A CHRONOLOGY OF THE ENLISTED RANK CHEVRON OF THE …

1 ACHRONOLOGYOF THEENLISTEDRANKCHEVRONOF THEUNITEDSTATESAIRFORCEby - , ,theactestablishedtheUnitedStatesAirForc e, ,theenlistedrankchevronsretainedthe"Army look."Theranks,fromlowesttohighest,werea sfollows:Private(nostripes),Private,Firs tClass(oneinverted"V"upwardstripe),Corpo ralorTechnicianFifthGrade(twoupwardstrip esortwoupwardstripeswiththecapitalletter "T"underthestripes),SergeantorTechnician FourthGrade(threeupwardstripesorthreeupw ardstripeswiththecapitalletter"T"underne ath),StaffSergeantorTechnicianThirdGrade (threeupwardstripeswithone"rocker"stripe orthesamewitha"T"inthespacebetweenthestr ipesandtherocker),TechnicalSergeant(thre eupwardandtworockerstripes),MasterSergea nt(threeupwardandthreerockerstripes)andt hepositionofFirstSergeant(sameasamasters ergeant'sstripes,butwithadiamondbetweent heupwardstripesandtherockerstripes)(SeeF igure1).9 March1948 Thereisnodocumentedofficialrationalefort hedesignofthepresentUSAF enlistedchevrons,excepttheminutesofameet ingheldatthePentagonon9 March1948, , (AAF) thistimethesizeofthenewchevronsaredeterm inedtobefourincheswideformen,Book, ,OfficeofAirForceHistory, ,TheNoncom'sGuide,MilitaryServicePublish ingCompany,FirstEdition, ,UniformPresentation,9 March1948,Room3E1022,NationalDefenseBuil ding(Pentagon);andResearchResponse, ,Jr,Chief,ResearchBranch,AFHistoricalRes earchAgency(AFHRA), "Kernal"?

2 Theoriginsoftheranksandrankinsignianowus edbytheUnitedStatesarmedforcesbyRaymondO liver, , , , ' "WAF(WomenintheAirForce)chevrons" ,frombottomtotop,are:Private(nostripe),P rivateFirstClass(onestripe),Corporal(two stripes),Sergeant(threestripes),StaffSer geant(fourstripes),TechnicalSergeant(fiv estripes),MasterSergeant(sixstripesandti theonlyrankapprovedforFirstSergeantDutie s)(SeeFigure2).20 FEBRUARY1950 GeneralVandenbergdirectedthatfromthisday forth,enlistedpersonneloftheAirForcewill becalled"Airmen"todistinguishthemfrom"So ldiers"and"Sailors."Formerly,AirForceenl istedpersonnelwerestillcalled"Soldiers., 724 April1952 : nowthatthechangewasmade,plansforinvestig atingandimprovingthequalityofthisleaders hipbegan.$Thetitlesof therankschanged(althoughnotthechevrons). Thenewtitles,frombottomtotop,are:BasicAi rman(nostripe),AirmanThirdClass(onestrip e),AirmanSecondClass(twostripes),AirmanF irstClass(threestripes),StaffSergeant(fo urstripes),TechnicalSergent(fiveStripes) andMasterSergeant(sixstripes)(SeeFigure3 ).

3 9 Atthistimeitisplannedtodevelopnewinsigni aforthethreeclassesofAirmen(First,Second ,andThird).Preliminarysketchesofproposed insigniahavethestripesatahorizontallevel ,reservingtheangledstripesforthetoop threerankstodifferentiateNon-Commissione dOfficers(NCOs).Book,TheAirOfficer'sGuid e,TheMilitaryServicePublishingCompany,Fi fthEdition, , ,AirForceRegulation39-36,"DesignationofA irForceEnlistedPersonnelAsAirmen,"20 Feb1950,onfileatAirUniversityLibrary,MAF B, ,DeputyChiefofStaff,PersonnelHistory1 Jan-30 Jun1952,pg98&231, ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,AirForceRegulation35-14B,"MilitaryPerso nnel,ServiceandDressUniformsforAirForceP ersonnel,"7 Nov1952;AirForceRegulation39-36,"Enliste dPersonnel,AirmanGrades,Titles,andTermso fAddress,"24 April1952;bothonfileatAirUniversityLibra ry,MAFB,AL. -History,DeputyChiefof Staff,PersonnelHistory,1 Jan-30 Jun1952,pg98, ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,theprocurementactionisdeferreduntilexis tingstocksof OnthisdaythenewChiefofStaff, , "V" twocommands:StrategicAirCommand(SAC)andA irTrainingCommand(ATC).

4 ThesuggestionfromATCwasincludedin anappendixburiedinaFebruary1954 ATCP ersonnelPlanningProject,whiletheSACNCOA cademy,MarchAFB,CA,proposedthedesignon ,First, thischangewastoincreasetheprestigeof theStaff, ,duetothesupplyofchevronsonhand,actionwa sdelayeduntilsupplyhadbeendeleted, "Nochangeto bemadeininsignia."1412 MARCH1956 JANUARY-JUNE1958 TheMilitaryPayActof1958(PublicLaw85-422) , thenewgradesweremadeduringFiscalYear1958 (July1957throughJune1958).However,2,000i ndividualswereexpectedto ,inaccordancewithDepartmentofDefenseinst ructions,nopromotionstogradeE-9wereto bemadein ,almost45,000 MasterSergeantsfromallcommandsweretested withtheSupervisoryExaminationas afirststepinthefinalselectionof 2, ,000applicants,permittingapproximately30 ,000tobefurther11 History,Semi-AnnualHistoryDeputyChiefofS taff,Personnel1 Jan-30 Jun1955,VolII,Pg251, ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,Semi-AnnualHistoryDeputyChiefofStaff,Pe rsonnel1 Jul-31 Dec1954,VolII,pgs261,262, ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,StaffHistory,DirectorateofMilitaryPerso nnel,1 Jul-31 Dec1955,pg42, ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,Directorateof MilitaryPersonnel,1 Jan-30 Jun1956,VolII, , ,AFHRA,MAFB, ( )

5 ~ ~ , IEC~INIGALSERGEANIFIGURE2 SERGEANTFIRSTANDMASTERSERGEANTMASTERSERG EANT TECHNICALSERGEANT STAFFSERGEANTAIRMANFIRSTCLASS AIRMANSECONDCLASS AIRMANTHIRDCLASSFIGURE3screened-brcomman d---boards-fromwhich-2,-0-0D---Id-I-be-s elected- (E-8andE-9)wereparticularlywelcomeinthat theywouldrelievethe"compression" ,becausethenumbershadtocomeoutoftheforme rMasterSergeantauthorization, ,nevertheless, ,inthemaintenanceTableoforganizationfora tacticalfightersquadron,fourflightchiefs ,twoinspectors, , ,fiveweretobe at the"Sergeant" ,theolderbreakoutof"Airmen"and"Sergeants " ,withanear1-to-1ratiobetweenAirmenandSer geants, , , ,therefore,determinedthat,forthepresent, (E-8)andChiefMasterSergeant(E-9) be thebestinclearlyindicatingascendinggrade andto theexistinginsigniapatternratherthanto revisethewholeseries, :theuseoftheMasterSergeantinsigniasuperi mposingoneandtwostars(rejectedbecauseof theoverlappingofgeneralofficer'sinsignia );andthesamewithlozenges(rejectedoutofco nfusionwiththeFirstSergeantinsignia).

6 Thechoicewasfinally,andreluctantly,narro wedtoapatternwhichsuperimposedontheolder MasterSergeantInsignia,oneandtwoaddition alstripespointingintheoppositedirection( upward) History,HistoryofDirectorateofPersonnel- PlanningDeputyChiefofStaff,Personnel,1 Jan-30 Jun1958,pgs84,123,129, ,MAFB, "zebra-stripes," (seeFigure4and5).5 FEBRUARY1959 On "BasicAirman,"thenewregulationdirectstha t"AirmanBasic" inequityto , , ,however,enlistedpeoplemadetheirneedskno wnandby , ,theinsigniaofgradewasregulationsize(fou rinches)withwhitechevronson , Alightweightalltanuniform(shade505) ,onlythreeinch"WAFchevrons"wereto be "WAFchevrons,"theofficialnameof thethreeinchwidestripesbecame" AneweditionofAirForceManual35-10 , the16 History,Directorateof PersonnelPlanningDeputyChiefofStaff,Pers onnel1 Jul-31 Dec1957,pgs32-34,80-81,106,and117-118, ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,AirForceRegulation39-36,"EnlistedPerson nel,AirmanGrades,Titles,andTermsof Address,"5 Feb1959,18onfileat AirUniversityLibrary,MAFB, ,AirForceManual35-10,"ServiceandDressUni formsforAirForcePersonnel,"pgs20,38, ,DeputyChiefofStaff,SystemsandLogisticsD irectoryofSupplyandServices,1 Jan-30 Jun1961,VolIII, ,AFHRA,MAFB, (ANT'SDEVICE(DIAMOND) TECHNICALSERGEANT STAFFSERGEANTAIRMANFIRSTCLASS AIRMANSECONDCLASS AIRMANTHIRDCLASSCHIEFMASTERSERGEANTMASTE RSERGEANTAIRMANFIRSTCLASSFIRSTSERGEANT'S DEVICE(DIAMOND))

7 'TECHNICALSERGEANT STAFFSERGEANTAIRMANSECONDCLASS AIRMANTHIRDCLASS presenttime(February1992).2019 SEPTEMBER1966 ;however, ,USAFC hiefofStaff, CreationoftheChiefMasterSergeantoftheAir Force(CMSAF) optionconsideredforthenewstripeswasthead ditionofathirdstripeatopthenormalChiefMa sterSergeantchevrons,butthatwasrejecteda s"toomuch" (latertobe thesecondCMSAF) ,on3 March1967,astarencircledbyawreathonZthei nteriorfieldofthestripeswassettledupon(S eeFigure6).22 AUGUST1967 Onthisdaytheuniformboardstartedtoexplore methodsto DuringOctober1967, ,Wright-PattersonAFB, Manual,AirForceManual35-10,"ServiceandDr essUniformsforAirForcePersonnel,"12 Jun1961, ,HistoricalSummaryfortheDirectorateof Supply&Services,Jul-Dec1966,VolII,pgs101 ,102, ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,AerospaceHeritage,Vol1,No1,1984,theAirF orceAssociation,presentedby theEnlistedCounciloftheAirForceAssociati on.

8 History,HistorySummaryfortheDirectorateo fSupply&Services,1 Jan-30 Jun1967,VolII, , ,AFHRA13 MAFB, ,HistorySummaryfortheDirectorateofSupply &Services,1 Jul-31 Dec1967,VolII, , ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,HistoricalSummaryfortheDirectorateofSup plyandServices,1 Jan-30 Jun1968,VolI, , ,AFHRA,MAFB, Airmangrades, :AirmanBasic(nostripes),Airman(onestripe ),AirmanFirstClass(twostripes),Sergeant( threestripes),StaffSergeantthroughChiefM asterSergeant,andFirstSergeants,nochange (SeeFigure7).25 ThechangeoftitleforpaygradeE-4fromAirman FirstClasstoSergeantrestoredtheNCOstatus losttothisgradein , E-4untilqualifiedatthe5-skilllevel, , Theuniformboardmeton bewornuntil1 January1971, Insearchofanappropriatechevronforenliste dpersonneltowearontheirraincoats, ,theuseofsuchaplasticchevronwas25 Regulation,AirForceRegulation39-36,"Enli stedPersonnelAirmanGrades,Titles,andTerm sofAddress,"19 Oct1967,onfileatAirUniversityLibrary,MAF B, ,HistoryofDirectorateofPersonnelPlanning DeputyChiefosStaff,Personnel,1 Jul-31 Dec1967,VolII, ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,DirectorateofSupply&ServicesHistoricalS ummary,1 Jul-31 Dec1969,VolII, , ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,HistoricalSummaryfortheDirectorateofSup plyServices,1 Jul-31 Dec1970,VolII, , ,AFHRA,MAFB, (LongSlccvcGarment) SENIORMASTERSERGEANTIIALFIVAYL-(ShortSlc cvcGarment)MASTERSERGEANTFIRSTSERGEANTDE VICE(DIAMOND)

9 STAFFSERGEANT SERGEANT AIRMAN AIRMANFIRSTCLASS(Insigniawillbemetallicc mbroidcrywhenwornwithtlttblackmessdressa ndtheblackinformaldressandwillbeclothemb roiderywhenwornwithallotheruniforms.) Aftervariousreactionstotheplasticchevron s,theuniformboardrecommendedfurtherfield testing,usingbothplasticandmetalcollarch evronsonthemen'sandwomen'sraincoat,light weightbluejacket,topcoat, ,theUSAFC hiefofStaff,approvedthewearofmetalcollar chevronsbyenlistedpersonnelontheraincoat s,men'soptionaltopcoat,lightweightblueja cket,medicalanddentalwhitesandthefoodhan dler' , (SeeFigure8).32 JANUARY-FEBRUARY1976 Toinstitutethechangeby1 March1976, ,therewasdifficultyinobtainingthenewblue -starchevronsbecauseofnormalleadtimerequ iredbythegarmentindustryto ,andby12 February1976 ArmyandAirForceExchangeService(AAFES) , ,majorcommandswerenotifiedbyHeadquarters AirForcetopostponethe29 History,HistoricalSummaryfortheDirectora teofSupply&Services,1 Jul-31 Dec1970,VolII, , ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,HistoricalSummaryfortheDirectorateofSup ply&Services,1 Jul-31 Dec1971,VolI, , ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,HistoricalSummary,DirectorateofMaintena nceEngineering&Supply,1 Jul-31 Dec1974,VolII, , ,AFHRA12 MAFB, ,DirectorateofPersonnelPlansDeputyChiefo f-Staff,Personnel,1 Jul-31 Dec1975,VolIV,pg38, ,AFHRA,MAFB, Becauseofthedifficultyencounteredinobtai ningthenewinsigniaatallbasesthroughoutth eAirForce, "force-feed" InJune1976.

10 (1)Anadditionaloverstripeforthetopthree, (2)anoptionalshouldermark(board)withembr oideredgradeinsigniaonshirtswithepaulets ,and(3) , , "grassroots" ,GeneralJones,theChiefofStaff,placedthep roposalsina"hold" ,continuingsupportforsomesortofdistincti veinsigniaforthetopthreebroughtaboutaree valuationoftheshouldermark(board) TheViceChiefofStaff, , ~OTS)andAirmenEducationandCommissioningP rogram(AECP).633 History,DirectorateofPersonnelPlansDeput yChiefofStaff,Personnel,1 Jan-30 Jun1976,VolIV,pgs35-37, ,AFHRA94 MAFB, ,DirectorateofPersonnelPlansDeputyChiefo fStaff,Personnel,1 Jan-31 Jun1976,VolIV,pgs35-37, ,AFHRAS5 MAFB, ,DirectorateofPersonnelPlansDeputyChiefo fStaff,Personnel,1 Jul-31 Dec1976,VolIV, ,AFHRA,MAFB, ,DirectorateofPersonnelPlansDeputy-Chief ofStaff,ManpowerandPersonnel,1 Jan-30 Jun1980,SL1, , ,AFHRA,MAFB, ;.~~aiaan-z~ ..CHIEFMASTERSERGEANT (DIAMOND)MASTERSERGEANT TECHNICALSERGEANT STAFFSERGEANTSERGEAN-f SENIORAll~NIAN AIRMANFIRSTCLASS AIRMAN(Sleeveinsigniaarcsilver-coloredem broiderywlienwornwiththemessdressandthec eremonialdressuniformsandarcclothembroid erywhenwornwithallotheruniforms.