Staff Sergeant (E-6)

The grade of rank closely parallels that of the
sergeant in duties and responsibilities. In fact, the
basic duties and responsibility of all the NCO ranks
never change, but there are differences, significant
differences, between this step in the NCO structure
and the preceding one.

If NCOs are “The Backbone” of the Army, then staff sergeants
are the elements of which backbones are made. The complexities
of the job of the staff sergeant increases as the responsibilities
broaden. The staff sergeant’s professional competence is measured
by how well the staff sergeant develops, maintains and uses the
full range of human potential of his soldiers. The staff sergeant’s
success, more than any other grade of the NCO rank, leads the path
to the Army’s success, and the footprints you will see behind those
of our greatest military leaders are probably those of a staff sergeant,
where he stood confident, proud and eager to assist.