Sergeant (Imperial Guard)

Intoduction

The Imperial Guard has many ranks that bear the title of Sergeant, the highest being Sergeant Major and the lowest being Sergeant (although Corporals and Guardsmen given the authority that would normally be held by the rank are often referred to as "Lance Sergeant", or "Buck Sergeant"). A promotion to Sergeant carries with it a significant leap in responsibility, and is a rank much respected by all guardsmen and many officers alike. At the lowest level, a Sergeant commands a Squad of 10 Imperial Guardsmen, and as the Sergeant's performance is observed and evaluated, he will take on more responsibilities as a liason to his Commander, an Enlisted Advisor in Tactica Control, Tank Sergeant, or a Master of Ordinance (aslo called a Master Gunnery Sergeant). Sergeants are usually issued a laspistol and chainsword, but many regiments forego or even disapprove of the conventional weapons and as such Sergeants tend to find much more unique weapons with their less-restricted access to the regiment's armory.

Rank Insignia

The Sergeant rank insignia is indicated Imperium-wide as three chevrons, with little to no variation. In Most cases this is sewn or pinned on the uniform, however, in more brutal environments (such as Catachan, where most of the issued gear that would reflect rank has been sold for alcohol or cigars) it is more common to see the rank tattooed or even branded onto the individual's arm. On service and dress unifoms, senior Sergeants have varied ways of discerning one from another. Sergeant Majors will usually have a star underneath their cheverons, whereas a Sergeant assigned to Tactica Control will have a skull and wreaths in the same location. A Master of Ordinance will have his own unique insignia as well (a bursting bomb), but tends not to wear it on the surface of planets- this is because the Master of Ordinance is the primary, if not the only line of communication with the Imperial Navy and exposing his rank makes him a priority target for snipers; the same philosophy is also applied to many high ranking officers, and is also why all Sergeants, even senior ones, are not referred to by their full rank in the field and simply called 'Sergeant'.

Tiers of Sergeants The Tactica Imperium only dictates the ranks of Sergeant and Veteran Sergeant (following the practices of the Adeptus Astares), but as the need for experience and advisement occurs on higher and higher scales, Governor-Militants have universally adopted the practice of expanding the Sergeant rank into multiple ranks in order to discern one from another: *Sergeant- In charge of a Squad of Guardsmen at the lowest level Notable Sergeants
 * Staff Sergeant- Senior Sergeant in a Platoon. Can be assigned to the Platoon's Command Squad or to an Infantry                             Squad. Also called "Platoon Sergeant".
 * Gunnery Sergeant- Above platoon level, most Gunnery Sergeants find themselves in charge of munitions and weapons for the Company, and are usually assigned positions in Company Command elements, in charge of squad deemed critical by the Company Commander, or as the senior enlisted in heavy support detachments.
 * Master Sergeant- Master Sergeants tend to forego the opportunity to become liasons and advisors to their commanders and instead focus on one specific duty, such as logistics and supplies to the frontline, commanding a Leman Russ or Chimera-Pattern vehicle, or being in charge of communications at the Company level.
 * First Sergeant- Unlike a Master Sergeant, First Sergeants become liasons and advisors to their Company Commander, and use their battlefield experience to reccomend tactics and strategies to their Commander.
 * Master Gunnery Sergeant (Master of Ordinance)- A Master Gunnery Sergeant is usually assigned to oversee all logistics, transport, and supply operations of a Regiment or higher. In combat, they are usually assigned to command Leman Russ-Pattern Tanks, or even on the rare occasion a Baneblade. Senior Master Gunnery Sergeants will undergo Imperial Naval training as a Communications Officer, and using their knowlege of communications will be assigned to a Command Squad at the Regimental Level or higher as Master of Ordinance.
 * Sergeant Major- Following the path of a First Sergeant, the Sergeant Major is the senior enlisted advisor and liason to a Regimental Commander or higher, and is the senior enlisted man for his entire regiment. When more than one regiment is involved in a campaign, the seinor officer, usually a Governor-Militant, will appoint one of the available Sergeants Major to the title of Command Sergeant Major, indicating him as the most senior of the Sergeants Major for the duration of the campaign. There have been rumors of appointing one sole Sergeant Major to a new rank called "Sergeant Major of the Imperial Guard" to act as the Lord and Commander of the Imperial Guard's personal Liason and Advisor, But the selection list would be astronomically long and to this date no rank like this exists.

Some Notable Sergeants include :
 * Sergeant Major Jarran Kell, 8th Cadian Colour Sergeant
 * Gunnery Sergeant "Stonetooth" Harker, Catachan Devils
 * Staff Sergeant Lukas Bastonne, Cadia
 * Sergeant Major Merrick, Command Sergeant Major of Imperial Guardsmen during the Subsector Aurelia  Exterminatus