Looking for info about Navy ranks

[kwarner04]

So I've been doing some reading on here and have some questions about Navy rank. I know all the enlisted and officer ranks, but I don't know all the abbreviations for them.

I've seen alot of OS1, NC1, or EMCS(SW) and for the life of me, I can't find any information that tells me what rank that translates to.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but if anyone could shed some light on this for me, I'd really appreciate it. I just want to make sure that I fully understand the ranks system and don't want to promote or demote anyone cause I didn't know what it meant.

Thanks for the help!

 

[llnick2001]

OS, NC, and EM are ratings. They're occupational specialties (for instance a BM is a boatswain's mate). The 1's and CS are rates. (1st Class Petty Officer and Senior Chief in this case). The stuff in parenthesis is a qual.

 

[kwarner04]

Wow...I was way off!!

Thanks for the help though. Makes things much more clear!

 

[phrogpilot73]

And to further mucky up the waters... Some rates are three letters vice two... CTR, CTA, GMM, etc... So as to not get confused, the last part is either:

R, A, or N (as in Seaman/Fireman/Airman), i.e. - HN
1, 2, or 3 (Petty Officers), i.e. - EN3
C, CS, CM (Chief, Senior Chief, Master Chief), i.e. - GMMCM(SW/AW)

Plus what everyone else said...

Of course, my question is with all the striking for a rate and what not, you generally don't see many rates with R, A, or N... If someone gets busted down, say an ABH - would they become an ABHR??

 

[Nose]

Kwarner -

Here is a good reference. It is confusing because an AE3 and a BM3 are the same "rank" but with different jobs.

 

[Nose]

Also, like llnick said, the stuff in parentheses are "warfare specialties".
(AW) = Air Warfare
(SS) = Submarine Warfare
(SW) = Surface Warfare

 

[HAL Pilot]

If someone gets busted down, say an ABH - would they become an ABHR??

Yes. But it would actually be ABHAR

So would a designated striker or an E-1/2/3 that went to A school.

R, A, or N (as in Seaman/Fireman/Airman), i.e. - HN

HN is actually Hospitalman.
5 categories here: Airman (A), Seaman (S), Hospitalman (H), Fireman (F) and Constructionman (C). So:
AR - Airman Recruit (E-1), AA - Airman Apprentice (E-2) and AN - Airman (E-3). Same for the other 4 categories.

To make it more difficult, each has it's own color of stripes too: Seaman & Hospitalman - white, Fireman - red, Airman - green and Constructionman - Blue

But once they become PO3s, all stripes are red. Unless of course 12 years of good conduct, then they're gold.

But the key thing to remember is....out of every good Airman comes a little Seaman.....

 

[phrogpilot73]

Yes.

So would a designated striker or an E-1/2/3 that went to A school.

That's what I thought, but I had never run into one while on my boat rides...

 

[phrogpilot73]

Also, like llnick said, the stuff in parentheses are "warfare specialties".
(AW) = Air Warfare
(SS) = Submarine Warfare
(SW) = Surface Warfare

(NAC) = Naval Air Crewman
(FMF) = Fleet Marine Force
(SEAL) = pretty clear...

What is it for a combat aircrew guy, or is it still just NAC?

 

[KSUFLY]

Here are all the ratings. Anyone getting ready to head to OCS should memorize these before reporting...http://www.navy.mil/navydata/ratings/navrate.html

 

[schwarti]

That list is a little out of date... has a few ratings that aren't around anymore (Photographer's Mate) and is missing a few (Mass Communications Specialist). Wikipedia actually has an up-to-date list.

 

[vicariousrider]

Something else that I find comes in VERY handy is the Navy's "Owner's and Operator's" Manual published annually. Here's the link for the 2007 edition:
http://www.news.navy.mil/media/allhands/flash/AH200701/flash/toc.html

 

[phrogpilot73]

Don't forget to memorize the Marine ones as well.

Damn Jarheads think they're so important in the grand scheme of things...

 

[DanMa1156]

Please tell me you guys aren't are on separate computers coversing via AW? Or fighting over the computer to post next on AW?

 

[HAL Pilot]

Shouldn't you be in the kitchen testing out that new apron? :icon_craz