first sergeant

American  

noun

U.S. Army.

1. the senior noncommissioned officer of a company, squadron, etc., responsible for personnel and administration.

---

Etymology

Origin of first sergeant

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

When I asked the first sergeant why he thought that wasn’t a good idea, he shrugged.

From Slate • Jul. 17, 2024

Mr. Andes, Mr. Davis and their first sergeant all left the Army without any official record that their brains may have been injured by mortar blasts.

From New York Times • May 2, 2024

While going through his father’s papers, Mr. Pope found a firsthand account of the Battle of Peleliu in the Pacific, written by a first sergeant in his father’s Marine company.

From Washington Post • Nov. 16, 2020

Driver’s first sergeant told him that he was too injured for the deployment.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 21, 2019

After my first sergeant left the room, I lay back down and pulled the covers back over myself.

From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore