Staff Sergeant (SSgt) is E-6 rank in the U.S. Marine Corps, just above
Sergeant and below
Gunnery Sergeant. A Marine staff sergeant is a staff non-commissioned officer rank. This grade is normally achieved after 10 to 12 years in service. The NATO code is OR-6. In the combat arms units, a staff sergeant usually is billeted as a platoon sergeant for 30+ Marines. He may also be tasked as a company gunnery sergeant, or a platoon commander if required. He is the senior tactical advisor to a platoon commander by virtue of time in service, previous deployments, and experience and is responsible for the proficiency training and administrative issue of his Marines. He is always to referred by his complete rank (i.e. "Staff Sergeant Jones" or simply "Staff Sergeant," with the abbreviation "SSgt"). It is also a faux pas to address an American Marine by his pay grade such as "E-6".
The rank of Staff Sergeant in the USMC was created in 1923 to coincide with the U.S. Army's ranks.[2] Until the end of WW2, the insignia of Platoon Sergeant was three chevrons and a rocker, with Staff Sergeant having a horizontal stripe instead of a rocker below the chevrons. After the separate rank of Platoon Sergeant was eliminated, the Staff Sergeant rank switched over to the rocker insignia and staff sergeants held the platoon sergeant's billet.
