United States Army enlisted rank insignia information
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The chart below shows the current enlisted rank insignia of the United States Army, with seniority, and pay grade, increasing from right to left. The enlisted ranks of corporal (E-4) and higher are considered non-commissioned officers (NCOs). The rank of specialist is also in pay grade E-4, but does not hold non-commissioned officer status; it is common that a soldier may never hold the rank of corporal, and instead be promoted from specialist to sergeant, attaining junior NCO status at that time.
US DoD pay grade
Special
E-9
E-8
E-7
E-6
E-5
E-4
E-3
E-2
E-1
NATO code
OR-9
OR-8
OR-7
OR-6
OR-5
OR-4
OR-3
OR-2
OR-1
Uniform insignia
No insignia
Title
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman
Sergeant Major of the Army
Command sergeant major
Sergeant major
First sergeant
Master sergeant
Sergeant first class
Staff sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Specialist
Private first class
Private
Private
Abbreviation
SEAC
SMA
CSM
SGM
1SG[a]
MSG
SFC
SSG
SGT
CPL
SPC[b]
PFC
PV2[c]
PV1
^First sergeant is considered a temporary and lateral rank and is senior to master sergeant. A first sergeant can revert to master sergeant upon leaving assignment.
^SP4 is sometimes encountered as an abbreviation for specialist instead of SPC. This is a holdover from when there were additional specialist ranks at pay grades E-5 to E-7.
^PVT is also used as an abbreviation for both private ranks when pay grade need not be distinguished.[1]
In the beginning, U.S. Army enlisted rank was indicated by colored epaulets. The use of chevrons came into being in 1821, with the orientation changing over time from point-down to point-up and back again, to the point-down orientation seen in the American Civil War. Around the turn of the 20th century, point-up wear of chevrons returned and has remained so.
^"Army Regulation 600–20 | Personnel–General | Army Command Policy" (PDF). US Army Personnel Department. 18 March 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
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