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==Commonwealth of Nations forces== Sergeant major is now generally an appointment rather than a rank. The appointment is normally held by the senior [[warrant officer]] of an army or marine unit. These appointments are made at several levels: for example, the senior warrant officer of a [[company (military unit)|company]], [[battery (military unit)|battery]] or [[squadron (army)|squadron]], or the senior warrant officer of a [[battalion]] or [[regiment]]. A sergeant major of a regiment or battalion is known as a [[regimental sergeant major]], rather than a "regiment sergeant major" or "battalion sergeant major". The sergeant major of a unit is responsible to the [[commanding officer]] for advising them on matters relating to non-commissioned members of that unit. Sergeant majors are normally addressed as "sir" or "ma'am" by subordinates, and as "sergeant major", by their full title (or its abbreviation), or as "Mr" or "Ms" [surname], by superiors. In the British Armed Forces, the plural is ''sergeant majors'' and not ''sergeants major'' as it is in the United States.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=48587 |date=16 April 1981 |page=5671 |supp=y}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=25044 |date=2 December 1881 |page=6467 }}</ref><ref>The earliest usage of "sergeant majors" in ''[[The Times]]'' is in 1822. The last of the (very occasional) usages of "sergeants major", except when referring to American NCOs, is in 1938.</ref> ===Australia=== The most senior warrant officer in the [[Australian Army]] holds the unique rank of warrant officer (introduced in 1991 and senior to WO1) and the appointment of Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army (RSM-A). The RSM-A is responsible to the Chief of Army, but responsive to all ranks across the Army. The RSM-A is a member of the personal staff of the Chief of Army. The post of RSM-A has existed since January 1983 and was held by a WO1 until 1991. The RSM-A is the equivalent of the [[Royal Australian Navy]]'s Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N) and the [[Royal Australian Air Force]]'s Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF).<ref name="Australia">{{cite web|url=https://www.army.gov.au/our-people/australian-army-rank-structure/other-ranks|title=Australian Army Other Ranks|website=Australian Army|access-date=20 June 2019}}</ref> The RSM-A's primary role is to represent to the Chief of Army and others, the solicited and unsolicited views, concerns and opinions of soldiers in the army, but also carry the Chief of Army's message down and across the ranks.<ref name="Australia"/> ===Canada=== ====Canadian Armed Forces==== The appointment of sergeant major is given to the senior non-commissioned member within sub-units, units and some formations of the Canadian Army. The regimental sergeant-major is the senior sergeant major in a unit, such as armoured, artillery, engineer, and signal regiments, and infantry and service battalions. This appointment is normally held by a [[chief warrant officer]]. Within sub-units (such as squadrons, companies and artillery batteries) the sub-unit sergeant-major generally holds the rank of master warrant officer and is known as a squadron, company or, battery sergeant major. They are addressed as "Sergeant-Major" (i.e. "SSM", "CSM", "BSM", etc.), "Mr", or "Ms" by officers and "Sir" or "Ma'am" by subordinates with the same conventions used for regimental sergeant majors. In some unusual cases, a [[Chief Petty Officer 1st Class|chief petty officer 1st class]] or [[Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class|chief petty officer 2nd class]] in the [[Royal Canadian Navy]] may succeed to a sergeant major's position, especially in units with a large number of "[[purple trades]]", such as [[service battalion]]s. The forms of address generally remain the same, except that chief petty officers 1st and 2nd class are never addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am", but as "Chief". Sergeant majors do not form part of the formation, unit, or sub-unit chain of command, as their role is to advise their commander on matters pertaining to the organization's non-commissioned members. ====Royal Canadian Mounted Police==== Sergeant major is a rank in the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]]. While technically it is the sixth level of rank, below [[Corps Sergeant Major|corps sergeant major]] and above [[Staff Sergeant Major|staff sergeant major]], it, along with the other two, is a specialized rank and not part of the normal progression, which proceeds from staff sergeant to inspector. ===Singapore=== A sergeant major appointment exists in each military unit from company to division/formation. Their main job is to assist the commander in the discipline and welfare of the enlisted men. Their authority and responsibility at parades and ceremonies extends over even [[officer (armed forces)|commissioned officer]]s while on the parade square. In the [[Singapore Armed Forces]], two kinds of sergeant major exist, a regimental sergeant major and a company sergeant major. A regimental sergeant major may be placed in charge of a battalion, brigade, division or service level. A regimental sergeant major could also be appointed as RSM for a vocation, i.e. [[infantry]] vocation/formation sergeant major. This appointment is usually held by a senior warrant officer or a master warrant officer, although at times a 1st warrant officer may be appointed. A company sergeant major may be a 1WO, 2WO and 3WO. Sometimes, a [[master sergeant]] or a staff sergeant may be appointed. Military Experts of rank ME 3 could also be sergeant majors, in-charge of logistical units or naval units. This practice is also mirrored in the [[National Cadet Corps (Singapore)|National Cadet Corps]] with the master sergeant or staff sergeant being appointed as unit sergeant major. In schools with more than one NCC unit, i.e. having a land as well as a sea unit, an RSM might be appointed from either unit. ===Sri Lanka=== The rank or appointment of sergeant major exists in the [[Sri Lanka Army]] and [[Sri Lanka Police Service]]. In the army, a warrant officer 2nd class is known as a sergeant major; while a warrant officer 1st class is a regimental sergeant major. In the police, the most senior non-gazetted officer rank is police sergeant major. ===South Africa=== [[File:PRE 1994 SOUTH AFRICAN WO1 BADGE.jpg|thumb|right|120px|Warrant officer class 1 rank badge 1951β2002]] [[File:PRE 1994 SOUTH AFRICAN WO2 BADGE.jpg|thumb|right|120px|Warrant officer class 2 rank badge 1951β2002]] As described above, sergeant-major is not a [[South African military ranks|rank]], but an appointment held by a warrant officer class 1 or warrant officer class 2. Regardless of the appointment, the warrant officer is addressed as "sergeant-major" (''sersant-majoor'' in [[Afrikaans]]). The rank was established in the [[Union Defence Force (South Africa)|Union Defence Forces]] in 1913, in a single class. The rank badge was a crown, senior appointments being indicated by a wreath around the badge.<ref name=mil>Radburn, A. (1990) 'South African Military Ranks and Insignia' in ''Militaria'' Vol 20 No 2</ref> The rank was divided into two classes in 1921. The national coat of arms was assigned as the badge of the 1st class, and the crown was assigned to the 2nd class. In both classes, senior appointments were indicated by a wreath around the badge.<ref name=mil /> From 1957 to 2002, all warrant officers 1st class wore the wreathed coat of arms, and the warrant officer 2nd class wore the plain coat of arms.<ref name=mil /> Since 2002, all warrant officers have worn the new national coat of arms, the classes and appointments being indicated by the shape of the surrounding frame, and the addition of stars and crossed swords above the arms. Up until 1 June 2008, the highest appointment (level 1), that was held by a warrant officer class 1 was the Sergeant-Major of the [[South African National Defence Force]]. Other senior warrant officer appointments up until 1 June 2008 were: * Level 2: Sergeant-Major of the [[South African Army|Army]] * Level 3: Formation sergeant-major * Level 4: Group or base sergeant-major or regimental sergeant-major<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mil.za/aboutus/uniform/rankinsignia.htm|title=home|website=www.army.mil.za|access-date=12 November 2008|archive-date=20 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020110337/http://www.army.mil.za/aboutus/uniform/rankinsignia.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[South African Air Force]] had a similar structure for its warrant officers who are also addressed as "sergeant-major".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.af.mil.za/uniform/rank_ins.html|title=SAAF Rank Insignia|website=www.af.mil.za|access-date=12 November 2008|archive-date=1 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101003057/http://www.af.mil.za/uniform/rank_ins.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Starting 1 June 2008, the warrant ranks (Army/ Navy/ Air Force) are: * Master chief warrant officer (formerly level 1)β''e.g. Master Chief Warrant Officer of the South African National Defence Force'' * Senior chief warrant officer (formerly level 2)β''e.g. Senior Chief Warrant Officer of the South African Army'' * Chief warrant officer (formerly level 3) * Master warrant officer (formerly level 4A) * Senior warrant officer (formerly level 4) * Warrant officer class one * Warrant officer class two A company/squadron/battery sergeant major should ordinarily be a WO2. ===United Kingdom=== {{Infobox military rank | name = Sergeant major | native_name = | image = {{nobreak|[[File:British Army OR-8b.svg|50px]] [[File:British Royal Marines OR-8.svg|50px]]}} | image_size = | alt = | caption = Army and Royal Marine insignia | image2 = | image_size2 = | alt2 = | caption2 = | image3 = | image_size3 = | alt3 = | caption3 = | country = {{flag|United Kingdom}} | service branch = {{ubl|{{army|United Kingdom}}|{{marines|United Kingdom}}}} | abbreviation = | rank group = [[Non-commissioned officer]] | rank = [[Warrant officer (United Kingdom)|Warrant officer]] | NATO rank = OR-8 | Non-NATO rank = | pay grade = Range 4 | formation = {{circa|1680}} | abolished = | higher rank = | lower rank = | equivalents = | history = }} In the [[British Army]] and [[Royal Marines]], company/battery/squadron sergeant major is an appointment for a [[Warrant Officer Class 2|WO2]] and regimental sergeant major is a [[Warrant Officer Class 1|WO1]] appointment. Due to differences in nomenclature between Regiments and Corps, sergeant majors' titles do vary; squadron sergeant major and battery sergeant major for instance would be found in the [[Royal Armoured Corps|cavalry]] and [[Royal Artillery]] respectively, and in the [[Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers]], there are the appointments of artificer sergeant major. [[Sergeant Major Instructor|Sergeant major instructor]] is an appointment held by warrant officers class 1 in the Small Arms School Corps and the Army Physical Training Corps and by some WO1s in the Royal Engineers. It is also an appointment held by some of the civilian adult instructors in the [[Army Cadet Force]]. A machinist sergeant-major (MSM) is a specialist most often found in the [[Royal Engineers|Corps of Royal Engineers]] or the [[Royal Army Service Corps]], and was the title of one of the major characters in the book and the film based on it, ''[[Ice Cold in Alex]]''. For the use of "sergeant major" as a form of address, see the articles on [[Regimental sergeant major|regimental]] and [[company sergeant major]]s, and that on [[staff sergeant]]s. The posts of regimental and squadron corporal major are the [[Household Cavalry]]'s equivalent of sergeant majors, as the Household Cavalry traditionally does not have ranks named sergeant. [[The Rifles]] use the spelling serjeant major, in common with the spelling used for serjeant and colour serjeant. A new post of [[Army Sergeant Major]] was created in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.janes.com/article/48536/cgs-outlines-new-british-army-senior-posts-amid-culling-of-generals |title=CGS outlines new British Army senior posts amid culling of generals - IHS Jane's 360 |website=www.janes.com |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203214948/http://www.janes.com/article/48536/cgs-outlines-new-british-army-senior-posts-amid-culling-of-generals |archive-date=3 February 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ====History==== The first British use of the term was around 1680 and was applied to the senior sergeant in the colonel's company of an infantry regiment,<ref>[http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mike.comerford/ORDNANCE/48.htm Ordnance Insignia of the British Army: Non-Commissioned Ranks & Appointments] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101010091746/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mike.comerford/ORDNANCE/48.htm |date=10 October 2010 }}</ref> but it wasn't formalised until 1797, when the sergeant major was added to the battalion or regimental [[General staff|staff]]. When [[Chevron (insignia)|chevrons]] were introduced as badges of rank, he wore four, later under a crown. In 1813, cavalry regiments introduced the [[Troop Sergeant Major|troop sergeant major]] to replace the [[quartermaster]] as the senior NCO of a troop; this required the existing position to be explicitly redesignated the regimental sergeant major. Later, the rise of the [[Squadron (army)|squadron]] as the principal sub-regimental unit saw the corresponding introduction of the [[Squadron Sergeant Major|squadron sergeant major]]. The infantry, however, hung on to the undifferentiated, one-per-battalion sergeant major until the eve of the First World War, when the introduction of the company sergeant major forced them to adopt the RSM title as well. (As an infantry regiment could be, and usually was, made up of a number of battalions, one would logically expect the new title to be ''battalion sergeant major'' rather than ''regimental sergeant major''. Perhaps the infantry felt this would imply a lower status than their cavalry equivalents.) In 1881, the cavalry RSM and infantry sergeant major were among a number of senior non-commissioned positions that were confirmed with [[warrant (law)|warrant]]s, making them [[warrant officer]]s. This was extended and rationalised in 1915, with the introduction of the new ranks of warrant officer class I (WOI) and warrant officer class II (WOII). RSM became an appointment of the former, CSM and SSM of the latter. The Royal Marines continued to use a single rank of sergeant major, equating to warrant officer class I, until after the Second World War, when they adopted the Army system. The [[Royal Flying Corps]] and its successor the [[Royal Air Force]] used the ranks of sergeant-major 1st and 2nd class instead of warrant officer class I and II until the 1930s, when the RAF adopted the Army-style ranks. The RAF has not used sergeant major as either a rank or an appointment since that time.
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