Uniform Insignia Forum

I'm interested to know the position or status of NCO's is in diffrent countries. I just recently finished reading The Red Commanders by Roger Reese and in my disscusion with the author later I asked him about the Soviet NCO Corps. His response was that for the most part NCO's in the soviet Army were many times little more than channels for officers to past down orders and were given little responsibility. This is similar to the position of NCO's in the old Iraqi Army, from what my research shows, that NCO's are little more than the senior privates. The standard that I'm comparing this to is the US/UK/German (and other countries as well I'm just using those three as examples) status of NCO's as very powerful and infuental parts of the chain of command.

Now I hope that in my comments I haven't offended anyone, if my research is wrong please let me know. The resources I have here are rather limited so please chime in if you have an opinuon.

Blake

Well, in the Greek Army, NCOs are the key to establishing a close bond & a higher level of personal interaction between a soldier and the chain of command. The status of NCOs is very powerful. Throughout our history, in many cases the spirit of improvisation, the ingenuity and spontaneity shown by NCOs in dangerous situations, saved the day. It was common, in the Balkan Wars or even in WWII, Senior commanders allowed for ingenuity and spontaneity in subordinates (this spirit is still alive). Improvisation was often the order of the day, and freedom of action the byword. In many cases, Warrant Officers or even Sgts were named Company commanders & lance-corporals platoon commanders (in very rare occassions where senior commanders were lost or injured during a vital battle). NCO leadership is essential in our Army

it's offthetopic question, about 'chevrons' of NCOs in most countries.
how to differ/ recognize those insignia-s as 'Chevron-s' from 'inverted Chevron-s'.
which direction of arrow-tip 'Chevron-s' is; upside or downside?
thanks.

Well, "chevron" is a heraldic element and in heraldry it signifies strenght - chevron represents two beams of the roof of the house (the point where the beams meet is the strongest point of the roof construction).

Thus, in its original heraldical sense:
- chevron is in the shape of the inverted V (as for US Army sergeant)
- inverted chevron in in the shape of the V (as in British army sergeant)

so: ʌ is chevron, v is inverted-chevron.
Terima kasih. / thanks. :)

Dear voltrex has a point by saying what is happening in Greece.
Βy 1880 Up untill 1935 sgnts and WOs could enter the military school of underofficers (ΣΣΥ Στρατιωτική Σχολή Υπαξιωματικών) for three years and start a full officers life reaching up to the rank of Generals. Some Generals of that school: Ventiris Kon/nos CoStaff--Spiliotopoulos Panagiotis CoSt---Kosmas Georgios CoStaff---Yiatzis Dimitrios CoStaff ...........and so on.
Now they can give exams to enter the officers military school ΣΣΕ

In my book I differentiated chevrons as "point up" or "point down". In Heraldry, incidentally, chevrons (point up) denoted a bastard - or one born "on the wrong side of the sheets".