes, which are similar to officers' messes (and are usually known as Sergeants' Messes), whereas JNCOs live and eat with the unranked personnel.
The Royal Navy does not refer to its petty officers and warrant officers as NCOs, but calls them Senior Ratings (or Senior Rates). Leading Ratings and below are Junior Ratings.
See also
