Sergeant First Class

Sergeant First Class (SFC) is the seventh enlisted rank (E-7) in the U.S. Army, ranking above staff sergeant (E-6) and below master sergeant and first sergeant (E-8), and is the first non-commissioned officer rank designated as a senior non-commissioned officer (SNCO).

A sergeant first class is typically assigned as a platoon sergeant at the company level or battalion operations non-commissioned officer in charge at the battalion level, but may also hold other positions depending on the type of unit. In a combat arms role, a sergeant first class is typically in charge of from 18 soldiers and four tanks in an armor platoon to 40 soldiers in a rifle platoon. A sergeant first class' primary responsibilities are tactical logistics, tactical casualty evacuations, and serving as the senior tactical adviser to the platoon leader.

A sergeant first class is addressed as "sergeant" except in certain situations, such as field artillery units, in which a sergeant first class serving as platoon sergeant is commonly referred to as "Smoke". If a sergeant first class is appointed to fill the role of first sergeant, he or she is addressed as "First Sergeant". Typically a sergeant first class assigned on a manning document to fill a first sergeant role while being promotable to master sergeant can be frocked to first sergeant rank and hold the insignia due its position.

The rank of SFC was used in several technical branches such as the Army Medical Department and in the Ordnance, Signal, and Quartermaster Corps and was equivalent to the field service ranks at the company/battery/troop "staff" NCO level, such as color sergeant, supply sergeant, or radio sergeant. The Army restored the rank of SFC in 1948 when it replaced technical sergeant.

In film
This particular rank was featured heavily in The Green Berets and was held by several key members of the Special Forces.

Notable SFC

 * Sergeant Griffin
 * Sergeant Kowalski
 * Sergeant Lark
 * Sergeant McGee