Which ranks are considered Non-Commissioned Officers?

• A. E-4 and E-5
• B. E-3 and E-4
• C. E-5 and E-6
• D. E-2 and E-3

Answer: (A)

Non-Commissioned Officers are the enlisted leaders who have authority to supervise and train soldiers under an officer’s command. The first ranks that carry that leadership role are Corporal and Sergeant. They are the initial NCOs who bridge the gap between junior enlisted personnel and the officer corps, taking on direct supervision of squads and guiding day-to-day tasks. A Private First Class is not yet an NCO, so it doesn’t fit the definition. Higher enlisted ranks do continue the NCO lineage, but the option that lists the junior NCO pair—Corporal and Sergeant—best matches the question’s focus on the first NCO ranks.