Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Wednesday's Cold Read passage

Sergeant Major

1. Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In the United States, there are also various degrees of sergeant major (command sergeant major, sergeant major of the army, sergeant major of Marine Corps), but they are all of the same pay grade.
2. The first official U.S. use of the term was in 1776, when a sergeant major was appointed to the headquarters of each infantry battalion of the Continental Army. The rank was in use by both the Union Army and the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. At that time, it was the highest enlisted rank, being just above quartermaster sergeant. The same rank insignia was used by both armies. Both armies varied the color of the stripes by assigning red for artillery, yellow for cavalry, and blue for infantry. Some Confederate militia units varied these colors even farther and had other colors including black stripes for various units
3. The U.S. Marine Corps's first sergeant major was Archibald Sommers, appointed on January 1, 1801. This was originally a solitary post, but by 1899 there were five sergeants major. The title was abolished in 1946, but re-introduced as a rank in 1954. The post of Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps was established in 1957, as the senior enlisted advisor to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
United States Army
4. In the U.S. Army, sergeant major (SGM) refers to both a military rank and a specific leadership position. It is the highest enlisted rank, just above first sergeant and master sergeant, with a pay grade of E-9.
5. The leadership variation — command sergeant major (CSM) — is the senior enlisted advisor to the commanding officer. The leadership position carries with it certain ceremonial functions such as caring for the unit's color (flag). Additionally, CSMs serve as monitors of, and advocates for, the enlisted soldiers in the command. This position mostly exists in units of battalion size and larger.
6. Because the CSM represents all of the enlisted soldiers in the command, he or she does not wear the collar insignia of his or her career specialty, but instead wears the CSM insignia. The insignia is a gold-color rendering of the coat of arms of the United States; like the branch of service insignia of all U.S. Army enlisted soldiers, it is placed upon a gold-colored metal disk, one inch in diameter.
         7. Both the SGM and CSM are referred to, and addressed as, "Sergeant Major". The Sergeant Major of the Army is a separate and unique position, but is still addressed as "Sergeant Major".
United States Marine Corps
8. In the United States Marine Corps, sergeant major is the ninth and highest enlisted rank, just above first sergeant, and equal in grade to master gunnery sergeant, although the two have different responsibilities. Sergeant major is both a rank and a military billet. Marine Corps sergeants major serve as the senior enlisted marine in the Corps' units of battalion, squadron or as the unit commander's senior enlisted advisor and to handle matters of discipline and morale among the enlisted marines. Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is a separate and unique position.




1.   In paragraph 7, the word separate is used as what part of speech?
A.   noun
B.    verb
C.    adjective
D.   adverb

2.   When was the term “sergeant major” first used?
A.   1801
B.    1776
C.    1899
D.   1954

3.   In paragraph 3, the word advisor has the suffix –or. In which of the following words does the –or means the same as it does in advisor?
A.   Odor
B.    Alligator
C.    Discolor
D.   Protector

4.   Use the dictionary entry to answer the following question.


  Degree  [dih-gree] n. 1 any of a series of steps or stages in a process.  2. A scale of
 intensity or amount.   3. a stage in rank  or station 4. An academic title conferred by
 university

Which of the above definitions is the correct one for the word degree as it is used in
Paragraph 1?
A.   definition 1
B.    definition 2
C.    definition 3
D.   definition 4

5.   Select all of the ANTONYMS of the word unique as it is used in the passage.
a. Individual

b. Personal

c. Common

d. normal

e. enlisted
f. ordinary
g. insignia
h. different



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