Petty officer - Kasikan

A junior officer in the military who is below an officer. In the former Japanese military, this was the Army's Sergeant Major, Sergeant, and Corporal, and the Navy's Petty Officer First Class (renamed Petty Officer First Class after November 1942), Petty Officer Second Class, and Petty Officer Third Class. NCOs acted as intermediaries between officers and soldiers as direct managers of soldiers, and especially in infantry combat, the quantity and quality of NCOs greatly influenced the outcome of a battle. Examples of this are the Ground, Navy, and Air Force Petty Officers (classified as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class, respectively) of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, and the rank of sergeant in the U.S. military.

[Kokatsu Atsushi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

軍隊において将校の下に位置する下級幹部。旧日本軍では陸軍の曹長・軍曹・伍長、海軍の一等兵曹（1942年11月以降上等兵曹に改称）・二等兵曹・三等兵曹がこれにあたる。下士官は兵の直接掌握者として将校と兵との仲介の役割を果たし、とくに歩兵戦闘においては、下士官の量と質が勝敗の帰趨(きすう)を大きく左右した。自衛隊の陸・海・空曹（各1等・2等・3等に区分）やアメリカ軍のsergeant(サージャント)のつく階級がこれにあたる。

［纐纈　厚］

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