United States Air Force First Sergeant Rank Insignia Patch E9, 1stSgt

A Rank of First Sergeant is a Non-Commissioned Officer, or NCO, with the grade of E-9 in the US Air Force. First Sergeant (1stSgt) is the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force, just below Chief Master Sergeant, and is a senior non-commissioned officer rank.

In the United States Air Force, first sergeants are special duty temporary ranks and positional billets. First sergeants are not guaranteed to be promoted to the next level paygrade of first sergeant. Often referred to as the "first shirt", or "shirt", the first sergeant is responsible for the morale, welfare, and conduct of all the enlisted members in a squadron and is the chief adviser to the squadron commander concerning the enlisted force. They are held by a senior enlisted member of a military unit who reports directly to the unit commander or deputy commander of operations. This positional billet is held by individuals of pay grades E-7 through E-9 (master sergeant, senior master sergeant and chief master sergeant), and is denoted on the rank insignia by a lozenge (known colloquially as a "diamond"). Most units have a master sergeant in this position. Larger units use senior master sergeants and chief master sergeants as first sergeants. While both services don't have separate first sergeant ranks, those who hold these positional billets are senior to their non-diamond counterparts.[8] All first sergeants can retire at that rank, within their respective paygrade, if they so choose, as long as they have served satisfactorily in rank.

Original Fabric Insignia patch with beige/khaki backing and Navy Blue embroidery. Large / Size 1 / Men's size insignia patch