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

1 1 (November 23, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/govejmx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Infrning the Iegislative debdte since 1914 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-1 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 51% of the enlisted workforce. Updated November 23, 2022 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. They make up about 45% of the enlisted workforce. 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 2.5% 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 1. Active Duty Military Enlisted by Pay Grade (as of September 30, 2022) Services Air Force/Space Pay Grade Army Navy Marine Corps Force Total E-9 3,501 2,765 1,598 2,613 10,477 E-8 10,694 7,249 3,946 4,788 26,677 E-7 36,702 22,890 8,361 25,915 93,868 E-6 57,742 51,172 13,361 44,857 167,132 E-5 69,861 70,452 22,314 60,411 223,038 E-4 113,412 53,894 32,654 61,854 261,814 E-3 48,339 50,210 42,271 46,138 186,958 E-2 16,340 13,085 17,434 8,032 54,891 E-1 10,994 1 1,799 1 1,147 8,872 42,812 Total 367,585 283,516 I53,086 263,480 1,067,667 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

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most