An Issue of Rank Insignia

[Steel Tiger]

Recently a friend of mine was telling me of a conversation he had with an army warrant officer about the wearing of rank insignia in the middle of the chest.

In the Australian army a major is represented by a crown just like in the UK. However, a warrant officer second class is also represented by a crown, a bigger crown!!

When the insignia is in the normal position the distinction is clear, the major's crown is on the shoulder and the WO2 is on the arm.

Now, when they are in the field, you have to look very carefully at the size of the crown or you could end up saluting a warrant officer.

The warrant officer discussing this suggested that the relative size of the crowns was an indication of the value of the work done by the different ranks.

 

[Wild Bill]

In America you salute warrant officers so its all good.

 

[Steel Tiger]

In America you salute warrant officers so its all good.

That's lucky.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

Recently a friend of mine was telling me of a conversation he had with an army warrant officer about the wearing of rank insignia in the middle of the chest.

In the Australian army a major is represented by a crown just like in the UK. However, a warrant officer second class is also represented by a crown, a bigger crown!!

When the insignia is in the normal position the distinction is clear, the major's crown is on the shoulder and the WO2 is on the arm.

Now, when they are in the field, you have to look very carefully at the size of the crown or you could end up saluting a warrant officer.

The warrant officer discussing this suggested that the relative size of the crowns was an indication of the value of the work done by the different ranks.

In US Army ranks, a WO is a silver bar w/black square and a major is a gold oak leaf( US Army, Air Force and Marine Corps officer ranks are identical, though their enlisted ranks are not). so it's easier for us( except when you're in the field and they're all subdued).

 

[stone_dragone]

Unfortunately with the new ACUs, we have gone from wearing the insignia on the collar to putting it in the middle of the chest, without having any branch insignia (except for chaplains).

I have found that when working at the division level (or at least the inter-brigade level) it becomes a pain in the *** figuring out whether or not who you are talking to knows a bloody thing about what you need to talk to them about. i.e. finding the Aviation LNO in an Infantry Battalion - aside from being the guy who needs a haircut...

 

[CoryKS]

In the Marine Corps we had a saying: "When in doubt, whip it out." You're better off saluting an NCO than failing to salute an officer.

 

[crushing]

Recently a friend of mine was telling me of a conversation he had with an army warrant officer about the wearing of rank insignia in the middle of the chest.

In the Australian army a major is represented by a crown just like in the UK. However, a warrant officer second class is also represented by a crown, a bigger crown!!

When the insignia is in the normal position the distinction is clear, the major's crown is on the shoulder and the WO2 is on the arm.

Now, when they are in the field, you have to look very carefully at the size of the crown or you could end up saluting a warrant officer.

The warrant officer discussing this suggested that the relative size of the crowns was an indication of the value of the work done by the different ranks.

Saluting in the field????

I thought officers hated being identified by snipers? Well, at least the ones whos egos don't outweigh life preserving common sense.

 

[CoryKS]

Saluting in the field????

I thought officers hated being identified by snipers? Well, at least the ones whos egos don't outweigh life preserving common sense.

Yeah, that's iffy. I got my *** chewed out by a captain for saluting him - "you trying to get me shot?!!" - and not a half-hour later I got it from a 1st looie for not saluting.

 

[Kreth]

and not a half-hour later I got it from a 1st looie for not saluting.

Surprised it wasn't a butterbar... :lol:

 

[CoryKS]

Surprised it wasn't a butterbar... :lol:

Never had a lot of trouble with the butters. They mostly just walked around looking lost.

We had one at the rifle range in Okinawa during qualification week. There was this tradition that if you shot expert you were supposed to give one of your rank insignias to your marksmanship instructor. The 2nd lieutenant shot expert, gave one of his rank to the instructor, and then the range chief convinced him that he was supposed to give one to him too. So this lt. was walking around with no insignia with the other officers shaking their heads. They stepped in when the sergeants, mistaking him for a private, started sending him off on tasks. But only after he'd completed the first one. :rofl:

 

[Kreth]

They stepped in when the sergeants, mistaking him for a private, started sending him off on tasks. But only after he'd completed the first one. :rofl:

Did they send him for a box of grid squares, or 100' of shoreline? :rofl:

 

[CoryKS]

Did they send him for a box of grid squares, or 100' of shoreline? :rofl:

Nope. 50' of flight line and a can of dehydrated water.

 

[crushing]

Never had a lot of trouble with the butters. They mostly just walked around looking lost.

That's because the supply sgt and mp sgt keep sending them back and forth in search of replacement chem-light batteries.

 

[stone_dragone]

I sure could use about a quart of rotor-wash.