About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 [1] (May 21, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/govepti0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Con res&on Research inku rnrng h I~g~ deLi s~ c. Updated May 21, 2024 Defense Primer: Military Enlisted Personnel Grade and Rank The Armed Forces are hierarchical organizations with clearly defined levels of authority. These different levels are called grades, while rank refers to the order of precedence among those in different grades and within the same grade (e.g., someone who has been a Sergeant for three years outranks someone who has been a Sergeant for two years). However, it is common for the term rank to be used as a synonym for grade. Pay grade is an administrative classification that determines certain rates of pay, but it is sometimes used to indicate grade as well. For example, a Staff Sergeant in the Army may also be referred to as an E- 6. See Figure 1. The Service Secretaries manage the accession, promotion, and assignments of enlisted members under broad statutory authorities. Numbers and Roles Enlisted personnel make up about 82% of the Armed Forces, with officers making up the remaining 18%. Enlisted personnel rank below all officers. Table 1 lists the number of active duty enlisted personnel in each pay grade. Junior enlisted personnel (pay grades E-i to E-4) typically work in small units across the Department of Defense. Individuals normally serve in these grades during their first enlistment term (usually four years). More senior enlisted personnel supervise them. Junior enlisted personnel make up about 50% of the enlisted workforce. Mid-level Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) (pay grades E-5 to E-7). NCOs have significantly more responsibility than junior enlisted personnel. They lead small units, typically ranging from a few to several dozen personnel, and serve as technical experts in their occupational specialties. NCOs at this level translate orders from their superior officers into action. Senior Noncommissioned Officers (pay grades E-8 and E- 9) typically serve as senior enlisted advisors to commanders or as staff NCOs. They also serve as a channel of support for the enlisted force in general. By law, the authorized daily average of enlisted personnel in pay grades E-8 and E- 9 may not be more than 3.0% and 1.25%, respectively, of the number of enlisted members in a given Service on the first day of the fiscal year. If the number of E-9s is below the cap, the difference may be applied to increase the number of E-8s. The statutory caps can be waived in certain circumstances (10 U.S.C. §517). Insignia As shown in Figure 1, each enlisted grade in the Armed Forces has distinctive insignia, typically worn on the sleeve, shoulder, collar, and/or headgear (caps, berets, helmets, etc.). Table I. Department of Defense Active Duty Military Enlisted by Pay Grade (as of March 3 I, 2024) Services Pay Grade Army Navy Marine Corps Air Force Space Force Total E-9 3,389 2,852 1,554 2,464 52 10,31 I E-8 10,842 6,570 3,742 4,785 133 26,072 E-7 35,371 22,419 8,669 23,554 614 90,627 E-6 57,880 53,177 13,220 39,636 824 164,737 E-5 67,021 71,286 24,036 54,053 1,063 217,459 E-4 96,582 50,887 32,174 67,117 679 247,439 E-3 45,655 36,640 37,869 44,425 1,002 165,591 E-2 23,506 12,566 18,922 7,839 152 62,985 E-1 7,493 1 1,623 4,718 8,197 156 32,187 Total 347,739 268,020 144,904 252,070 4,675 1,017,408 Source: Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center.

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most