Military Rank and Insignia Lesson 2.2: Military Rank and Insignia

Lesson Overview Military pay grades and rank insignia Chapter 1, Lesson 2.2

Military Pay Grades and Rank Insignia The higher the rank, the more responsibility Pay grade system has two categories: Officer grades Enlisted grades Military Pay Grades and Rank Insignia Members of the Air Force perform duties that reflect their skill and pay grade; the higher the rank or grade, the more responsibility cadets are given Rank insignia identify the rank of each member of the armed forces; in each of the armed forces, the pay grade system is broken down into two categories: officer grades and enlisted grades. Chapter 3, Lesson 2.2 Photo Courtesy of US Air Force

Officers Proper methods of address when speaking to officers are: Lieutenant Colonel General Use full titles for official written correspondence Officers: Proper methods of address when speaking to officers are: “Lieutenant” for a second lieutenant and a first lieutenant “Colonel” for either a lieutenant colonel or a colonel “General” for all general officers Use full titles for official written correspondence Chapter 1, Lesson 2.2 Photo Courtesy of US Air Force

Enlisted Enlisted ranks are subdivided into two categories: Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) Airman NCOs serve in ranks of staff sergeant through chief master sergeant Enlisted ranks are subdivided into two categories: noncommissioned officer (NCO) and Airman ranks NCOs are Airmen serving in the ranks of staff sergeant through chief master sergeant Noncommissioned Officers The NCO chevron has changed a great deal since the Continental Army, when a brightly colored ribbon tied around the arm identified NCOs The background of AF chevrons for NCOs is blue, and the stripes are silver with a silver star in the center Chapter 1, Lesson 2.2 Photo Courtesy of US Air Force

Enlisted, cont. NCOs: First Sergeants hold a position of trust and responsibility—link between commander and unit Highest position is chief master sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF) Airman ranks: Airman basic (AB), Airman (Amn) , Airman first class (A1C), and Senior Airman (SrA) First sergeants wear a diamond device above the star on their chevrons These top senior NCOs hold a position of trust and responsibility as the link between the commander and unit personnel A chief master sergeant is addressed as “chief.” All other sergeants are addressed as “sergeant,” and Airmen in the Grades of E-1 through E-4 are addressed as “Airman” The highest position held by any enlisted personnel is Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF) The rank insignia is a chevron of eight stripes with a wreath around the bottom and sides of the star and the Great Seal of the United States of America with two stars in the upper blue field Airman: There are four Airman ranks: Airman basic (AB) - An Airman basic (AB) doesn’t wear any rank insignia Airman (Amn) – An Airman’s rank insignia is a chevron of one silver stripe with a silver star in the middle Airman first class (A1C) - An AIC rank insignia is a chevron of two silver stripes with a silver star in the middle Senior Airman (SrA) - The senior Airman rank insignia is a chevron of three silver stripes with a silver star in the middle Chapter 1, Lesson 2.2 Photo Courtesy of US Air Force

AFJROTC Rank Insignia Officers: Rank insignia for military and cadet officers is very different Enlisted: Only slight differences exist between enlisted ranks For cadets: Inside of chevron has torch Chevron is pointed at the bottom Chapter 1, Lesson 2.2 Photo Courtesy of Michael Wetzel/US Air Force JROTC

Ribbons Ensure proper order based on the AFJROTC ribbon chart Lowest ribbon worn at the lowest left position Highest ribbon worn at the top right Chapter 1, Lesson 2.2

The AFJROTC Patch The yellow arrow points to the future The lamp represents knowledge Colors of the AF are in the design— ultramarine blue, AF yellow, white, and red Disc shape used for the JROTC organization Chapter 1, Lesson 2.2 Photo Courtesy of US Air Force JROTC

Activity 4: Rank Insignia of the US Military Visit the US DoD website and the section on the US Military Rank Insignia Explore both the Officer and Enlisted Insignia Links, then answer the questions Chapter 1, Lesson 2

Summary Uniform wear and history Uniform wear, restrictions, and standards Uniforms used within special teams Cadet appearance and grooming standards Military pay grades and rank insignia Chapter 1, Lesson 2

Next…. Done –military rank and insignia Next – customs and courtesies for Junior ROTC LESSON OVERVIEW In this lesson, you will learn about the military uniform and appearance standards. We will cover: Military pay grades and rank insignia Chapter 1, Lesson 2.2 Photo Courtesy of Senior Airman Kayla Newman/Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System