What does the 'staff' mean in the rank staff sergeant?

Question

I have been in the Army eight years, and know one seems to know.

Answer 1

I've never seen an explanation either. We have read explanations of the role of that rank.

I think that in this context, staff is just part of a name.

Answer 2

The major difference between the staff Sergeant and the Sergeant is not, as often mistakenly believed, authority, but rather sphere of influence. The staff Sergeant is in daily contact with large numbers of soldiers and generally has more equipment and other property to maintain.

The staff Sergeant will often have one or more Sergeants who work under his direct leadership. The staff Sergeant is responsible for their continued successful development as well as that of other soldiers in the section, squad or team.

Answer 3

E-6 or Staff Sergeant is the start of Army Staff NCOs .It's the 1st Senior NCO for various support functions at company and sometimes battalion levels, compared to E-5 Sergeant or E-4 Corporal, which are Jr. NCOs.

Answer 4

Good ? Best Guess would be once you have reached the rank you are in a higher postion of responsiblity and are able to work in a staff position. Or it has come out of the long history of the Army

Answer 5

back in the day the staff sergeant would hold the staff or lance or guidon, whatever, and the rest of the soldiers would line up on them in formation. now it's a squad leader who the squad lines up on.

do all the paperwork? report to a CSM?? LOL

Answer 6

He is a staff level Non comissioned officer, and would be like an office manager, and in charge of a "staff"

Answer 7

You usually do a lot of the paperwork for your unit, think an administrator. You report leaves to the first Seargent if someone is gone and you're usually in charge of the day to day paperwork, and report to the Command Seargent or Command Seargent Major.

Answer 8

He's the dude that gives you the "staff " when you screw up ! LOL