A non-commissioned officer (sometimes spelled noncommissioned officer, abbreviated to NCO or non-com (US)), called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission.[1][2][3] Non-commissioned officers, in the English-speaking world, usually obtain their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks.[4]

The NCO corps usually includes all grades of corporal and sergeant; in some countries, warrant officers also carry out the duties of NCOs. The naval equivalent includes some or all grades of petty officer, although not all navies class their petty officers as NCOs. There are different classes of non-commissioned officer, including junior non-commissioned officers (JNCO) and senior (or staff) non-commissioned officers (SNCO).
Contents

1 Function

2 National usage

2.1 Australia

2.2 Canada

2.3 Finland

2.4 Sweden

2.5 Germany

2.6 New Zealand

2.7 Singapore

2.8 United Kingdom

2.9 United States


3 Related abbreviations

4 See also

5 References

6 External links


Function

The non-commissioned officer corps is often referred to as the backbone of the armed services,[5][6] as they are the primary and most visible leaders for most military personnel. Additionally, they are the leaders primarily responsible for executing a military organization's mission and for training military personnel so they are prepared to execute their missions. NCO training and education typically includes leadership and management as well as service-specific and combat training.

Senior NCOs are considered the primary link between enlisted personnel and the commissioned officers in a military organization. Their advice and guidance is particularly important for junior officers, who begin their careers in a position of authority but generally lack practical experience.
National usage

An experienced NCO corps is a key component of Western armies.
Australia

In the Australian Army, the NCOs perform most of the physical duties and management. Lance corporals and corporals are called junior NCOs, while sergeants, staff sergeants, warrant officers class two and one are classified as senior NCOs. Officers in the Australian Army perform paper work duties whilst in a barracks environment while the NCOs ensure discipline is being maintained. In battle, it is the senior NCOs that ensure the soldiers are doing their job, while the officers are looking at the wider picture.

In the New South Wales Police Force, NCOs perform supervisory and coordination roles. The ranks of probationary constable through to leading senior constable are referred to as "constables". All NCOs within the NSW Police are given a warrant of appointment under the Commissioner's hand and seal.

All officers within the Australian Defence Force Cadets are non-commissioned. ADFC officers are appointed by the Director-General of their respective branch.
Canada

In the Canadian Forces, the Queen's Regulations and Orders formerly defined a non-commissioned officer as A Canadian Forces member holding the rank of Sergeant or Corporal.[7] In the 1990s, the term "non-commissioned member (NCM) was introduced to indicate all ranks in the Canadian Forces from recruit to chief warrant officer.[8]

By definition, with the unification of the CF into one service, the rank of sergeant included the naval rank of petty officer 2nd class, and corporal includes the naval rank of leading seaman; Corporal also includes the appointment of master corporal (naval master seaman).

NCOs are officially divided into two categories: junior non-commissioned officers, consisting of corporals/leading seamen and master corporals/master seamen; and senior non-commissioned members, consisting of sergeants and petty officers 2nd class. In the Royal Canadian Navy, however, the accepted definition of "NCO" reflects the international use of the term (i.e. all grades of petty officer).

Junior Non-commissioned officers mess and billet with privates and seamen; their mess is usually referred to as the junior ranks mess. Conversely, senior non-commissioned officers mess and billet with warrant officers; their mess is normally referred to as the warrant officers and sergeants mess (army and air force establishments) or the chiefs and petty officers mess (naval establishments).

As a group, NCOs rank above privates and below warrant officers. The term "non-commissioned members" includes these ranks.
Finland

In the Finnish Defence Force, NCO's (Aliupseeristo) includes all ranks from corporal (alikersantti, lit. sub-sergeant) to sergeant major (sotilasmestari, lit. soldiermaster). Ranks of lance corporal (korpraali) and leading seaman (ylimatruusi) are considered not to be NCO ranks. This ruling applies to all branches of service and also to the troops of the Border Guard.
Sweden

In 1983 the NCO corps, since 1972 called the Platoon Officer Corps, was disbanded and its members were given commissions as officers in ranks of second or first lieutenant in Sweden's new one-tier military leadership system. In 2009 a similar system as the NCO corps was re-established, called "specialist officers". Direct recruitment from civilian life is followed by basic and preparatory leadership training, and advanced leadership training during 1.5 year as a specialist cadet at the military academy in Halmstad, a warrant as an OR-6, followed by specialist technical training. Swedish specialist officers have relative ranks that matches the commissioned officers; an OR-7 takes precedent over a second lieutenant, for instance.