The origin of non-commissioned officers can be traced back to ________.

• A. Roman senators
• B. Greek city-states
• C. Roman legions
• D. Carthaginian legions

Answer: (C)

Non‑commissioned officers arise from the need for experienced enlisted soldiers who can supervise, train, and discipline troops while carrying out officers’ orders. In the Roman legions, the centurion embodied this role long before modern militaries formalized non‑commissioned ranks. Selected from seasoned soldiers, a centurion commanded a century, maintained discipline, trained recruits, and served as the essential link between the troops and officers, effectively acting as the first professional NCOs. This established pattern influenced how later armies organized their enlisted leadership. The other options don’t fit because senators were political leaders rather than battlefield unit leaders, and neither Greek city‑state structures nor Carthaginian forces developed a comparable, enduring NCO class in the same way.