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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Great question. During my active duty days in the 1970's, I never had a problem recognizing Army or Marine ranks. But trying to recognize the Navy ranks make me pull out my military rank chart every time. I think the Navy rank system is the most difficult to keep straight and takes a lot of getting use to. Well what do you expect from an Army guy? One time I crossed path with a naval officer in his dress white. A magnificent sight to behold for us grunts. His shoulder boards had these crazy yellow stripes and I couldn't decipher it fast enough so I threw him a salute. He returned my salute and didn't laugh at me so I guess I got that one right. Now a day, when I see a person in a Navy uniform, I just address him as "Admiral." I think us old guys can get away with it.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you for responding 1LT B. Long and sharing a part of your background, eloquently.
I can imagine seeing a Navy officer in dress whites for the first time as an infantryman would be a sight to behold in the 1960s and 1970s.
The US Army and USMC rank structure and insignia of rank is very similar which makes sense since both services are focused on ground combat [USMC also boards ships].
The Navy rank structure and insignia [and US Coast Guard] is most alien to the US Army soldiers without Joint experience. Since the U.S. Navy includes the USMC I expect most marines are familiar with Navy rank and insignia.
FYI SGT John MeredithMSgt John McGowanMSgt David M.SGT Philip RoncariLt Col Jim CoeCWO3 Dennis M.SGT Carl BlasPO3 Bob McCordSgt Albert Castro1SG John MillanSSgt Boyd Herrst TSgt Rodney BidingerSGT Jim ArnoldSFC Randy PurhamCDR (Join to see) MSG Brian Ross SGT Rick Colburn PO3 Phyllis Maynard
I can imagine seeing a Navy officer in dress whites for the first time as an infantryman would be a sight to behold in the 1960s and 1970s.
The US Army and USMC rank structure and insignia of rank is very similar which makes sense since both services are focused on ground combat [USMC also boards ships].
The Navy rank structure and insignia [and US Coast Guard] is most alien to the US Army soldiers without Joint experience. Since the U.S. Navy includes the USMC I expect most marines are familiar with Navy rank and insignia.
FYI SGT John MeredithMSgt John McGowanMSgt David M.SGT Philip RoncariLt Col Jim CoeCWO3 Dennis M.SGT Carl BlasPO3 Bob McCordSgt Albert Castro1SG John MillanSSgt Boyd Herrst TSgt Rodney BidingerSGT Jim ArnoldSFC Randy PurhamCDR (Join to see) MSG Brian Ross SGT Rick Colburn PO3 Phyllis Maynard
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
1LT B. Long LTC Stephen F. Whenever I think about Navy rank I recall when I was in training and a group of us was flying from two Texas training bases to Vandenberg AFB for an orientation. The aircraft had an emergency and we had to divert to Moffett NAS late at night. When pilot contacted Moffett tower he reported XX Captains and YY Lieutenants on board. When we landed we were greeted by everything but the Navy band, they soon learned their mistake, but I wouldn't have wanted to be their OD that night.
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The hardest time I had was when I first joined and my school was on a Navy base. Seeing all those Chiefs walking around with their shiny shit on their collars got me and my buddies a few times.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thanks for responding Sgt Trevor Wills I concur the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard does seem to have the most unique rank insignia.
Once we become familiar with the rank structure, in joint assignments or duty, it become more easier to recognize IMHO.
What do you think? 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
Once we become familiar with the rank structure, in joint assignments or duty, it become more easier to recognize IMHO.
What do you think? 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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I know where to look when they come in the store and what they are and give them that respect no matter what the rank but address them appropriately and in Huntsville AL a military town I always get the respect back. And we take care of our active and retired military whatever we need to do...
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LTC Stephen F.
Well stated SSG Keith Amacher and thank you for responding so eloquently.
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
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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I had it easy. The greeting for ANY Officer was always, "Airborne. Sir" Simple. We didn't have to determine their Rank until we were close enough to tell.
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SSG Keith Amacher
When I see wings in Huntsville AL I always say All the Way and they instantly know and ask you were Airborne. We know our brothers and only takes a few words to know and no matter the rank the respect is there. I met a guy the other day had a Special Forces hat on and I asked him he was 5th Group Vietnam who trained me and 7th Group which I was and lots of stories we talked for an hour... about Panama and what we do down ther and a colleague was 10th Mountain that we bring in to help us...
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Interesting challenge is Army LTC and Sp4 when worn on front of battle uniform. From distance both are a black blob. Easy to distinguish close up.
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SPC Mike Davis
A LTC is a LTC! A Specialist is barely in the chain of command. Think of him as a full-bird PFC. Cannot go wrong looking at it that way.
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I have a hard time seeing the Major Oak Leaf on the OCP and feel like I am staring a would-be officer down until I can see it.
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MSG (Join to see)
And with respect to the female Soldiers, it can be rather embarrassing, or inappropriate feeling, to spend more than a quick second trying to identify a subdued rank sewn onto their chest. What was the Army thinking?
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MAJ and 2LT subdued ranks blend better into to the OCP pattern than it did into the ACU pattern.
We probably need to go to the copper color like the Air Force.
We probably need to go to the copper color like the Air Force.
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LTC Stephen F., In my day, the rank was on a ball cap, so you didn't have to guess. There was this one time at Fort Campbell , I was walking down the steps at the PX and a Vietnamese officer walked by and I didn't salute. I didn't recognize him as an officer. He reamed me out pretty good. I told him Thank you sir, and started to walk off. He stopped me again. Can you tell why he stopped me again?
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CW4 Jim Webb
SGT (Join to see) - I said what I meant. You need to have been in the Army in the late sixties to understand the mentality. I don't think too many soldiers in today's Army have "FTA" written on their helmets.
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SGT (Join to see)
Good way to get your butt shot off when I was there in the mid 60’s. I don’t have a clue what you’re referring to.
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I would always render a salute and address them as Sir or Ma'am, but it was difficult at times to tell.
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I never really had an issue, but I once (back when I was a SPC) got saluted by a PFC from about 75ft away because he thought my rank was LTC.
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