Regimental sergeant major

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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".[ citation needed ] 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".[ citation needed ]

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Australia

A regimental sergeant major in the Australian Army is usually a warrant officer class 1 and holds a special position within a regiment or battalion as the senior non-commissioned adviser to the unit's commanding officer. They are known as the regimental sergeant major regardless of whether the unit is a regiment or battalion. The RSM has leadership, discipline and welfare responsibilities of up to 650 officers and soldiers, as well as the maintenance of their equipment. [1]

The most senior warrant officer in the Australian Army is titled Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army.

Canada

In the Canadian Forces, the appointment of regimental sergeant major is normally held by an army chief warrant officer. Due to the integrated nature of the Canadian Forces, however, it is not impossible for an air force chief warrant officer or a naval chief petty officer 1st class to rise to that post, especially in units with a high number of support trades personnel; examples might include a Royal Canadian Logistics Service CPO1 being appointed RSM of a service battalion, or an air force Communications and Electronics Branch CWO appointed to the position in a communication regiment.

RSMs are generally address as "RSM" or "Mr" or "Ms" by officers, and as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by subordinates (which applies only to regimental sergeant majors who are army or air force CWOs; naval CPO1s are universally addressed as "Chief", regardless of any appointments held).

Nigeria

In the Nigerian Army, the appointment of RSM is usually held by a master warrant officer. The RSM, during any visit from a general officer, marches slowly in front of the military procession with a brightly coloured and decorated wooden stick. [2] [3]

Singapore

Like most Commonwealth forces, the RSM in the Singapore Armed Forces is usually the most senior warrant officer in the unit. Depending on the size of the unit, RSMs can be third, second, first, master, or senior warrant officers.

Exceptions to this are:

During exercises and operations, the role of the RSM is to organize the battalion for movement, and to assist the unit S1 (manpower officer) in manpower administration. [4]

In camp, he is the master of drill, parades and ceremonies. He supervises the company sergeants major and platoon sergeants in the instruction of drill, and is in charge of the organization of formal parades. On the parade square, the RSM, with his pace stick, is "king" as he has authority over all soldiers and even has the power to order punishment for subalterns (junior commissioned officers such as captains and lieutenants)[ citation needed ]. In fact, the RSM may conduct "subalterns' parades" – private sessions for junior officers to perfect their foot and sword drills away from the critical eyes of the other ranks.[ citation needed ]

Senior officers may address them simply as "RSM", while, as a warrant officer, they are addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by those junior in rank. Traditionally, all warrant officers, with or without an appointment as RSM or CSM, are addressed as "Encik" ("mister" in English) by officers and other ranks although this is an informal right which is not to be assumed. Sometimes, lower ranked NCOs who are not warrant officers but who are holding the appointment of CSM may also be given the honour of being addressed as "Encik." Nevertheless, all specialists and warrant officers holding sergeant-major appointments should be addressed as "sergeant-major".

United Kingdom

In the British Army and Royal Marines, the RSM, who always holds the rank of warrant officer class 1 (WO1), is addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by his or her subordinates. In the Household Cavalry, the appointment is regimental corporal major (RCM). The rank of regimental sergeant major existed in the British Army until 1915, when RSMs (who already held warrant officer status) were regraded as warrant officers class I and RSM became an appointment of that rank.

In the Royal Marines, regimental sergeant major was an actual rank [5] (and equivalent to warrant officer class I in the Army) until the Royal Marines themselves re-adopted the ranks of warrant officer classes I and II (which had been abolished in the Royal Marines in 1920) in 1973 [6] (although the term continued to be used interchangeably for warrant officers class I until at least 1981 [7] ). The most senior warrant officer in the Royal Marines holds the appointment of Corps Regimental Sergeant Major. [lower-alpha 1]

United States

The equivalent rank in the United States Army is command sergeant major. The rank of regimental sergeant major existed in the United States Army during World War I. The rank was phased out in the early 1920s.

The billet, as opposed to rank, of regimental sergeant major exists in the United States Marine Corps, as the senior enlisted adviser to the regimental commander. The billet is held by a sergeant major.

Unlike many countries, sergeant majors in the United States are not classified as warrant officers, as warrant officers in the United States hold a different status.

Notes

  1. ↑ In the British Armed Forces the plural is "regimental sergeant majors" and not "regimental sergeants major" [8] [9] – the earliest usage of "sergeant majors" in The Times was in 1822, and the last of the (very occasional) usages of "sergeants major", except when referring to American NCOs, was in 1938.

Related Research Articles

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<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.

Chief Warrant officer is a senior warrant officer rank, used in many countries.

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

"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".

Regimental quartermaster sergeant (RQMS) is a military rank in some militaries, and an appointment in others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Company sergeant major</span> Commonwealth military rank

The company sergeant major (CSM) is the senior non-commissioned soldier of a company in the armies of many Commonwealth countries, responsible for administration, standards and discipline. In combat, their prime responsibility is the supply of ammunition to the company. They also oversee the distribution of other supplies, such as water or food, although that responsibility is mainly that of the company quartermaster sergeant (CQMS), and evacuating the wounded and collecting prisoners of war.

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.

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Quartermaster sergeant (QMS) is a class of rank or appointment in some armed forces, especially those of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and formerly also in the United States.

<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>

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.

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References

  1. ↑ "Australian Army Other Ranks". Australian Army. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  2. ↑ Ayodeji (25 January 2022). "COAS COMMISSIONS OFFICIAL RESIDENCE OF 1 DIVISION RSM". Nigerian Army | Official Website. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  3. ↑ "Chief of Army Staff donates vehicles to sergeant majors". The Guardian. Nigeria. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  4. ↑ Koh B. P., Lee G. B., Shoulder to shoulder: our national service journal, Ministry of Defence (Singapore), 2002, 32. ISBN   981-04-6931-4
  5. ↑ "No. 42131". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 August 1960. p. 5960.
  6. ↑ "No. 46054". The London Gazette . 17 August 1973. p. 9905.
  7. ↑ "No. 48555". The London Gazette . 17 March 1981. p. 3791.
  8. ↑ "No. 48587". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 April 1981. p. 5671.
  9. ↑ "No. 25044". The London Gazette . 2 December 1881. p. 6467.
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