Editing Staff sergeant (section)

===United States===
{{more citations needed|section|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox military rank
| name           = Staff sergeant
| image          = {{nobreak|[[File:Army-USA-OR-06 (Army greens).svg|70px]] [[File:USMC-E6.svg|70px]] [[File:E5 USAF SSGT.svg|70px]]}}
| image_size     = 
| alt            =
| caption        = Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force
| image_size2    = 
| alt2           =
| caption2       = 
| image3         = 
| image_size3    = 
| alt3           =
| caption3       = 
| country        = {{Flag|United States}}
| service branch = {{army|United States}}<br />{{marines|United States}}<br />{{air force|United States}}
| abbreviation   = SSG {{small|(USA)}}<br />SSgt {{small|(USMC and USAF)}}
| rank group     = [[Non-commissioned officer]]
| rank           = 
| NATO rank      = OR-6 {{small|(USA & USMC)}}<br />OR-5 {{small|(USAF)}}
| pay grade      = [[Uniformed services pay grades of the United States|E-6]] {{small|(USA & USMC)}}<br />E-5 {{small|(USAF)}}
| formation      = 1920
| abolished      = 
| higher rank    = [[Sergeant first class#United States|Sergeant first class]] {{small|(USA)}}<br />[[Gunnery sergeant]] {{small|(USMC)}}<br />[[Technical sergeant#United States|Technical sergeant]] {{small|(USAF)}}
| lower rank     = [[Sergeant#United States|Sergeant]] {{small|(USA & USMC)}}<br />[[Senior airman]] {{small|(USAF)}}
| equivalents    = '''E-6'''<br />[[Petty officer first class]] {{small|(USN & USCG)}}<br />[[Technical sergeant#United States|Technical sergeant]] {{small|(USSF)}}<br />'''E-5'''<br />[[Petty officer second class]] {{small|(USN & USCG)}}<br />[[Sergeant#United States|Sergeant]] {{small|(USSF)}}
| history        = 
}}

====U.S. Army====
'''Staff sergeant''' ('''SSG''') is the [[Pay grade|E-6]] rank in the [[United States Army]], just above [[sergeant]] and below [[sergeant first class]], and is a [[non-commissioned officer]] (NCO). Unlike the Marine Corps, U.S. Army staff sergeants are not considered senior NCOs (senior NCOs of the Army begin with sergeant first class, equivalent to the Marines' gunnery sergeant). Staff sergeants are generally placed in charge of [[squad]]s, but can also act as [[platoon sergeant]]s in the absence of a sergeant first class. In support units, staff sergeants ordinarily hold headquarters positions because of the number of slots available for them in these units. Staff sergeants are typically assigned as a squad leader or company operations non-commissioned officer in charge at the company level, but may also hold other positions depending on the type of unit. Staff sergeants are referred to as "Sergeant" except in certain training environments and schools. The NATO code is OR-6.

In the early days of World War II ''flying sergeants'' with the rank of staff sergeant<ref>Pierce, Sammy Anson ''Black Sheep Ace: Flying Sergeant Sammy Alpheus Pierce'' Fulton Books, Inc. 6 May 2022</ref><ref>pp.18-20 Saunders, A. W. (Buck)  ''The Price of Glory: A Military Autobiography 1941-1965'' Turner Publishing Company 2001</ref> were qualified enlisted pilots before the rank of [[flight officer]] was introduced in September 1942.

The rank of staff sergeant in the U.S. Army, along with [[technical sergeant]] (renamed sergeant first class in 1948) and [[master sergeant]], was created by Congress after the First World War.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/arms/arms.asp |title=A Short History of the NCO<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=1 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414042727/http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/arms/arms.asp |archive-date=14 April 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1920 the Army combined several company/battery/troop level "staff" NCO ranks, including color sergeant, supply sergeant, radio sergeant, eleven grades of sergeant first class, three grades of sergeant, two grades of master gunner, and assistant band leader into the new rank of staff sergeant. Staff sergeant, as did the ranks it combined/replaced, then ranked above sergeant but below technical sergeant/first sergeant (which, at the time, were both in the same pay grade). At that time, sergeants served as squad or section leaders, [[platoon guide]]s, and assistants to platoon commanders (the position of platoon sergeant, nor a separate rank for the position, did not yet exist), and included several formerly separate ranks such as mess sergeant, company supply sergeant, and stable sergeant, etc. In 1940, staff sergeant became the rank title of rifle platoon sergeants and in 1942 rifle squad leaders became staff sergeants, with platoon sergeants then being promoted to technical sergeants.<ref>Perrenot, P. ''United States Army Grade Insignia Since 1776'' (2009).</ref>

====U.S. Marine Corps====
{{anchor|SSgt}}'''Staff sergeant''' ('''SSgt''') is [[Pay grade|E-6]] rank (NATO code OR-6) in the [[United States Marine Corps]] (USMC), ranking above [[Sergeant (United States)|sergeant]] and below [[gunnery sergeant]]. This grade is normally achieved after 6 years in service.

The rank of staff sergeant in the USMC was created in 1923 to coincide with the U.S. Army's ranks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ww2gyrene.org/rank_structure.htm |title=World War II era Marine Corps enlisted ranks |publisher=Ww2gyrene.org |access-date=1 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013125833/http://www.ww2gyrene.org/rank_structure.htm |archive-date=13 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Until the end of World War II, the insignia of [[platoon sergeant]] was three chevrons and a rocker (worn by "line" NCO grades), with staff sergeant having a horizontal stripe (worn by "staff" NCO grades) instead of a rocker below the chevrons. After the separate rank of platoon sergeant was eliminated, the staff sergeant rank switched over to the rocker insignia and staff sergeants held the platoon sergeant's billet.



{{US enlisted ranks}}