First sergeant -- Responsible for Airman morale, welfare, conduct Published Feb. 22, 2010 By Master Sgt. Lee Schmidt 90th Civil Engineer Squadron first sergeant F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Have you ever thought to yourself, "What is a first sergeant, or how did the first sergeant come into existence?" The first sergeant is not a rank, but a special duty position held by a senior NCO who reports directly to the unit commander. The first sergeant is responsible for the morale, welfare and conduct of all enlisted personnel assigned to the unit. He is also the chief adviser to the unit commander. All first sergeants are denoted with a diamond on their rank insignia. Today's first sergeant did not happen by accident. Modern first sergeants can trace their roots back to the days of Gen. George Washington and the Continental Army. General Washington relied heavily on the writings of Gen. Baron Fredrich Wilhelm Von Steuben. General Von Steuben wrote what is known as the Blue Book of regulations. This book outlined duties of key NCO positions, including the company's first sergeant. In those days, the first sergeant completed the duty roster, made the morning report of the state of the company to the captain and informed the captain of anything of interest that happened in the company since the last report. Later, in the days of the calvary, the first sergeant was denoted by a red sash worn around the waist to distinguish him from the other soldiers. When the supply wagon came to the fort, the first sergeant was in charge of checking to make sure all the supplies were there. After checking the supplies, the first sergeant was given the first clean shirt, hence the term first shirt. Throughout the years, the first has been dropped, and the term shirt has stuck. In 1947, when the Air Force became a separate service, the first sergeant position went through some changes. First sergeants became a special duty and not a rank. It could also be held by a technical or master sergeant and, eventually, a senior and chief master sergeant. Throughout the years, there have been many first sergeants stationed here. Some of Warren's current diamond-wearing first sergeants are Master Sgt. Alan Martin, 30th Airlift Squadron; Master Sgt. Shelley Haskett, 90th Maintenance Group; and Master Sgt. Nicole Smith, 90th Maintenance Operations Squadron. Sergeant Smith is currently deployed. Filling in for her is Master Sgt. Edward McFillin, no seriously, that is his name. Moving on, there is Senior Master Sgt. Shawn Swidecki, 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron, who is Warren's most senior first sergeant; Master Sgt. Todd Preston, 790th MSFS; and Master Sgt. Stephen Hart, 90th SFS. Sergeant Hart is deployed with Master Sgt. David Squires as the acting first shirt. Next is Master Sgt. Dave Moore, 90th Security Support Squadron, he is Warren's newest diamond-wearer. There's also Master Sgt. Gerald Dickson, 90th Medical Group; Master Sgt. Dan Ballinger, 90th Operations Group; Master Sgt. Brett Cousino, 90th Force Support Squadron; Master Sgt. Todd Meaney, 90th Logistic Readiness Squadron; and me, Master Sgt. Lee Schmidt, 90th Civil Engineer Squadron. Squadrons with fewer than 75 enlisted members have senior NCOs who serve as additional-duty first sergeants. These members are responsible for both first sergeant duties as well as their regular job. Warren's additional-duty first sergeants are Master Sgt. Coleen Byerly, 90th Communication Squadron; Master Sgt. Grover Easterling, 90th Contracting Squadron; Senior Master Sgt. Will Armagost, 90th Missile Wing; Master Sgt. Steve Schied, 15th Munitions Squadron; Senior Master Sgt. Chance Glascock, 90th Comptroller Squadron; and Senior Master Sgt. Michelle Reynolds, 20th Air Force. If you have ever thought about being a first sergeant, please talk to any diamond-wearer on base. All first shirts must be a senior NCO, have their Community College of the Air Force Degree and complete the senior NCO course 14. According to Sergeant Moore, the best reward for being a shirt is "being in the position to have a direct and positive impact on the Airman, unit and the mission." Sergeant Swidecki said, "Make no mistake, being a shirt is time-consuming, all-encompassing and even frustrating at times. Given all that, it's still the most rewarding job I have ever had, and I wouldn't trade a minute of it!"