How to differentiate personnel's rank during PT? Choice #2 worked amazingly in Hawaii.

Who cares during PT? We knew who everybody in our unit was.

You people worry about a lot of little shit. Putin is about to go nuclear. Everyone is going to glow in the dark.

No rank is necessary since leaders already set the example and lead from the front.

How often are you doing pt with you don’t know

Will any of this help in battle during our next confrontation with the Russian Bear?

As an E-4, and then E-5, I was on my Department's PFT Team at (then) Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego. Often the PT group was in the hundreds, and taking the Officers and Enlisted through the planned PT was never a problem in regards to rank. In a setting like that, out of official uniforms, you simply treat everyone with respect and encouragement through the routines. When you happen to know the higher ranks, you throw in a few 'sir's', 'ma'am's' and 'Chief's'. Color coding? Belts? Rank emblems? Those are stupid distractions to the entire purpose of physical training and could even lead to distraction based injuries.

One thing I can say is PT has become way more complex than when I was a PVT wearing my trusty old grey sweat pant style PT uniform. We had either a run day or a muscle failure day and it was either Company led or Platoon led. But I’m a dinosaur maybe things are better now….

Why is it necessary at all?

It’s simple, if you do not recognize you don’t salute. If asked to do so you comply. If someone makes a correction in PTs you simply comply. The possibility of confusion only occurs when you come across someone from another unit. It has worked as long as we started wearing PT uniforms. Personally don’t see the need.

Did it work amazingly, or did it make people feel good about themselves?