Rank and Specialty

Dale Franks has put in a lot of hard work on a presentation consisting of military rank insignia and occupational badges. However, with all of the specialties in the military and with the hundreds (thousands?) of different types of badges, that last part sounds like a never-ending chore.

And there is nothing that will ever make me understand Navy enlisted insignia, much less the wearers’ foreign language!

Comments

[SMASH]

I'm always amused when Navy Petty Officers in cammies are met by Army or Air Force enlisted. They see the "crows" and think they're all Captains (which would be the equivalent of a Colonel to you land-lubbers).

The Petty Officers don't mind much, except they quickly get tired of returning all those salutes!

[baldilocks]

Heh. That cammie does its job. Once I almost blew by the base commander without saluting (a two-star!) I noticed just in time. The general cracked up at the look on my face. I did the hat-collar glance on everyone from 50 paces after that.

BTW, what be crows? :-)

[baldilocks]

Nevermind. I looked at the insignia and can figure it out. That's as far as I'm going! LOL

[wayne]

Ah Juliette, so its bustin' on the squids day now is it?!!! Thanks a heap!! LOL!

Think the insignia bit needs explaining? Try how all of us are still trying to figure out why the 13 button trousers.

I get the Popeye hood in the back. That was originally suppposed to keep the grease from a sailors ponytail off his shirt. The neck tie can be used as a tournequet in battle and to wipe sweat off your face. It can also be tied on the head for a lovely dew rag (for that special "pirate" look).

But the 13 button trousers are absolutely meaningless BS.

Try dealing with all of those stupid buttons after eating a bad batch of Kim Che in Pusan, Korea sometime...

Way too much info but you get the idea.

[Rey]

Wayne, you hit it right on the back flap but missed the proper use of the necker-chief, the trick is to put a roll of dimes in it and you have a little extra protection or a way to call home. I was taught that the thirteen buttons: represented the original thirteen colonies (official story), or thirteen chances for a girl to say no (reality). What most folks don't know is that the lace-up quick escape device in the back renders all that a moot point.

[Steve in Boston]

Orignally, crackerjacks had 11 buttons on the trousers, but somewhere around 1905, they were changed to have 13 buttons, rumored to be representative of the original 13 colonies.

But.. I don't know many squids, active or not, that didn't have the back of the flap modified with 1" wide velcro, and have the buttons sown onto the front of the flap... I sure did. Of course I always kept one set "stock", just in case it became UNSAT to do so.

The "crow" is really an eagle, but has always been referred to as a crow, just as a Naval Supply officer's insignia is a pork chop, and a JAG's is a flying toilet seat :)

And to Juliette... You can't figure out enlisted insigs? Hell, compared to Army, we have nothing. Ya'lls uniforms look like Christmas trees with all the devices hanging off them :)

/ Seaman Recruit (E1)
// Seaman Apprentice (E2)
/// Seaman (E3)

(E4-E9 is similar to Army/Marines/AF, except ours could be considered upside down, in appearance. See the link below for side-by-side comparisons.

V (with crow) Petty Officer 3rd Class (E4)

V
V (with crow) Petty Officer 2nd Class (E5)

V
V (with crow) Petty Officer 1st Class (E6)
V

E7-E9 is same thing as PO's above, but with a rounded top above the chevrons, and may include 1-3 stars.

No star is Chief Petty Officer (E7)

1 or 2 stars on left and right top side indicate E8 or E9, Senior Chief Petty Officer and Master Chief Petty Officer, respectively.

Only one person in the entire Navy has 3 stars, and that is the senior most enlisted person, always a Master Chief (E9), and they are designated THE Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy and are distinguished by 3 stars, which I believe holds true for all branches of service.

Here's a link:

http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/insignias/

The Chevrons are normally red, until 12th year of service, which then becomes gold if awarded their 3rd good conduct award (meaning no NJP or Courts Martial for 12 consecutive years)

Hashmarks on the sleeve indicate time served. Each hash indicates 4 yrs service, and like above, they turn gold at 12 years provided good conduct awards earned.

In the center area of the chevrons, is a symbol indicating what their "job" or billet is. For example, fouled anchors (two anchors that are crossed over each other) indicates a Boatswain's Mate, or the backbone of work force. They are similar to plain old infantry. Can't survive without them, but they get the least amount of respect, sadly enough.

A propeller is a Machinist's Mate, a gear is an Engineman. Crossed quills (quill feather pens) would be a Yeoman (clerical job), and a book with a quill is a Personnelman (also clerical).

Actually simple, isn't it? ;)

[baldilocks]

Wow. You learn something new every day.

One correction, Steve: I was always Air Force, never Army.

Flame away! :-)

[StinKerr]

Don't be too hard on yourself, Juliette. I know you're bright and educable so even an air force type like yourself would soon learn the Navy rates and ratings if you were around them much.

I was a Sonar Tech, that's a headset with an arrow through it. Most of the rating designators are renditions of the jobs they represent. Quills, for example, indicate a clerical job, combined with lightning bolts and you get communications types. Add wings and you get the aviation types. Recognizable tools usually are engineering jobs.

Were you to "bear a hand" you'd pick up the language too.

[Steve in Boston]

Oops. You know, I actually knew you were AF, dunno why I said Army... sincere apologies (and condolences, heheh).