Six?

[Peter_Suciu]

Does anyone know why "six" is used as the designation for "leader?" I know that it is and people have asked me why and I have to respond, "I don't know."

Makes The Prisoner seem even more interesting once you know that the British military uses six as the leader.

[Jim McCauley]

Does anyone know why "six" is used as the designation for "leader?" I know that it is and people have asked me why and I have to respond, "I don't know."

Makes The Prisoner seem even more interesting once you know that the British military uses six as the leader.

In the US army O-6 is the pay designation for a "full bird" colonel. Thus 6 is ,for the most part, the commander. ie. Big Duke 6, Wiskey 6.

Not to be confused with;"I got your six!"

Best regards.

Jim

[leigh kitchen]

British Cub Scout (junior scouts) section or team leader equivalent were & possibly still are called "Sixers".
Don't know why, as they wore two stripes around the arm as a "rank" badge. Perhaps their teams had 6 members.
Can't really see the US military taking their lead from boy scouts though...........

I've never heard it used in reference to the Brit military, but then I'm out of touch with todays modern army.

I always thought it was something to do with the US army - a reference to 6 chevrons, or 3 bars & 3 rockers or whatever.

[Dave Danner]

It is US Army usage. It has nothing to do with the rank or stripes, since commanders at most levels are "6"s. The commander of a unit was "6"; the XO was "5". I can't remember the rest, but I think they corresponded to staff designations at battalion and up - i.e., S-1 (admin) was "1"; S-2 (intel) was "2"; S-3 (operations) was "3" and S-4 (supply) was "4". Companies don't have staffs, and I don't recall what was used at that level (maybe the 1st Sergeant was "4"?).

[MH184]

I've never heard the term '6' ever used in all my time in the British forces (11 years regular, 4 years reserve &TA). I'm not aware of this as being a 'code' for a leader in any way shape or form in comm's or otherwise in British military diction.

I was 'basic' signals trained and used the radio a hell of alot.

0 (zero) or 0 Alpha were always used for headsheds: i.e 0 the CO or OC and 0 Alpha perhaps a CSM. We used the preffix of the company too, i.e S Coy (Support Company) Sierra 0, Sierra 0 Alpha.........I was a Sierra 014 those under my command a Sierra 14.

The '0' in the Britsih forces is a 'leader or high rank.........or as we would have said, '0 because because they're $ucking worthless'.

'0' was also used for HQ as well.

Kind regards,


Marcus