So you want to write about the military?

[M.C. Peery]

I have never been in the military. However, I do have quite a few loved ones who are. Hanging around them must have rubbed off, because I find myself wincing at quite a few books about the Armed Forces where the author didn't do enough research. So here are a few basic facts to keep in mind.
Note: I am only covering the US military, since if I started in with the rest of them, we would be here for years…

United States military ranks, in order from lowest to highest, are as follows (the figures in parenthesis represent pay grade):

E = Enlisted, O - Officer, W = Warrant Officer

Army -
Enlisted: Private (E1), E2 Private, Private First Class (E3), Specialist/Corporal (E4), Sergeant (E5), Staff Sergeant (E6), Sergeant First Class (E7), Master Sergeant/First Sergeant (E8), Sergeant Major/Command Sergeant major (E9).

Warrant Officer: Warrant Officer 1 (W1), Chief Warrant Officer 2-5 (W2-5).

Officer: Second Lieutenant (O1), First Lieutenant (O2), Captain (O3), Major (O4), Lieutenant Colonel (O5), Colonel (O6), Brigadier General (O7), Major General (O8), Lieutenant General (O9), General (O10).

*There is also General of the Army, which is only a wartime rank. It is the same pay grade as General (O10), and is a five star rank. Currently there are none. The last person to hold that rank was General Douglas MacArthur.

Navy -
Enlisted: Seaman Recruit (E1), Seaman (E2), Seaman First Class (E3), Petty Officer Third Class (E4), Petty Officer Second Class (E5), Petty Officer First Class (E6), Chief Petty Officer (E7), Senior Chief Petty Officer (E8), Master Chief Petty Officer/Command Master Chief Petty Officer (E9).

Warrant Officer: Warrant Officer 1 (W1), Chief Warrant Officer 2-5 (W2-5).

Officer: Ensign (O1), Lieutenant Junior Grade (O2), Lieutenant (O3), Lieutenant Commander (O4), Commander (O5), Captain (O6), Rear Admiral Lower Half (O7), Rear Admiral Upper Half (O8), Vice Admiral (O9), Admiral (O10).

Air Force -
Enlisted: Airman Recruit (E1), Airman (E2), Airman First Class (E3), Sergeant (E4), Staff Sergeant (E5), Technical Sergeant (E6), Master Sergeant (E7), Senior Master Sergeant (E8), Chief Master Sergeant (E9).

Officer: Second Lieutenant (O1), First Lieutenant (O2), Captain (O3), Major (O4), Lieutenant Colonel (O5), Colonel (O6), Brigadier General (O7), Major General (O8), Lieutenant General (O9), General (O10).

Marines -
Enlisted: Private (E1), Private First Class (E2), Lance Corporal (E3), Corporal (E4), Sergeant (E5), Staff Sergeant (E6), Technical Sergeant/Gunnery Sergeant (E7), Master Sergeant/First Sergeant (E8), Sergeant Major(E9).

Warrant Officer: Master Gunner 1 - 4 (W1 - W4).

Officer: Second Lieutenant (O1), First Lieutenant (O2), Captain (O3), Major (O4), Lieutenant Colonel (O5), Colonel (O6), Brigadier General (O7), Major General (O8), Lieutenant General (O9), General (O10).

Coast Guard -
Enlisted: Seaman Recruit (E1), Seaman Apprentice (E2), Seaman (E3), Petty Officer Third Class (E4), Petty Officer Second Class (E5), Petty Officer First Class (E6), Chief Petty Officer (E7), Senior Chief Petty Officer (E8), Master Chief Petty Officer (E9), Command Master Chief Petty Officer (E9).

Warrant Officer: Chief Warrant Officer 1 - 4 (W1 - W4).

Officer: Ensign (O1), Lieutenant Junior Grade (O2), Lieutenant (O3), Lieutenant Commander (O4), Commander (O5), Captain (O6), Rear Admiral Lower Half (O7), Rear Admiral (O8), Vice Admiral (O9), Admiral (O10).

There are more specialized ranks in the military, but those are the basics.

Random facts:

The US has 247,000 troops and civilians posted overseas, with a presence in more than 130 countries, covering every time zone. The US has 13 military bases in countries around Afghanistan. It has military presence in Uzbekistan, Takijstan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.

The Department of Defense employs 1.4 million people on active duty. It is the largest employer in the US, with more employees than ExxonMobil, Ford, General Motors and GE combined.

The term "sniper" is derived from "snipe", which is a bird that was difficult to hunt. The term dates back to the 18th century.

In American naval slang, submarines are the only vessels referred to as "boats", whereas surface vessels are colloquially referred to as "ships".

During the Siege of Mafeking in the Second Boer War, Robert Baden-Powell recruited and trained 12-15 year old boys as scouts. The Mafeking Cadet Corps was a group of youths that supported the troops by carrying messages, which freed the men for military duties. The Cadet Corps performed well, helping in the defense of the town, and were one of the many factors that inspired Baden-Powell to form the Boy Scouts, a youth organization originally run along military lines.

The Department of Defense owns 40,000 properties, covering 18 million acres of land.

The Defense Department buys enough fuel every day to drive a car around the world 13,000 times.

The US headquarters at the Pentagon employs 23,000 workers and incorporates over 17 miles of corridors.

The US spends an average of $28,000 on research and development for each member of its armed forces compared to the European average of $7,000.


Some common misconceptions:

Army Special Forces purpose is to train indigenous troops in foreign countries to fight their own war - not to fight it themselves.

Delta Force & Navy Seals conduct covert operations in foreign countries, not Special Forces. Navy Seals also do long range reconnaissance patrols.

Nobody goes to Special Forces out of boot camp. You have to be a NCO, or Non-commissioned officer, to apply.

Roger Wilco is just short hand for “Roger, will comply“. It is NOT someone’s name.

There is a common rumor about the US military dog tags issued between 1941 and the early 70s. The rumor states that the notch on the dog tag is meant to be placed between the front teeth of a deceased soldier, and forcefully jammed between the teeth, for later identification of the body. The real, and only, purpose of this notch was to hold the blank tag in the machine that punched the letters onto the tag. Current machines do not need the notch to hold blank tags, therefore current tags do not have the notch.

Well there you have it. I am sure I missed a gazillion things, but I will leave it up to the experts to cover that stuff. As usual, I would love to have your input!

[M.C. Peery]

Thanks for the correction! :)

[Dana King]

A friend of mine, a former submariner, would take issue with your naming of ships and boats. To a true submariner, the two kinds of vessels are submarines and targets. :-)