Non-commissioned officer: history of rank

The army is a special world with its own laws and customs, strict hierarchy and a clear division of responsibilities. And the junior officers always, beginning with the ancient Roman legions, was the main link between ordinary soldiers and the highest commander's staff. Today we will talk about non-commissioned officers. Who were they and what functions did they perform in the army?

History of the Term

We'll figure out who this non-commissioned officer is. The system of military ranks began to take shape in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century with the appearance of the first regular army. Over time, only minor changes occurred in it - and for more than two hundred years it remained virtually unchanged. After the revolution of 1917 , a great change took place in the Russian system of military ranks, but now most of the old ranks are still used in the army.

Initially, there was no strict division into ranks among the lower ranks. In the archer's army, the role of junior commanders was performed by military officers. Then, with the advent of the regular army, a new category of lower army ranks - non-commissioned officers - appeared. The word is of German origin. And this is not accidental, since much at that time was borrowed from foreign states, especially during the reign of Peter the Great. He created the first Russian army on a regular basis. In translation from German, unter means "inferior".

Since the XVIII century in the Russian army, the first degree of military ranks was divided into two groups: rank and file non-commissioned officers. It should be remembered that in the artillery and Cossack armies the lower military ranks were called fireworks and sergeants, respectively.

Methods of obtaining the title

So, the non-commissioned officer is the lowest level of military ranks. There were two ways to obtain this rank. The nobles entered the military service in the lowest ranks at once, outside of vacancies. Then they moved forward and received their first officer's rank. In the 18th century, this circumstance led to a huge overabundance of non-commissioned officers, especially in the Guards, where the majority preferred to serve.

All the others had to serve for four years before getting the rank of sub-lieutenant or sergeant-major. In addition, officers could be awarded for special military merits.

What ranks belonged to non-commissioned officers

In the past 200 years, changes have taken place in this lower level of military ranks. At various times, the following titles were assigned to non-commissioned officers:

1. The sub-lieutenant and the ensign-ensign are the highest noncommissioned officers.
2. Feldwebel (in the cavalry he wore the rank of sergeant) - non-commissioned officer, who occupied the middle position in the ranks between the corporal and the sub-lieutenant. He served as assistant to the company commander for economic affairs and internal order.
3. The senior non-commissioned officer is an assistant to the platoon commander, the direct commander of the soldiers. He had a relative freedom and independence in training and training the rank and file. I watched the order in the unit, assigned the soldiers to the outfit and to work.
4. The junior non-commissioned officer is the direct superior to the rank and file. It was from him that the upbringing and training of soldiers began, he helped his wards in military training and led them into battle. In the XVII century in the Russian army, instead of a junior non-commissioned officer, there was the rank of corporal. He belonged to the lower military rank. Corporal in the modern army of Russia is a junior sergeant. In the American army there is still a rank of junior corporal.

Non-commissioned officer of the tsarist army

In the period after the Russo-Japanese and the First World War, the formation of the non-commissioned officers of the tsarist army was given special significance. For an instantly increased strength, the army lacked officers, and military schools did not cope with this task. A short period of compulsory service did not allow the training of a professional military officer. The military ministry tried with all its might to retain non-commissioned officers in the army, on which high hopes were placed for the education and training of the rank and file. They gradually began to be allocated to a special layer of professionals. It was decided to leave up to a third of the lower military ranks in the service.

Superspeakers began to increase the monetary content, they received one-time benefits. Non-commissioned officers who served beyond the 15-year term, upon retirement, were entitled to a pension.

In the tsarist army, non-commissioned officers played a huge role in the training and training of the rank and file. They were responsible for the order in the units, assigned soldiers to dresses, had the right to dismiss the soldier from the unit, and did evening checking.

Abolition of the lower military ranks

After the revolution of 1917, all military officials were abolished. Once again military ranks were introduced already in 1935. The sergeant-major, senior and junior non-commissioned officers were replaced by junior and senior sergeants, the sub-ensign corresponded to the sergeant-major, and the ensign-ensign-to the modern ensign. Many famous personalities of the XX century began their service in the army in the rank of non-commissioned officer: GK Zhukov, KK Rokossovsky, VK Blyukher, G. Kulik, poet Nikolai Gumilev.