Posted on May 29, 2021
What are all of the different nicknames for rank that you've heard over the years, and if you know it, the reason behind them?
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What are all of the different nicknames for rank that you've heard over the years, and if you know it the reason behind them?
E1 Private - Slick Sleeve, Fuzzy.
E2 Private - Mosquito Wings, Buck Private, Private Second Class
E3 Private First Class - Perfect For Cleaning
E4 Specialist - Sham Shield, E4 Mafia, Full Bird Private
E8 First Sergeant - Top, Diamond
W1 Warrant Officer - Spot
W5 Chief Warrant Officer 5 - Tower, Lightsaber
O1 Second Lieutenant - Butter Bar
O3 Captain - Railroad Tracks, Double Lieutenant
O5 Lieutenant Colonel - Light Colonel
O6 Colonel - Eagle, Full Bird
O7+ Generals - Stars
E1 Private - Slick Sleeve, Fuzzy.
E2 Private - Mosquito Wings, Buck Private, Private Second Class
E3 Private First Class - Perfect For Cleaning
E4 Specialist - Sham Shield, E4 Mafia, Full Bird Private
E8 First Sergeant - Top, Diamond
W1 Warrant Officer - Spot
W5 Chief Warrant Officer 5 - Tower, Lightsaber
O1 Second Lieutenant - Butter Bar
O3 Captain - Railroad Tracks, Double Lieutenant
O5 Lieutenant Colonel - Light Colonel
O6 Colonel - Eagle, Full Bird
O7+ Generals - Stars
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Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 10
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We always called Specialists Speedy, as in Speedy 4, Speedy 5, etc. Lieutenants L T
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Others I have heard:
CPL: Practice NCO / Pretend SGT
SGM/CSM: Smaj (pronounced "smadge")
2LT: Private we salute / Officer Private
MAJ: Field Grade Lieutenant
WO1: Dot
CW2: Two mediocre OERs
CW5: Unicorn
BG: Big Guy
W1 - CW5: Ghosts / Invisible / Ninjas / Jedi
SFC: God's LT
1SG: God
CSM: God's Boss
CPL: Practice NCO / Pretend SGT
SGM/CSM: Smaj (pronounced "smadge")
2LT: Private we salute / Officer Private
MAJ: Field Grade Lieutenant
WO1: Dot
CW2: Two mediocre OERs
CW5: Unicorn
BG: Big Guy
W1 - CW5: Ghosts / Invisible / Ninjas / Jedi
SFC: God's LT
1SG: God
CSM: God's Boss
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CW2 (Join to see)
I support all of these.......except Dot, I'm not an Animaniac lol.
The CW2 one is hilarious.
The CW2 one is hilarious.
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CW2 (Join to see)
SPC (Join to see) command chief WO is already a thing. You can be a CW5 without being a CCWO.
And its to keep it more like a pay grade than a rank, allowing the Warrants to talk to each other like humans rather than robots to share expertise.
And its to keep it more like a pay grade than a rank, allowing the Warrants to talk to each other like humans rather than robots to share expertise.
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SPC (Join to see)
CW2 (Join to see) - I'm aware of the position, I've met a CCWO a handful of times. She regularly encourages people to consider becoming warrants actually. I was just curious as to why there wasn't any specific change in the title of the rank, that does makes sense considering Warrants are SME's and have their own culture outside of the traditional enlisted and officer realm.
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CW2 (Join to see)
SPC (Join to see) - Congress did authorize a CW6, which I feel would be good for CCWO (like CSM vs SGM), but the Army never implemented it. It's the CW5 rank but 2 coin slots instead of 1.
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SPC (Join to see)
CW2 (Join to see) - I remember hearing something about that and I vaguely remember an article about creating a position similar to the SMA but for Warrant Officers.
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In the Marines:
E-1, Private No Class
E-8 (Master Sergeant) - Top
E-8 1stSgt - First Shirt
E-9 MGySgt - Top
Haven't a clue where they came from. Just what we said!
E-1, Private No Class
E-8 (Master Sergeant) - Top
E-8 1stSgt - First Shirt
E-9 MGySgt - Top
Haven't a clue where they came from. Just what we said!
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SSgt (Join to see)
Our E9 was Master Guns. Or Robo Top behind his back - from the shrapnel he picked up in Vietnam.
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Cpl Vic Burk
SSgt (Join to see) - It might be my memory going bad but I don't remember using that one.
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SSgt (Join to see)
A few of us tried Top Guns once. Oh - the look! I don't think it was widely used but I had heard it a few times in comm school so I know it floats out there.
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2LT - Shave Tail. It's an old term from WW2 times. It comes from the common practice of EMs to 2LT or other new 2LTs cutting the tails off of their issue shirts to make the epaulets for their officers shirts.
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Lt Col Jim Coe
Continuing
2nd Lt -/ butter bar
EL Tee — lieutenant
Light Colonel — lieutenant colonel
Full bird — colonel
Slick wing major or Lt Col — Field grade AF pilot without flying time or experience to be a Senior Pilot or Command pilot.
Shirt or First Shirt — first sergeant
Chief — USAF E9, Navy E7, Army CWO 2-5
Os and Es— officer and enlisted personnel. Especially aircrew. I
2nd Lt -/ butter bar
EL Tee — lieutenant
Light Colonel — lieutenant colonel
Full bird — colonel
Slick wing major or Lt Col — Field grade AF pilot without flying time or experience to be a Senior Pilot or Command pilot.
Shirt or First Shirt — first sergeant
Chief — USAF E9, Navy E7, Army CWO 2-5
Os and Es— officer and enlisted personnel. Especially aircrew. I
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Depending on your rank:
E1 Private - Slick Sleeve, Fuzzy.
E2 Private - Mosquito Wings, Buck Private, Private Second Class
E3 Private First Class - Perfect For Cleaning
E4 Specialist - Buddy
E5 Sergeant - Sergeant
E6 Staff Sergeant - Sergeant
E7 Sergeant First Class - Sergeant
E8 First Sergeant - Top, Diamond - Sergeant
W1 Warrant Officer - Sir
W2 Chief Warrant Officer - Sir
W3 Chief Warrant Officer - Sir
W4 Chief Warrant Officer - Sir
W5 Chief Warrant Officer - Sir
O1 Second Lieutenant - Sir
O3 Captain - Sir
O4 Major - Sir
O5 Lieutenant Colonel - Sir
O6 Colonel - Sir
O7+ Generals - Sir
E1 Private - Slick Sleeve, Fuzzy.
E2 Private - Mosquito Wings, Buck Private, Private Second Class
E3 Private First Class - Perfect For Cleaning
E4 Specialist - Buddy
E5 Sergeant - Sergeant
E6 Staff Sergeant - Sergeant
E7 Sergeant First Class - Sergeant
E8 First Sergeant - Top, Diamond - Sergeant
W1 Warrant Officer - Sir
W2 Chief Warrant Officer - Sir
W3 Chief Warrant Officer - Sir
W4 Chief Warrant Officer - Sir
W5 Chief Warrant Officer - Sir
O1 Second Lieutenant - Sir
O3 Captain - Sir
O4 Major - Sir
O5 Lieutenant Colonel - Sir
O6 Colonel - Sir
O7+ Generals - Sir
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SPC (Join to see)
If I ever called a First Sergeant just Sergeant I'd get the crap smoked out of me. Nicknames for us enlisted but not the officers, very interesting Sir.
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