Personnel of the United States Navy
The United States Navy has nearly 500,000 personnel, approximately a quarter of whom are in ready reserve. Of those on active duty, more than eighty percent are
Sailors prove they have mastered skills and deserve responsibilities by completing Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS) tasks and examinations. Among the most important is the "warfare qualification," which denotes a journeyman level of capability in Surface Warfare, Aviation Warfare, Naval Aircrew, Special Warfare, Submarine Warfare or Expeditionary Warfare. Many qualifications are denoted on a sailor's uniform with U.S. Navy badges and insignia.
Commissioned officer
Commissioned officers in the navy have pay grades ranging from O-1 to O-10, with O-10 being the highest; those with paygrades between O-1 through O-4 are considered junior officers and O-5 and O-6 as senior officers. Officers in the O-7 to O-10 range are called flag officers or "the admiralty". Promotion through O-8 is based on performance in an officer's current paygrade, which is recorded in "FITREPS" (fitness reports). Promotions to Vice Admiral (O-9) and Admiral (O-10) are based on assignment to specific positions and subject to U.S. Senate confirmation. Above the rank of admiral is
Commissioned officers can generally be divided into line officers and staff corps; line officers can be further split into unrestricted and restricted communities.
Commissioned Officer Rank Structure of the United States Navy | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fleet Admiral | Admiral | Vice Admiral | Rear Admiral[4][5] | Rear Admiral (lower half) | ||||||
Special | O-10 | O-9 | O-8 | O-7 | ||||||
FADM | ADM | VADM | RADM | RDML |
Captain | Commander | Lieutenant Commander
|
Lieutenant | Lieutenant (junior grade)[4][5] |
Ensign |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
O-6 | O-5 | O-4 | O-3 | O-2 | O-1 |
CAPT | CDR | LCDR | LT | LTJG | ENS |
Chief Warrant Officer
Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) pay grades range from W-1 to the highest rank of W-5. United States Navy CWOs are officers whose role is to provide leadership and skills for the most difficult and demanding operations in a very specific technical specialty. They occupy a niche that is not as well served by the line officer community, who tend to have a broader command focus. CWOs come from the non-commissioned officer ranks of the enlisted and receive their commission after completing the Chief Warrant Officer Program. They typically become CWOs in specialties that are most related to their previous enlisted rating. Like Staff Corps officers, CWOs wear special insignia above the rank devices on their shoulder boards and sleeves to indicate their field of expertise.
Enlisted sailors
Enlisted members of the navy have pay grades from E-1 to E-9, with E-9 being the highest. All enlisted sailors with paygrades of E-4 and higher are considered
Enlisted members are said to be "rated", meaning that they possess a rating, or occupational specialty. Members of grades E-1 to E-3 can become "strikers", meaning they have rating designations like Petty Officer (example: a BM3 is a Petty Officer Third Class rated as a Boatswain's Mate; BMSN is a Seaman designated as a Boatswain's Mate striker), but the striker is doing on the job training to become a rated petty officer rather than attending a school to become rated. There are more than 50 ratings covering a broad range of skills and subspecialties. However most sailors in today's navy with grades E-1 through E-6 obtain their rating through its respective "A" school. An "A" school is a rating specific school where sailors are trained as experts in their field. Upon completion of their training they are considered "Rated", regardless of their pay-grade.
For example, SN TESTER, MARY, would be considered a Seaman Tester. Prior to her rank of SA a rating would be placed. Therefore, her entire title would be ITSA SMITH, MARY. IT indicating that she is an Information Systems Technician. As for ENFN THOMPSON, JOHN. EN specifying that he is an Engineman and FN as Fireman.
Non-Commissioned Officer and Enlisted Rate Structure of the United States Navy | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy | Fleet/Force Master Chief Petty Officer
|
Command Master Chief Petty Officer
|
Master Chief Petty Officer
|
Command Senior Chief Petty Officer | Senior Chief Petty Officer
|
Chief Petty Officer | ||||
E-9 | E-8 | E-7 | ||||||||
Petty Officer First Class
|
Petty Officer Second Class
|
Petty Officer Third Class
|
Seaman | Seaman Apprentice
|
Seaman Recruit
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
E-6 | E-5 | E-4 | E-3 | E-2 | E-1 |
No insignia |
Uniforms and appearance
The uniforms of the United States Navy are designed "to combine professionalism and naval heritage with versatility, safety, and comfort".[6] The Navy currently incorporates many different styles that are specific for a variety of uses and occasions. In most cases, distinctions are made to distinguish officers and enlisted men in their uniformed appearance. U.S. Navy uniforms can generally be divided into three categories: dress uniforms, service uniforms, and working uniforms.
- Dress uniforms are worn during military-related formal occasions, such as ceremonies and other official functions. Many types of dress uniforms are used in the navy with the full range of formal requirements represented. Service dress is the least formal dress uniform, full dress is one step higher in formality, and mess dress is the most formal dress available.
- Service uniforms are designed for daily wear and are most often worn in office or classroom-type settings, as well as other occasions in which physical activity is at a minimum.[7] The most visible distinction between officers and enlisted personnel is the color of the service uniform. Only officers and chief petty officers are authorized to wear Service Khaki or Service White; all other personnel must wear the Navy Service Uniform (which will eventually replace Winter Blue and Summer White).[8]
- Working uniforms prioritize comfort and safety first and thus are the most utilitarian of the navy uniforms. They are intended for use in underway ships and in occasions that involve dirty, physical labor. Many working uniforms are variations of the service uniforms except with less formal requirements. This category includes navy coveralls, which are authorized to be worn by members of all ranks.
In the 2000s, the navy completed a project named "Task Force Uniform" to streamline navy uniforms. Among the changes were that enlisted personnel from
Grooming for both male and female sailors is regulated to a high degree, with exact standards in regards to hair, facial hair, use of cosmetics, and jewelry. New male recruits are given the military crew cut and are prohibited from having hair longer than four inches (102 mm) while in the service. Men are required to be clean shaven at all times, although mustaches are allowed. Women do not have a hair length regulation, however hair cannot fall past the bottom edge of the uniform collar and the style of hair is strictly controlled. Multicolored hair, body piercing, and tattoos on the head, neck, and hands are banned for both sexes.[10]
References
- ^ "Status of the Navy". U.S. Navy. 12 January 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
- ^ Admiral of the Navy George Dewey, USN. Naval Historical Center Official Website. Retrieved 16 May 2007.
- ^ Naval Traditions: Names of Ranks. Naval Historical Center Official Website. Retrieved 16 May 2007.
- ^ a b Law.Cornell.edu, 10 USC 5501. Navy: grades above chief warrant officer, W–5
- ^ a b Law.Cornell.edu 37 USC 201. Pay grades: assignment to; general rules
- ^ "Task Force Uniform". Navy Personnel Command. Retrieved 8 April 2006. Archived 31 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Foutch, Michael, USN. "New Navy Working Uniform and Service Uniform Concepts Approved" Archived 4 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine, United States Navy. Navy newsstand. Retrieved 8 April 2006.
- ^ "NAVADMIN 190/08 Uniform update", United States Navy. Naval Personnel Command. Retrieved 27 November 2009. Archived 6 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Navy.mil New Navy Working Uniform and Service Uniform Concepts Approved. Retrieved 2 March 2006.
- ^ "Chapter 2: Grooming Regulations", buperscd.technology.navy.mil. U.S. Navy Uniform Regulations. Retrieved 21 July 2006. Archived 13 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine