What confuses you most about "sister services?"

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 21:31:05 -0500

At one point or another we've all thought about it...  something about our sister services that we just can't seem to "wrap our minds around." So, what's that one thing that just seems to defy reason--from your perspective--and makes you wonder... "why do they do it that way?" The intent is to provide a fun, interesting, and thought provoking way to promote inter-service discussion. There's only one very simple rule here.. remember to display respect for all members from all services, of all ranks, and in all statuses. This should be a lively and thoroughly interesting discussion, and we'll all learn a thing or two about our sister services and each other in the process; now, pull up a keyboard, and let's get this thing started; thank you for all that you do, and... see you all in the discussion threads!

Response by SSG V. Michelle Woods made Dec 2 at 2013 9:36 PM

SSG V. Michelle Woods — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 21:36:19 -0500

Ok here I go...why do Navy juniors stand at "parade rest" for seniors with their arms in front of their bodies rather than behind their backs like the Army? Nothing wrong with it, just always wondered why they do that lol.

Response by LTC Jason Bartlett made Dec 2 at 2013 9:40 PM

LTC Jason Bartlett — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 21:40:11 -0500

I will leave it for a Navy rep to tell the story but my first year in the pentagon I almost had a heart attack when i noticed some Naval officers wearing black shoes and others wearing brown. My first thought was the guy forgot his shoes but I later learned the reason.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2013 9:42 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 21:42:00 -0500

When I was in Afghanistan on my first tour in 2006, the Air Force personnel I worked with were wearing : 1) ACU's and 2) DCU's with Marine style Head gear. What was up with that?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 2 at 2013 10:08 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 22:08:39 -0500

I always wondered why the position/rank structure in the Marines is different from the Army. In the Army a Squad leader is a SSG but in the Marines it is a SGT. A Platoon SGT in the Marines is a SSG. You have a 1SG and a company Gunny in the the Marines but in the Army you only have a 1SG. I heard stories how the Army did it only to raise pay so they bumped up all positions a rank but I am not buying that.

Response by SGM Matthew Quick made Dec 2 at 2013 10:17 PM

SGM Matthew Quick — Mon, 02 Dec 2013 22:17:16 -0500

Navy rank structure with integrated MOS...and there colored sleeve insignia!

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2013 1:10 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 01:10:35 -0500

Some of the ranks like in the Army (Specialist) and a few of the Navy insignia, officers and enlisted....

Response by SSG Robert Burns made Dec 3 at 2013 8:44 PM

SSG Robert Burns — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 20:44:23 -0500

I was at a joint dining in in San Antonio and sat with two A1C's. They had 30 ribbons between the 2 of them. No deployments. What on earth did they do? I had to hate on them a little bit, I just had to. ;-)

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 3 at 2013 9:04 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 21:04:51 -0500

Being on an AF base is like being in a house of mirrors; everything looks familiar, but nothing seems right. I saluted an AF Lieutenant Colonel, and he actually thanked me. What the what?

Response by Capt Andre Toman made Dec 3 at 2013 9:42 PM

Capt Andre Toman — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 21:42:56 -0500

I was doing flight training at Corpus Christi NAS and always got a kick out of my Navy friends who would go get some "geedunk."

Response by SSG Matt Murphy made Dec 3 at 2013 9:47 PM

SSG Matt Murphy — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 21:47:03 -0500

Nothing

Served in all four branches:

USAF 6924th SECURITY SQ

USNR 3-12th NAVAL SECUITY GROUP

USAR 11th SPECIAL FORCES GROUP ABN

USMCR Co "D" 2nd
BN 25th 4thMarDiv

NJNG 3/113th M INF

Response by SSG Matt Murphy made Dec 3 at 2013 9:49 PM

SSG Matt Murphy — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 21:49:42 -0500

Nothing

...served in all four branches:

USAF 6924th SECURITY SQ
USNR 3-12th NAVAL SECUITY GROUP
USAR 11th SPECIAL FORCES GROUP ABN
USMCR Co "D" 2nd BN 25th 4thMarDiv
NJNG 3/113th M INF

Response by SSG Matt Murphy made Dec 3 at 2013 10:14 PM

SSG Matt Murphy — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 22:14:52 -0500

I will give you an idea of the differences....

Response by SSG Laureano Pabon made Dec 3 at 2013 11:00 PM

SSG Laureano Pabon — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 23:00:32 -0500

What I could not understand in my time, was why the Army carried BA 30 batteries and the Air Force had D size Energizers.

Also Why did the Air Force mess hall looked so far better then the Army's and Why did the Navy served great food.

If any one seen an Air Force billets its like the taj mahal, holiday inns cant beat it.

Response by CSM Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2013 12:17 AM

CSM Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:17:45 -0500

During my career, I have served with all Branches of the US
military and numerous foreign military forces.
There many differences I have
noticed but I will discuss two from my current assignment. In my current position, I work with the USAF
and the AAF directly. My first
difficulty was being called Sir by all the USAF, officer and enlisted. My rank in the Army is Sergeant Major
(SGM/E-9). The USAF call E-9s “Chief”
but they called me Sir. I corrected several
members for the first few days but nothing changed. So I started asking them why everyone called
me Sir. The replies were the same from
officers and enlisted. They told me that
when they do not know how to address someone or simply out of respect to others
services they default to Sir. Since then
I have noticed this within their own ranks.

This is a
little off the topic but I thought it would add a different view on the NCO
corps. The AAF, I am convinced, have no
idea how the NCO should be used. I met
an AAF SGM (E-9) who was in-charge of filters.
He issued new filters and disposed of old filters. He was very proud of his job. The second I met was in-charge of
lubricants. When I asked him to discuss
this in more detail (through my IT), he said he removes old lubricant from
parts and installed new lubricant in its place.
He was also very proud of his job.
I could write awhile on this topic but I need to direct my attentions
elsewhere. Have a great day.

Response by SSG Bryan Bailey made Dec 4 at 2013 3:20 PM

SSG Bryan Bailey — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 15:20:31 -0500

Maj. Burns that is too funny!!! I will be sure to forward this to my brother who is a 1LT in the Air Force...haha

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2013 6:01 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 18:01:06 -0500

Thanks for posting this, Sir. Matter of fact, the Navy's tradition of Standing the Rails. What's that all about? Where'd it originate? Why'd it get a start? Why do they still do so, other than the dog and pony show? Thanks to the Sailors who can answer this.

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2013 7:51 PM

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 19:51:33 -0500

I think that someone from the Air Force would generally say that they are the coolest and cleanest.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 4 at 2013 10:36 PM

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 22:36:39 -0500

It's official, we'll do a Letterman-style "top-ten" list for this topic as well, just for fun.. vote up your favorites and submit your best to be voted on... now grab them keyboards and let's get back at it! : )

Response by SSG Matt Murphy made Dec 5 at 2013 12:13 AM

SSG Matt Murphy — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 00:13:37 -0500

..some nights the Link Kou Air Station USAFSS dining hall ran out of steaks (cooked to order) or worse yet, lobster...the very thought....

Some times they made us go to other mountains for recon.....the very nerve...

I even went back in Feb 2001, same hard duty.....

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2013 4:00 AM

WO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 04:00:57 -0500

The Navy’s segregation policies; Chief’s Mess, Officer’s
Mess etc. Always found it weird.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Dec 11 at 2013 9:24 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 21:24:37 -0500

I think the greatest day of my life is when I was serving on the USS Bonhomme Richard. I got to meet Interior Communications Electrician 2nd class Balls, or as he was introduced to me, IC2 Balls =o) I love Navy rank!

Response by CPO Jon Campbell made Dec 12 at 2013 12:06 AM

CPO Jon Campbell — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 00:06:04 -0500

I have found that many people are confused about the Coast Guard. It is a para-military service. It is currently under the Department of Homeland Security, but it is also one of the 5 'Armed Forces.' (Military, but not DOD). Many people I meet still think it is under the Treasury Department, but that changed in 1967 with the creation of the Department of Transportation and again with the creation of DHS. The post 1935 CG absorbed the Revenue Cutter Service (the only armed part), Lighthouse Service, Lifesaving Service, Steam Ship Inspection Service, and several other government entities. Many people think that the CG is part of the Navy, and that isn't correct, although during war, the CG has been attached to the Navy. The CG also attaches some officers and petty officers to Navy ships so that they can hoist the CG ensign and enforce laws. The CG operates around the world and not just near the coast of the US.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 12 at 2013 12:45 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 00:45:37 -0500

I spent 15 months with the Marines (1st MEF) in Iraq and about 6 months in Afghanistan (Marjah). I was more surprised but how much we had in common. Made the mistake of calling a SSG or Gunny just Sergeant and heard about the difference. I would gladly serve with them again although I do prefer west coast over Lejeune Marines any day.

Response by Cpl Ray Fernandez made Dec 12 at 2013 1:00 AM

Cpl Ray Fernandez — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:00:18 -0500

I think it's more of a "language" and "cultural barrier" than any major difference. I look around the posts here on RallyPoiint and still find it odd that so many in other branches mention their pay grade instead of their rank, which is almost foreign to Marines. Also unit patches for the Army, and ship/command rockers on Navy uniforms seem odd, our utilities (camouflage uniforms) are rather plain compared to the Army's. So that covers the cultural side.

The language side seems more like each branch wants to confuse outsiders from learning their ways.

Response by SSG Robert Burns made Dec 12 at 2013 5:40 PM

SSG Robert Burns — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 17:40:55 -0500

I'd have to say the Navy. How come when you send something by ship it's called CARgo, but when you send it by car it's called a SHIPment?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 15 at 2013 10:16 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 22:16:16 -0500

I would also say the Coast Guard in general. Are they a sister service or like a step sister service?

Response by MCPO Robert Kelley made Dec 16 at 2013 4:55 PM

MCPO Robert Kelley — Mon, 16 Dec 2013 16:55:39 -0500

Why the different times for raising and lowering colors.

Sunrise/1700

0800/Sunset

Response by GySgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 21 at 2013 3:31 PM

GySgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 15:31:24 -0500

I don't get the camoflauge uniforms of the other branches of services! The tiger stripe ones can fall along with the Army's picture.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 2 at 2014 3:30 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 15:30:40 -0500

Interesting question Sir and a great one as well. This is why I love Joint Duty, you learn so much from he other services. Here is my list of confusing "Other" service stuff:

1- Air force AFC badges: At first I thought they were airborne wings then I was told that they were badges to signify MOS

2- Air force Command Stars: Seems like a rip-off of the Navy....

3- Why the Air force has such better living standards? Same things goes with Army Aviation, but I still don't get it.

4- Navy Officer rank: In Kakis they look like ours, but in the dress uniform they have stripes? European Navy/Air Force use strips all the time. (Consistencies) It is why when a Navy CAPT is in a joint job they get called Colonel....

5- Navy Rate System: Boatswain Mate 1st Class? Why not just say Petty Officer 1st Class? Only service that does it.....

6- Navy Badges: Surface Warfare, Submariner, Supply Corps they all have different badges. Gold for officers and silver for enlisted? To many badges all for the same thing. Surface Warfare should all be the same.....

7- Army Warrant Officers: Why do our warrants have different ranks than the other services (Navy/Marines)?

8- Army NCO Ranks: I HATE calling a SSG/SFC/MSG "Sergeant" It is so stupid. The Marines got this one right. Wish we would fix it.....

9- Army Warrant Officer W1,2,3,4,5: They need to re-name the Warrant Ranks. Who came up with Chief 1-2-3-4-5?

Response by 1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 3 at 2014 11:51 AM

1SG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 11:51:23 -0500

USAF's term "Improved All Weather Aircraft". I don't think their definition of "all" is the same as mine or the dictionary. "All" means everything, there can't be anymore. By it's nature, you can't add to "all" or improve it. I once had this conversation:

USAF CPT, "The AC-130H Spectre is merely an All-Weather Aircraft. But our AC-130U Spookys are an IMPROVED All-Weather Aircraft."

Me, "Sir, how did you improve on 'ALL'? If you could make it even more 'all', it wasn't 'all' to begin".

Response by CPO Greg Frazho made Jan 3 at 2014 4:08 PM

CPO Greg Frazho — Fri, 03 Jan 2014 16:08:48 -0500

I'd like to know who came up with the novel idea of wearing glow belts in a combat zone? Whose Bronze Star Medal (sans 'V') citation did that end up on? While I'm at it, I was shocked to see and learn in Afghanistan that a certain Army unit had to wear hand protection (i.e., gloves) anywhere and everywhere, regardless of the time of day or the local weather conditions. Who comes up with this shit?

Response by LCpl Mark Lefler made Jan 5 at 2014 2:39 AM

LCpl Mark Lefler — Sun, 05 Jan 2014 02:39:48 -0500

The Marines teach us to call each rank by its name for enlisted, so when it come to the army Sgt ranks, I found it odd saying "yes sergeant" to a Sergeant 1st first class but at the same time Sgt 1st class is a lot to say. It wierds me out a bit.

Response by Spc 1 J W. made Jan 7 at 2014 11:59 PM

Spc 1 J W. — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 23:59:47 -0500

As someone who started out in the Navy but now is in the Air Force, why does the Air Force have a ribbon for basic training?

A few years ago the Air Force did away with the AF Good Conduct Medal (only to bring it back). People said well everyone gets one so why have it. I said in the Navy not everyone gets a GCM and it's always conspicuous by is absence from those individuals that weren't wearing one. Everyone goes to boot camp so why have a basic training ribbon?

http://www.afpc.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=7829

Factsheets : Air Force Training Ribbon

Response by SSG Matt Murphy made Jan 9 at 2014 3:34 PM

SSG Matt Murphy — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 15:34:56 -0500

If my memory serves me correctly (perhaps not), there is a great chapter in Chickenhawk where he describes being forced to land his Army Helo on an Air Force base in a blinding and freezing rainstorm.

They were met at the "tie-down" point by enlisted airmen in a heated USAF vehicle, told to not worry about the tie-down, USAF troops would do that for them, and taken to an unreal-to-them pilots waiting room filled with all sorts of amenities they never, ever saw in the Army. http://www.robertcmason.com./

home

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 9 at 2014 9:39 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 21:39:58 -0500

I have to say what boggles my mind about the Marines is that they are so proficient at Small Unit Tactics but do not "play well with others", meaning almost as a position of pride they do not like working joint service ops. I know that with this being said people are going to point out a thousand joint operations where they did work well together. This was just my experience in OEF.

Response by SSG Matt Murphy made Jan 9 at 2014 11:00 PM

SSG Matt Murphy — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 23:00:21 -0500

..regardless of the differences.....every branch has always looked out and helped the others when the chips were down.... http://www.eugeneleeslover.com/Sailors_Stories/Vandenheuvel.html

Sailors' Stories Vanden Heuvel

This page tells the story of a 20 year old WWII tail gunner, Richard Vanden Heuvel. His B-29 was shot down off Japan and he and his crew were rescued by a submarine crew. 65 years later a color video ...

Response by SPC Daniel Drennan made Jan 12 at 2014 1:36 PM

SPC Daniel Drennan — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 13:36:01 -0500

While serving on active duty, I rarely ever met members of the other branches. Now I'm attending college at a University with a strong veterans organization and I converse with people from all branches very regularly and I have to say the biggest confusions I've experienced come from subtle differences in our lingo. For instance, Marines and Naval personnel commonly refer to standing watch, using the head, and they describe the front passenger of a vehicle as an "A Driver." In the Army these were referred to as standing guard, the latrine, and a TC (Truck Commander). For the most part these differences in lingo don't create much confusion, but they are fascinating.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2014 8:10 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 20:10:27 -0500

I started off in the Marine Corps so obliviously I had to be
well versed on the Navy rank structure as well. 
I was fortunate enough to work with several Army and Air Force units on worldwide
operations so I had a firm understanding of what each rank looked like and
did.  Now with all that being said as a
young Army Sergeant I had the unfortunate pleasure of witnessing an Army CPT
lose his cool with a Navy CAPT on the telephone.  In vain I tried to signal to him that it was
a huge mistake but we all know how that goes. 
As soon as the Army CPT slammed the phone down I asked him if he knew
what a Navy CAPT was and it was obvious he didn’t.  In my 18 years of service that’s the first
time I've ever seen someone instantly turn pale, well other than when the CPT
had to go see the Navy CAPT.  In the end
the Navy CAPT had a sense of humor or compassion because the Army CPT got a
butt chewing and the matter was closed. 
Lesson learned never play “rock, paper, rank” when you don’t know who you
are playing with.

Response by CW3 Michael Danberry made Jan 18 at 2014 8:57 AM

CW3 Michael Danberry — Sat, 18 Jan 2014 08:57:08 -0500

I assist people of all branches of the military with assistance installing the software needed to use their CAC on thier personal computer. The Marines, Navy, and Coast Guard all require their personnel to login to their portal [with their CAC] to be able to download the required ActivClient middleware.

The Air Force opened up a small part of thier portal for username / password finally. But it took a year or so for them to do this. The Army is the only branch this entire time that allowed its personnel to login with username and password to AKO to be able to download the needed program. Now with Windows 7 and 8, the need is not as great, but anyone who is still using Vista, or XP, or Army users who need an update to ActivClient, will still need the baseline software.

So, why would the Navy, Marines, & Coast Guard think their people could log in with their CAC, when they are there to get the software to be able to login with their CAC. This blows my mind in the common sense test. Kind of a cart before the horse deal. :)

I am also very curious why the DoD help desks try their best to ignore Mac users. Their main answer is usually that the DoD doesn't have Macs, so, they seem to feel "I dont' have to support them." This was the same mentality when Vista was released, then Windows 7, now Windows 8 to the general public. The DoD help desks go with what they feel is "comfortable" for them. They seem unwilling to learn what is already out in the open.

Interent Explorer 11 has been out since October 2013 with the release of Windows 8.1. This browser changes the view of Outlook Web Access. NETCOMs answer was uninstall IE 11 and go back to IE 10. If they had investigated, they would have found out that Windows 8.1 users cannot do this. The OWA server owners could update their servers and save this headache for all of its people, but, evidently them fixing a few hundred or less servers is harder than millions of users having to tweak their web browser settings just to read their email.

All of this kind of information can be found on https://MilitaryCAC.com

Response by SSG Shawn M. made Jan 23 at 2014 12:49 AM

SSG Shawn M. — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 00:49:32 -0500

This could just be hearsay but does the Air Force really get a Sub-Standard living allowance for living on another branches installation?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 28 at 2014 4:46 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 16:46:02 -0500

How members of the air force refer to everyone as "sir".

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 3 at 2014 11:23 PM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 23:23:19 -0500

Most confusing to me:

US Air Force Enlisted Rank Insignia and titles of rank.

The USAF came from the Army, but never saw anything in the Army like USAF insignia!

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Feb 4 at 2014 12:41 AM

LTC Paul Labrador — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 00:41:13 -0500

Navy enlisted rank. Confuses the shit out of me....

Response by PV2 Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 4 at 2014 10:48 AM

PV2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 10:48:24 -0500

I get the impression that the Marines hate Army folks. I used to get mercilessly ridiculed by Marine friends about how how the Marines are so much better than the Army. Is this true or just good natured ribbing?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 7 at 2014 10:08 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 07 Feb 2014 10:08:11 -0500

Based on a discussion I posted weeks ago about earrings in ACU, some people responded that the use of earrings distract from a military appearance. Now, for Air Force, Navy & Coast Guard the use of earrings with ABU, ODU, etc it is ok. I wish that Army could understand those parameters that the sister services used to determine that the use of earrings does not distract from a military appearance so the Army could use it too. This is just my personal opinion.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2014 6:08 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 06:08:31 -0500

Why couldn't I have a brother

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2014 7:20 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 19:20:24 -0500

Why did the Navy choose "In the Navy" by the Village People as their theme song in the 70s? The video was actually made on a Navy Ship. Seems a little left handed to me.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 25 at 2014 7:40 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 19:40:10 -0500

After having been stationed at Shaw AFB and now on the Joint Staff, I have to ask: Are Air Force officers allergic to Kiwi shoe polish or is there a conspiracy against Corfram shoes? I have seen more "Hershey Bar and a brick" shine jobs in these past 2 assignments. What's the story? And don't get me started on flight suits/jackets...

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 25 at 2014 8:49 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 20:49:06 -0500

Air Force rank....there appears to be lots of strips on the arms for the Enlisted rank.

Response by TSgt Scott Hurley made Feb 25 at 2014 8:54 PM

TSgt Scott Hurley — Tue, 25 Feb 2014 20:54:47 -0500

The thing that confuses me the most, is the Navy's use of Ratings instead of Rank. It can drive you nuts. Especially, if you do not see their rank. That does not happen for Officers in the Navy, but for the enlisted, it is a nightmare to understand.

Response by TSgt Scott Hurley made Feb 26 at 2014 11:24 PM

TSgt Scott Hurley — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 23:24:06 -0500

Now here is a good one:

Now for you "OLD" Army guys. Explain the Army ranks. Especially the third and last rows. I have found more ranks that the US military has used over the years. And they are just as confusing.

Response by SPC David Solotky made Mar 3 at 2014 7:43 PM

SPC David Solotky — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 19:43:59 -0500

I was active duty army. In the army you select your mos at the recruiting station etc. Go to BCT then go to your mos training. When I deployed we had navy attached to our unit. It really puzzled me that the navy doesn't do a career field pick like that from my understanding. I could be wrong on that subject however I just thought that was odd. And their officer ranks although I am sure that dates back to the days of old involving that subject.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 3 at 2014 9:58 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 21:58:09 -0500

I have a hard time understanding the Air Force's rules concerning studying for a promotion test. In the Army if you have soldiers coming up for a promotion board you make it a priority to enforce group study and to drill the study material with your subordinates. I always conduct at least two mock boards and more if the soldier performs poorly. I drill questions and answers, etiquette, creeds, and bios all day long throughout the workday until my soldiers are blue in the face. But they always succeed with flying colors and that comes back to reflect on me.

I was stationed in Afghanistan with three airmen attached to provide SNAP terminal support. Two of them were supposed to start studying for the SSgt test so I proceeded to procure study materials and enforce study times. Just as if they were my soldiers I went ahead and studied over their materials and would quiz them throughout the work day. Well one day an Air Force Chief Master Sergeant comes by to check on the morale of these orphaned Airmen and I brief him on their study progress... Needless to say he was infuriated and threatening all kinds of UCMJ. I had to get my CSM to talk to him because I hadn't a clue what was going on and seriously thought I had been providing textbook leadership.

Come to find out in the Air Force there is no such thing as a team when it comes to promotions. The system seems designed to succeed or fail entirely on your own. I can almost admire the need to be self sufficient and to have a personal drive to study on your own but it went against everything we do in the Army.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 4 at 2014 5:46 AM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 05:46:45 -0500

As a Sailor, when I was stationed on an Army post. I could never understand why the soldiers would have formation at 0245 for a PT event that wouldn't start until 0700. Also, why the Air Force had to have "safety belts" at all times.

Response by SSgt James Stanley made Mar 6 at 2014 5:33 PM

SSgt James Stanley — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:33:13 -0500

Navy rank is confusing. For example, Navy Lt. wearing Captain's bars and Navy Captain wearing Bird Col. rank. The rest is even more confusing.

Response by SGT Bryon Sergent made Mar 13 at 2014 10:40 AM

SGT Bryon Sergent — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:40:55 -0400

Naval rank period is confusing. I was taught in basic as an Infantryman that if there was Gold on the seleve salute.

And airforce enlisted rank. can't get it either!

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2014 3:46 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 15:46:35 -0400

The Rank of Captain. O3 or O6.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Mar 27 at 2014 3:22 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 15:22:40 -0400

Just about everything, I am a sailor and our everything is about 180 degrees out from the rest of our sister services. As the Son of a Marine I do have some understanding of the rest of Y'all though.

Response by 1SG Michael Blount made Mar 28 at 2014 1:02 PM

1SG Michael Blount — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 13:02:30 -0400

I can't follow Navy rank to save my life. Enlisted, officer, doesn't matter - one look and I'm done. I DO know a Navy Chief when I see one, but that's only because of the anchor. After that...toast

Response by 1SG Frank Rocha made Mar 29 at 2014 10:28 PM

1SG Frank Rocha — Sat, 29 Mar 2014 22:28:48 -0400

I suppose what confuses me most is the ever present desire, by the more immature population, to devalue the other services in comparison with "what they do" or "who they are". In some cases its indoctrinated to a degree, in others its self imposed adolescent behavior.

I come from a family of Marines, most of which are Vietnam veterans. Although I joined the Army I never heard any disrespect towards the Army or other services from those family members. Most of them, by the way, saw direct combat action in Vietnam.

My father went to Vietnam shortly after his initial training was completed. I remember him describing how gung ho and indestructible he felt at the time. I even have a picture of him at his graduation. While he was in Vietnam he came face to face with his own mortality. It changed his perceptions. He told me once he eventually became numb to the death he saw. It became fascinating to him, you can almost tell the exact moment the soul leaves the body. His experiences there gave him nightmares his whole life. I was very close to him and it was hard to see him in pain like that.

My fathers advice was to get a job that you can use on the outside. So I chose Aviation and haven't looked back. I Have never came face to face with my own mortality the same way that he, or my uncles, did but I would like to think I learned that lesson through him and pray I never have to experience it first hand. However, in the event that it does occur, I know my military training has prepared me to face that moment with strength and dignity.

Growing up around a mixed bunch of veterans treating each other as equals and not devaluing each others services or achievement is what I came to expect from the service. When I got there I found the immaturity I described in the first paragraph. Although this, by far, does not represent the other services as a whole, and certainly not the majority, the attitude is still there.

I imagine other services veterans, that saw direct combat, have similar
experiences. The enemy doesn't care what color uniform your wearing, or
what comes after "U.S." above the left pocket of your uniform. They only
care that it says "U.S.".

Response by PO3 Candace Gracik made Apr 7 at 2014 10:38 PM

PO3 Candace Gracik — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 22:38:26 -0400

Dress Uniforms between the Air force and Coast Guard have too many similarities. From a distance it's not easy telling one service apart from the other. Most Coast Guard members have actually purchased dress blues from Air force bases because the Coast Guard uniform supply doesn't carry everything needed to maintain our dress blues or "trops". I personally always enjoyed guessing the branch of service based upon a uniform you see in the distance.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 8 at 2014 12:29 AM

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 00:29:24 -0400

In order to promote maximum participation and continued discussion, here are just a few related topics for your consideration; thank you for all that you do, and... see you all in the discussion threads!

Response by CW2 Jonathan Kantor made Apr 8 at 2014 10:43 AM

CW2 Jonathan Kantor — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 10:43:48 -0400

I went to Goodfellow AFB, San Angelo, TX for the first phase of my AIT back in 1997. Being on an AFB, I immediately felt like I was in a different world. This was probably because I had just left BCT at Ft. Leondarwood, MO where everything was gung ho, hua hua.

In the Chow Hall, the civilian employees bussed our tables. That confused the hell out of me. My barracks room was like a dorm--I thought they messed up and gave PV2 Kantor an Officer's room. And then there were the following two events:

I was walking to the post office when an Airman ran up to me. I was in my PT uniform and he asked me what it was. I told him and he asked how often we did PT. I told him usually twice a day. He was flabbergasted! I asked him how often he did it and he said once a year. This was back when they did their PFA on a bike, it has changed for them considerably since then.

The Airmen had a maid service. We had to answer to Drill Sergeants and have our room inspection ready all the time. Normal Army stuff. Looking at their barracks, they had a maid service go through their rooms every day and do a turn-down service... it was basically a hotel. That was the one thing I never understood about the USAF. I don't know if they still do that, but I can tell you one thing; I would have loved to have a maid in AIT :D

Response by SFC Christopher Perry made Apr 30 at 2014 8:48 PM

SFC Christopher Perry — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 20:48:39 -0400

After spending three years on an Air Force base, I would have to say the use overwhelming use of first names.

Response by SPC Sofarleen Thalassinos/Smith made May 2 at 2014 10:51 PM

SPC Sofarleen Thalassinos/Smith — Fri, 02 May 2014 22:51:14 -0400

Why is it our deployment commitment lengths vary so by branch?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 4 at 2014 7:10 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 May 2014 19:10:08 -0400

Is the Army the only service that has organized PT in the morning with a specific uniform?
I always see other services just wear anything during their PT formations. Example the Navy has a PT uniform but in one formation everyone had on something different even brown t shirts. I thought that was hilarious.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 4 at 2014 9:11 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 04 May 2014 21:11:29 -0400

The Air Force/Zoomies walking around with umbrellas in their ABU or tiger strip uniforms.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made May 27 at 2014 12:39 PM

MSG Brad Sand — Tue, 27 May 2014 12:39:41 -0400

To understand my confusion, I need to tell a story about something I witnessed at AFN HQ in Frankfort, Germany…and for everyone in the Army and Marines it will be a WTF moment and the Air Force will be asking what was the problem?
I am talking to an E-4, Sergeant in the USAF, on duty on the radio in civilian clothes, when his first line supervisor comes by with a question about him taking his Semi Annual Physical Fitness Test. The Sergeant leans back thinks about it for a while and decides, “No, I don’t feel like taking it right now maybe next week.” His supervisor accepts this and walks out.
I’m standing there wondering what just happened. The more the Sergeant explained the more confused I became…you can just tap out of doing your PT test because you don’t feel like it?

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jun 3 at 2014 8:38 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 20:38:09 -0400

Why does the Navy hate it when you call a ship a boat? You can call a submarine a boat but not a ship, even though by definition a ship is a boat

I'm sooo confoozed!! :-)

Response by MAJ Jeff Coulter made Jun 4 at 2014 1:09 PM

MAJ Jeff Coulter — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 13:09:50 -0400

I served as the S3 (operations officer) for a Navy-led provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan in 08. First, a little background on these teams: the Air Force and Navy wanted a larger stake in operations in the Stan so DOD gave them the 10 US PRTs (5 for each). That means that that service provided the bulk of the personnel and filled all the command positions. The caveat was that the senior NCO and ops officer positions had to be filled by the Army or Marine Corps. My commander was a submariner. He had a real problem dealing with the fact that plans change during operations depending on the environment and what the enemy did. I was also amazed to see that junior sailors basically served officers and chiefs. This is completely different than how we do things in the Army. I also made the mistake of thinking that a Navy E-5 or E-6 was equivalent to an Army SGT or SSG. The Navy apparently doesn't emphasize leadership at the lower levels. It was truly an eye-opening experience.

Response by Maj Jeremy R. made Jun 4 at 2014 1:15 PM

Maj Jeremy R. — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 13:15:37 -0400

Why do you get demoted when transferring to the Coast Guard? I met a few fellow aviators who went over and dropped from say O-3 to an O-2. If I recall correctly, it's been several years, a former Army helo pilot was now in the Coast Guard as an O-3. He explained that he was an O-4 facing a desk job - took a transfer to the Coast Guard and came in as an O-2, but now he only flies helos and no desks and couldn't be happier.

Response by SSG Jeffrey Spencer made Jun 9 at 2014 12:14 PM

SSG Jeffrey Spencer — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 12:14:41 -0400

Why members in our "Sister Services" are called "Brothers in Arms?"

Response by SrA Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 16 at 2014 8:40 AM

SrA Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 08:40:00 -0400

I also don't understand the Navy's Rank Insignias, or structure for that matter.. But I do recognize a Navy Chief when I see one!

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 18 at 2014 1:00 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 13:00:30 -0400

The different MOS's that they have. One reason I wanted to join the Army was because I knew that there were going to be plenty of different jobs for me to choose from.

Response by PO2 Maxwell Jones made Jul 13 at 2014 7:52 PM

PO2 Maxwell Jones — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 19:52:32 -0400

I think ranks of the other branches was the thing I had the most trouble with in the Navy. Being on a submarine, it was even like going to a foreign land to go onto a surface ship because they actually cared about rank way more than a submarine crew did.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 6 at 2015 6:25 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:25:54 -0400

"At Ease" meaning 'Attention' for an NCO entering.

Response by SGT Robert Cupp made Sep 10 at 2016 5:08 PM

SGT Robert Cupp — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 17:08:51 -0400

I always wondered why the army came up with the unofficial rank specialist promotable. As a SPC(P) you are expected to act like an nco and demonstrate your leadership abilities. But that's pretty much what is expected of a corporal which is also an e4. The other nco's want the spc(p) to act like an nco but they don't really have any real authority but then they also still get treated like regular specialist.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Sep 10 at 2016 5:46 PM

SGT Philip Roncari — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 17:46:15 -0400

"Sister services"?-I'm still trying to figure out how the Army I was in did things the way they did!