Posted on Dec 2, 2013
What confuses you most about "sister services?"
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<p>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! </p>
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Military Career
Military Career
Edited 10 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 78
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1SG(P) (Join to see)
This picture reminds me that it's always better to hate the game as opposed to the player.
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SSG Matt Murphy
http://news.yale.edu/2013/09/26/air-force-vets-who-helped-pioneer-chinese-language-study-yale-return-campus
Half a century after they helped Yale refine a new method of language study, 28 retired Air Force personnel who learned Chinese at the university during the 1950s and 1960s returned to campus on Sept.
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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?
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SSG Matt Murphy
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture...
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert..
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present..
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row..
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear..
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture...
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert..
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present..
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row..
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear..
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
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Navy rank structure with integrated MOS...and there colored sleeve insignia!
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CMDCM Gene Treants
Well, I see our Shipmates have tackled some of the answers, but allow me to confuse you a little more. Our "Non-Rated" personnel E-1, 2, and 3 also have a different color structure. The most junior E-1 do not wear any stripes. Firemen (Engineering Personnel wear Red Stripes - 2 for E-2 and 3 for E-3), Deck Personnel Wear White Stripes, Construction Personnel Wear Blue Stripes, and Airmen wear Green Stripes. (I believe the last two colors were chosen to confuse everyone, even fellow Sailors.)
Now if this has not confused you enough and you really want to know more. I suggest you go to: http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/naval_ranks.htm
Service members sign a contract to serve for a limited time frame. Sailors in pay grades E-1 through E-3 (Seaman Recruit-to-Seaman) are considered in the apprentice phase of their career and are learn...
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CPT (Join to see)
OK, I have read thru the Navy Enlisted explanations twice and visited the attached website; each time I think I have it, it slips away. I guess if you consider each branch as two sets of rank (enlisted and officer) I am just going to have to be content with a lifetime .875 batting average. LMAO
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1SG Michael Blount
CPT - Rod Carew got into the Baseball Hall of Fame batting only .300, so .875 is pretty darned impressive.
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MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca
No bout adout it! :-) Hands down the most confusing. Nothing personal, love my Navy brothers & sisters!
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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
...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
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SSG Matt Murphy
A short story of inter-service dodging a bullet: Air America Flights = As my stint at "Communications & Records Officer" at the Consulate (part time job downtown Da Nang - civilian attire) , I personally set up the courrier flight process where we "part-timers" flew Air America to the I Corps provences......I made flights myself, as did my best bud Teddy Patton and others from the USAF 6924th Security Squadron. I used to have pictures, but my ex made confetti of them.
Amusing note: I gave the presentation to the I Corps Commanders at the Consulate (mostly bird Cols) and one kinda gave me a hard time about it until I pointed out that he missed the process improvement key point - reducing the critical info (especially classified) delievery time from 2-3 days to hours. I was rather sharp in my rebuttal (smarty pants).
At the end of the presentation, after all the Q&A activity was over, Ambassador H.L.T. Koren thanked me and told the audience that I was a Sgt on loan from the USAF. Soon as he said that I watched as the chastised Col went silently apoplectic. He did all he could to contain himself and I said to myself "uh-oh."
Expected fall-out, but never heard anything....
Never forget those flights, light aircraft......drop precipitously from higher altitudes to scream in quickly to the runway to avoid ground fire. Impressive multiple wrecked aircraft on the fringes of all those remote airfields.
Amusing note: I gave the presentation to the I Corps Commanders at the Consulate (mostly bird Cols) and one kinda gave me a hard time about it until I pointed out that he missed the process improvement key point - reducing the critical info (especially classified) delievery time from 2-3 days to hours. I was rather sharp in my rebuttal (smarty pants).
At the end of the presentation, after all the Q&A activity was over, Ambassador H.L.T. Koren thanked me and told the audience that I was a Sgt on loan from the USAF. Soon as he said that I watched as the chastised Col went silently apoplectic. He did all he could to contain himself and I said to myself "uh-oh."
Expected fall-out, but never heard anything....
Never forget those flights, light aircraft......drop precipitously from higher altitudes to scream in quickly to the runway to avoid ground fire. Impressive multiple wrecked aircraft on the fringes of all those remote airfields.
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SSG Matt Murphy
Consulate roster...H.L.T. Koren & some marines that may be familiar to I Corps troops...I took these pics in '67
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<p class="MsoNormal">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.</p>
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.</p>
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MSgt (Join to see)
I ran into something similar working at Al Udeid. We had a Navy Captain call down to our office for something, but he never identified himself as Navy. Meanwhile, there are Air Force Captains (with a splash of Army and Marine Captains) running around everywhere; across the hall, a workcenter made up almost entirely of Captains.
He was pretty pissed when we didn't magically know we were dealing with an O-6 simply by his identifying himself as "Captain (whatever his name was)."
He was pretty pissed when we didn't magically know we were dealing with an O-6 simply by his identifying himself as "Captain (whatever his name was)."
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SGT(P) (Join to see)
Same problem with being having a Captain come down to look at our equipment. Everyone just assumed it was some O-3 and didn't take it very serious until the field grade officer and his staff began perusing about.
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Cpl Phil Hsueh
On a similar note, there's the matter of how the Navy treats/regards Marine Corps Staff Sgts. In the Corps, a Staff Sgt. is a Staff NCO and gets a certain amount of special treatment, but onboard a Navy ship they're no longer special because in the Navy, the Staff NCO ranks start at E7, instead of E6.
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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.
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CMDCM Gene Treants
Black Shoes are SAILORS while Brown Shoes are worn (only) by Aviators. I was "fortunate enough to (wear) be a Black shoe for 28 years, but was captured and assigned to an Aviation Squadron for my last 2 years (Twilight Tour). As a result I was "forced" (happily) to wear Brown Shoes and a Flight Jacket, both marks of being a member of an aviation Command. And, I must add, worn proudly.
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CMDCM Gene Treants
I think that like the Army Berets, Brown Shoes are best appreciated and worn by those who have earned them and not by the general masses. When assigned to a unit, become a member of the unit, earn the right to wear their special gear, no matter what branch.
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LCDR Ray Trygstad
@Master Chief Treants, glad to hear you were sufficiently aeronautically adaptable to make the move to brown shoes. I only wear black shoes with my tuxedo and I have explained many time to many people why even as a civilian, all my shoes are brown. (I also wore my Aviation Greens as often as possible...)
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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. ;-)
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1SG Michael Blount
MAJ Burns - that is absolutely outstanding. I'm going to borrow this, ok? A couple people need to see this.
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Col (Join to see)
Good-to-go 1SG, please do! On thing is for sure, I know that I'd be a lot further along in my career if I didn't rate the RTKA w/ 2 silver and three bronze OLCs! :) Enjoy! lol
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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
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1SG Frank Rocha
The Navy's rank structure is just about as complicated as their uniform structure. I believe the rank structure (which they call "rate" instead of rank), up to E-6, follows your job skill to a degree. If your an aviation mechanic you may be an airman for example. E-7 and above is more straight forward. I work full time at a Navy base so I am getting more and more knowledgeable as I go.
Officers are actually a little easier, if you have ever watched star trek.
Officers are actually a little easier, if you have ever watched star trek.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
No disagreement here, Different Field Groups with different color uniform stripes Aviation, Operations, Engineering, Seabee. Rank/Rate (Rate is job specialty). Even different rules governing the different communities. i.e Supply Corps can never command a vessel, Operations can. Very Respectfully CTO1 (Cryptologic Technician Communications) Wm "Chip" Nagel USN(R).
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LT Jessica Kellogg
It's funny, I've only really been exposed to the Navy rates and ranks, so it seems natural. But ask me what the difference is between a sergeant, staff sergeant, and first sergeant, for example, and I'm a little lost.
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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.
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