Posted on Nov 13, 2015
How many of us had trouble distinguishing the rank of approaching commissioned, non-commissioned or warrant officers on field uniforms??
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Fatigue, battledress and other work and combat uniforms had subdued rank most of the time. Some ranks are very distinctive such as Captain [double bars], Colonel [eagle], and General Officer [black star or multiple]. However 1st LT and Warrant Officer looked very close and sometimes Majors and Lieutenant Colonels looked very close especially in the rain, snow, etc.
When I was a private in the 1970s I couldn't tell sometimes if a LT or a Chief Warrant Officer was approaching me. I would salute usually and wasn't sure at that time if I was supposed to salute Warrant Officers.
Did you have trouble recognizing officer rank?
When I was a private in the 1970s I couldn't tell sometimes if a LT or a Chief Warrant Officer was approaching me. I would salute usually and wasn't sure at that time if I was supposed to salute Warrant Officers.
Did you have trouble recognizing officer rank?
Rank
Troops
Edited >1 y ago
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 125
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I actually ended up saluting a SPC a couple of times for that very reason as on a sunny day it's not always easy to tell the difference between a SPC and a LTC's rank.
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SP5 Ronald R Glaeseman
Not being of "this man's" Army which in many ways, I thank my stars, but being of an Army where NCO rank was expressed in gold chevrons and officer rank was expressed in gold and silver, I was once sitting in a meeting of NG officers and troopers wearing subdued rank. I innocently asked a LTC if he was a Major. After being properly set straight, I proceeded to slink under the table and stayed there until the meeting was over.
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PFC Zanie Young
I have had that same experience in a CVS. By knee-jerk response, I immediately corrected myself. Boy, I am glad I was veteran at that time, because I almost called him sir after that blunder...
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Maybe because I am getting older I remember a few times I walked up on a deployed ARNG SPC and saluted him saying all the way Sir then I realized it was SPC rank instead of LTC. In my defense some ARNG SPC are about the right age, Called a 1SG a SGM and a SGM a 1SG. I wish the Army would go back to chevrons on the field uniform for us older folks who have decreasing vision :)
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LTC Stephen F.
Thanks for weighing in 1SG Dennis Hicks Yes, I remember from a distance that a 1SG and SGM rank looked similar. To me the SPC shield and the LTC oak leaf on camo uniforms was the hardest to distinguish so I learned to check the age of the soldier to help determine if was a junior enlisted soldier or a field grade officer :-)
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi LTC (Join to see) LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Jeff S. CPT Jack Durish MSG Dan Walther MSgt Robert C Aldi SFC Stephen King MSgt Danny Hope SGT Gregory Lawritson Cpl Craig Marton SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT (Join to see) Maj Marty Hogan
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi LTC (Join to see) LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Jeff S. CPT Jack Durish MSG Dan Walther MSgt Robert C Aldi SFC Stephen King MSgt Danny Hope SGT Gregory Lawritson Cpl Craig Marton SP5 Mark Kuzinski SGT (Join to see) Maj Marty Hogan
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PFC Zanie Young
I agree fully! I personally prefer to old BDUs, since privates could tell the difference in any distance who wore what rank. Now us privates are even more confused...
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When you’re enlisted, does it matter? You just got to sniper check them all!
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LTC Stephen F.
Thanks for responding COL (Join to see). When I was an enlisted soldier 1974 to 1976 and a USMA cadet July 3, 1976 to May 28, 1980 I certainly saluted anybody who might be an officer. In those days the field uniform was OD green fatigues or OD green jungle fatigues usually.
In this century since the BDUs were abandoned, the military services went through many camo patterns. The rank insignia hasn't changed much since the CW5 rank was established and generally SP5 through SP7 ranks were eliminated last century.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. CPL Dave Hoover SGT Mark Halmrast SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright
In this century since the BDUs were abandoned, the military services went through many camo patterns. The rank insignia hasn't changed much since the CW5 rank was established and generally SP5 through SP7 ranks were eliminated last century.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. LTC Orlando Illi Lt Col Charlie Brown Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. Maj William W. 'Bill' Price CPT Jack Durish Capt Tom Brown MSG Andrew White SFC William Farrell SGT (Join to see) Sgt Albert Castro SSG David Andrews Sgt Randy Wilber Sgt John H. CPL Dave Hoover SGT Mark Halmrast SPC Margaret Higgins SrA Christopher Wright
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Remember, If you can recognize the rank insignia of an NCO or Officer from a long distance away, then so can the enemy (or a terrorist).
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I was usually pretty good at catching it. I did see a flight suit moving towards me one time and quickly whipped out a sharp salute...to a fellow Staff Sergeant! I did fail a test in Basic Training at Fort Jackson. One of the DS would wear a helmet liner with Major insiginia to test soldiers on "reporting to an officer" during our soldier stakes. I was coaching some of the guys in my platoon to make sure that we all had it down pat. My turn comes and after initially reporting, I recognize the drill sergeant as an NCO, and forget to salute at the end of our conversation. I had to re-take the "test". Embarrassing for the guy who helped his buddies pass the test!
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In the Army, 1SG and SGM can be hard to distinguish at a distance. I empathize for the Marines...their officer rank is small. The Navy was always the hardest for me...ranks & rates...and the CPT would be a COL with that full bird in any other service!
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I learned early on to do what I could to look at their covers this way I could tell. I to have saluted Chiefs but as we got closer we would make a joke out of it.
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1stSgt (Join to see)
I always walked around witht he right arm half cocked, just in case one of those pesky Chiefs popped out from behind a tree to f*ck with some young Marine LCpl. I must have gotten 20 lessons on the difference between fouled anchors and crossed anchors with a shield.
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I did with a Naval Officer once - in the NWU uninform I was at the commissary and saw one walking and didn't salute. Looking back they were wearing their officer rank on one side and I believe a branch insignia on the other. As I was walking, he said HEY! then saluted and all was well. I did salute a A1C once...this was when BDU's were still around and being phased out in the USAF, I thought he was a Captain because he had two lines from the BDU pattern that were going down like subdued captain bars. Other than that I think I saluted a Navy Chief once in technical school.
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LCDR (Join to see)
Navy STAFF CORPS officers wear their rank on the right collar and staff specialty insignia on the left while Navy LINE officers wear their rank on BOTH collars. It can be confusing to Air Force Personnel I would guess.
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I remember as a private ducking into buildings if it was an officer I did not like.
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