What Is E7 Rank in the Army?

The pay grade E7 indicates the seventh pay grade among enlisted members of the armed forces and in the U.S. Army translates to the rank of sergeant first class (SFC). The SFC is an upper-level noncommissioned officer. This soldier's rank is immediately above the E6 staff sergeant and the E8 master sergeant. Soldiers who hold the rank of SFC have typically completed at least one full enlistment period and have opted to re-enlist.

Benefits

A soldier who holds the E7 pay grade is compensated with base pay plus a uniform allowance, housing allowance and meals allowance. The soldier may choose to live on post and eat at the mess hall in lieu of housing and meals compensation. As of January 1, 2006, the pay rate ranges from $2,289 to $3,085 per month, depending on time in the service.

Time Frame

Promotion to the rank of sergeant first class is the responsibility of Centralized Promotions at Army Personnel Headquarters. Although there is no requirement for a soldier to serve a minimum time as an E6 staff sergeant (SSG), the Army does require the soldier to have served in the military for at least six years.

Considerations

Five members make up the Promotion Board. The board members are charged with reviewing the soldier's annual evaluation report, training and other pertinent items in the soldier's service records to determine promotion to the next pay grade/rank. The soldier's military occupational specialty and the needs of the Army are the driving force behind how many soldiers may be promoted to SFC during any session.

Function

The sergeant first class is typically the senior NCO at the platoon level. This soldier serves as the primary adviser and right hand of the platoon leader, who is usually a first or second lieutenant. The SFC provides experienced input to the platoon leader, who is responsible for making command decisions. The SFC is responsible for communicating the orders and directives of his superior officers to the soldiers in his platoon and for executing those orders to the best of his ability.

Features

2009 was declared the Year of the Non-Commissioned Officer by the Association of the United States Army. According to the Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, NCOs operate "autonomously, and always with confidence and competence." Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey called the non-commissioned officer corps "the glue that's not only holding this force together at a difficult time but enabling us to accomplish the near impossible every day." The E7 sergeant first class is an important part of the NCO corps.

Identification

The rank of sergeant first class in the Army is equivalent to the Air Force master sergeant, the Marine's gunnery sergeant and the Navy's chief petty officer. A sergeant first class is typically addressed as "Sergeant." "Sarge" is considered to be a slight and should not be used to address a non-commissioned officer. Occasionally an SFC will occupy the position of the company first sergeant. In this instance he will be addressed as "First Sergeant."

Resources

• Insignia of Rank