Provost sergeant

Last updated

A provost sergeant is a non-commissioned officer associated with military police.

Contents

United Kingdom and Commonwealth realm

In the British Army and land forces of the Commonwealth, a provost sergeant (sometimes abbreviated to Provo Sgt) is the non-commissioned officer in charge of the regimental provost staff (or regimental police) and is responsible to the regimental sergeant major for the maintenance of good order and military discipline in a regiment or battalion. [1] Like other members of the regimental police, the provost sergeant is a member of the regiment or corps in which they serve and not a member of the Royal Military Police. A provost sergeant normally holds the military rank of sergeant, the provost sergeant title being an appointment and not a rank. A provost sergeant wears no distinctive trade badge. They can, however, be identified by the brassard they wear on their uniform, which carries the letters "PS"[ citation needed ] or "RP" as well as sergeant's stripes.

United States

In the United States Army Military Police Corps or United States Marine Corps Military Police,[ citation needed ] the title of provost sergeant typically refers to the operations sergeant in charge of the staff of the Provost Marshal office or the NCO in charge of an MP station. The position is commonly held by a sergeant major or master gunnery sergeant, but may also be held by a sergeant first class or master sergeant. U.S. Army provost sergeants cannot be recognized by any specific insignia, and few provost sergeants even wear the distinctive military police identification patch on their Army Combat Uniform.

See also

Related Research Articles

Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies and other institutions organized along military lines. Responsibility for personnel, equipment and missions grow with each advancement. Ranks should not be confused with paygrades, such as E-1, W-2 and O-5. Paygrades are administrative classifications used primarily to standardize compensation across the armed services. The military rank system defines dominance, authority and responsibility within a military hierarchy. It incorporates the principles of exercising power and authority into the military chain of command—the succession of commanders superior to subordinates through which command is exercised. The military chain of command is an important component for organized collective action.

Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by a warrant officer (WO) in the British Army, the Royal Marines, and the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations. It is also an actual rank in the Irish Defence Forces, and formerly in the British Army, Royal Marines and United States Army. Only one warrant officer holds the appointment of RSM in any regiment or battalion, making them the senior warrant officer; in a unit with more than one top-ranked WO, the RSM is considered to be first amongst equals". The RSM is primarily responsible for assisting their commander in maintaining standards and discipline amongst the non-commissioned members and acts as a parental figure to their subordinates, sometimes referred to by the mantra "Drill, Dress and Discipline".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non-commissioned officer</span> Type of military officer

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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adjutant</span> Military position or rank

Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term adjudant is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commissioned officer rank similar to a staff sergeant or warrant officer but is not equivalent to the role or appointment of an adjutant.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drill instructor</span> Military training officer

A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer in the armed forces, fire department, or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. Foot drill, military step, and marching are typically taught by drill instructors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colour sergeant</span> Military rank

Colour sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer found in several armies and marine corps.

Company quartermaster sergeant is a military rank or appointment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Army other ranks rank insignia</span>

"Other ranks" is the term used to refer to all ranks below officers in the British Army and the Royal Marines. It includes warrant officers, non-commissioned officers ("NCOs") and ordinary soldiers with the rank of private or regimental equivalent. Officers may, in speaking, distinguish themselves from those "in the ranks".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quartermaster</span> Army supply personnel or naval enlisted rating

Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is an officer who supervises logistics and requisitions, manages stores or barracks, and distributes supplies and provisions. In many navies, a quartermaster is a seaman or petty officer with responsibility for navigation and operation of the helm of a ship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Distinctive unit insignia</span> Badge or device worn by soldiers in the United States Army

A distinctive unit insignia (DUI) is a metallic heraldic badge or device worn by soldiers in the United States Army. The DUI design is derived from the coat of arms authorized for a unit. DUIs may also be called "distinctive insignia" (DI) or, imprecisely, a "crest" or a "unit crest" by soldiers or collectors. The U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry is responsible for the design, development and authorization of all DUIs.

Like the British Army, the Australian Army does not use the term 'enlisted' to describe its non-commissioned ranks. Instead, personnel who are not commissioned officers are referred to as other ranks. These are soldiers, non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and warrant officers (WOs). Warrant officers are appointed by a warrant which is signed by the Chief of the Army. The insignia for non-commissioned ranks are identical to the British Army up to the rank of warrant officer class two. Since 1976, WO1s and the WO in the Australian Army wear insignia using the Australian Coat of Arms.

Master warrant officer (MWO) is a senior military rank in the Bangladesh Armed Forces, the Canadian Forces, Singapore Armed Forces, the South African National Defence Force and the Israel Defense Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regimental police</span> Military police role

Regimental police or regimental provost (RP) are soldiers responsible for regimental discipline enforcement and unit custody in the British Army, other Commonwealth armies and some armed forces structured in the British tradition. They belong to the regiment or corps in which they enforce discipline rather than the Royal Military Police or its equivalent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warrant officer (United Kingdom)</span> Non-commissioned rank in the British Armed Forces

A warrant officer (WO) in the British Armed Forces is a member of the highest-ranking group of non-commissioned ranks, holding the King's Warrant, which is signed by the Secretary of State for Defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drum major (military)</span> Military Appointment

A drum major in the military is the individual leading a military band or a field unit. It is an appointment, not a military rank. Military drum majors utilize a ceremonial mace for giving commands while marching. Many drum majors, particularly American- or British-influenced ones, wear a sash that can carry embroidered badges of their home unit and battle honors; a pair of ceremonial drum sticks are often attached.

References

  1. "WW2 Peoples War". BBC. Archived from the original on 12 February 2011. Luckily for me the provost sergeant had to return to England and it was decided that I would take his place because being the battalion interpreter I was taken out of the line two days before to find billets for the officers and men. As provost sergeant I was in charge of the battalion police and I had to learn to ride a motorbike which pleased me.