I Finally Broke the Code!
You folks in the Navy think you’re so damn smart. You encrypt your enlisted rank abbreviations so that no one knows what rank you are!
But that won’t work any more. I’ve finally done it. I’ve found the decryption key! Here it is!
Yes, I’m being facetious above. But I – and I’m sure many others – find Naval enlisted rank/rate abbreviations confusing as hell. Being from another service (Army), I’ve never been able to make much sense of them.
The linked document is what appears to be a relatively complete listing of Naval rank abbreviations – archaic and current – I found on a website belonging to the VA’s National Cemetery Administration. I certainly will find it useful.
I’m sure I’m not alone in being “lost” on this subject, so I thought I’d post it here also. Hopefully some others will find it useful as well.
(Edited to add: a shorter version of the current Navy enlisted rank/rate abbreviations,along with an explanation of the method to construct them, can be found here. Hat tip to TAH reader CBSenior for this second list.)
69 pages of rank abbreviations? Wow…no wonder I could never understand.
Navy doesn’t have ranks.
They have rates and ratings. Rates are what everybody else thinks of as “rank’ and ratings are what other people might think of as an “MOS”.
The Navy puts both of these together into one thing. Either for arcane mystical reasons related to the sea that are forever lost in time or because you suck and they hate you.
That is an outdated code book, Hondo. Many of those are no longer in use.
For added fun if a guy isn’t a Chief you can apparently call him by either his rank or rate, because why the hell not?
I bet half the guys in the Navy don’t know this sh1t…maybe more than half….at least they all don’t need their own unique camo patterns yet….
Ho Lee Shit! That does explain some things…I’m former Army, asked my Marine son- he couldn’t help. Asked a Navy guy, he said he couldn’t help me…pretty sure he made a joke at my expense…
teddy996: correct. And when looking at FOIA replies from NPRC regarding ex-Navy personnel who may have served years ago, that’s a very good thing. (smile)
And there are errors aplenty in it!
Naw. You can’t make me believe that! The joke is still on us because there really is no code at all and they just want us to think that there is. They secretly just use the E-whatever for everything and make up the rest as they go along, just to make it seem confusing to the rest of us.
Yeah, that must be it.
Chap: enlighten us, please. This is the best source I’ve been able to find yet, and it’s apparently one the VA uses internally when marking Navy Veterans’ tombstones at National Cemeteries. (Source URL for the doc was http://www.cem.va.gov/CEM/docs/abbreviations/Ranks_Navy.pdf; the basic site is that of the VA’s National Cemetery Administration) . If it has errors or omissions, I’d be very pleased to know what they are so I can make note of them.
They must spend at least 2 weeks at boot camp teaching the future squids the rank structure.
The vast majority are archaic.
I knew a TRAVDEVMAN though. Boot camp and A school in Great Lakes, then 20 consecutive years at great lakes. Never stood an inspection, never deployed, lived in the same house, retired just before they canked the rate and then got re-hired as a civilian. I think he’s still there….
What’s the problem?
PH tells people what I do.
The number 2 tells people how much more money I get than they do.
No problem.
I don’t think the Navy has Airship Riggers any more, so that list looks like a pre-WWII doc.
And what’s the deal with the Army? E-4 is a Specialist… unless they’re not. An E-8 is a First sergeant… unless they’re not… AAAAAHHHH!
SJ, I think you hit the nail on the head.
squids, smh
Hate to break it to you John but you code it broke. It is way out of date and totally inaccurate. A lot of those rates do not exist any more.
@4 Words have a meaning also. I remember one assignment that I needed some good LPO’s(E6’s most of the time) for my team. I was told that I was getting 3 EO1’s (Equipment Operators First Class E6), I told them that I had plenty of EO1’s. What I needed was First Class Petty Officers. Telling my Seniors that the guys I had were not leaders and that is what I needed. To a Chief there is a big difference between your Rate/Rank and your leadership abilities.
ChopIT: the Army has precisely 2 ways to abbreviate the rank associated with “E4” (SPC and CPL); ditto “E8” (MSG and 1SG) and “E9” (SGM and CSM). The USAF and USMC are similar, with a very small number of ranks in each having multiple legitimate rank abbreviations. Each service also has one “special case” at E9 – e.g., the top enlisted in each service – with a special abbreviation.
I don’t have a freaking clue as to how many ways today you can legitimately abbreviate the rank/rate “E5” (AKA “PO2”) in the Navy. But I’d be shocked if there are less than 25 or 30 different ways to do it, using only current Navy rates. And I wouldn’t be surprised if there are 50 or more.
Fess up. You Navy folks do that just to screw with everybody else, don’t you? (smile)
CBSenior: the list appears to be historical and cumulative, including both past and current abbreviations. See comment 10 above.
And Jonn didn’t write this article, Senior. I did. (smile)
@10 Hondo your best source of info in the Navy is “Ask the Chief”.
Juat to add more shit to the Stew. I am CMCS(SCW). John you forgot our warfare qualification designators.
@15, because back in the day soft skill MOS’ were SPC 4,5,6 etch. They weren’t hard stripes.
Sorry Hondo.
Okay, at about 40-45 entries per page and 69 pages, that’s roughly 3000 entries! And not one of them explains how a double bar is NOT a captain.
I’ll stick with the Air Force. Just look at a person’s sleeve and you know what rank he/she is. You are an airman, or an NCO or of course those other folks (officers)
No apology needed, Senior. The by-line the system posts is pretty small and easy to miss.
Hey, if you know of a better list, I’m all ears. This one seems pretty good, looks to be fairly comprehensive, and includes historical as well as current abbreviations. But it there’s a better one somewhere, I’d love to have a copy – and I’ll post it and link it here, too.
I’ve often needed something like this when looking at FOIA replies for Navy vets. On those, often the E-grade is omitted and only the rank/rate is present – and sometimes it’s only the abbreviation for the rank/rate.
CMA Construction Mechanic Automotive Rate has been eliminated, as well as CMH, CMD, and all other forms of Construction Mechanic, all are just CM now. That does not mean the VA will not use the CMA rating for Markers.
CMC is Construction Mechanic Chief but it use to also mean
Command Master Chief. That is now CMDMC
Machinist Mate Chief is MMC, not CMM.
PN(Personnelman) and DK (Disbursing Clerk) were combined and the new Rating is PS (Personnel Servicemen), that rate is not listed
The standard now is Rate (JOB/MOS) first, then Pay Grade (3,2,1,C)
Hondo for Legacy 214’s that list will serve you well.
Here is the new list of Rates that is really cut down from the past.
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/organization/navmac/workforceclassification/Documents/Enlisted%20Navy%20Ratings%20List.pdf
Senior: thanks. Though not “spelled out” like the other list, it should indeed help outsiders understand the current “Navy alphabet soup” somewhat. (smile)
@19 – forget all the names of the rates – if you see a 3,2,1 in the name, that’s how much pay they get. 1 chevron=E4, 2 chevrons=E5, 3 chevrons=E6.
Our enlisted uniforms rarely show their rates anymore so even I have to address them as “Petty Officer (1st, 2nd, 3rd) class Shmucatteli”, unless I know their exact job skill (Corpsman – HM, Master-At-Arms -MA, etc.).
E7,E8,E9 – Chief (rocker over 3 chevrons), Senior Chief 1 star over rocker/chevrons), Master Chief (2 stars over rocker/chevrons) – No problem!
ChopIT: well, since you often use the rate-immaterial titles anyway – why not just use SR, SN, SA, PO1, PO2, PO3, CPO, SCPO, and MCPO and be done with it?
By the way, I worked on a Naval installation for a few years so I’m familiar with what the rank insignia look like and with the “generic” abbreviations. It’s only the alphabet-soup you Navy folks use to abbreviate them that’s a puzzle. (smile)
Another “Navy” thing to add:
Rate and Rating are for Enlisteds. Rank is for Officers.
Enlisteds are advanced in Pay Rate, while Officers are promoted.
Hope this clears up any confusion.
*snicker*
AW1(NAC,AW,MTS)
Aviation Antisubmarine Warfare Systems Operator, Petty Officer First Class, Naval Aircrewman, Aviation Warfare Specialist, Master Training Specialist)
@31, Actually we do use those generic titles in many cases. But to address further, to the Army’s two ways to address an E-4… it depends on the job – but then MOS kicks in as to what they do.
In the Navy we know who to call on and give them special recognition instead of the generic “Petty Officer”. You don’t typically send a corpsman to do a trigger puller’s job. But we will send an HM#(FMF) to embed with Marines – and call him, “Doc” at the same time!
(Just like the Army calling the First Sergeant – Top Shirt, Top, or First)…
The Army has it’s odd traditions just like the Navy… How about all the different colors used to signify different branches??? http://www.alternatewars.com/BBOW/Colors/US_Army_Branch_Colors.htm
ChopIT: until you get to know him/her well (and on good terms) or are senior to him, it’s probably a really good idea to call an Army First Sergeant “First Sergeant”. That’s even true for some folks who technically are senior to him, like 2nd Lieutenants. (smile)
Yeah, each service has its own traditions and quirks. But some of them fade over time. The only Army uniform on which you’ll see branch insignia or colors now is the dress uniform (ASU).
And in any case, all the Army branches/specialties use the same abbreviations and insignia for rank. I believe the same is generally true in the USAF and USMC as well.
Tell the truth: you folks in the Navy have all those different abbreviations just to confuse everyone else, don’t you? (smile)
HOLY CRAP!!!
Ok…what’s a Petty Officer and what’s a Chief? I’m serious…I never figured it out.
Quarter Master (Pigeon)? Can someone explain that?
@37 – Petty Officers are our NCOs… Chief Petty Officers are our enlisted leadership.
Hondo – if everyone else is confused, we’re doing our job…
SJ: Petty Officer = E4, E5, E6. PO3 = E4, PO2=E5, and PO1 = E6. Chief (short for Chief Petty Officer) = E7.
Someone with a Naval background will have to weigh in on whether “Chief” is proper for E8 and E9 in a collective sense. It’s been my experience that those pay grades are usually addressed as “Senior” or “Senior Chief” (E8) and “Master Chief” (E9) vice “Chief”, and that using the term “Chief” for either is rather like calling a 1SG “Sarge”. But my experience interacting with Naval personnel is somewhat limited.
NR Pax: I’m guessing that’s an archaic one that’s no longer in use.
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/blnavytrad-7.htm
#35 Hondo: “ChopIT: until you get to know him/her well (and on good terms) or are senior to him, it’s probably a really good idea to call an Army First Sergeant “First Sergeant”. That’s even true for some folks who technically are senior to him, like 2nd Lieutenants. (smile)”
Airborne! In the 82nd I saw a 2LT put his hat on the First Sergeant’s desk and start talking with other LT’s. Said First Sergeant (who had a gold star on his wings from WW2) looked at the hat like it was a dog turd and reached into his drawer and pulled out a ruler. He picked up the hat with the ruler and dumped it in the trash and went to the duty roster and said 2LT found himself as the OD for a lot of weekends.
At least no one has provided the double secret squirrel rate/rating definitions: STS = SONAR TECH SUBMARINE or SHOWER TAKING SISSIES MMA = MACHINIST MATES AUXILLARIES or MACHINIST MATES LOWER HALF MMW = MACHINIST MATES WEAPONS or MACHINIST MATES UPPER HALF MT = MISSLE TECHS or F#^%ING ROCKET HEADS (often said in jest) ET = ELECTRONICS TECHS or EVERYTHING TECHS YN = YEOMAN or XO’s BOYS or alternatively XO’s BIATCHES) HM = CORPSMAN which is equivalent to 3MC (Meals, Movies and Mattresses) or the preverbal Pecker Checker. It is only through direct and significant observation that a Corpsman aquires the time honored title of DOC, as in, “hey Doc, I got a bump on my nut sack that won’t heal, can you take a look at it”. RM = RADIOMEN (This is a misnomer, there were a number of studies done in the late 80s and early 90s and no “men” could be found in the submarine radio shacks of the time, therefore the RADIOGIRLS rating badges were changed to ET and ever since real ETs only shake their heads at the antics they are blamed for that are actually the inbreeding results of the radiogirls and shower taking sissies.) FT = FIRE CONTROL TECHNICIANS or FART TASTERS Nuclear Power Trained Personnel (MM, ET and EM) = F#^%ING NUKES (NEVER said in jest) CS = COMMISSARY SPECIALIST or Stew Burners or various other demonstrative descriptions of their actions. CSs are not to be confused with the prior MS (Mess Management Specialist) rating that none of the other Sailors could figure out what the hell their rating title meant, but at the end of the day, it is only through the association of commissary with food we know what the hell purpose they serve. AG = AEROGRAPHER MATES or WEATHER GUESSER. AGs swallowed the Photographer’s Mate (PH as in PH2) rating in the 90s. At the same time there rock was replaced with the latest computer system that meant they no longer had to walk outside to see if the rock was warm, it could be hot outside or wet, rain… Read more »
Sure glad I was Air Force blue, and that it was fairly easy. But, they messed that up for me when they started jacking with the rank structure. All was fine until they eliminated the Airman First Class rank and added a Senior Airman rank. Then tweaked it. Not sure I ever knew what to call anyone with 2 or 3 stripes after that. The generic “Airman” worked.
ChopIT: until you get to know him/her well (and on good terms) or are senior to him, it’s probably a really good idea to call an Army First Sergeant “First Sergeant”. That’s even true for some folks who technically are senior to him, like 2nd Lieutenants. (smile)
I never used “Top” or “Skipper” or anything like that. I always used the exact rank. I figured I couldn’t get in trouble with that, whereas I could for abbreviating or using nicknames.
SJ – what Honda wrote is spot on. Don’t call an E8 a Chief, it’s “Senior” or “Senior Chief”… E9 is “Master Chief”. Sometimes it’s difficult to see the stars from a distance, don’t worry… they’ll correct you if you’re wrong!
Unfortunately, in the past, the Navy did suffer from a small breed of E7s that were not “Chiefs”, they were E7s… They did not participate in the very appropriate and necessary classes, that the Chief’s Mess had created over many decades, to produce their special breed. The Chiefs were taught to lead their enlisted and guide the junior officers and to do it humbly, tactfully and if all else failed by kicking some butt!
@41 Hondo I am and will always be a Chief. Now I just happen to be of the Senior type. I was never offended when I was called Chief, Senior works also.
@44 you’re just grouchy because we wouldn’t let you in to the party behind the locked door. That and the fact we probably screwed up your rack time having to come to scope depth every 12 hours. Or did I forget to give you that familygram?
CBSenior: understood. Haven’t worked with that many Navy Chiefs, so my sample size/experience was small. From what I saw, some Senior Chiefs didn’t seem to mind being called “Chief” – but others seemed to be quite offended. So I used “Senior” or “Senior Chief” routinely.
The situation seemed to me analogous to that of Army First Sergeants. Some had no problem being addressed as “Top” by anyone. Others bristled like hell if someone they didn’t know well used the term.
Always best to err on the side of formality, at least initially.