OVERVIEW  History  Roles and Responsibilities  Air Force Core Values

OVERVIEW  OUR STARTING POINT  REVOLUTIONARY WAR  DUTIES  CHANGES,  COL CHARLES A. ROMEYN  1947-PRESENT

OUR STARTING POINT  THE FIRST SERGEANT HAS ALWAYS HELD A HIGHLY VISIBLE AND DISTINCTIVE, ALBEIT NOTORIOUS, POSITION IN THE MILITARY UNIT.

OUR STARTING POINT  Roman Legion Centurions  First mention of soldiers responsible for disciplining troops  Lead soldier for 100 men  Carried unit’s legions on long poles called standards  Final defenders of legion’s standards during battle  Conduit between officers and enlisted

 17 th Century Prussian Army Feldwebel  Overseer of enlisted personnel  Assigned at company level  Knowledgeable of duties  Accountability of people  Continuity of company commander  Authorized to use cane to instill discipline  How are first sergeants viewed today? OUR STARTING POINT

REVOLUTIONARY WAR  General Washington: Battled with unit ineffectiveness / desertion  General Baron Von Stuben of Prussian Army  Tactics in training and drill  Required high degree of discipline  Task given to first sergeant  Company first sergeant  “Blue Book of Regulation”

REVOLUTIONARY WAR  “Blue Book of Regulations”  Duties / responsibilities of company members  Key personnel  Names, height, jobs, addresses of personnel

DUTIES  Original First Sergeant Duties  Maintain duty roster  Take daily orders  Complete morning roster  Be acquainted with all personnel  Be available  Maintain company’s descriptive books

CHANGES OF  Wore red sash around the waist  New pay scale – $15.00/month  Sgt. Majors, Quartermaster Sergeants, & Chief Musicians received $16/month  1847– authorized chevrons on jacket and wear of the lozenge (diamond) on the insignia

COL CHARLES A. ROMEYN  Requirements of the “Best First Sergeant”  Sobriety  Loyalty  Always on the job!  Knowledge of paperwork  Physically active  Sympathetic & tactful  Marksman & horsemanship

CHANGES FROM 1947 TO PRESENT  1947– formal position and AFSC (731X0) vs. rank  E-6 and above could hold position  1960 – AFSC changed to / opened to all AFSC’s  1971– only E-7’s, FSA optional  1985– mandatory completion of FSA  Graduates prior to 03A can stay indefinitely  2002– officially became a special duty

Roles and Responsibilities Expeditionary Leader Advisor to the Commander Sets the example

Roles and Responsibilities Your position as the unit First Sergeant will give you an extreme amount of authority and you must be careful how you use it.

Air Force Core Values Integrity First – Willingness – Courage – Honesty – Responsibility – Accountability – Justice – Openness – Self-respect – Humility

Air Force Core Values Service Before Self – Rule following – Respect for others – Discipline and self control – Faith in the system

Air Force Core Values Excellence in All We Do – Product/service excellence – Personal excellence – Community excellence – Resource excellence – Operational excellence

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader“ John Quincy Adams

Summary History Roles and Responsibilities Air Force Core Values