Editing Non-commissioned officer (section)

==National usage==
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2024}}
===Australia===
In the [[Australian Army]], [[lance corporal]]s and corporals are classified as junior NCOs (JNCOs), sergeants and staff sergeants (currently being phased out) are classified as senior NCOs (SNCOs), while warrant officer class two and warrant officer class one are classified as warrant officers (WOs).

In the [[New South Wales Police Force]], NCOs perform supervisory and coordination roles. The ranks of probationary constable through to leading senior constable are referred to as "constables".  All NCOs within the NSW Police are given a warrant of appointment under the Commissioner's hand and seal.

All officers within the [[Australian Defence Force Cadets]] are non-commissioned, with ADFC officers appointed by the Director-General of their respective branch.

===Brazil===
In Brazil, a non-commissioned officer is called "graduado" or "praça graduado" and includes the ranks from third-sergeant to sub-lieutenant, the latter being equivalent to warrant officers.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

===Canada===
<!-- This section is linked from Sergeant -->
In the [[Canadian Forces]], the [[Queen's Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces|Queen's Regulations and Orders]] formally defined a non-commissioned officer as "A Canadian Forces member holding the rank of Sergeant or Corporal."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.admfincs.forces.gc.ca/qro-orf/vol-01/doc/chapter-chapitre-001.pdf |title=Volume 1 – Administration: Chapter 1 Introduction and Definitions |date=9 October 2008 |work=Queen's Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces |publisher=Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance and Corporate Services), [[Department of National Defence (Canada)|Department of National Defence]]/Canadian Forces |page=6 |access-date=19 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613162041/http://www.admfincs.forces.gc.ca/qro-orf/vol-01/doc/chapter-chapitre-001.pdf |archive-date=13 June 2011 }}</ref> In the 1990s, the term "[[non-commissioned member]]" (NCM) was introduced to indicate all ranks in the Canadian Forces from recruit to chief warrant officer.<ref>Department of National Defence Canada [http://mpmuseum.org/securncm1.html Non-Commissioned Officer Rank Insignia 1967–1985]. Canadian Military Police Virtual Museum. Retrieved on: 7 December 2011.</ref>

By definition, with the unification of the Canadian Forces into one service, the rank of sergeant included the naval rank of [[Petty Officer 2nd Class|petty officer 2nd class]], and corporal includes the naval rank of [[leading_seaman#canada|sailor first class]]; corporal also includes the appointment of [[Master Corporal|master corporal]] (naval [[master sailor]]).

NCOs are officially divided into two categories: junior non-commissioned officers, consisting of corporals/sailors first class and master corporals/master sailors; and senior non-commissioned officers, consisting of sergeants and petty officers 2nd class. In the [[Royal Canadian Navy]], however, the accepted definition of "NCO" reflects the international use of the term (i.e. all grades of petty officer).

Junior non-commissioned officers mess and billet with privates and seamen; their mess is usually referred to as the junior ranks mess. Conversely, senior non-commissioned officers mess and billet with [[Warrant Officer#Canada|warrant officers]]; their mess is normally referred to as the warrant officers and sergeants mess (army and air force establishments) or the chiefs and petty officers mess (naval establishments).

As a group, NCOs rank above [[Private Recruit|privates]] and below warrant officers. The term "non-commissioned members" includes these ranks.

===Finland===
In the [[Finnish Defence Force]], NCO's (''aliupseeristo'') includes all ranks from corporal (''[[alikersantti]]'', lit. sub-sergeant) to sergeant major (''sotilasmestari'', lit. soldier master). Ranks of lance corporal (''korpraali'') and leading seaman (''ylimatruusi'') are considered not to be NCO ranks. This ruling applies to all branches of service and also to the troops of the Border Guard.

===France===
In [[France]], [[Belgium]] and most  [[French language|French]]-speaking countries, the term [[Ranks in the French Army#Sous-officiers - sub-officers, i.e. non-commissioned officers|''sous-officier'']]
(meaning: "under officer" or "sub-officer") is a class of ranks between the rank-and-file (''hommes du rang'') and commissioned officers (''officiers''). Corporals (''caporal'' and ''caporal-chef'') belong to the rank-and-file. Sous-officiers include two subclasses: "subalternes" (sergents and sergents-chefs) and "supérieurs" (adjudants, adjudants-chefs and majors). "Sous-officiers supérieurs" can perform various functions within a regiment or battalion, including commanding a platoon or section.

===German Speaking Countries===
In [[Germany]] and [[German language|German]]-speaking countries like [[Austria]], the term ''[[Unteroffizier]]''  describes a class of ranks between normal enlisted personnel (''Mannschaften'' or in Austria ''Chargen'') and officers (''Offiziere''). In this group of ranks there are, in Germany, two other classes: ''[[Unteroffiziere mit Portepee]]'' (with [[sword-knot]]) and ''[[Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee]]'' (without swordknot), both containing several ranks, which in Austria would be ''Unteroffiziere'' (NCOs) and ''Höhere Unteroffiziere'' (senior NCOs or literally translated as "higher under officers"). (''Unteroffizier'' can be literally translated as "under officer", or perhaps more idiomatically as "lower officer" or "sub-officer".)

===India===
In the [[Indian Armed Forces]], [[junior commissioned officer]]s are promoted from [[non-commissioned officers]] and are broadly equivalent to [[warrant officers]] in Western armies. Senior non-commissioned officers are promoted to JCO rank on the basis of merit and seniority, restricted by the number of vacancies. In between the Commissioned Officer and the NCOs lies the Junior Commissioned Officers. They have a minimum of 28 years of service.

JCOs are entrusted with supervisory roles and the three JCO ranks are Subedar Major, Subedar and Naib Subedar. JCOs are equivalent in status to Group B (Gazetted) of Government of [[India]].

JCOs are currently enrolled as jawans and few of them get promoted to officers over a period of time-based on their performance and on their ability to clear promotion examinations. A few JCOs are directly enrolled as religious teachers and in certain technical arms such as the [[Indian Army Corps of Engineers|Corps of Engineers]]. As of 2021, the Indian Army is discussing a proposal to directly enrol Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) in all arms of the service to address the shortage of commissioned officers. According to the proposal, the Indian Army will directly induct JCOs who have cleared the [[Services Selection Board]] (SSB) interview. The [[Union Public Service Commission]] will conduct an entrance examination, which would be followed by an SSB interview and a medical examination. Selected candidates would then be trained for one and a half years before joining the units as JCOs. Subsequently, they would be promoted to officers up to the rank of Colonels based on their length of service and qualifications.

===Ireland===
In Ireland, the Irish Defence Forces have a professional body of non-commissioned officers from the ranks of Corporal (Cpl) (OR-4) to Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) (OR-9) in the Irish Army and Air Corps.

In the Irish Naval Service the NCO ranks rise from Leading Hand or Leading Rate (OR-4) to Warrant Officer (OR-9). In Irish Naval Service parlance the rate or rating is the service members specialisation. Therefore, L/S refers to Leading Seaman, L/RRT refers to Leading Radio Radar Technician and so on.

Further to the distinctions within the Irish Defence Forces you have Junior and Senior NCOs. Junior NCOs are Corporals and Sergeants, (OR-4 and OR-5), and Senior NCOs are Company Sergeant and Company Quartermaster Sergeants to Regimental Sergeant Majors and Regimental Quartermaster Sergeants (OR-7 to OR-9). In the Irish Naval Service, this is further complicated by having Junior and Senior Ratings. Junior ratings from Ordinary Rate (OR-1) to Leading Rate (OR-4), and Senior Ratings are from Petty Officer (OR-5) to Warrant Officer (OR-9). Therefore, it can occur that a person incorrectly describes themselves as a Senior NCO when in fact they mean a Senior Rating.

===New Zealand===
In the [[New Zealand Defence Force]], a non-commissioned officer is defined as:
:"(a) In relation to the [[Royal New Zealand Navy|Navy]], a [[naval rating|rating]] of warrant officer, [[chief petty officer]], petty officer, or [[leading seaman|leading rank]]; and includes—
::(i) A non-commissioned officer of the [[New Zealand Army|Army]] or the [[Royal New Zealand Air Force|Air Force]] attached to the Navy; and
::(ii) A person duly attached or lent as a non-commissioned officer to or seconded for service or appointed for duty as a non-commissioned officer with the Navy:
: (b) In relation to the Army, a [[soldier]] above the rank of [[Private (rank)|private]] but below the rank of [[officer cadet]]; and includes a warrant officer; and also includes—
::(i) A non-commissioned officer of the Navy or the Air Force attached to the Army; and
::(ii) A person duly attached or lent as a non-commissioned officer to or seconded for service or appointed for duty as a non-commissioned officer with the Army:
:(c) In relation to the Air Force, an [[airman]] above the rank of [[leading aircraftman]] but below the rank of officer cadet; and includes a warrant officer; and also includes—
::(i) A non-commissioned officer of the Navy or the Army attached to the Air Force; and
::(ii) A person duly attached or lent as a non-commissioned officer to or seconded for service or appointed for duty as a non-commissioned officer with the Air Force:" – ''[[Defence Act 1990]], Sect 2 (Interpretation)''<ref>[http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1990/0028/latest/DLM204978.html?search=ts_act_Defence+Act+1990_resel#DLM204978 New Zealand Defence Act 1990 No 28, Sect 2]. New Zealand Legislation, reprint as at 7 July 2010. Accessed 19 August 2010.</ref>

===Norway===
On 1 January 2016, the [[Norwegian Armed Forces]] reintroduced non-commissioned officers in all service branches, having had a single rank tier since 1930, except for certain technical and maintenance units from 1945 to 1975. The NCOs are called [[Military ranks and insignia of Norway#Military ranks starting from 2016 onward)|specialists]], and rank from [[sergeant]] to [[sergeant major]] ([[Ranks and Insignia of NATO#Definitions|NATO ranks]] OR5–OR9). The Specialist Corps [[lance corporal]] and [[corporal]] ranks (OR2–OR4) are reserved for enlisted personnel, while the rank of [[Private (rank)|private]] (OR1) is for conscripts only.

The NCOs are in charge of military training, discipline, practical leadership, role modelling, unit standards and mentoring officers, especially juniors. Officers commanding [[platoon]]s and above are assigned a chief or master sergeant, which is the unit's highest ranking specialist, although chief and master sergeants are functions and not ranks in themselves.

Norway took a top-down approach to establishing the Specialist Corps. Since August 2015, volunteer [[commissioned officers]] have converted into sergeant majors, command sergeants and first sergeants.

===Pakistan===
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) in the [[Pakistan Army]] hold important positions and are responsible for the supervision and management of the enlisted soldiers. [[Pakistan Army ranks and insignia|The NCO status]] begins with the rank of "[[Lance naik|Lance Naik]]", Here are the ranks of NCOs in the Pakistan Army, from lowest to highest:

# Lance Naik
# Naik
# Havildar

In addition to these, there are also company/battalion appointments held by senior Havildars, such as Company Quartermaster Havildar, Company Havildar Major, Battalion Quartermaster Havildar, and Battalion Havildar Major.

NCOs display their rank insignias on mid sleeves, and in combat uniforms, all individuals wear rank insignias on their chest. They are responsible for the training, discipline, and welfare of the troops under their command.

===Singapore===
In the [[Singapore Armed Forces]], the term "non-commissioned officer" is no longer officially used, being replaced with [[Specialist (Singapore)|Specialist]] for all ranks from 3rd Sergeant to Master Sergeant (Staff and Master Sergeants are known as Senior Specialists). The term used to address Warrant Officers and Specialists combined is "WOSpec". The term "NCO" however is still frequently used unofficially in the army.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}

===Sweden===
In 1983 the NCO corps, since 1972 called the ''Platoon Officer Corps'', was disbanded and its members were given commissions as officers in ranks of second or first lieutenant in Sweden's new one-tier military leadership system. In 2009 a similar system as the NCO corps was re-established, called "specialist officers". Direct recruitment from civilian life is followed by basic and preparatory leadership training, and advanced leadership training during 1.5 year as a specialist cadet at the military academy in [[Halmstad]], a warrant as an OR-6, followed by specialist technical training. Swedish specialist officers have relative ranks that match those of the commissioned officers; an OR-7 takes precedence over a [[second lieutenant]], for instance.

===Turkey===
Non-commissioned officer, called in Turkish as ''astsubay'', is the rank belonging to the non-enlisted class below the officer in the military hierarchy.
Military persons who are assigned as an assistant to the officer in training, administration and administration and other administrative tasks at the subordinate command levels of the Land, Naval and Air Forces of the Army of the Republic of Turkey, and the Gendarmerie General Command and the Coast Guard Command are called non-commissioned officers.

===United Kingdom===
[[File:District Gunner.jpg|200px|thumbnail|Sergeant, Royal Artillery, on the esplanade of [[Edinburgh Castle]], firing the one o'clock gun]]
In the [[military of the United Kingdom|British Armed Forces]], NCOs are divided into two categories.  [[Lance corporal]]s (including [[lance bombardier]]s) and corporals (including [[lance sergeant]]s, [[bombardier (rank)|bombardiers]], and [[lance corporal of horse|lance corporals of horse]]) are junior NCOs.  Sergeants (including [[corporal of horse|corporals of horse]]), [[staff sergeant]]s (including [[colour sergeant]]s and [[staff corporal]]s), and RAF [[chief technician]]s and [[flight sergeant]]s are senior NCOs.

Warrant officers are often included in the senior NCO category, but actually form a separate class of their own, similar in many ways to NCOs but with a royal warrant. Senior NCOs and WOs have their own messes, which are similar to officers' messes (and are usually known as sergeants' messes), whereas junior NCOs live and eat with the unranked personnel, although they may have a separate corporals' club to give them some separate socialising space.

The [[Royal Navy]] does not refer to its petty officers and chief petty officers as NCOs, but calls them senior ratings (or senior rates). [[Leading rating]]s and below are junior ratings.

===United States===
{{no footnotes|section|date=July 2014}}
[[File:US Army 55th Signal Company 1SG gives pre-inspection.jpg|thumb|A [[First Sergeant]] with the 55th Signal Company (Combat Camera) gets his soldiers ready for a uniform inspection]]
In the [[United States Army|Army]], [[United States Air Force|Air Force]], and [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]], all ranks of sergeant are termed NCOs, as are corporals in the Army and Marine Corps. The [[Lance_corporal#Marine_Corps|Marine Corps rank of lance corporal]] (E-3) is not an NCO, but rather a junior enlisted rank directly below corporal. The rank of corporal (E-4) in the Army and Marine Corps is a junior NCO, and is to be shown the same respect as any other NCO. However the rank of Specialist in the US Army, also with an E-4 [[U.S. uniformed services pay grades|pay grade]], is not authorized to command troops and as such is not considered an NCO. In the Air Force, E-5 (staff sergeant) and E-6 ([[technical sergeant]]) are classified under the NCO tier, while E-7 (master sergeant), E-8 (senior master sergeant), and E-9 (chief master sergeant) are considered senior non-commissioned officers (SNCOs).<ref>{{cite web|last=Powers |first=Rod |url=https://www.thebalance.com/air-force-enlisted-force-structure-4055885 |title=The Air Force Enlisted Rank Force Structure |publisher=The Balance |date=8 September 2016 |access-date=24 September 2017}}</ref>  In the [[United States Navy|Navy]] and [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]], all ranks of [[Petty Officer|petty officer]] are so designated. Junior NCOs (E-4 through E-6 grade), or simply "NCOs" (E-4 and E-5 only) in Marine Corps usage, function as first-tier supervisors and technical leaders.

NCOs serving in the top three enlisted grades (E-7, E-8, and E-9) are termed senior non-commissioned officers ([[chief petty officer]]s in the Navy and Coast Guard). Senior NCOs are expected to exercise leadership at a more general level. They lead larger groups of service members, mentor junior officers, and advise senior officers on matters pertaining to their areas of responsibility.

{{Anchor|USMCSNCO}}Within the Marine Corps, senior NCOs are referred to as [[Enlisted Professional Military Education (EPME)|staff noncommissioned officers (SNCOs)]] and also include the rank of [[Staff Sergeant#United States|staff sergeant]] (E-6). SNCOs are those career Marines serving in grades E-6 through E-9 and serve as unit leaders and supervisors, primary assistants and technical advisors to officers, and [[senior enlisted advisor]]s to [[Commanding officer#Marine Corps|commanding officers]], commanding generals, and other higher-level commanders. The ranks include staff sergeant, [[Gunnery Sergeant|gunnery sergeant]] (E-7), [[Master Sergeant#United States|master sergeant]] / [[First Sergeant#United States Marine Corps|first sergeant]] (E-8), and [[Master Gunnery Sergeant|master gunnery sergeant]] / [[Sergeant Major#United States Marine Corps|sergeant major]] (E-9).

The title of [[Air Force Specialty Code#Enlisted AFSCs|''superintendent'']] is used by the Air Force as the title of the [[Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge|non-commissioned officer in charge]] (NCOIC) of a section, flight, squadron, group, staff agency, directorate, or similar organization. These positions are assigned to senior non-commissioned officers (SNCOs), as opposed to the titles "NCOIC" and "chief" (which are held by junior NCOs). The titles of [[Aircraft commander|''commander'']] and [[Director (business)|''director'']] are used for [[commissioned officers]] assigned as [[Station Commander|commanding officer]] of a unit or the head of a staff agency, directorate, or similar organization, respectively.

A select few senior NCOs in paygrade E-9 serve as "senior enlisted advisors" to senior commanders in each service (e.g., major command, fleet, force, etc.) and in DoD unified commands, e.g., [[United States Strategic Command]], [[United States European Command]], [[United States Pacific Command]], etc., and DoD agencies, e.g. the [[Defense Information Systems Agency]], [[Defense Intelligence Agency]] and the [[National Security Agency]]. One senior E-9, selected by the service chief of staff, is the ranking NCO/PO in that service, holds the highest enlisted rank for that service, and is responsible for advising their service secretary and chief of staff.

One E-9 holds a similar position as the SEA to the [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]]. Senior enlisted advisors, service enlisted advisors and the [[Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman|SEA to the Chairman]] (SEAC) advise senior officer and civilian leaders on all issues affecting operational missions and the readiness, utilization, morale, technical and professional development, and quality of life of the enlisted force.

[[Warrant Officer (United States)|Warrant officers]] in the [[military of the United States|United States Armed Forces]] are considered specialty officers and fall in between enlisted and commissioned officers. US warrant officers also have their own tier and paygrade. However, when US warrant officers achieve the rank of chief warrant officer (CWO2) or higher, they are commissioned<ref name="warrant officer appointment">[https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/571 10 U.S. Code § 571. Warrant officers: grades]</ref> and are considered commissioned US officers just like any other commissioned officer, but are still held in a different paygrade tier.

====U.S. Army NCO Candidate Course====

Beginning in 1967 at Fort Benning, Georgia, the [[US Army]] [[Noncommissioned officer candidate course]] (NCOCC) was a [[Vietnam]]-war era program developed to alleviate shortages of enlisted leaders at squad and platoon level assignments, training enlisted personnel to assume jobs as squad leaders in combat.<ref>Zais, Melvin. "The New NCO", ''Army''. 18 (May 1968): 72–76.</ref>

Based loosely on the [[Officer Candidate School]] (OCS), NCOC was a new concept (at the time) where high performing trainees attending basic infantry combat training were nominated to attend a two-phased course of focused instruction on jungle warfare, and included a hands-on portion of intense training, promotion to sergeant, and then a 12-week assignment leading trainees going through advanced training.<ref>Israr Choudhri, [http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15040coll2/id/5086/filename/5087.pdf The Noncommissioned Officer Course] (PDF), {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210323081514/http://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p15040coll2/id/5086/filename/5087.pdf|date=23 March 2021}}</ref>

Regular Army soldiers who had received their promotion through traditional methods (and others) used derisive terms for these draftees (typically)<ref name=Elder>Dan Elder, Shake and Bake: The True Story of the Noncommissioned Officer Candidate Course, [http://www.ncohistory.com/files/NCOC-long.pdf pgs.7,14–15 PDF] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529103928/http://www.ncohistory.com/files/NCOC-long.pdf |date=29 May 2014 }}</ref> who were promoted quicker, such as "Instant NCOs", "[[Shake and Bake (Army)|Shake 'n' Bake]]", and "Whip n' Chills".<ref>Bud Russell, ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20150321040226/http://ncoclocator.org/PAGE6.HTM A Brief History of the Noncommissioned Officer Candidate Course]''</ref><ref>Jerry Horton, [http://company-c--2nd-bn--506th-inf.com/Shake&Bake.html Shake & Bake NCO's]</ref>

The program proved to be so successful that as the war began to wind down they elected to institutionalize training noncommissioned officers and created the NCO Education System (NCOES), which was based around the NCO candidate course. The NCO candidate course generally ended in 1971–1972.<ref name=Elder />

====U.S. Navy Accelerated Advancement====

Within the U.S. Navy there are different ways that a sailor can earn accelerated advancement to the rank of petty officer third class.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/milpersman/1000/1400Promotions/Documents/1430-010.pdf |title=MILPERSMAN 1430 – 010 |date=30 October 2015 |access-date=24 September 2017 |publisher=[[United States Navy]] |archive-date=21 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821174337/http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/milpersman/1000/1400Promotions/Documents/1430-010.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> If a person tests high enough on their entrance exam they are able to select certain jobs that require a significant amount of training, far greater than the amount required for a basic job (12 months vs. 2 weeks). Because these jobs are more technically advanced, the schools have higher attrition rates, demand more responsibility, and require longer initial enlistments, these sailors are able to advance to petty officer third class. Another way for a sailor to earn accelerated advancement is by graduating in the top 10% of their class within their "A" school. For certain ratings, such as Corpsman, this has been discontinued.