Why does the Navy Enlisted wear their rank only on the left sleeve?

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 10:38:08 -0400

I have always been curious about this and can't find anything about why.

Response by TSgt Bruce Davis made Apr 21 at 2017 10:47 AM

TSgt Bruce Davis — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 10:47:41 -0400

Best answer from:
https://bluejacket.com/naval_uniform_b.htm

Until 1949 rating badges were worn on either the left or right sleeve. From 1833 to 1885 Petty Officers of the Line (Seaman Branch) wore the Petty Officer Device on the right sleeve, and all others on the left sleeve except officers' stewards. Petty Officers of the Line (Seaman Branch) included deck ratings of boatswains mate, signalman and quartermaster, and ordnance ratings of turret captain, gunners mate, fire controlman, mineman and torpedoman.
From 1885 to 1913 the rating badge was worn according to the watch. The port section wore their badges on the left arm. From 1913 to 1949 the rating badge was again worn on the right by the Seaman Branch and the left for all others.

The eagle on the petty officer rating badge is derived from the Napoleonic eagle. This eagle was usually embroidered facing left. Why the Napoleonic eagle faces left is unknown. In 1941, the Navy changed the eagle's facing direction to follow the heraldic rules which face right toward the wearer's sword arm. This rule continues to apply and the eagle now faces to the front or the wearer's right. Bluejacket slang for the eagle is "crow."

and...tradition

U.S. Navy Uniform Traditions and Origins

U.S. Navy officer and enlisted uniform questions and answers concerning traditons and origins.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Apr 21 at 2017 11:06 AM

CAPT Kevin B. — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 11:06:35 -0400

If you read between the lines, 1949 was just before the Korean War and the Navy was still in a downsizing mode from WW2. So what do they do? They fuss with things because they can. So "uniform" meant everyone would be "uniform". It likely wound up on the left side so you could still figure out what rank was saluting. All speculation, but this is the type of stuff that gets tossed around the table. BTW, I started out with the wool crackerjacks. The front trouser flap had 13 buttons for the original number of states (folklore). The uniform had inside creases because when you iron the wrinkles out of wool, the iron leaves a sheen where it makes contact. You turn the uniform inside out to put the sheen inside, thus preserving the finish on the outside. The uniforms today look more frumpy but are easier to maintain.

Response by SGT David T. made Apr 21 at 2017 11:27 AM

SGT David T. — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 11:27:59 -0400

I am more curious about the hat. It doesn't seem very functional to me lol. The beret isn't either but it looks pretty (usually).

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2017 11:44 AM

CPO Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 11:44:39 -0400

While there is some interesting speculations, and other reasoning I would go with... Because we can and we don't think we need to over advertise just how bad azz we are. LOL ;-)

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2017 1:56 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 13:56:15 -0400

I was told by a Coastie being at sea for several months you tend to run out of toilet paper. So you use your right sleeve and keep the left one clean w/ your rank insignia on it. He also told me it was the reason behind the scout shake. Completely BS story but entertaining.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Apr 21 at 2017 2:59 PM

PO1 John Miller — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 14:59:06 -0400

Because we're smart and only have to pay to have our rank sewn on one sleeve instead of both sleeves.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Apr 21 at 2017 3:28 PM

SN Greg Wright — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 15:28:16 -0400

Why not? At a single glance we can tell a Sailor's rank, TiS, job, and whether or not he's behaved for a given period of time (the gold vs red as seen above). Only the CG can say that as well.

Response by PO2 Robert Aitchison made Apr 21 at 2017 5:40 PM

PO2 Robert Aitchison — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 17:40:00 -0400

The easy answer for anything the Navy does that doesn't make sense is "tradition"

As it happens during WWII and before certain rates (I know Boatswains Mate was one) wore their rating badge and rank on their right sleeve while others wore it on the left. Sometime after the war the uniforms were standardized to have the rating badge/rank on the left sleeve.

Response by CPT Jim Schwebach made Apr 21 at 2017 9:45 PM

CPT Jim Schwebach — Fri, 21 Apr 2017 21:45:49 -0400

I was once told that after the Navy spends all of its money on boats that float and boats that sink and planes that fly and other stuff they just don't have enough left over to afford two insignia for every one of the swabbies. Could have been a sea story though.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 22 at 2017 6:15 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 18:15:59 -0400

saved time and money for sewing. Plus all Petty Officer rank is purchased as 1st class and the other chevrons are removed as needed to show the proper rank. Frugal people love this.

Response by SFC George Smith made Apr 22 at 2017 9:55 PM

SFC George Smith — Sat, 22 Apr 2017 21:55:52 -0400

most interesting... Thanks for the share...

Response by PO2 Devrie Paradowski made Apr 23 at 2017 12:24 PM

PO2 Devrie Paradowski — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 12:24:27 -0400

That's their dress uniform. They used to have to have patches sewn onto a bazillion uniforms: dress whites, dress blues, working whites, working blues, and utilities. Now it appears it's just the dress uniform. Maybe they were attempting to save money by just having the rank on one sleeve considering how many uniforms they had to keep up with!

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 23 at 2017 3:18 PM

2LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 15:18:12 -0400

The Navy has long been based on tradition and the old ways. "If it ain't broke, don't if it" has long been the unofficial mantra followed by the chief's mess of the U.S.N, just ask former MCPON what happens when you fuck with the rates that have been around longer than the Navy itself, he, the CNO, and Sec Navy all found out retention and recruitment would suffer horrendously if they went along with their plan (my father about stroked out from anger when he first heard, as did most CPOs I know). Of course, former MCPON Stevens was never been friendly to Navy tradition, saying Chief's initiation wasn't really a tradition in the first place (it had always been so since CPO was established in 1897).
The short answer to your question may very well be found in the Royal Navy, since most of our Navy traditions stem from that service. In all honesty, I'm not sure.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Apr 23 at 2017 5:11 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 17:11:10 -0400

Because all that gold would put your eye out if on both sleeves.

Response by PO1 RIchard Petty made Apr 24 at 2017 2:04 AM

PO1 RIchard Petty — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 02:04:53 -0400

Just like the flap on the back of Dress Blues/Whites its still there because sailors of the day used to have long pulled into a ponytail and used tar to keep it together and the flap was there so tar wouldn't ruin the top of uniform. Comes to the Dixie Cup it was changed to due to be cheaper than other hat and sailors could unroll it to cover your ears from the sun and shield the eyes. The other folk lore was it could be used as a food bowl or drink from it.

Response by LCpl Joshua Christine made Apr 24 at 2017 4:20 PM

LCpl Joshua Christine — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 16:20:29 -0400

cuz thats the crip side

Response by PO1 Jim Edwards made Apr 24 at 2017 10:39 PM

PO1 Jim Edwards — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 22:39:57 -0400

and the 13 button flap? I refer to it as a marine corp table cloth.... with nothing but respect for our brothers in arms

Response by COL Charles Williams made Apr 25 at 2017 10:15 PM

COL Charles Williams — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 22:15:41 -0400

MSG Private RallyPoint Member Good question... so... why?

Response by SGT Tom Recupero made Apr 26 at 2017 3:10 AM

SGT Tom Recupero — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 03:10:06 -0400

What about the stupid hats and neckerchief, like the Boy Scouts?

Response by PO1 William Safford made Jun 25 at 2018 11:32 AM

PO1 William Safford — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 11:32:11 -0400

No rank was worn until mid 1800's. Then rank was worn on left OR right depending on type of work done. This continued until end of WW2. At that time all ranks became "left sleeve" ranks.

Response by PO2 Jim Whitney made Jun 26 at 2018 9:16 AM

PO2 Jim Whitney — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 09:16:39 -0400

On subs we wore poppies suits

Response by Maj Kenneth Gardner made Jun 26 at 2018 1:11 PM

Maj Kenneth Gardner — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 13:11:36 -0400

Marine Detachments aboard USS Mississippi, USS Coral Sea and USS Shanbri-la.

Response by CPT Ian Stewart made Jan 8 at 2019 4:51 PM

CPT Ian Stewart — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 16:51:26 -0500

This is a bit off subject, but I always felt the "dixie cup" lid (Navy talk for hat) looked sharper when the sailors shaped the lid with wings (vintage WW II through to the 1970s or so) rather than the funnel look of today.

Response by SGT Jim Ramge, MBA made Mar 20 at 2019 4:08 PM

SGT Jim Ramge, MBA — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 16:08:29 -0400

Might have something to do as simple as this... We have always been taught to walk or run on the right side of the road. So on a ship/sub, cannot see a sailors rank if it’s on their right shoulder and so if walking down/running down the right side of the ship/sub, you’d never see their rank! So put it on their left shoulder you can see those stripes coming!!!

Response by PO3 Christopher Alben made Apr 12 at 2019 8:57 AM

PO3 Christopher Alben — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 08:57:17 -0400

Figured it was so the officer knew the rate of the sailor that salutes him

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made Aug 7 at 2019 1:49 PM

MAJ Ronnie Reams — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 13:49:19 -0400

I think, and going way back in my memory back, there are left arm rates and right arms rates. Why, I not know. I know, or think I do, that a quatermaster is a right arm rate.