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| - Sergeants are typically well-respected, non-commissioned officers, who fill a number of leadership roles within the Imperial Guard. The strong backbone of the Imperial Guard, Sergeants are in charge of the individual squads, and much of the day-to-day operation of units falls on their capable shoulders. Along with their leadership roles, Sergeants are tasked with the training and general education of their subordinates. They are expected to take new conscripts and turn them from inexperienced civilians into battle-ready and professional Guardsmen, typically in a stunningly short amount of time. The institutional memory of the Imperial Guard also lies largely with its Sergeants and their colleagues among the non-commissioned officers. These senior enlisted men and women typically have years
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| abstract
| - Sergeants are typically well-respected, non-commissioned officers, who fill a number of leadership roles within the Imperial Guard. The strong backbone of the Imperial Guard, Sergeants are in charge of the individual squads, and much of the day-to-day operation of units falls on their capable shoulders. Along with their leadership roles, Sergeants are tasked with the training and general education of their subordinates. They are expected to take new conscripts and turn them from inexperienced civilians into battle-ready and professional Guardsmen, typically in a stunningly short amount of time. The institutional memory of the Imperial Guard also lies largely with its Sergeants and their colleagues among the non-commissioned officers. These senior enlisted men and women typically have years of hard-earned combat and leadership experience, and tend to have a better grasp of tactics and the necessities of competent command under fire than many of their superior officers, especially those who have never served in actual combat. It is a wise officer who places his trust in his Sergeants, especially when new to a unit, as the Sergeants typically have the trust and respect of the men under them already, and, in some regiments, their support, or lack thereof, can make or break an officer. Due to their role as both leaders and instructors, Sergeants in the Imperial Guard are expected to lead from the front, driving their men to feats of valour and glory, and setting a strong example for junior enlisted men and officers alike. A good Sergeant can keep a squad together even under the most dire of circumstances, using his command skills, natural gravitas, and the earned trust of his men to quell fear and rally shaken Guardsmen under their command. This is not to suggest, however, that all Sergeants in the Imperial Guard are highly-respected father figures and competent leaders, who have the best interests of their men foremost in mind. In an organisation as vast and far-ranging as the Imperial Guard, the opposite may be the case. Tyrannical, corrupt, and incompetent Sergeants litter the noncommissioned officers' corps. Many find that the power they wield goes to their head, and they take to brutalising their subordinates. Others find themselves in over their heads, and their fear and inability make them capricious and dangerous. Many incompetent or brutal Sergeants have met their end at the hands of their subordinates, victims of "accidents" or "friendly fire incidents" (also known as "fragging") on the battlefield. In general, however, Sergeants are a blessing to a squad. Their experience and knowledge is priceless, and surely, without the Sergeants, the Imperial Guard would suffer greatly.
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