To be promoted to Sergeant, a Private must be recommended by their current Sergeant, the recommendation must be approved by that Sergeant's Lieutenant, and there must be an opening within the company. As such, newly-minted Sergeants rarely get to lead the squad they first joined in.
=== Staff Sergeant ===
At the discretion of their Lieutenant, a Sergeant may receive an honorific promotion to the rank of '''''Staff Sergeant''''', as a reward for exceptional acts of leadership, courage, bravery, or otherwise impressive performance. This honorific promotion does not grant additional authority, but it is generally considered to be a mark of respect and proof of competence. This honorific rank is lost if they are promoted to [[Lieutenant (RF)|lieutenant]].