A chief master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries.
A chief master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries.
Since 2004, as part of the ongoing modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, chief master sergeant has been the highest attainable rank for enlisted personnel of the Philippine Army, the Philippine Air Force, and the Philippine Marine Corps (a component of the Philippine Navy).
Above the rank is that of first chief master sergeant, also created in 2004 and bestowed on the most veteran non-commissioned officer who has served in the aforementioned service branches.
The rank of chief master sergeant stands above that of senior master sergeant. The equivalent naval rating is that of master chief petty officer.
Insignia of CMS in the PMC is straight rockers for non-command NCOs and curved for command NCOs.
As of February 8, 2019, a new ranking classification for the Philippine National Police was adopted, eliminating confusion among previous ranks. [1] [2] The enabling law for the ranking is Republic Act 11200 which was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, amending the section of the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 that refers to the ranking classification of the Philippine National Police. [3]
The rank stands above that of police senior master sergeant and below police executive master sergeant.
| Chief Master Sergeant | |
|---|---|
  Air Force and Space Force insignia | |
| Country |  United States |
| Service branch |  U.S. Air Force  U.S. Space Force |
| Abbreviation | CMSgt |
| Rank group | Non-commissioned officer |
| NATO rank code | OR-9 |
| Pay grade | E-9 |
| Formation | 1958 |
| Next lower rank | Senior master sergeant |
Chief master sergeant (abbreviated as CMSgt) is the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the United States Air Force and the United States Space Force, just above senior master sergeant, and is a senior non-commissioned officer rank. A chief master sergeant sometimes is referred to as a "chief."
Attaining the rank of chief master sergeant is the pinnacle of an Air Force or Space Force enlisted person's career. Some chief master sergeants manage the efforts of all enlisted personnel within their unit or major subsection while others run major staff functions at higher headquarters levels. All chief master sergeants are expected to serve as mentors for non-commissioned officers and junior enlisted members, and to serve as advisers to unit commanders and senior officers.
By federal law, no more than 1.25% of the Air Force enlisted force may hold the rank of chief master sergeant. [4]
The E-9 pay grade of first sergeant is a special duty rank held by a senior enlisted member of a military unit who reports directly to the unit commander or deputy commander of operations. This positional billet is held by a chief master sergeant and is denoted on the rank insignia by a lozenge (known colloquially as a "diamond"). [5] Often referred to as the "first shirt", or "shirt", the first sergeant is responsible for the morale, welfare, and conduct of all the enlisted members in a squadron and is the chief adviser to the squadron commander concerning the enlisted force. [5] While neither the Air Force or Space Force has a permanent first sergeant rank, those who hold these positional billets are senior to their non-diamond counterparts. [5]
In the Air Force, group senior enlisted leaders (SEL), formerly known as a group superintendent, fall under special reporting identifier coding with a 9G100[ clarification needed ] Air Force specialty code. Group superintendents provide leadership, management, and guidance in organizing, equipping, training, and mobilizing groups to meet home station and expeditionary mission requirements. Group superintendents work closely with their group commanders and command chief master sergeants to prepare the enlisted force to best execute mission requirements. They manage and direct resource activities as well as interpret and enforce policies and applicable directives. They also establish control procedures to meet mission goals and standards. Additionally, they recommend or initiate actions to improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency as well as ensure that the management of personnel and resources are consistent with current practices and procedures in support of a wing's mission. They resolve issues between subordinate squadrons, other groups, wing staff, and outside agencies, and they perform other duties as directed by their group commanders. [6]
The duty position of squadron senior enlisted leader is the senior enlisted advisor to a unit commander and provides the parent organization(s) with subject matter expertise on the unit's capabilities.
In the Air Force, the Wing Weapons Manager (WWM) is a wing's focal point for all weapons loading and armament systems-related matters and serves as the functional manager for all assigned 2W1X1's.[ clarification needed ] The WWM's primary efforts focus on compliance, continuity, and standardization. The WWM is a (Chief Enlisted Manager code 2W100)[ clarification needed ] command master sergeant assigned directly to the MXG/CC.[ clarification needed ] Weapons activities required to support the generation of peacetime training sorties generally do not reinforce primary combat skills. Therefore, the WWM plays a key role in ensuring that the unit is able to produce combat-loaded aircraft. The WWM is charged with providing technical and managerial advice to senior leaders in matters of weapons loading and armament systems. The WWM coordinates with the Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons, Weapons Sections, Armament Flight, Wing Safety, Wing Weapons and Tactics Officer, Munitions Squadron/Flight, and other unit agencies on weapons-related matters. The WWM is a certifying official and evaluator for weapons-loading task certifications and qualifications.
The position of command chief master sergeant (CCM) is unique, as it is considered a rank and billet. Formerly, the billets were called senior enlisted advisors and were held by a chief master sergeant. These billets were turned into the permanent rank of command chief master sergeants in November 1998. Command chief master sergeants serve as the senior enlisted advisors to commanders at key levels of command; these include wings, numbered air forces, field operating agencies, and major commands. In a joint command, when an Air Force Chief fills a United States Department of Defense-nominated Command senior enlisted advisor position (see note), that individual is also designated as a "command chief." Command chiefs advise their unit commanders on all enlisted matters, including all issues affecting the command's mission and operations, and the readiness, training, utilization, morale, technical, professional development, and quality of life of all enlisted members in the organization. Command chiefs hold a reporting identifier of 9E000.[ clarification needed ] CCMs provide leadership to the enlisted force and are the functional managers for group superintendents and first sergeants in their organizations. [7] [8]
Although the Air Force had been an independent service since 1947, the rank of chief master sergeant did not come into being until the authorization of the Military Pay Act of 1958. This act established the pay grades of E-8 and E-9 in the United States armed forces, but without specifying titles for those pay grades. It was not until late 1958 that the title "chief master sergeant" and the accompanying rank insignia were adopted.
The original chief master sergeant rank insignia, used from 1958 to 1994, consisted of two chevrons on top, three stripes in the middle, and three rockers on the bottom.
Until his retirement in 2003, Chief Master Sergeant Norman Marous was the Air Force's most senior chief master sergeant, having served in the Air Force since 1962. Marous left active duty in 1967 to spend 22 years in the United States Air Force Reserve and National Guard before returning to active duty as a chief master sergeant in 1989. He retired in 2003 with 41½ years of service. He is the only person authorized to wear two longevity ribbons, due to the space required for the number of multiple award devices authorized. [9]
Civil Air Patrol
chief master sergeant
insignia
The Civil Air Patrol (CAP), a non-profit corporation Congressionally chartered to operate as the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, has a quasi-military structure which includes the rank of chief master sergeant. It is the most senior CAP enlisted rank. Former military enlisted personnel who held the rank of chief master sergeant may retain that rank as members of the CAP. [10]
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who does not hold a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. In contrast, commissioned officers usually enter directly from a military academy, officer training corps (OTC) or reserve officer training corps (ROTC), or officer candidate school (OCS) or officer training school (OTS), after receiving a post-secondary degree.
Sergeant (Sgt) is a rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, serjeant, is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from the British light infantry. Its origin is the Latin serviens, 'one who serves', through the Old French term serjant.
Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corresponds to commanding a section or squad of soldiers.
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services.
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries.
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
Gunnery sergeant (GySgt) is the seventh enlisted rank in the United States Marine Corps, above staff sergeant and below master sergeant and first sergeant, and is a senior non-commissioned officer (SNCO). It has a pay grade of E-7.
Senior master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries.
Master gunnery sergeant (MGySgt) is the 9th and highest enlisted grade in the United States Marine Corps. Master gunnery sergeants are senior staff non-commissioned officers (SNCOs) with the pay grade of E-9, equivalent to sergeants major and the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.
The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG) or general officer commanding (GOC), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as they see fit, within the bounds of military law. In this respect, commanding officers have significant responsibilities, duties, and powers.
Chief Warrant officer is a senior warrant officer rank, used in many countries.
David J. Campanale is a retired Chief Master Sergeant of the United States Air Force who served as the 11th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force from 1994 to 1996.
Eric W. Benken is a retired airman of the United States Air Force who served as the 12th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force from 1996 to 1999. He was the last Vietnam War veteran to hold the position.
United States Marine Corps rank insignia are the devices worn by officers in the United States Marine Corps, in order to provide distinction from other ranks. Different styles of rank insignia are worn on different uniforms of the United States Marine Corps.
In the United States, commander is a military rank that is also sometimes used as a military billet title—the designation of someone who manages living quarters or a base—depending on the branch of service. It is also used as a rank or title in non-military organizations, particularly in law enforcement.
The senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC) is the most senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) position overall in the United States Armed Forces. The SEAC is appointed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to serve as a spokesperson to address the issues of enlisted personnel to the highest positions in the Department of Defense. As such, the SEAC is the primary enlisted advisor to the chairman, and serves at the pleasure of the secretary of defense. The SEAC's exact duties vary, depending on the chairman, though the SEAC generally devotes much of their time traveling throughout the Department of Defense, to observe training and communicating to service members and their families. The SEAC's normal term of assignment runs concurrently with the chairman, but an incumbent may be reappointed to serve longer. The first member to hold this post was William Gainey. The current SEAC is Troy E. Black, USMC who assumed the duties on 3 November 2023.
First sergeant is typically a senior non-commissioned officer rank, used in many countries.
Tony L. Whitehead is a senior noncommissioned officer in the United States Air Force and the sixth Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. He succeeded Army CSM Christopher S. Kepner on 25 August 2020, and is the first senior enlisted advisor of the NGB to wear a unique rank insignia. At the time of his selection, he was the Command Chief Master Sergeant, CONR-1 AF (AFNORTH), Tyndall AFB, Florida.
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