A rank in the United States Marine Corps.
Sergeant (E5) is a senior noncommissioned officer rank above Corporal (E4) and below the staff noncommissioned officer rank of Staff Sergeant (E6). A Sergeant's rank insignia is three chevrons with crossed rifles underneath. After E5 every enlisted rank is some form of Sergeant (Master Sergeant, Sergeant Major, etc...) and the associated insignia never has more than three chevrons, instead adding rockers. Sergeant is never to be shortened to Sarge.
Duties:
In the infantry Sergeants are generally squad leaders, commanding three four man fire teams. In more technical fields Sergeants are squad or section leaders expected to have strong skills in their specialty. Sergeants are charged with training, enforcing discipline, and caring for the wellbeing of their Marines. Sergeants are also eligible to hold the "B" Billets of drill instructor and recruiter (there are many other "B" billets but most are also open to Corporals).
A Sergeant may hold formations, inspections, lead physical training, and perform many other platoon level duties.
Becoming a Sergeant:
Corporals compete with other Marines in their MOS for promotion to Sergeant.
Competition for promotion is generally fierce. Every Corporal will have a cutting score after one year time in grade. The cutting score is calculated based on physical fitness, rifle qualification score, proficiency and conduct marks, time in grade and service, and education completed in grade with bonus points awarded for recruiting referrals that enlist and service in special duty areas (drill school, recruiting, Marine security guard).
Every month (or quarter for the reserves) the respective monitors for each MOS evaluate how many Sergeants remain in the MOS (have not been discharged, lateral moved, etc...) and how many the MOS rates. The monitor then looks at the cutting scores of the eligible Marines and determines where he will have to set the official score (score to beat) to promote the sufficient number. If the MOS already has the appropriate number of Sergeants no score will be issued and the MOS will be closed for the period (no promotions). This is an inexact science due to a number of factors:
1: Does not take into account Marines with a sufficient score that have been "not recommended" (non-recced) for promotion by their command.
2: Does not take into account meritorious promotions
3: Does not take into account Marines that may be leaving active duty before the end of the promotion period.
An example: Gunnery Sergeant Smith is the monitor for the 0311 MOS, Marine Corps Rifleman. He determines that he will need 325 Marines promoted this month to meet billet vacancies. He sets the cutting score at 1675, a number that exactly 325 Corporals can beat. In a perfect world, this would mean that each and every one of the Corporals with a score higher than 1675 would be promoted, however 15 are non-recced for promotion for lack of leadership, 10 for being placed on the body composition program (overweight), and 20 are getting out of the Corps. This leaves the MOS 45 Sergeants short. Conversely, if none of the Marines were non-recced and 15 Marines with lower scores were meritoriously promoted before the end of the promotion period the MOS would have a 15 Sergeant surplus.
Sergeant is the last rank that this system is used for. For Staff Noncommissioned Officer promotions Marines are selected by a board of Officers and Senior enlisted on an individual basis.
Promotion to Sergeant in four years or less (the initial enlistment) is considered the hallmark of a squared-away Marine but failure to do so should not be held against an individual due to a the possibility of a closed or slow promoting MOS.
Education:
Sergeants are expected to complete the Marine Corps Institute's Sergeants Distance Education Program regardless of MOS. The program consists of seven courses:
1: Basic Grammar
2: Leadership
3: Military Studies
4: Introduction to Warfighting
5: Warfighting Tactics
6: Warfighting Techniques
7: Weapons
These courses cover material that every Sergeant needs to be an effective NCO.
Sergeants are also encouraged to attend a resident Sergeants course (6 weeks for active duty, 2 for reserves) covering, among other things, drill, formations, conducting inspections, and counseling junior Marines.
Evaluation:
Sergeants are the lowest rank to receive fitness reports (fitreps). A fitrep is an in depth evaluation of a Marine's performance. Their Reporting Senior (the officer in charge) rates them on the following areas:
1: Mission Accomplishment
a: performance
b: proficiency
2: Individual Character
a: courage
b: effectiveness under stress
c: initiative
3: Leadership
a: leading subordinates
b: developing subordinates
c: setting the example
d: ensuring the well being of subordinates
e: communication skills
4: Intellect and Wisdom
a: professional military education
b: decision making ability
c: judgment
Each of these areas is rated on a scale of A-G with A being the lowest and G the highest. The report is then looked over by a Reviewing Officer (usually an officer holding a higher billet than the Reporting Senior) who ensures that the report is not unjustly
biased and offers a comparative assessment ranking the subject against the other Marines of his billet in the unit.
Due to differing standards among Reporting Seniors an individual fitrep is judged against all the other fitreps that the Reporting Senior has written for the rank.
An example:
Captain Black's average fitness report is straight D's. He gives Sergeant Jones straight E's. Captain Black transfers to another unit and Sergeant Jones' new Reporting Senior,
First Lieutenant Clark (who writes C average fitreps), gives him a straight D fitness report. Instead of surmising that Sergeant Jones' performance has suffered because he dropped an entire letter grade on his fitness report, anybody reviewing the Sergeant's record will take into account the Sergeant's score versus the Reporting Seniors average. In both cases the Sergeant outperformed the average Marine being reported on by a full letter grade.