Could someone please break down the Navy rank structure?

SSG Audwin Scott — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 15:17:51 -0500

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 5 at 2015 10:02 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 10:02:42 -0500

E1 - E3 = Seaman/Fireman/Airman/Constructionman/Hospital Corpsman Recruit (1), Apprentice (2), and the aforemention title at E3. Petty Officer 3rd Class is E4 and the first NCO rank in the Navy. PO 2nd Class is E5 and PO 1st Class is E6. Chief Petty Officer is the first rank of SNCO and E7. Senior Chief is E8, Master Chief is E-God

Ensign - O1, LT Jr Grade (LTJG) is O2, LT is O3, LT Commander (LCDR) is O4, Commander (CDR) is O5 and Captain is a full bird O6. Rear Admiral lower half (0-7) and upper half (O-8). Vice Admiral O-9 and Admiral O-10.

Having a Navy background helps me though lol

Response by LCDR William Breyfogle made Sep 20 at 2016 2:06 PM

LCDR William Breyfogle — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 14:06:23 -0400

A quick glance at a Sailor's left sleeve tells you twice as much as looking at the equivalent rank patch in the other services: Navy ranks tell you (a) what a Sailor does for a living, and (b) what his rank is. All enlisted Navy people have specialties that we wear on our rank badge: Photographer's Mate, Boatswain's Mate, Aerographer, Sonarman, Operations Specialist, etc. You'll see those insignia in the center of the rank patch, right underneath the Eagle (we call it the Crow.) Next you look at whether the sailor is wearing 1-3 diagonal stripes underneath the specialty marking, which makes them (in turn) Seaman Recruit, Seaman Apprentice or Seaman. If the sailor is wearing V-shaped chevrons, he or she is an NCO (since the days of sail we've called them "Petty Officers.") One chevron makes that sailor a Petty Officer Third Class (E-4) or more properly, a Photographer's Mate Third Class, Sonarman Third Class, etc. Two chevrons makes that sailor a Petty Officer Second Class (E-4); with three chevrons making them a Petty Officer First Class (E-6). Add a rocker across the top, and that sailor is now a Chief Petty Officer (E-7.) Add a star on the rocker, and you're looking at a Senior Chief Petty Officer (E-8,) and two stars makes them a Master Chief Petty Officer.
Hope this helps

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 20 at 2016 11:45 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 23:45:31 -0400

Navy rank structure is fairly simple - it's three sets of three.

At the bottom, you have the non-rates. Just like the various versions of Private in the Army. The only difference is that we kind of combine their job title into the rank. Imagine if the Army had "Infantryman, Infantryman, and Infantryman First Class" or "Paratrooper, Paratrooper, and Paratrooper First Class." (I know, awkward, but it's not our fault that the Army chose to give two ranks the same name)

Above that, you have the Petty Officers. These are the Junior NCOs in the army. Just like the Army adopts various adaptations to the title of Sergeant, we do so with Petty Officer... but we keep it simple with first, second, and third class. Again, we like working the job title into the rank, but if you listen for the ending, you'll always know what the pay grade is.

The top tier is a bit distinct in that our Chiefs form a completely separate community that is pulled from the enlisted community and sits at the top enlisted paygrades... but is completely separate from them. In a way, they're a counterpoint to the warrent officers. WO's occupy a separate grade structure but are integrated into the wardroom. CPOs are integrated into the enlisted rank structure, but are completely apart from the junior enlisted. Aside from that, it's just like the top three in other branches - the adjectives used may jumble around from branch to branch, but they're pretty much arbitrary anyways.

Actually, to an extent, the navy makes it easier than the Army and Marines. E-8 is always Senior Chief. Only one rank per paygrade. Likewise, E-9 is always addressed as "Master Chief," whether he be freshly frocked or the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

For the officers, the flow is pretty much the same, even if the titles change from the Army-style ranks. The one that surprises most people is that a Lieutenant Commander is still considered a Junior Officer, owing to the rank's origin as "Lieutenant - Commanding." None the less, an LCDR is board-selected and should be regarded the same as a Major.