Perhaps you or a family member has served or is serving in the Navy. Which rank do you think is the backbone of the Navy? Welcome back! If you are new here make sure to hit subscribe to expand your knowledge on Military History and join the growing Premier History Community!
I am retired military...United States Navy. The ranks/rates that form the "keel" of the Navy are, in MHO, from E-5 thru O-3. With a a little more emphasis on the E-5/E-6 rates/ranks. Just my humble opinion.
My daughter enlisted in the US Navy in 2009 as an undesignated recruit. She was assigned at USS Essex in Sasebo, Japan. With sheer determination and hard work, she was selected in the Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program (MECP). She is now in the Nurse Corps as a Lt. in Balboa Hospital San Diego, CA
I'm a retired Navy Commander and started out as an enlisted corpsman. I think the 2nd Class Petty Officer rank is the backbone of the Navy. They know their jobs; get down and dirty; and perform hands on leadership with lower-ranked sailors. Everyone under them is still learning and figuring out things.
2nd class is the bottom rung of the senior enlisted rank. There are still a lot more to learn and understand to be the backbone of the navy. There are hotshot sailors who'll shoot past E5 quickly. But many are also derelict and irresponsible with barely any time serving to be the backbone.
The United States military was running military exercises of planes being hijacked and flown into the wtc at the same time the terrorists were supposed to be doing the same thing failure of imagination my ass You are all monster and war crimanls Trying to get us all killed as we speak I am 63 year old retired tax paying American I am sick and tired of being lied to I want my money back and the hell out of here
I served in the Navy from 7/11/1958 To 3/13/1968. I served in 3 ships As Tin Can Sailor for 6 years 2 years at US Naval Academy and 365 days combat duty in Vietnam.The Navy is the best place To be in for young man, travel around the world and job experience. I left the Navy as A US Veterans, used my GI bill in 1971 - 1976 and Earned Bachelors degree in Business, used my GI Home loan. Now as 83 years old I am enjoying my retirement with My Family in Las Vegas, Nevada.
I left the navy as a Second Class PO. It was such an honor! Wish I had done 20 but most understand the great sacrifices you have to make to do this. I made it to just over 8 years. Thanks to all who have honorably served!
I served 34 years in the Coast Guard retiring as a Commander with full charge of a station. My tenure was inclusive of combat service missions during Vietnam and the Gulf war. Petty officers all grades earn their bread and butter every day. While they might not be a backbone, they are where the wheel meets the track
I entered the Navy in June, 1950. The ranks have changed greatly since that time. There was only one Chief and the upper officers did not have the same titles as they do now. There was only one Warrant Officer. I served as a Hospitalman 2nd Class aboard the USS Boxer (CVA-21).
I think what happened is, as ships got larger and the skill sets of the enlisted rank became more complex, you started to need more career senior enlisted personnel and thus need a way to distinguish between them and re-establish a “first among equals” designation. And what do you do with highly skilled enlisted sailors with about 12 years experience , who have hit a glass ceiling, are not suited to become mustangs and are starting to eye the civilian market …..
I come from a long line of military veterans. My Dad retired as a Senior Chief. I served in the Navy and left after fours years as a Petty Officer 3. In my opinion, it is the Chiefs who are the backbone of the Navy. In fact, the Chiefs basically run the Navy, contrary to what many officers think. It is the one rank on ship that can ask an officer to leave the Chief's Mess, although they usually are tactful when they do so. If you want something done in one theater from another, have a Chief contact another Chief. When a commanding officer wants someone who has their fingers on the pulse of the command under him, it is usually a Senior Chief who tells him. By the way, Ensign is pronounced En-sin, not En-sign.
Congratulations Mr. Garcia. My son also is in the Navy and has been for more than 25 years. God bless your son. I hope it helps him to lead his lift in a honorable and satisfactory manner.
My son started as a corpsman at 18 and because of navy duty, he is now a doctor..best thing he ever did..hope your son has the same experience..his son is a Lt and Chief Engineer on a new destroyer
My Aunt spend 20 years in the Navy as a nurse and retired a Commander. When it came to rank she always told those she was training, "In the Navy we do two things with brass, polish it or salute it."
My Great grandad was a Rear Admiral lower half in the navy. I don’t know much else about him since he passed when I was 3. But all I knew is that he was a dedicated Sailor!
@@chuckaddison5134 Rear Admiral Lower Half was previously known as Commodore and has been the designation for a 1 Star admiral sense 1985. Before that Commodore was a technically unofficial enlisted rank for Captains who commanded squadrons. In 1981 the Commodore rank was created as an official flag officer rank with the 1 Star insignia, but due to these officers being Flag Officers and the previous Commodores who still held these ranks not, they renamed it to alleviate that confusion. I believe the Commodore rank still exists, just in it's previous unofficial Squadron Commander use.
There is no single rank that is the backbone of the Navy. They all have their purpose, and are all equally useful and essential for the smooth and continuous operation of the Navy.
I served to 7th fleet of the navy,,, during the presence of subic naval base,,, I worked as a civilian worker on Ship Repair Facility,,, we took trainings in U.S they ranked me lieutenant junior grade,,, these special trainings are given for professionalism in troubleshooting of navigational system of every U.S navy ship... Many thanks PH...
One of my uncles served as a corpsman in the navy during Vietnam. Got out as a PO3, if I remember correctly. Leveraged into an ROTC and was commissioned as a 2LT in the Air Force medical corps. Retired from service as a Colonel.
My father was Navy (68-88) and started out as a corpsman, switched over to biomed tech (medical electrician ) sometime in the mid 70s) and left as a PO1 in 88…. The problem with the enlisted medical field AT THAT time is there wasn’t much beyond PO1 that wasn’t handled by a Chief with responsibility in a multiple of rates so in order to Make Chief and beyond you had to leave the medical field and become a more generalized Disciplinarian Chief and your medical knowledge was neither appreciated or required, so the gold old boys board kept the Chief slots open for their own kind. I think the contemporary Navy has realized the error of that and you know have Chief Slots (and a smattering of Warrant Officer Slots) where an experience as a Corpsman is valued, nay required. There is still a glass ceiling, Chief of the Boat is never gonna be a Corpsman except perhaps on a Hospital Ship
@@mikestanley9176 Sorry sailor but your 3-4 years wasn't an "entire career". You just did a stint in the Navy unless of course you actually served 20 years and got busted down to a 3rd class. BM2 Cox 84-88 USS Wabash AOR-5
I'd say E2-E7 are the backbone. When I was in between 84-88 an E8 would never do any manual labor unless of course if they felt like it but, usually by then they are 100% management.
My father served in the navy in world war 2, my nephew was in the navy and learning from them, I agree that no matter what rank you are, you are a piece of the puzzle.
My father served in the Navy during WW2- he was an electronics expert installing computers on board Navy ships from july 1941 til mid 1943- then transfered to the Code Breakers staff working on breaking Japan military codes- he went on active reserve in 1946 and retired in 1961 as a Chef Petty Off.
WW2, My Father was a cook first while serving on the Indiana. Had a chance to go to Island duty, forward flag as PO first. The current CPO transferred and my Father was next in line and so with a wisk of a Pen he became CPO E7. Battlefield promotions I guess but that was during the war.
My dad enlisted in the Navy in 1965-1970, and served two tours in Vietnam. He got out for awhile and re-enlisted 1980-1994 and retired PO1. He did served in National Guard 4 years. I think he spend most of his career as 2nd Class PO. The backbone of the Navy Fleet.
I started out as a e1 FTM on the USS Buchanan DDG 14 on the 1st of Oct. 1970. I retired CW02 Aug. 1st 1991off of the aircraft carrier Independence CV62. Had 21years of service, 3 tours in the Nam and 1 in desert storm and 1 in desert shield. Loved it all!
Ps: 🙏 Thank you… Interestingly, I started out ARMY ROTC ( PURDUE, E5,Honor Guard, 1965-67+): then stalled fhru Pharmacy School, THEN , 4 F , @ INDUCTION Center …. JAN 1971….. Anyways,best two years, @ always a JOCK, ETC. ( esp ARMY)….
@@PremierHistory thanks for allowing me to share and thanks for the video. God bless the USA and military for everything y'all do. for my grandpa, HOOYAH.
I served in the destroyer/cruiser navy from 1978 to 1995. I retired as a Chief Boiler Technician Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist. In port I was a Duty Engineer, underway I was an Engineering Officer Of The Watch. The proudest day of my career was following CPO initiation when my Commanding Officer and my wife pinned my Chief collar devices on! As proud as I was being a Navy Chief, I'll have to say it was a team effort as far as "backbone". No one did it alone!
I went into The Navy in December 1961 and completed "Boot" training in San Diego,it was a good liberty port back then. The backbone of the Navy was your ranks from E2 through E-7 at that time, The Senior rank of the Navy was your Boatswain Mate wasn't E8 through E9 (those two ranks were Considered the political and had instant access to the old man, Captain or Admiral) And, at that time you had instilled in you how to show commodity for your brother and sister sailors.
Hell, I had instant access to the Captain when I was in the Navy and I was an E-3. I talked to him nearly every day, first thing in the morning. I brought him his coffee right after I cleaned and polished his desk and rolled the lint off of his Jacket. I sometimes escorted sailors into Captain's Mast and I had a good report with the Captain on a sort of informal basis per his request. He thought it was silly for me to go thru the rank respect every time I walked into his office carrying papers or other inconsequential items. But during Captain's Mast and any other official duties I was an E-3 and he was the Captain. All respect for the position was mandated and given. I was stationed at 32nd Street Naval Center from 1972-1975. US Navy but Never aboard ship.
@@offgridcabin1557 Sounds a lot like dad while on the Missouri. He was a lowly ET at the time but spent a good deal of his time in the Admiral's Cabin as he maintained the RADAR Repeater there. He tried to maintain the respect for "Officer's Territory" but one day the Admiral needed his unit fixed quickly. Dad informed him he would be up just as soon as he changed uniforms. Admiral told him to come as he was. Captain saw him enter the the cabin in dungarees and charged in after him. Started to chew dad out. Admiral then chewed the Captain out for entering uninvited. Captain had to go back outside and wait. Meanwhile dad and the Admiral had a little talk after dad finished his work. Seemed the Admiral enjoyed chewing the Captain out and then making him wait. :-)
This was very educational and wow a lot to learn. My grandson is stationed in Everett and joined the Navy June of 2022. So very proud. He went in and is a cook. A lot of people probably think what a brainless job. Well, you are very mistaken. I went on the destroyer he is on and saw the kitchen. WOW, it is so nice. I was told that the back bone of the good sailor is good nutrition. They have to be fed good healthy food or they aren’t very productive. He has other duties also but again I am so proud of him. My husband was in the navy and my dad was a lieutenant in the merchant marines during WW2. He was a radio man. He used the training he got there to make a living when he got out. Very proud of all our service men. Thank you.
The ranks of the navy were easy to remember, having to learn the other branches ranks at enlisted was a pain. The officers were easy since the marines, airforce and army all use the same ones while the coast guard uses the same ones as the navy.
Rear Admiral lower half was until recently the rank of Commodore which was a wartime rank. Currently the title commodore is applied to O5 and O6 who have command of 2 or more ships, ex. a destroyer squadron. Also during my career (58-81), W1 and W2 warrant officers were considered enlisted. W3 and W4 were commissioned ranking below Ensign. LCdr USN (Ret)
My stepfather was an E9. In navigation. He received the Bronze Star while in Vietnam while coordinating bombardment I believe before an assault on the beach. He never went to college but was extremely intelligent and very well read. During the sixties my mom said while stationed at the Pentagon he was called into a staff meeting considering a new computer for the Navy. I think the Admirals asked him what he thought and he went to the map on the wall. He said according to the computer, the ship was traveling in such and such direction at 6 knots across the country of Spain.😂. Thank you Chief.
Dad was stationed in DC in 67-68. He hated days when he had to go to the Pentagon. He also was an E-9 at the time. He preferred doing hands on wok instead of paper pushing which is why he was an M branch instead of an A branch CT.
I was drafted in 1967 but got lucky and got into the Navy. Couldn’t make Chief due to a top heavy rating (AW). Got into the last NESEP class and retired as a mustang LCDR in 1988. Fly Navy The Navy runs on three things: AVGAS, coffee and Chiefs, not necessarily in that order.
Dad "joined" the Navy in 1954 instead of going to jail. He retired from the Navy Seabees 21 years later as an EO Chief....he grew from a troubled kid to our family's "anchor" and the father of 5 Navy Brats. Serving all over the world building everything you can imagine...Alaska, Guam where I was born, Okinawa, Gitmo and others including 3 tours in Vietnam. Our "Chief" was everything to us.
So, you're going through ROTC and plan on going to College? Also, to get to Admiral, you'll need to possess a large amount of Leadership skills from the get-go, so best of luck mate. A lot of those who end up on the higher end of the Commissioned Officers are normally those who were in JROTC, so if you're not already, give that a go. :)
@@DocGiraffe its hilarious that you mention that, I'm in JROTC right now in high school, I have to wear the uniform right now, and I'm a JROTC officer, it's an army class, but it still gives me an idea what the military is like, and I feel like I can be a good leader when the time comes, I'm pretty good at it now....I think :)
It took many years for this USAF Airman (Ret.) to be able to “read” USN rate, and the ratings still escape me. My grandfather (Pearl Harbor Survivor, USS California), retired as a CPO as did my mom; dad was USAF. Proud to come from Navy and Air Force folk.
My grandfather was a veteran of the second world war. His rank is 2nd lieutenant of the reserve force of the USAFFE corps in the Philippines. General Mc Arthur ordered to defend the island of Mindanao until he returned. They counter attacked the Japanese with guerilla tactics. They survived until the arrival of the allies with Filipino and American soldiers in World War 2.
I’d say an E-5 on a smaller ship and an E-6 about the same. E-7 or Chief gets you away from the hands-on type of duties although a good Chief (E-7) is likely to have more savvy in his field than quite a few officers. When it comes right down to it, everyone works together as a team no matter what your rank on a smooth running ship.
I was a QM3 on the USS Santa Barbara. We re-surfaced the bridge wing level for non-skid. It was dirty hard work, but we all worked together. I have a picture of my chief on his knees with "Knuckle Busters"
I think the feeling differs slightly based on his/her own time in service. I served 5 years and only made 3rd class (3 pts short of 2nd in my last testing). In my experience, it was the Leading Petty Officers (E-6) that primarily drove the enlisted force at my command. AIMD Oceana. We had some respectable Chiefs to be sure, but what needed to be done was driven mostly by the E-6s and senior E-5s.
While I understand this to be a broad overview of the US Navy, Commanders (O-5) can also be captains of SSBN (Ballistic Misslie) submarines. I actually just checked the leadership page of the USS Henry M. Jackson and both Blue and Gold Crews are lead by Commanders. Captains (O-6) can still command submarines, but not likely to unless there is an issue with the command, or there are no qualified Commanders to do so. Overall, I did enjoy this video @Premier History. I cannot wait for the other navies around the world to be covered.
When I was in, O-5 [Commanders] were captains of Destroyers, Destroyer Escort, etc. 06[Captains] commanded every thing above destroyer level [Cruisers, Carriers] I don't know about subs... they were either bubbleheads or targets depending on the language.
The Submarines I was on(SSBNS) were nearly always commanded by a Commander. Except ome time our CO was lt cmdr who got promoted to cmdr first patrol i was on. So as far as i know your statement is right on.
In my humble opinion, E-7 Chief Petty Officer are the backbone of the Navy. My father served 34 years in the Navy as a Chief Cryptological Technological Technician ( R ) branch. He served in a Cold War unit.
@@bobbycabbagestalk1492 chiefs wouldn’t survive without E-6 and below. A machine only works with all its parts the way the navy is set up no one piece is a backbone. They all have an equally important role.
They surely are! But what I saw once the years as a career Air Force man working with the Navy, many fine people retired as E6. They weren’t lazy, they just wanted to stop at 20 years.
When I joined in 1958 I went to bootcamp as a HR Hospital Corpsman as I was assured to go to Corps school after boots. I am pretty sure the Hospital Corpsman rate has the most sailors as we supply support to the Marines. Also hold the dubious distinction of the highest KIA starting with WWI. 776 Doc's on the Nam Wall we are deployed allover the planet and still deployed even after release from active duty.
Wow! You and I just missed each other - I was in San Diego Boot Camp in 1957, right out of High School. I went the Corpsman route and went to HM1 before a direct appointment to the Medical Service Corps. Possibly our paths crossed somewhere along the line ... good hearing from an old-timer like me, though ...
John Knight was at SDiego then to Bremerton. Silly question but were you issued a flat hat in boot camp? Everyone I have talked to about that time got one.
@@chucks6879 Hey, Chuck: Not only was I issued a flat hat, but also leggings, a mattress cover (fart sack we called it), clothes stops and a sewing kit! From SD boot camp I went to Glakes, Ill Hospital Corps school, then to NavHosp Annapolis, temp assign to aircraft carrier (I was HN by that time), then to Bethesda Natl Naval Med Ctr for EKG/BMR school, then to Guam. I was HM2 by that time, and spent a year as deputy coroner at NavHosp Guam. Was disch from AcDu and obliserved in USNR, where I remained for 8 years. I made HM1, and was stationed at NAS Alameda. From there I applied for and rec'd a commission as ENS, MSC USNR . When I hung it up I was a LCDR. So, from San Diego boot to mustang officer. What a ride! Good to hear from another old vet! Thanks for your service, shipmate.
@@somerandombaldguy5296 I was in the Navy. I used to listen to some Chiefs in my command yell at lower enlisted about the difference when paperwork was being filled out. Also heard about it many times in boot camp.
The Seaman Recruit actually had a one-slash-bar insignia where the Apprentice has two and the Seaman three. The "Lower Half" Rear Admiral was traditionally known as a Commodore.
Commodore and Rear Admiral Lower Half are two separate ranks, with Commodore being retired and no longer issued. The 1-star commodore is equal but not interchangeable with RDML. There are senior captains leading aircraft type commands who have the working title of Commodores but are only Captains in rank and insignia, e.g. the commodore of the F/A-18 (strike fighter wing) etc.
Commodore was a wartime rank and used to lead task forces. The general progression went from Capt 0-6 to RADM 0-8. This pissed off the Army who used the 0-7 rank, Brigadier General. That's why they started using the one star rank, Commodore, renamed RADM lower half. I agree that there was an error with Seaman Recruit. It has one stripe and as far as I know, always had. One omission was the color of the E-1 through E-3 stripe. Seaman were White, Snipes were red, Airdales were Green, Seabees were Blue and if there were others, I don't remember.
Our destroyer squadron was a Commodore. When I was in recruit training, we had boot stripes. We were all E1s. Upon graduation, we were promoted to E2s. While I was in school after recruit training, I took the Petty officer 3rd class test. Recruit stripes showed recruit company commander, and other recruit training ranks. But they meant nothing outside the boot camp.
Retired RCN CPO2 here... that's OR8 equivalent to a Senior Chief, USN. Our ranks - just the ratings - are, in order from lowest to highest: OS, AB, LS, MS, PO2, PO1, CPO2 and CPO1. In our navy I'd say the backbone is the sailors holding the ranks of Master Seaman and Petty Officer 2. Some of our Master Seaman, for example, have 20+ years of experience and are literally masters of their specialty. I've always thought that forcing people into an "up our out" scenario was shortsighted and many of our most senior Master Seaman and PO2's were an absolutely invaluable resource. I had, on one of my teams, a Master Seaman who was 52 years old with 34 years service - rest assured that, if you had any questions regarding his specialty the answer was immediate and accurate.
@@NuclearMilks Good for you! NETP is where you'll learn knots etc, sea survival, damage control and firefighting plus a bunch of navy lore, I reckon - traditions, yada, yada. Anyway... you'll have some challenges there but, occasionally, you'll just be bored and either too hot or too cold 😭 I'm an old man but, for what it's worth, I really don't like the new junior ranks names... S3, S2, etc.... they could have gone with Ordinary Sailor, Able Sailor, etc. Whatever, I reckon; I have no skin in the game anymore. Good luck!
"I've always thought that forcing people into an "up our out" scenario was shortsighted and many of our most senior Master Seaman and PO2's were an absolutely invaluable resource." YES!!! What he said!!! From a retired U.S. Navy CPO. Cheers ...
I served 6 years and made it to E-5. It often depends on how many open billets (positions) available for certain rates. I was for example a Gunners Mate and there was actually surplus of the rate at the time so it would have taken longer than what was officially "prescribed" for time in grade for me to make it to E-6.
Exactly. Ibwas an applicant for the navy's medical scholarship and when my recruiter (a badass CWO4) was giving me the ins and outs he told me my first step at any new duty station was to locate the Master Chief and introduce myself
I served aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71 aircraft carried from 86 to 90 and made PO Second Class (E5) as an Aviation Ordinanceman (AO2). I arrived just after commissioning and the Command Master Chief, Duane R. Bushey of CVN 71 became Master Chied Petty Officer of the Navy. He left us right after our Med cruise and was the MCPO of the Navy from 88 to 92. But while onboard, he was respected by even senior officers. He even had an officers stateroom. One hell of a guy.
When I became a Petty Officer 2nd Class I was told my job was to supervise, socialize, improvise and should the need arise to terrorize. Of course back then we all knew that the Chiefs ran the Navy.
Fleet sailor here. This video was great, but I'd like to add a little more information. For one, you don't need to be assigned a rate to be appointed to E-2. All that needs to happen is that you need to serve your time in rank, which from E-1 to E-2 is 9 months. It is also 9 months to go from E-2 to E-3. You can also get promoted through other ways. For example, I was automatically promoted to E-3 after bootcamp because I was top of my division. From E-3 to E-4 you will need a rate, however. Most of the time you will get your rate a few months after bootcamp when you complete your technical school (A-School). For some rates, A school lasts 2 weeks. For others, it can last over a year. You also failed to mention that there are not just seaman. There is also Firemen (they will have red stripes instead of the white ones), Airmen (Green Stripes), and Constructionmen (Baby Blue Stripes). Both Ensigns (pronounced "ensen" and not "En-sign" lol) and LT Junior Grades can be Division Officers. In fact, that is what their first billet usually is. O-3's usually fill bigger roles, like Weapons Officer, Navigation Officer, and Training Officer, at least on my ship. Also, Admirals are called "Flag Officers" because a flag will be raised at whatever base they go to. It's a blue square flag with a white star on it for whatever rank of Admiral they are. Personally, I think the backbone ranks of the Navy is the E-6 and below. As far as structure goes, they are the ones carrying out 90% of the physical labor.
Just about bloody nailed it.... It appears it hasn't changed a whole lot since I was in. When I was in the Radio Shack, two others were E-5, and I was getting out to go back to college. One of them retired some time back as a Master Chief. I wound up finishing college will working, and taught school, and then answered a call to become a cleric. Now retired after 33 years of ministry.
@@OrbInDaFrame They stopped promoting people to CWO1 because the paygrade actually pays less than most of the people who promoted to it were making as a regular chief. I heard they are reinstating it, though.
United States Navy. 1984-2014 Master Chief My final assignment was San Diego. Without any hesitation, Master Chiefs run the ships. No officer including the Captain, would rely heavily on a Master Chief. If i could do it all over again, I say lets go. 🇺🇲
CPO ranks, Senior and Master CPO's. Served as a BM E4 to E8 then picked up CWO2 [Bos'n] and retired out with 22 years. My most enjoyable time spent was as BMCS
My uncle enlisted in '42 as a seaman recruit. Worked his way up to Machinist's Mate. Due to his knowledge he went to OCS in '49 and started working his way up the officer's ladder. However, there are some major differences between a Annapolis grad and a mustang..... An Annapolis grad can go on to command a ship. A mustang is a restricted line officer, the only "commands" they can have are shore based. My uncle retired as a full Commander in 1968. I still miss him.....
The responsibility of various enlisted ranks in the Navy can really depend more on what kind of rate that person is and how big their division might be. There are rates that have fast advancement opportunities and those that are extremely slow. Some rates have automatic advancement to E-4. For instance, a BM3 (Bosun's Mate 3rd Class) as and E-4 might have virtually the same leadership responsibility, within that division, as a STG2 (Sonar Tech Surface 2nd Class) has within their own division. The nuances of the rate really determine what responsibility each rank would have within that division. As you get into PO1 and above, nuances of rate are less impactful. PO1 has a huge leadership role within almost all divisions. Smaller divisions might have a PO1 doing both Leading Petty Officer and division Chief duties. Larger divisions might have 2 or 3 PO1s, with one being the Leading Petty Officer, and the other 2 doing the same work. Then the Leading Petty Officer starts to do the work of the Division Chief, and the Division Chief takes a load off the Division Officer so they can work towards department head.
I served from 1970-1974 with 3 years aboard the USS Vulcan AR5. I left as a 2nd ClassPO, rate : IM2. Had I been more patient and mature I would have reenlisted probably for a full 30 years. Reflecting back it was the best time of my life. I’m a better person because of my time in the Navy.
My dad was a seabee in ww2, he was a 2d class, he said it's as a staff sergeant. His battalion was designated as a marine battalion so he was a carpenters mate marine Corp. However he always said seabee, he said seabees wore rates on opposite arms as the regular navy. He said he was acting chief petty officer, if you command so many men in war you are acting but be ause you have to have sea time it is not official. He said 2d class was a high rank. 121st battalion also 20th marines 4th marine division. Far as I can tell the marines had no carpenter mate rates but he was one in this rate case. From my research his battalion had marine uniforms, training, marine officers. I read they had a CB patch on their marine uniforms.
You could be detached from the Seabee battalion to other commands in need of your skills. I ran generators and the air conditioning for the radio installation at headquarters along with an Engineman. The Gunny said he could get us E-6 if we'd come to the Corps. He said it took 7 marines to do what we were doing. We said, Naaaaah.
My dad was in the navy from 61 to 91 retired as a cmcpo but he always said he enjoyed being a 1st class the most. I often teased him that cmc wasnt a job it was a position lol some days he saw the humor other days not so much lol
Years ago, I tried to join the navy but was turned away as being ‘undesirable’ due to physical limitations. I’m still proud that I made the attempt though…
1958-1969, RM2, USN - My finale rate was Petty officer second class, my rating was Radioman. Rate is pay grade; rating is Job occupation. I was taught in boot camp Enlisted personnel had rate; Officer Personnel had Rank.....
That’s interesting. I was in Navy Boot in 2002. Rating was job - I was an Avionics Technician. Rate and rank were the same thing - I made AT3 before I got out, Avionics Tech 3rd Class.
Thank you! You are the first person in the comment section to correct the author! Navy enlisted personnel have RATE not RANK! My finale RATE was Second Class Petty Officer, Pay Grade E5. My RATING was Construction Electrician. 1966-1969 US Navy Seabees Vietnam.
I proudly served in the US Navy as an aerial photographer. Trained in a twin - engine Beechcraft with a seventy - pound camera. The door was removed and I would wear a harness fastened on each side of the door. I was told by the petty officer in charge that if I lost the camera I better go with it. The year was 1956. Almost reinlisted. $6000.00 and assigned to the US Forrestal for a two year mediterranean cruise. Turned it down to go to school. I often wondered .....
Luck of the draw. You might have become CNO -- or been kicked out with a dishonorable discharge, or killed in Vietman - and those last two options could have been due to events beyond your control. Hope this helps.
There is no one rate in the navy that stands as the Back Bone. I was a Boatswain's Mate. In the surface fleet most anything except the guns and radar that can bee seen from the dock is operated and maintained by the Deck Department, and we are involved in almost every operation involving rope, wire rope, chains, anchors as well as chipping the paint sanding and painting the ship again and again and again... BMs also supervise the Helm, Lee helm, and look out watches underway, so we drive the ship, but we couldn't drive the ship with out the Machinist Mates and other engineering type who work down the hole who know the spells that make the engines go, or the quarter masters who navigate, and we wouldn't get far with out the food and supplies provided by the Supply Department personnel. Every person aboard fills a billet, and every billet needs to be in place for everything to work well. Having any one department or division understaffed or not doing their job is like driving your car with one of the spark plugs removed. You might be able to get where you're going, but it won't be a smooth ride.
@@huemansyndrome879 I tailored my vernacular to my target audience. Most reading here wouldn't know what a futtick shroud is used for, so I wouldn't use the term.
In the early 70's when I was in, you had to pass rate courses & pass a test to advance above E-3. (Also, assuming the Navy requires more personnel in that rate /rank.) I was lucky enough that when it I took my tests, I passed and as able to fill the required quota of needed personnel. I made E-6 (FTG1) in 5 years. I learned a trade that lasted my whole life. I made 4 "cruises" in 4 years. I was always taught the chiefs were the backbone of the Navy. They know how to get things done while "putting up" with officers and other enlisted personnel. (Of course, a chief told me that!)
I got that same line before I got out. I'd made E-5 in our years. Near the end of my enlistment put in a chit to extend the 7 months until my enlistment ended. I called my detailer in the Pentagon and told him I was leaving and reminded him that Nixon wanted the military to cut back on transfers to save money. Having done that I put my request chit in. It came back disapproved all the way up the line. I had managed to spend my entire enlistment thus far at the same duty station. One of the chiefs commented that "Petty Officer Cuminale has never been to a battalion!" When it came back approved they were all shocked. The chief with the comment asked me how I managed to pull it off. After I told him that I already the approval before I'd put in my chit he said that I should stay in because I knew how the system worked. I told that that was precisely why I was getting out. I detested having to play games with the system. He'd seen me in action before. At the time he was one of the oldest Master Chief Petty Officers in the Navy if not the oldest. he had 46 years of service. He'd been one of the original Seabees when they were formed for WW 2. His top seniority chevron met his chief's chevron badge. I wondered where they would put another one if he stayed (or lived long enough). Anyway, he got this idea that all the Seabees should wear greens. Our department was a mix of Seabee and fleet rates and he thought it would instill a esprit de corps in the Seabees if we all distinguished ourselves out from the fleet rates. I told him that making me wear greens that had to be starched and ironed with a starched 8 point cap and blousing springs wouldn't give me esprit de corps since I was wearing permanent Seafarer dungarees and chambray shirts with a lot less effort. I argued by showing him the Plan of the day which proscribed dungarees and chambray shirts with ball cap or white hat for enlisted with Khakis for chiefs and officers in ship's company. I asked him if we were ship's company or a Seabee unit. He knew we were ship's company. He couldn't make me wear greens unless the Plan of the day said Seabees had to. He was a nice guy about it. He admitted I was right and he dropped the subject. Besides, I had a good job to go back too with Ma Bell. There was a recession in 1975 and a lot of guys who'd wanted to get out changed their minds and reenlisted. And my wife hated it with good reason. The base had an Open Officers Mess. That allowed them to invite civilians with college degrees in. My wife, a BS in Physical Therapy was invited to join. She asked if she could bring me as a guest and they said no because I was enlisted. She thought that stupid. Why would she join something I wasn't welcome at? Anyway, I did all right. I went back to Ma Bell, got laid off 10 years later, started my own business in my field and retired a millionaire. The Navy would have wasted my talents.
Actually it was true the chiefs were the backbone of the Navy (unofficially). In 1970 Nixon himself came aboard Saratoga (then the Fighting Cock until the navy went PC) and he jokingly made a crack.... "In my day the chiefs were the backbone of the Navy". Insert roar from the CPO's.
A rate is the military rank of an enlisted sailor (no more than other services; E-1 thru E-9, W-1 thru W-4, then O-1 thru O-10), indicating where the sailor stands within the chain of command, and also defining one's pay grade. However, in the U.S. Navy, only officers carry the term rank, while it is proper to refer to an enlisted sailor's pay grade as rate. The same term also refers to one's area of occupational specialization within the enlisted Navy.
2:18 OE division on USS Ranger while I was on board was almost 100 total sailors, split between ET and DS ratings (for the most part if not entirely, I think we had a few of a 3'd rate but I never saw anything but the ETs and rarely the DSes due to my primary work station location and responsibilities). Our division officer for a while was a LT, who was later rotated out and replaced by a Warrent Officer (WO3 I think, might have been a WO4). Also, the division only had PERHAPS a half dozen sailors less than ET3/DS3 - and our ET1/DS1 types were not "division leadership", that was the Chiefs and the Senior (later Master) Chief in that division.
Thanks for posting this vid. My father was in WWII and held the rating of Store Keeper 3rd Class. It was the same rating as Petty Officer 3rd Class. When his time was up and was being discharged after the war, the Navy tried to get him to reenlist. He refused, he wanted to go home since the war was over. The Navy offered him Lt., Jg if he would sign back up. He still refused. I knew it was a large jump in ratings from SK3C but wasn't sure. Thanks for showing.
The backbone of the navy is the captain rank can oversee all the situation in the ground and the field in a largest and small operation unlike other high ranks only set in the chair.
Definitely Chiefs. There is an old, and likely untrue story, about a class of officer candidates that were posed a question by their instructor. "What is the proper command to give to have a flag pole raised in front of headquarters. Every candidate suggested the proper flow of orders on getting paint, supplies and arranging work groups and all were rejected with scorn by the instructor. Finally one candidate raised his hand and said, "excuse me sir but what IS the proper command?" The instructor replied "Chief, have that flag pole raised." The point? You do strategy, they do tactics. No one understands how the Navy actually works like a Chief does. ⚓️
This is the best example I've ever seen of how it should work. Thank you for sharing. (And unlike a lot of stories I've heard, something tells me there's a distinct possibility this one really is true.)
Chiefs run the U.S. Navy. Officers are usually nearly worthless if not an actual detriment to the safety of the ship. If they're smart, they stay out of the Chief's way. Our "Engineering Officer" had a degree in Music. He could sing Opera. Completely worthless for every other purpose however. Junior Officers get to the fleet clueless, attend a 6-week "so you wanna be the Navigator?" type school, then become a division officer knowing just enough to be dangerous. They take that job for 2 years then might end up the Comms officer next. That's why Navy Chiefs have so much influence -- they actually make things happen. The Navy won't make it to mid-watch without them.
@@BelgianPigeon every branch has their own set of ranks. Marines and army ranks are very similar. Space force and Air force have some what similar ranks but navy is very complicated and different. Branches only require to know their own branch's ranks over any other branches so we don't need to know all the ranks of the military. But is good to know the other's branches ranks out of respect or if you work with them.
The -Chief PO is the backbone of the Navy. When I was in the Navy the ranks were pretty much like shone here but I never heard of lower and upper ranks. I went in in 1956.
Of all the services' ranks, rates, and ratings the US Navy is the most complicated to try to explain. While everything you said might be picked apart by someone who wants to nitpick, in reality this was a very commendable effort. Bravo Zulu.
Yes, and when you throw in the fact that skippers are called "Captain" even if they don't have the rank of Captain, and may even be enlisted in some cases can be even more confusing to civilians.
I was in the Navy from 1964 to 1970. At that time an E-1 had a single diagonal stripe. When we graduated from Boot Camp we were promoted to Seaman Apprentice (2 stripes) In the Navy at time a Seaman Recruit could not be taken to sea. We had a man report aboard our sub at Pearl. He had been busted down to an E-1 from an E-4. The Captain had to promote him to an E-2 so we could take him to sea on our next patrol. Also at that time frame there were on 4 Warrant rates the lower two were non commissioned and the upper two were commissioned. There was no Warrant 5. Also in the US Navy the first officer rank is pronounced En-Sin, 'Ensin', (Ensign) the "g" is silent.
I was in at the same time. 64 - 70, got my strikers badge, and was quoted twice. When l returned to reserve status, l got my Crow. No quotes in the Reserves. I had a 4 yr. Stripe, and E4 Rate.
@@buzzmessinger4510 While at TI to get out a whole bunch of us were held on administrative hold due to not enough personnel to process us out. First Reserve meeting I was dinged for not have my Hash Mark for over 4 years active service. That got me my Good Conduct Medal also.
My father served with the Air Force and went through the junior officer recruitment class thing in high school or college, not entirely sure. But he moved over to Public Health Service due to personal reasons. The PHS uses the U.S. Navys rank system, and my father currently holds LTCD/O-4. He hopes to acquire a promotion, but with the particular branch of the PHS he works in, that is proving to be quite the challenge. This video in particular is useful for clueless individuals such as myself, who are looking for a career in this particular branch. Looking to go enlisted and try my best to shoot for the MP job.
" junior officer recruitment class thing in high school or college" Also known as ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corp). Your dad may have done both High School and College. The High School version, I took part in it, is called JR ROTC and will not qualify you for an officer's commission. It will allow you to jump two grades as an enlisted sailor and looks good for trying to get into the Academy or an ROTC Scholarship for college. Only the college ROTC will get anyone an officer's commission.
The backbone of the Navy has been and always will be the Chief Petty Officer. That is how the rank and file was designed. As someone that went from E-1 to O-3E. The Chief was always the backbone of the ship.
As a SCPO of the German Navy I allways have a quote of my very first Chief in mind, he said" there are two people in the world you can trust. Your mother and your chief and your mother ain't in the Navy". That primed me to be the best leader to my man and women I could be. When I look back, I think I did it quite well in the last 29 years of service.
I was a third class ABF in the Navy back in the 60’s. I always thought that a first class petty officer was the backbone of the Navy, but I respected all ranks above me.
Ranks and ratings are not the same. Rank it your pay grade, rating is your job. I retired as Chief Petty Officer, my rank. My rating was Signalman and Ships 3M co-ordinator and Master at Arms.
And you would be correct. Officers spout orders with little to no concept of what is actually involved. The Chiefs keep a boat in order and functioning.
Perhaps you or a family member has served or is serving in the Navy. Which rank do you think is the backbone of the Navy?
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my cousin was in the US Navy during D-Day and Surrender of Japanese Empire from 1946-1950
Thanks for sharing James, appreciate it
My uncle was a command master chief and served two tours in Vietnam
Thanks for sharing Brendan!
I am retired military...United States Navy. The ranks/rates that form the "keel" of the Navy are, in MHO, from E-5 thru O-3. With a a little more emphasis on the E-5/E-6 rates/ranks. Just my humble opinion.
My daughter enlisted in the US Navy in 2009 as an undesignated recruit. She was assigned at USS Essex in Sasebo, Japan. With sheer determination and hard work, she was selected in the Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program (MECP). She is now in the Nurse Corps as a Lt. in Balboa Hospital San Diego, CA
Very nice, all my respect to your daughter
Me three
i shattered my arm when i was six and had to get surgery there around 2014-2015 and ive wanted to join the navy since
I'm a retired Navy Commander and started out as an enlisted corpsman. I think the 2nd Class Petty Officer rank is the backbone of the Navy. They know their jobs; get down and dirty; and perform hands on leadership with lower-ranked sailors. Everyone under them is still learning and figuring out things.
I feel like we are all the backbone. As an LSSR I can say without everyone together, we have nothing to stand with.
Yes I have to agree the backbone of the Navy is the 2nd Class Petty Officer Well Said Daniel
Thank you for the recognition:, got out as a Hm2, retired this year as an Rn.
2nd class is the bottom rung of the senior enlisted rank. There are still a lot more to learn and understand to be the backbone of the navy. There are hotshot sailors who'll shoot past E5 quickly. But many are also derelict and irresponsible with barely any time serving to be the backbone.
The United States military was running military exercises of planes being hijacked and flown into the wtc at the same time the terrorists were supposed to be doing the same thing failure of imagination my ass
You are all monster and war crimanls
Trying to get us all killed as we speak
I am 63 year old retired tax paying American
I am sick and tired of being lied to I want my money back and the hell out of here
I served in the Navy from 7/11/1958
To 3/13/1968. I served in 3 ships
As Tin Can Sailor for 6 years 2 years at US Naval Academy and
365 days combat duty in Vietnam.The Navy is the best place
To be in for young man, travel around the world and job experience. I left the Navy as A US
Veterans, used my GI bill in 1971
- 1976 and Earned Bachelors degree in Business, used my GI
Home loan. Now as 83 years old
I am enjoying my retirement with
My Family in Las Vegas, Nevada.
I served 77-81 Constellation and live in Pahrump, NV - yes, we went from all water to all dirt 🙂
thank you for your service!
Hello! I would like to hear your story’s while you were at navy
I left the navy as a Second Class PO. It was such an honor! Wish I had done 20 but most understand the great sacrifices you have to make to do this. I made it to just over 8 years. Thanks to all who have honorably served!
Do you know if CPO or CWO are permitted into officers clubs unattended? 🤔
I served 34 years in the Coast Guard retiring as a Commander with full charge of a station. My tenure was inclusive of combat service missions during Vietnam and the Gulf war. Petty officers all grades earn their bread and butter every day. While they might not be a backbone, they are where the wheel meets the track
The yodel of a proper officer! 8^
US NAVY NURSE 6 YRS.. HELLO COMMANDER
I entered the Navy in June, 1950. The ranks have changed greatly since that time. There was only one Chief and the upper officers did not have the same titles as they do now. There was only one Warrant Officer. I served as a Hospitalman 2nd Class aboard the USS Boxer (CVA-21).
Thanks for sharing Ben
Chief, is the backbone of the Navy. They run the Navy, and oftentimes instruct Officers in the correct procedures. "Just Say'en!" E4 PO3
@@buzzmessinger4510 I'm
I think what happened is, as ships got larger and the skill sets of the enlisted rank became more complex, you started to need more career senior enlisted personnel and thus need a way to distinguish between them and re-establish a “first among equals” designation.
And what do you do with highly skilled enlisted sailors with about 12 years experience , who have hit a glass ceiling, are not suited to become mustangs and are starting to eye the civilian market …..
Thank you for your service. I was -1 years old when you entered the navy.
I come from a long line of military veterans. My Dad retired as a Senior Chief. I served in the Navy and left after fours years as a Petty Officer 3. In my opinion, it is the Chiefs who are the backbone of the Navy. In fact, the Chiefs basically run the Navy, contrary to what many officers think. It is the one rank on ship that can ask an officer to leave the Chief's Mess, although they usually are tactful when they do so. If you want something done in one theater from another, have a Chief contact another Chief. When a commanding officer wants someone who has their fingers on the pulse of the command under him, it is usually a Senior Chief who tells him. By the way, Ensign is pronounced En-sin, not En-sign.
Thank you for the information, my son is joining the Navy After High School this summer. I am very proud.
Congratulations Mr. Garcia. My son also is in the Navy and has been for more than 25 years. God bless your son. I hope it helps him to lead his lift in a honorable and satisfactory manner.
My son started as a corpsman at 18 and because of navy duty, he is now a doctor..best thing he ever did..hope your son has the same experience..his son is a Lt and Chief Engineer on a new destroyer
My Aunt spend 20 years in the Navy as a nurse and retired a Commander. When it came to rank she always told those she was training, "In the Navy we do two things with brass, polish it or salute it."
My Great grandad was a Rear Admiral lower half in the navy. I don’t know much else about him since he passed when I was 3. But all I knew is that he was a dedicated Sailor!
Thanks for sharing Crustefied
Rear Admiral lower half or Commodore? That designation has come and gone a couple of times.
@@chuckaddison5134 Rear Admiral Lower Half was previously known as Commodore and has been the designation for a 1 Star admiral sense 1985. Before that Commodore was a technically unofficial enlisted rank for Captains who commanded squadrons. In 1981 the Commodore rank was created as an official flag officer rank with the 1 Star insignia, but due to these officers being Flag Officers and the previous Commodores who still held these ranks not, they renamed it to alleviate that confusion. I believe the Commodore rank still exists, just in it's previous unofficial Squadron Commander use.
@@KomradeDoge thanks for telling me this. it gives me more knowledge of what he did.
I served under a Commodore around 1993 over in London. So they did have them. He wore Captains rank on his collar but we called hom Commodore
There is no single rank that is the backbone of the Navy. They all have their purpose, and are all equally useful and essential for the smooth and continuous operation of the Navy.
Ok great shut up
Yeah especially the seaman
@@Handicaptain chill dude
I agree with Philip avada
@@see4881 ive seen this same comment but in a vid about us army ranks so
I served to 7th fleet of the navy,,, during the presence of subic naval base,,, I worked as a civilian worker on Ship Repair Facility,,, we took trainings in U.S they ranked me lieutenant junior grade,,, these special trainings are given for professionalism in troubleshooting of navigational system of every U.S navy ship... Many thanks PH...
One of my uncles served as a corpsman in the navy during Vietnam. Got out as a PO3, if I remember correctly. Leveraged into an ROTC and was commissioned as a 2LT in the Air Force medical corps. Retired from service as a Colonel.
Go figure the Corpsman only gets to PO3. The promotion rate for Corpsman is so bad it’s uncanny.
Kudos to your uncle. We all appreciate successful people.
@@Necracudda Right. Such an important rate and you get stuck at HM3.
My father was Navy (68-88) and started out as a corpsman, switched over to biomed tech (medical electrician ) sometime in the mid 70s) and left as a PO1 in 88…. The problem with the enlisted medical field AT THAT time is there wasn’t much beyond PO1 that wasn’t handled by a Chief with responsibility in a multiple of rates so in order to Make Chief and beyond you had to leave the medical field and become a more generalized Disciplinarian Chief and your medical knowledge was neither appreciated or required, so the gold old boys board kept the Chief slots open for their own kind. I think the contemporary Navy has realized the error of that and you know have Chief Slots (and a smattering of Warrant Officer Slots) where an experience as a Corpsman is valued, nay required.
There is still a glass ceiling, Chief of the Boat is never gonna be a Corpsman except perhaps on a Hospital Ship
@@Necracudda 6:17 Captain insignia as a lieutenant? 7:02 A colonel Insignia as a captain? The movie Top Gun really got that wrong!
I was MM2 when I got out. I believe that PO2 through CPO are the backbone.
@@mikestanley9176 Sorry sailor but your 3-4 years wasn't an "entire career". You just did a stint in the Navy unless of course you actually served 20 years and got busted down to a 3rd class. BM2 Cox 84-88 USS Wabash AOR-5
I'd say E2-E7 are the backbone. When I was in between 84-88 an E8 would never do any manual labor unless of course if they felt like it but, usually by then they are 100% management.
I was an AX2 when I got out. It took me 2 1/2 years to get that rank. I only did four years in the first half of the 70s. I never went to sea.
Can't be the backbone if you don't have all the tools necessary to be one.
My father served in the navy in world war 2, my nephew was in the navy and learning from them, I agree that no matter what rank you are, you are a piece of the puzzle.
My father served in the Navy during WW2- he was an electronics expert installing computers on board Navy ships from july 1941 til mid 1943- then transfered to the Code Breakers staff working on breaking Japan military codes- he went on active reserve in 1946 and retired in 1961 as a Chef Petty Off.
WW2, My Father was a cook first while serving on the Indiana. Had a chance to go to Island duty, forward flag as PO first. The current CPO transferred and my Father was next in line and so with a wisk of a Pen he became CPO E7. Battlefield promotions I guess but that was during the war.
My dad enlisted in the Navy in 1965-1970, and served two tours in Vietnam. He got out for awhile and re-enlisted 1980-1994 and retired PO1. He did served in National Guard 4 years. I think he spend most of his career as 2nd Class PO. The backbone of the Navy Fleet.
I started out as a e1 FTM on the USS Buchanan DDG 14 on the 1st of Oct. 1970. I retired CW02 Aug. 1st 1991off of the aircraft carrier Independence CV62. Had 21years of service, 3 tours in the Nam and 1 in desert storm and 1 in desert shield. Loved it all!
damn you did the whole 70s and 80s in the military that's a crazy career
Ps: 🙏 Thank you… Interestingly, I started out ARMY ROTC ( PURDUE, E5,Honor Guard, 1965-67+): then stalled fhru Pharmacy School, THEN , 4 F , @ INDUCTION Center …. JAN 1971….. Anyways,best two years, @ always a JOCK, ETC. ( esp ARMY)….
Adams class 🤮
I was on the Hoel ddg-13.
Lol
WhoooRah!
@@opera93 6:17 Captain insignia as a lieutenant? 7:02 A colonel Insignia as a captain? The movie Top Gun really got that wrong!
My grandpa was a PO3 on board the USS Edmonds between WWII and the Korean war. He was a electrician mate. I have his dress blues and his 13 point flag
Thanks for sharing his story Joseph
@@PremierHistory thanks for allowing me to share and thanks for the video. God bless the USA and military for everything y'all do. for my grandpa, HOOYAH.
I served in the destroyer/cruiser navy from 1978 to 1995. I retired as a Chief Boiler Technician Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist. In port I was a Duty Engineer, underway I was an Engineering Officer Of The Watch. The proudest day of my career was following CPO initiation when my Commanding Officer and my wife pinned my Chief collar devices on! As proud as I was being a Navy Chief, I'll have to say it was a team effort as far as "backbone". No one did it alone!
I went into The Navy in December 1961 and completed "Boot" training in San Diego,it was a good liberty port back then. The backbone of the Navy was your ranks from E2 through E-7 at that time, The Senior rank of the Navy was your Boatswain Mate wasn't E8 through E9 (those two ranks were Considered the political and had instant access to the old man, Captain or Admiral) And, at that time you had instilled in you how to show commodity for your brother and sister sailors.
Hell, I had instant access to the Captain when I was in the Navy and I was an E-3. I talked to him nearly every day, first thing in the morning. I brought him his coffee right after I cleaned and polished his desk and rolled the lint off of his Jacket. I sometimes escorted sailors into Captain's Mast and I had a good report with the Captain on a sort of informal basis per his request. He thought it was silly for me to go thru the rank respect every time I walked into his office carrying papers or other inconsequential items. But during Captain's Mast and any other official duties I was an E-3 and he was the Captain. All respect for the position was mandated and given. I was stationed at 32nd Street Naval Center from 1972-1975. US Navy but Never aboard ship.
@@offgridcabin1557 Sounds a lot like dad while on the Missouri. He was a lowly ET at the time but spent a good deal of his time in the Admiral's Cabin as he maintained the RADAR Repeater there. He tried to maintain the respect for "Officer's Territory" but one day the Admiral needed his unit fixed quickly. Dad informed him he would be up just as soon as he changed uniforms. Admiral told him to come as he was. Captain saw him enter the the cabin in dungarees and charged in after him. Started to chew dad out. Admiral then chewed the Captain out for entering uninvited. Captain had to go back outside and wait. Meanwhile dad and the Admiral had a little talk after dad finished his work. Seemed the Admiral enjoyed chewing the Captain out and then making him wait. :-)
Thank you for posting this.
I appreciated it. My youngest is IN THE UNTIED STATES NAVY he's a SAILOR.
Glad you enjoyed it Vicki
This was very educational and wow a lot to learn. My grandson is stationed in Everett and joined the Navy June of 2022. So very proud. He went in and is a cook. A lot of people probably think what a brainless job. Well, you are very mistaken. I went on the destroyer he is on and saw the kitchen. WOW, it is so nice. I was told that the back bone of the good sailor is good nutrition. They have to be fed good healthy food or they aren’t very productive. He has other duties also but again I am so proud of him. My husband was in the navy and my dad was a lieutenant in the merchant marines during WW2. He was a radio man. He used the training he got there to make a living when he got out. Very proud of all our service men. Thank you.
Proud Navy Dad here. Son is a Navy Lieutenant and a F18 Superhornet driver.
Thanks for sharing Xris, must be so proud
The ranks of the navy were easy to remember, having to learn the other branches ranks at enlisted was a pain. The officers were easy since the marines, airforce and army all use the same ones while the coast guard uses the same ones as the navy.
Rear Admiral lower half was until recently the rank of Commodore which was a wartime rank. Currently the title commodore is applied to O5 and O6 who have command of 2 or more ships, ex. a destroyer squadron. Also during my career (58-81), W1 and W2 warrant officers were considered enlisted. W3 and W4 were commissioned ranking below Ensign. LCdr USN (Ret)
My stepfather was an E9. In navigation. He received the Bronze Star while in Vietnam while coordinating bombardment I believe before an assault on the beach. He never went to college but was extremely intelligent and very well read. During the sixties my mom said while stationed at the Pentagon he was called into a staff meeting considering a new computer for the Navy. I think the Admirals asked him what he thought and he went to the map on the wall. He said according to the computer, the ship was traveling in such and such direction at 6 knots across the country of Spain.😂. Thank you Chief.
Dad was stationed in DC in 67-68. He hated days when he had to go to the Pentagon. He also was an E-9 at the time. He preferred doing hands on wok instead of paper pushing which is why he was an M branch instead of an A branch CT.
I was drafted in 1967 but got lucky and got into the Navy. Couldn’t make Chief due to a top heavy rating (AW). Got into the last NESEP class and retired as a mustang LCDR in 1988. Fly Navy
The Navy runs on three things: AVGAS, coffee and Chiefs, not necessarily in that order.
And that's a fact jack! btw: l got out 68 and did reserve time until 70, was a AZ3, just because l liked airplanes.
I was in VP1 CREW6, 1974-79. Health and Happiness to you and yours.
Dad "joined" the Navy in 1954 instead of going to jail. He retired from the Navy Seabees 21 years later as an EO Chief....he grew from a troubled kid to our family's "anchor" and the father of 5 Navy Brats. Serving all over the world building everything you can imagine...Alaska, Guam where I was born, Okinawa, Gitmo and others including 3 tours in Vietnam. Our "Chief" was everything to us.
My dad retired as a master chief, I'm joining in a few years and staying in till Admiral.
@Doc Holliday thank you, it's been my dream since I was 5
Goodluck! That's a high rank and alot of dedication!!
@@gavinseeley3926 I know!!! Its honestly intimidating at times, but I'm willing to do it.
So, you're going through ROTC and plan on going to College? Also, to get to Admiral, you'll need to possess a large amount of Leadership skills from the get-go, so best of luck mate. A lot of those who end up on the higher end of the Commissioned Officers are normally those who were in JROTC, so if you're not already, give that a go. :)
@@DocGiraffe its hilarious that you mention that, I'm in JROTC right now in high school, I have to wear the uniform right now, and I'm a JROTC officer, it's an army class, but it still gives me an idea what the military is like, and I feel like I can be a good leader when the time comes, I'm pretty good at it now....I think :)
Very proud of my Master Chief brother who retired after his duty as Chief of the Base at the submarine base in San Diego.
Navy is so complex compared to other branches . Army = Privates & Sergeants. Navy = Seaman Squidward Petty Chief Yeomen 1st Class
It took many years for this USAF Airman (Ret.) to be able to “read” USN rate, and the ratings still escape me. My grandfather (Pearl Harbor Survivor, USS California), retired as a CPO as did my mom; dad was USAF. Proud to come from Navy and Air Force folk.
3:05 *the hero we all love. Salute, John-117*
Master chief petty officer John-117
I’m resisting the urge to make a comment, glad to see others cracked under pressure
@Obs3ver lol👍
My grandfather was a veteran of the second world war. His rank is 2nd lieutenant of the reserve force of the USAFFE corps in the Philippines. General Mc Arthur ordered to defend the island of Mindanao until he returned. They counter attacked the Japanese with guerilla tactics. They survived until the arrival of the allies with Filipino and American soldiers in World War 2.
I’d say an E-5 on a smaller ship and an E-6 about the same. E-7 or Chief gets you away from the hands-on type of duties although a good Chief (E-7) is likely to have more savvy in his field than quite a few officers. When it comes right down to it, everyone works together as a team no matter what your rank on a smooth running ship.
Agreed. Ranks are a little more fluid depending on the size of the crew. On a sub an E4 is basically a new sailor depending on the division and rate.
I was a QM3 on the USS Santa Barbara. We re-surfaced the bridge wing level for non-skid. It was dirty hard work, but we all worked together. I have a picture of my chief on his knees with "Knuckle Busters"
@@aaronnichols9338 Sure is, though a second class could easily be your LPO. Just depends.
@@alexanderhamilton4258 This exactly. A 2nd class can be an LPO, same as a Lt CDR can be “Captain” on a smaller ship.
My dad was a lieutenant in the U.S Navy back in the 1980s. He never was in any battle but he has influenced me to go into the navy when I am able to.
Thanks for sharing Cpt4tap!
@@PremierHistory no problem!
@@cpt4tap703 Memorize your 11 general orders and chain of command before boot camp. You will thank me for this advice.
@@paulbroadway987 alrighty! Will do!
Don’t join to go kill people on bankers’ and billionaires’ behalf.
I think the Chief Petty Officer is the backbone of the US Navy. I retired from the Navy in 2016 after 26 years from Naval Special Warfare.
I think the feeling differs slightly based on his/her own time in service. I served 5 years and only made 3rd class (3 pts short of 2nd in my last testing). In my experience, it was the Leading Petty Officers (E-6) that primarily drove the enlisted force at my command. AIMD Oceana. We had some respectable Chiefs to be sure, but what needed to be done was driven mostly by the E-6s and senior E-5s.
While I understand this to be a broad overview of the US Navy, Commanders (O-5) can also be captains of SSBN (Ballistic Misslie) submarines. I actually just checked the leadership page of the USS Henry M. Jackson and both Blue and Gold Crews are lead by Commanders. Captains (O-6) can still command submarines, but not likely to unless there is an issue with the command, or there are no qualified Commanders to do so.
Overall, I did enjoy this video @Premier History. I cannot wait for the other navies around the world to be covered.
When I was in, O-5 [Commanders] were captains of Destroyers, Destroyer Escort, etc. 06[Captains] commanded every thing above destroyer level [Cruisers, Carriers] I don't know about subs... they were either bubbleheads or targets depending on the language.
The Submarines I was on(SSBNS) were nearly always commanded by a Commander. Except ome time our CO was lt cmdr who got promoted to cmdr first patrol i was on. So as far as i know your statement is right on.
Commanders can captain any class of Submarine, in technicality.
@@alexanderhamilton4258 yes, that was my point.
Captain of a ship need not be a Captain by rank. Many smaller ships have an O-5 Commander or even an O-4 Lt. Commander serve as “Captain.”
It is not ‘EN-Sign’. It’s ‘EN-Sin’
I’m spelling phonetically.
He's got a Bitish accent En-sighn and leftenant and all that.
@@hals.1844 Although I kinda like how they say Lieutenant. Lef-ten-ent. Sounds old school like Commodore.
@@hals.1844 well played lol how do I give you two thumbs up?
Damn Brits!!
@@sailorbychoice1 -- I can understand the "sign" pronunciation, but I still can't find the "f" in lieutenant.
We may had fought like brothers with each other but my hat is off to the finest Navy in the world...the US Navy.
In my humble opinion, E-7 Chief Petty Officer are the backbone of the Navy. My father served 34 years in the Navy as a Chief Cryptological Technological Technician ( R ) branch. He served in a Cold War unit.
Yeah the chief’s mess is the backbone id say
@@bobbycabbagestalk1492 chiefs wouldn’t survive without E-6 and below. A machine only works with all its parts the way the navy is set up no one piece is a backbone. They all have an equally important role.
They surely are! But what I saw once the years as a career Air Force man working with the Navy, many fine people retired as E6. They weren’t lazy, they just wanted to stop at 20 years.
Enlisted are the backbone of the navy, because they are the one performing all the tasking from E1 to E9....lol
My brother was a CTC, 20 years + then retired.
Never call a CHIEF a petty officer, there's nothing petty about them. It's "CHIEF"
When I joined in 1958 I went to bootcamp as a HR Hospital Corpsman as I was assured to go to Corps school after boots. I am pretty sure the Hospital Corpsman rate has the most sailors as we supply support to the Marines. Also hold the dubious distinction of the highest KIA starting with WWI. 776 Doc's on the Nam Wall we are deployed allover the planet and still deployed even after release from active duty.
Wow! You and I just missed each other - I was in San Diego Boot Camp in 1957, right out of High School. I went the Corpsman route and went to HM1 before a direct appointment to the Medical Service Corps. Possibly our paths crossed somewhere along the line ... good hearing from an old-timer like me, though ...
John Knight was at SDiego then to Bremerton. Silly question but were you issued a flat hat in boot camp? Everyone I have talked to about that time got one.
@@chucks6879 Hey, Chuck: Not only was I issued a flat hat, but also leggings, a mattress cover (fart sack we called it), clothes stops and a sewing kit! From SD boot camp I went to Glakes, Ill Hospital Corps school, then to NavHosp Annapolis, temp assign to aircraft carrier (I was HN by that time), then to Bethesda Natl Naval Med Ctr for EKG/BMR school, then to Guam. I was HM2 by that time, and spent a year as deputy coroner at NavHosp Guam. Was disch from AcDu and obliserved in USNR, where I remained for 8 years. I made HM1, and was stationed at NAS Alameda. From there I applied for and rec'd a commission as ENS, MSC USNR . When I hung it up I was a LCDR. So, from San Diego boot to mustang officer. What a ride! Good to hear from another old vet! Thanks for your service, shipmate.
Doc Knight you did great you MSC officers were the best have a couple clothes stops. Ha thank you for your service!
I love veterans like you guys
Fun fact for everyone about the Navy: enlisted have pay grades, officers have rank.
That's valid for the US Navy not in other navies
Another fun fact about the NAVY. The word navy stands for
N-never
A-again
V-volunteer
Y-yourself
@@davidblyth5495 What a coincidence! That's what the video is about.
@@somerandombaldguy5296 I was in the Navy. I used to listen to some Chiefs in my command yell at lower enlisted about the difference when paperwork was being filled out. Also heard about it many times in boot camp.
Was a ADE4 when I got out of the navy F14 jet mech from 87 to 91 on uss John f Kennedy cv67
The Seaman Recruit actually had a one-slash-bar insignia where the Apprentice has two and the Seaman three. The "Lower Half" Rear Admiral was traditionally known as a Commodore.
Commodore and Rear Admiral Lower Half are two separate ranks, with Commodore being retired and no longer issued. The 1-star commodore is equal but not interchangeable with RDML. There are senior captains leading aircraft type commands who have the working title of Commodores but are only Captains in rank and insignia, e.g. the commodore of the F/A-18 (strike fighter wing) etc.
Commodore was a wartime rank and used to lead task forces. The general progression went from Capt 0-6 to RADM 0-8. This pissed off the Army who used the 0-7 rank, Brigadier General. That's why they started using the one star rank, Commodore, renamed RADM lower half. I agree that there was an error with Seaman Recruit. It has one stripe and as far as I know, always had. One omission was the color of the E-1 through E-3 stripe. Seaman were White, Snipes were red, Airdales were Green, Seabees were Blue and if there were others, I don't remember.
Our destroyer squadron was a Commodore.
When I was in recruit training, we had boot stripes. We were all E1s. Upon graduation, we were promoted to E2s. While I was in school after recruit training, I took the Petty officer 3rd class test.
Recruit stripes showed recruit company commander, and other recruit training ranks. But they meant nothing outside the boot camp.
@@sagebrushsailor I'm not quite sure of the difference between Commodore and Rear Admiral Lower Half.
@@Old_Foxy_Grandpa Testosterone V Testosterone ie Boys will be boys. Aint life grand. Makes the annual ARMY NAVY game a thing of beauty.
Retired RCN CPO2 here... that's OR8 equivalent to a Senior Chief, USN.
Our ranks - just the ratings - are, in order from lowest to highest: OS, AB, LS, MS, PO2, PO1, CPO2 and CPO1.
In our navy I'd say the backbone is the sailors holding the ranks of Master Seaman and Petty Officer 2.
Some of our Master Seaman, for example, have 20+ years of experience and are literally masters of their specialty.
I've always thought that forcing people into an "up our out" scenario was shortsighted and many of our most senior Master Seaman and PO2's were an absolutely invaluable resource.
I had, on one of my teams, a Master Seaman who was 52 years old with 34 years service - rest assured that, if you had any questions regarding his specialty the answer was immediate and accurate.
Thanks for sharing Christopher
Thank you for sharing, Chief! Rather new sailor here, S3 (formerly OS) projected to be going on trades next month and hopefully NETP in the summer!
@@NuclearMilks Good for you! NETP is where you'll learn knots etc, sea survival, damage control and firefighting plus a bunch of navy lore, I reckon - traditions, yada, yada. Anyway... you'll have some challenges there but, occasionally, you'll just be bored and either too hot or too cold 😭
I'm an old man but, for what it's worth, I really don't like the new junior ranks names... S3, S2, etc.... they could have gone with Ordinary Sailor, Able Sailor, etc.
Whatever, I reckon; I have no skin in the game anymore.
Good luck!
"I've always thought that forcing people into an "up our out" scenario was shortsighted and many of our most senior Master Seaman and PO2's were an absolutely invaluable resource."
YES!!! What he said!!!
From a retired U.S. Navy CPO. Cheers ...
@@dougearnest7590 Thanks, Chief! Stay safe out there, Shipmate!
I served 6 years and made it to E-5. It often depends on how many open billets (positions) available for certain rates. I was for example a Gunners Mate and there was actually surplus of the rate at the time so it would have taken longer than what was officially "prescribed" for time in grade for me to make it to E-6.
Same problem with Electricians mate, I made to E-5 and was stuck there when my scores were better than the E-6's over me. Downsizing kills us.
Making E5 in 6 years in as a gunners mate is pretty damd good. I made E4 in 6yrs. and was quoted twice, and was really proud to get that crow.
I’m an SH2(sw) veteran…impossible to make E-6 in supply rates lol soo overmanned when I was in the Navy 1994-2004 ⚓️🦑
@@buzzmessinger4510 Well, I was pretty damned good at what I did lol. I really enjoyed it.
ET2(SW) made E-5 in 3 years and stalled out due to overmanning. 88-96. Actually maxed out the points on the E-6 exam spring of 95 and got PNA'd.
As a Navy mom (and former Army enlisted), I have learned that "rank" in the US Navy applies to officers, while "rate" applies to enlisted personnel.
Rank applies to pay grade and rate applies to enlisted job code
@@Mj-CWO4 Nope.
@@judi6078 nope what?
@@Mj-CWO4 Rank does not refer to paygrade.
@@judi6078 I spent 28 yrs in the Navy and rate is job designation and rank is pay grade
Having paid my dues in navy blues, I can state that the rule aboard ship is, if you want to know what's going on, ask the Chief.
Exactly. Ibwas an applicant for the navy's medical scholarship and when my recruiter (a badass CWO4) was giving me the ins and outs he told me my first step at any new duty station was to locate the Master Chief and introduce myself
@@xander.357 I need this. I ship in a few months o_o
I served aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71 aircraft carried from 86 to 90 and made PO Second Class (E5) as an Aviation Ordinanceman (AO2). I arrived just after commissioning and the Command Master Chief, Duane R. Bushey of CVN 71 became Master Chied Petty Officer of the Navy. He left us right after our Med cruise and was the MCPO of the Navy from 88 to 92. But while onboard, he was respected by even senior officers. He even had an officers stateroom. One hell of a guy.
When I became a Petty Officer 2nd Class I was told my job was to supervise, socialize, improvise and should the need arise to terrorize. Of course back then we all knew that the Chiefs ran the Navy.
My brother in-law is a Navy Chief (E-7), my dad retired as a Senior Chief (E-8) and one of my cousins retired as a LCDR (O-4).
Fleet sailor here. This video was great, but I'd like to add a little more information. For one, you don't need to be assigned a rate to be appointed to E-2. All that needs to happen is that you need to serve your time in rank, which from E-1 to E-2 is 9 months. It is also 9 months to go from E-2 to E-3. You can also get promoted through other ways. For example, I was automatically promoted to E-3 after bootcamp because I was top of my division. From E-3 to E-4 you will need a rate, however. Most of the time you will get your rate a few months after bootcamp when you complete your technical school (A-School). For some rates, A school lasts 2 weeks. For others, it can last over a year. You also failed to mention that there are not just seaman. There is also Firemen (they will have red stripes instead of the white ones), Airmen (Green Stripes), and Constructionmen (Baby Blue Stripes). Both Ensigns (pronounced "ensen" and not "En-sign" lol) and LT Junior Grades can be Division Officers. In fact, that is what their first billet usually is. O-3's usually fill bigger roles, like Weapons Officer, Navigation Officer, and Training Officer, at least on my ship. Also, Admirals are called "Flag Officers" because a flag will be raised at whatever base they go to. It's a blue square flag with a white star on it for whatever rank of Admiral they are.
Personally, I think the backbone ranks of the Navy is the E-6 and below. As far as structure goes, they are the ones carrying out 90% of the physical labor.
Thanks for sharing Shade!
Just about bloody nailed it.... It appears it hasn't changed a whole lot since I was in. When I was in the Radio Shack, two others were E-5, and I was getting out to go back to college. One of them retired some time back as a Master Chief. I wound up finishing college will working, and taught school, and then answered a call to become a cleric. Now retired after 33 years of ministry.
Thank you for this
- A random Sailor :3
And to the video
Apparently CWO1 is not a thing anymore
I might be mistaken but when I went to Basic they told me it was 2-5
@@OrbInDaFrame They stopped promoting people to CWO1 because the paygrade actually pays less than most of the people who promoted to it were making as a regular chief. I heard they are reinstating it, though.
United States Navy. 1984-2014
Master Chief
My final assignment was San Diego.
Without any hesitation, Master Chiefs run the ships. No officer including the Captain, would rely heavily on a Master Chief.
If i could do it all over again, I say lets go. 🇺🇲
CPO ranks, Senior and Master CPO's. Served as a BM E4 to E8 then picked up CWO2 [Bos'n] and retired out with 22 years. My most enjoyable time spent was as BMCS
Hey, thanks for your service!
3:06 The funny green space man
*All serving are the backbone of the Navy!* 🌴👍
Nah, E-4 Mafia all the way
My brother just retired as active duty in the navy as an E-9 and went to reserves....
Officers who started off as seamen were more respected by seamen in WWII than freshly minted ensigns from Annapolis, MD.
But the newly minted ensigns in Annapolis have a better shot of making admiral
My uncle enlisted in '42 as a seaman recruit. Worked his way up to Machinist's Mate. Due to his knowledge he went to OCS in '49 and started working his way up the officer's ladder. However, there are some major differences between a Annapolis grad and a mustang..... An Annapolis grad can go on to command a ship. A mustang is a restricted line officer, the only "commands" they can have are shore based. My uncle retired as a full Commander in 1968. I still miss him.....
1:18 the name of the Ranker is wild 💀
The responsibility of various enlisted ranks in the Navy can really depend more on what kind of rate that person is and how big their division might be. There are rates that have fast advancement opportunities and those that are extremely slow. Some rates have automatic advancement to E-4. For instance, a BM3 (Bosun's Mate 3rd Class) as and E-4 might have virtually the same leadership responsibility, within that division, as a STG2 (Sonar Tech Surface 2nd Class) has within their own division. The nuances of the rate really determine what responsibility each rank would have within that division. As you get into PO1 and above, nuances of rate are less impactful. PO1 has a huge leadership role within almost all divisions. Smaller divisions might have a PO1 doing both Leading Petty Officer and division Chief duties. Larger divisions might have 2 or 3 PO1s, with one being the Leading Petty Officer, and the other 2 doing the same work. Then the Leading Petty Officer starts to do the work of the Division Chief, and the Division Chief takes a load off the Division Officer so they can work towards department head.
as a 4 year AOAN who got passed by a friend from high school who joined 2 years after I did and is now an LS2, I feel this on an emotional level :,)
I served from 1970-1974 with 3 years aboard the USS Vulcan AR5. I left as a 2nd ClassPO, rate : IM2. Had I been more patient and mature I would have reenlisted probably for a full 30 years. Reflecting back it was the best time of my life. I’m a better person because of my time in the Navy.
My dad was a seabee in ww2, he was a 2d class, he said it's as a staff sergeant. His battalion was designated as a marine battalion so he was a carpenters mate marine Corp. However he always said seabee, he said seabees wore rates on opposite arms as the regular navy. He said he was acting chief petty officer, if you command so many men in war you are acting but be ause you have to have sea time it is not official. He said 2d class was a high rank. 121st battalion also 20th marines 4th marine division. Far as I can tell the marines had no carpenter mate rates but he was one in this rate case. From my research his battalion had marine uniforms, training, marine officers. I read they had a CB patch on their marine uniforms.
Thanks for sharing his story Bob
Thank your dad for his service. For the record, 2nd class is equivalent to a Sargent (E-5). 1st class is equivalent to a Staff Sargent (E-6).
Once a Seabee, always a Seabee
You could be detached from the Seabee battalion to other commands in need of your skills. I ran generators and the air conditioning for the radio installation at headquarters along with an Engineman. The Gunny said he could get us E-6 if we'd come to the Corps. He said it took 7 marines to do what we were doing. We said, Naaaaah.
The CPO E7 is the backbone of the Navy
My dad was in the navy from 61 to 91 retired as a cmcpo but he always said he enjoyed being a 1st class the most. I often teased him that cmc wasnt a job it was a position lol some days he saw the humor other days not so much lol
CMC is a job cause you have to deal with shitbag Sailors aswell as admin stuff :3
Glad your dad enjoyed the things he did
Years ago, I tried to join the navy but was turned away as being ‘undesirable’ due to physical limitations. I’m still proud that I made the attempt though…
I have a daughter in the navy. Thank you for your explanation. ⚓🇺🇸
PO3 here. Great times!
1958-1969, RM2, USN - My finale rate was Petty officer second class, my rating was Radioman. Rate is pay grade; rating is Job occupation. I was taught in boot camp Enlisted personnel had rate; Officer Personnel had Rank.....
That’s interesting. I was in Navy Boot in 2002. Rating was job - I was an Avionics Technician. Rate and rank were the same thing - I made AT3 before I got out, Avionics Tech 3rd Class.
Thank you! You are the first person in the comment section to correct the author! Navy enlisted personnel have RATE not RANK! My finale RATE was Second Class Petty Officer, Pay Grade E5. My RATING was Construction Electrician. 1966-1969 US Navy Seabees Vietnam.
I proudly served in the US Navy as an aerial photographer. Trained in a twin - engine Beechcraft with a seventy - pound camera. The door was removed and I would wear a harness fastened on each side of the door. I was told by the petty officer in charge that if I lost the camera I better go with it. The year was 1956. Almost reinlisted. $6000.00 and assigned to the US Forrestal for a two year mediterranean cruise. Turned it down to go to school. I often wondered .....
Good grief! $6000 would have bought several nice, new cars in '56. Or a pretty decent house.
Luck of the draw. You might have become CNO -- or been kicked out with a dishonorable discharge, or killed in Vietman - and those last two options could have been due to events beyond your control. Hope this helps.
Yep the Forest fire. I was on her from 75-79. great ship.
There is no one rate in the navy that stands as the Back Bone. I was a Boatswain's Mate. In the surface fleet most anything except the guns and radar that can bee seen from the dock is operated and maintained by the Deck Department, and we are involved in almost every operation involving rope, wire rope, chains, anchors as well as chipping the paint sanding and painting the ship again and again and again... BMs also supervise the Helm, Lee helm, and look out watches underway, so we drive the ship, but we couldn't drive the ship with out the Machinist Mates and other engineering type who work down the hole who know the spells that make the engines go, or the quarter masters who navigate, and we wouldn't get far with out the food and supplies provided by the Supply Department personnel. Every person aboard fills a billet, and every billet needs to be in place for everything to work well. Having any one department or division understaffed or not doing their job is like driving your car with one of the spark plugs removed. You might be able to get where you're going, but it won't be a smooth ride.
There is no rope in the navy only lines
@@huemansyndrome879 I tailored my vernacular to my target audience. Most reading here wouldn't know what a futtick shroud is used for, so I wouldn't use the term.
Well stated. It takes all to make the crew and the crew becomes one.
@USN Patriot there ARE all kinds of ...
Everyone in the Navy is the backbone, they're all vital and need each other
In the early 70's when I was in, you had to pass rate courses & pass a test to advance above E-3. (Also, assuming the Navy requires more personnel in that rate /rank.) I was lucky enough that when it I took my tests, I passed and as able to fill the required quota of needed personnel. I made E-6 (FTG1) in 5 years. I learned a trade that lasted my whole life. I made 4 "cruises" in 4 years. I was always taught the chiefs were the backbone of the Navy. They know how to get things done while "putting up" with officers and other enlisted personnel. (Of course, a chief told me that!)
The Chief was right, of course. You advanced very fast, E-6 in 5 yrs. 4.0 sailor! You should have stayed in.
I got that same line before I got out. I'd made E-5 in our years. Near the end of my enlistment put in a chit to extend the 7 months until my enlistment ended. I called my detailer in the Pentagon and told him I was leaving and reminded him that Nixon wanted the military to cut back on transfers to save money.
Having done that I put my request chit in. It came back disapproved all the way up the line. I had managed to spend my entire enlistment thus far at the same duty station. One of the chiefs commented that "Petty Officer Cuminale has never been to a battalion!" When it came back approved they were all shocked. The chief with the comment asked me how I managed to pull it off. After I told him that I already the approval before I'd put in my chit he said that I should stay in because I knew how the system worked. I told that that was precisely why I was getting out. I detested having to play games with the system.
He'd seen me in action before. At the time he was one of the oldest Master Chief Petty Officers in the Navy if not the oldest. he had 46 years of service. He'd been one of the original Seabees when they were formed for WW 2. His top seniority chevron met his chief's chevron badge. I wondered where they would put another one if he stayed (or lived long enough). Anyway, he got this idea that all the Seabees should wear greens. Our department was a mix of Seabee and fleet rates and he thought it would instill a esprit de corps in the Seabees if we all distinguished ourselves out from the fleet rates. I told him that making me wear greens that had to be starched and ironed with a starched 8 point cap and blousing springs wouldn't give me esprit de corps since I was wearing permanent Seafarer dungarees and chambray shirts with a lot less effort. I argued by showing him the Plan of the day which proscribed dungarees and chambray shirts with ball cap or white hat for enlisted with Khakis for chiefs and officers in ship's company. I asked him if we were ship's company or a Seabee unit. He knew we were ship's company. He couldn't make me wear greens unless the Plan of the day said Seabees had to. He was a nice guy about it. He admitted I was right and he dropped the subject.
Besides, I had a good job to go back too with Ma Bell. There was a recession in 1975 and a lot of guys who'd wanted to get out changed their minds and reenlisted.
And my wife hated it with good reason. The base had an Open Officers Mess. That allowed them to invite civilians with college degrees in. My wife, a BS in Physical Therapy was invited to join. She asked if she could bring me as a guest and they said no because I was enlisted. She thought that stupid. Why would she join something I wasn't welcome at?
Anyway, I did all right. I went back to Ma Bell, got laid off 10 years later, started my own business in my field and retired a millionaire. The Navy would have wasted my talents.
Actually it was true the chiefs were the backbone of the Navy (unofficially). In 1970 Nixon himself came aboard Saratoga (then the Fighting Cock until the navy went PC) and he jokingly made a crack.... "In my day the chiefs were the backbone of the Navy". Insert roar from the CPO's.
Enlisted men have Rate, Officers have Rank
God Bless The Navy.....50yrs out!
Thank you for your service 🇺🇸
God Bless!
A rate is the military rank of an enlisted sailor (no more than other services; E-1 thru E-9, W-1 thru W-4, then O-1 thru O-10), indicating where the sailor stands within the chain of command, and also defining one's pay grade. However, in the U.S. Navy, only officers carry the term rank, while it is proper to refer to an enlisted sailor's pay grade as rate. The same term also refers to one's area of occupational specialization within the enlisted Navy.
A rate is not the military rank of an enlisted sailor as stated. A rate defines one’s specialty while a rank determines his/her pay grade.
It starts in Basic Training. Teamwork is the Backbone of the US Navy.
2:18
OE division on USS Ranger while I was on board was almost 100 total sailors, split between ET and DS ratings (for the most part if not entirely, I think we had a few of a 3'd rate but I never saw anything but the ETs and rarely the DSes due to my primary work station location and responsibilities).
Our division officer for a while was a LT, who was later rotated out and replaced by a Warrent Officer (WO3 I think, might have been a WO4).
Also, the division only had PERHAPS a half dozen sailors less than ET3/DS3 - and our ET1/DS1 types were not "division leadership", that was the Chiefs and the Senior (later Master) Chief in that division.
Thanks for posting this vid. My father was in WWII and held the rating of Store Keeper 3rd Class. It was the same rating as Petty Officer 3rd Class. When his time was up and was being discharged after the war, the Navy tried to get him to reenlist. He refused, he wanted to go home since the war was over. The Navy offered him Lt., Jg if he would sign back up. He still refused. I knew it was a large jump in ratings from SK3C but wasn't sure. Thanks for showing.
The backbone of the navy is the captain rank can oversee all the situation in the ground and the field in a largest and small operation unlike other high ranks only set in the chair.
Definitely Chiefs. There is an old, and likely untrue story, about a class of officer candidates that were posed a question by their instructor. "What is the proper command to give to have a flag pole raised in front of headquarters. Every candidate suggested the proper flow of orders on getting paint, supplies and arranging work groups and all were rejected with scorn by the instructor. Finally one candidate raised his hand and said, "excuse me sir but what IS the proper command?" The instructor replied "Chief, have that flag pole raised." The point? You do strategy, they do tactics. No one understands how the Navy actually works like a Chief does. ⚓️
This is the best example I've ever seen of how it should work. Thank you for sharing. (And unlike a lot of stories I've heard, something tells me there's a distinct possibility this one really is true.)
@@dougearnest7590 I have a feeling James might have been the instructor and a Chief
Chiefs run the U.S. Navy. Officers are usually nearly worthless if not an actual detriment to the safety of the ship. If they're smart, they stay out of the Chief's way. Our "Engineering Officer" had a degree in Music. He could sing Opera. Completely worthless for every other purpose however.
Junior Officers get to the fleet clueless, attend a 6-week "so you wanna be the Navigator?" type school, then become a division officer knowing just enough to be dangerous. They take that job for 2 years then might end up the Comms officer next. That's why Navy Chiefs have so much influence -- they actually make things happen. The Navy won't make it to mid-watch without them.
Thx I need this. Im tired of calling an unknown navy rank sir
you should know the ranks if you're in the military...
@@BelgianPigeon every branch has their own set of ranks. Marines and army ranks are very similar. Space force and Air force have some what similar ranks but navy is very complicated and different. Branches only require to know their own branch's ranks over any other branches so we don't need to know all the ranks of the military. But is good to know the other's branches ranks out of respect or if you work with them.
I hate to contradict you but CWO2-5 are commissioned officers
The -Chief PO is the backbone of the Navy. When I was in the Navy the ranks were pretty much like shone here but I
never heard of lower and upper ranks. I went in in 1956.
Of all the services' ranks, rates, and ratings the US Navy is the most complicated to try to explain. While everything you said might be picked apart by someone who wants to nitpick, in reality this was a very commendable effort. Bravo Zulu.
Yes, and when you throw in the fact that skippers are called "Captain" even if they don't have the rank of Captain, and may even be enlisted in some cases can be even more confusing to civilians.
I was in the Navy from 1964 to 1970. At that time an E-1 had a single diagonal stripe. When we graduated from Boot Camp we were promoted to Seaman Apprentice (2 stripes) In the Navy at time a Seaman Recruit could not be taken to sea. We had a man report aboard our sub at Pearl. He had been busted down to an E-1 from an E-4. The Captain had to promote him to an E-2 so we could take him to sea on our next patrol. Also at that time frame there were on 4 Warrant rates the lower two were non commissioned and the upper two were commissioned. There was no Warrant 5.
Also in the US Navy the first officer rank is pronounced En-Sin, 'Ensin', (Ensign) the "g" is silent.
I was in at the same time. 64 - 70, got my strikers badge, and was quoted twice. When l returned to reserve status, l got my Crow. No quotes in the Reserves. I had a 4 yr. Stripe, and E4 Rate.
@@buzzmessinger4510 While at TI to get out a whole bunch of us were held on administrative hold due to not enough personnel to process us out. First Reserve meeting I was dinged for not have my Hash Mark for over 4 years active service. That got me my Good Conduct Medal also.
My father served with the Air Force and went through the junior officer recruitment class thing in high school or college, not entirely sure. But he moved over to Public Health Service due to personal reasons. The PHS uses the U.S. Navys rank system, and my father currently holds LTCD/O-4. He hopes to acquire a promotion, but with the particular branch of the PHS he works in, that is proving to be quite the challenge. This video in particular is useful for clueless individuals such as myself, who are looking for a career in this particular branch. Looking to go enlisted and try my best to shoot for the MP job.
" junior officer recruitment class thing in high school or college" Also known as ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corp). Your dad may have done both High School and College. The High School version, I took part in it, is called JR ROTC and will not qualify you for an officer's commission. It will allow you to jump two grades as an enlisted sailor and looks good for trying to get into the Academy or an ROTC Scholarship for college. Only the college ROTC will get anyone an officer's commission.
The backbone of the Navy has been and always will be the Chief Petty Officer. That is how the rank and file was designed. As someone that went from E-1 to O-3E. The Chief was always the backbone of the ship.
WhoooRah!
In the army, the railroad tracks means captain, commander means lt. col. captain, the bird means colonel.
As a SCPO of the German Navy I allways have a quote of my very first Chief in mind, he said" there are two people in the world you can trust. Your mother and your chief and your mother ain't in the Navy". That primed me to be the best leader to my man and women I could be.
When I look back, I think I did it quite well in the last 29 years of service.
Keep the good work going.
Thanks Daniel glad you enjoyed it
I was a third class ABF in the Navy back in the 60’s. I always thought that a first class petty officer was the backbone of the Navy, but I respected all ranks above me.
I’m in the navy why did I click this
Was in for me and I just wanted to make sure he had it right...lol
Proud grandson of a US navy Captain here! 👌🏻
Ranks and ratings are not the same. Rank it your pay grade, rating is your job. I retired as Chief Petty Officer, my rank. My rating was Signalman and Ships 3M co-ordinator and Master at Arms.
Exactly correct. But I doubt a Brit would know that ...
I served in the Navy Survey Ship from 1989 to 2017 . I retired as a Chief Quarter Master
My dad was a lifer E9. WWII through Viet Nam. I've always heard that Chiefs run the Navy.
And you would be correct. Officers spout orders with little to no concept of what is actually involved. The Chiefs keep a boat in order and functioning.
@@waltbeasley5878 Strategy vs tactics.
Just ask a chief.
Went in March 75, graduated 2 weeks before Vietnam ended! Became an MS and was discharged MS3 in 79
Most troops were pulled out in 73
@@tboman4128 correct. But the Vietnam era did not end until 1975.