Sergeant major

A sergeant major is a senior non-commisioned officer or warrant officer, depending on the country and military service in question.

In the United States military, the term can be difficult to understand, because it refers to both a military rank and to a specific administrative position. In the Marine Corp and the Army, sergeant major is a rank associated with the pay grade of E-9. However, it also refers to the senior NCO of a headquarters unit regardless of whether the soldier filling this position carries the rank of sergeant major. In practice, the position almost always implies the rank, but the converse is not true.

In the military of the United Kingdom it refers to the senior warrant officer in a company or battalion. There is no rank with this name; it refers only to a position.