Posted on Sep 3, 2020
What exactly does an E-8 Master Sergeant in the Army do?
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Hello RallyPoint, hope you are all doing well. Had a bit of a question that I took all over the internet, but haven't gotten much from other sources. We know an E-8 First Sergeant is a company senior enlisted, but what does an E-8 Master Sergeant do? No matter which link or site (Wiki included) that I went to, they didn't reiterate much, just that they were the chief operations NCO at the battalion level. Like what kind of job do they do for a battalion? Or company? What EXACTLY do they do? And how does command decide to billet them over as a First Sergeant? Anyways, hope you guys are all doing well.
MSG Board
Master Sergeant
MSG
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 14
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This probably illustrates the myriad of duties and skills that I used as a Master Sergeant during my last eight years on active duty. Obviously, not every Master Sergeant is going to have the great fortune that I did with these assignments but they give you some idea of the valuable experience the military can provide you in the senior ranks. Duties, Accomplishments, and Related Skills: Non-commissioned Officer in charge of a division consisting of three branches. Interfaced with all divisions in the Intelligence and Security board to ensure the proper budget and personnel management of all test support personnel.
Non-commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) Battalion S-3 Responsible for ensuring all assigned training and live air missions were accomplished as scheduled. Responsible for ensuring national asset tasking/requests for information were processed to support our mission. Developed and implemented a computer-assisted suspense system, which alleviated the missed and not completed actions within the battalion. Assisted in identifying unit mission and requirements as tasked by higher headquarters.
Electronic Warfare/Signals Intelligence (EW/SIGINT) Analyst Operational Independent Evaluator for the All Source Analysis System (ASAS), Very Intelligent Surveillance and Target Acquisition System (VISTA), Integrated Meteorological System (IMETS), Battlefield Deception, Long Range Electro-optic system (LEROS), and Light Infantry Division Certification. Served as the Intelligence Center and Ft. Huachuca Representative for Test and Evaluation on the Source Selection Board for the Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS). Coordinated testing strategy and intelligence requirements with other headquarters (Department of the Army (DA), Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM)), laboratories (EWRSTA, SWC, HDL, and ASL), and other services. Performed in-depth analysis to support the evaluation and reporting of operational testing. Wrote detailed evaluations of IEW systems to support the Army's acquisition process. Participated in a series of conferences between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Intelligence Center and School for the integration of LANDSAT imagery and Air Force Satellite Weather data into a Geographic Information System similar to the Digital Terrain Support System. Developed and briefed General Officer and Senior Executive Service (SES) level In-Progress-Review presenting TRADOC and Military Intelligence (MI) proponent positions. S-3 Plans Non-Commissioned Officer and First Sergeant S-3 Plans NCO for Field Station Sinop Turkey planned and exercised the contingency plans for crisis and wartime utilization of assigned intelligence personnel for Turkey, four Major Commands, US Navy and Air Force, and international environments. EW/SIGINT Analyst Senior Traffic Analyst at Field Station Augsburg on the Department of the Army special project Stubby Pencil/Tracer Round. Responsible for the analysis of several years' worth of raw data on a specific target entity. Required to Isolate and extract key elements; establish an operational database, and graph activity levels. Coordinated with Field Station Berlin, the National Security Agency, and GCHQ (British Intelligence Headquarters).
Non-commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) Battalion S-3 Responsible for ensuring all assigned training and live air missions were accomplished as scheduled. Responsible for ensuring national asset tasking/requests for information were processed to support our mission. Developed and implemented a computer-assisted suspense system, which alleviated the missed and not completed actions within the battalion. Assisted in identifying unit mission and requirements as tasked by higher headquarters.
Electronic Warfare/Signals Intelligence (EW/SIGINT) Analyst Operational Independent Evaluator for the All Source Analysis System (ASAS), Very Intelligent Surveillance and Target Acquisition System (VISTA), Integrated Meteorological System (IMETS), Battlefield Deception, Long Range Electro-optic system (LEROS), and Light Infantry Division Certification. Served as the Intelligence Center and Ft. Huachuca Representative for Test and Evaluation on the Source Selection Board for the Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS). Coordinated testing strategy and intelligence requirements with other headquarters (Department of the Army (DA), Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM)), laboratories (EWRSTA, SWC, HDL, and ASL), and other services. Performed in-depth analysis to support the evaluation and reporting of operational testing. Wrote detailed evaluations of IEW systems to support the Army's acquisition process. Participated in a series of conferences between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Intelligence Center and School for the integration of LANDSAT imagery and Air Force Satellite Weather data into a Geographic Information System similar to the Digital Terrain Support System. Developed and briefed General Officer and Senior Executive Service (SES) level In-Progress-Review presenting TRADOC and Military Intelligence (MI) proponent positions. S-3 Plans Non-Commissioned Officer and First Sergeant S-3 Plans NCO for Field Station Sinop Turkey planned and exercised the contingency plans for crisis and wartime utilization of assigned intelligence personnel for Turkey, four Major Commands, US Navy and Air Force, and international environments. EW/SIGINT Analyst Senior Traffic Analyst at Field Station Augsburg on the Department of the Army special project Stubby Pencil/Tracer Round. Responsible for the analysis of several years' worth of raw data on a specific target entity. Required to Isolate and extract key elements; establish an operational database, and graph activity levels. Coordinated with Field Station Berlin, the National Security Agency, and GCHQ (British Intelligence Headquarters).
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it use to be that Master Sargent's were is Staff positions as i was. usually S-3 Bn, Bde or Div. but sometime before i retired the S-3 Ops Sgt Position had change to a SGM. and Master Sargent is a non leadership position (no green tabs)
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You are in the Dark, but MSG normally run Battalion/Brigade Operations/Intell shops and are assistant NCOIC's at Division level shops.
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Our E-8 Master Sargent in the 82nd 505th Inf was the NCO in charge of supply, but there was a 2nd LT in charge of the supply that was learning the ropes from the E-8. Also there was a E-8 in charge of the motor pool for the 505th., but a WO was over all of the motor pool.
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SGT Carl Blas
Jake Lang - No, not when I was with the 82nd, in the 505th inf, every solder attached to the 505th , primary was infantry. And that was always stated all the time, the other MOS's in the unit, cook, motorpool, supply, clerk personel were infantry trained.
As, TOP a Vietnam vet would always say, "I don't care what you do in the Army, when the enemy gets into the wire, you become infantry".
Our cooks, motorpool persons, supply, clerks and even the 82nd MP's, jumped into the LZ during operations. They carried their M-16's or what ever weapons they were issued, and fought along side of us 11 Bush.
Maybe now a days a clerk doesn't be considered an infantry solder, but just let the enemy start shooting at him, and I bet you he becomes infantry.
Ever solder in basic has to qualify with the primary weapon, and what does that tell you, they don't go to basic and qualify with a typewriter of spoon and fork, nor a truck.
Two MP's attached with us in the 505th Inf 82nd ABN while in Panama, they didn't have their patrol jeeps with them, they walked the 3 months with us everyday in the jungles, humping their equipment and M-16's.
In the field we didn't get paid by the Army putting your pay in a bank account, a payroll officer and clerks came out to the field and paid you. And the mail came out to the field and was delivered to you, your letters from home. If you need a new pair of boots, supply came out a gave a new pair to you, as well as other portions of your uniform.
So, to answer your question, when I was in the Army, 1972 to 1975, "NO", they were infantry solders, not by their labeled MOS, but in their nature as a solders.
As, TOP a Vietnam vet would always say, "I don't care what you do in the Army, when the enemy gets into the wire, you become infantry".
Our cooks, motorpool persons, supply, clerks and even the 82nd MP's, jumped into the LZ during operations. They carried their M-16's or what ever weapons they were issued, and fought along side of us 11 Bush.
Maybe now a days a clerk doesn't be considered an infantry solder, but just let the enemy start shooting at him, and I bet you he becomes infantry.
Ever solder in basic has to qualify with the primary weapon, and what does that tell you, they don't go to basic and qualify with a typewriter of spoon and fork, nor a truck.
Two MP's attached with us in the 505th Inf 82nd ABN while in Panama, they didn't have their patrol jeeps with them, they walked the 3 months with us everyday in the jungles, humping their equipment and M-16's.
In the field we didn't get paid by the Army putting your pay in a bank account, a payroll officer and clerks came out to the field and paid you. And the mail came out to the field and was delivered to you, your letters from home. If you need a new pair of boots, supply came out a gave a new pair to you, as well as other portions of your uniform.
So, to answer your question, when I was in the Army, 1972 to 1975, "NO", they were infantry solders, not by their labeled MOS, but in their nature as a solders.
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