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1 [1] (November 7, 2018)

handle is hein.crs/crsmthzzbtn0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Cogesoa Reeac Sevc Updated November 7, 2018 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 81% of the armed forces, with officers making up the remaining 19%. 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 DOD. Individuals normally serve in these grades during their first enlistment term (usually four years). More senior enlisted personnel supervise them. Junior enlisted make up about 53% 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. They make up about 44% 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, enlisted personnel in pay grades E-8 and E-9 may not be more than 2.15% and 1.25%, respectively, of the number of enlisted members of a given Service who are on active duty (10 U.S.C. §517; if the number of E-9s is below the cap, the difference may be applied to increase the number of E-8s). 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. Active Duty Military Enlisted by Pay Grade (as of September 30, 2018) Services Pay Grade Army Navy Marine Corps Air Force Total E-9 3,508 2,641 1,580 2,640 10,369 E-8 10,580 6,620 3,920 5,075 26,195 E-7 35,769 21,294 8,635 25,388 91,086 E-6 54,188 49,237 14,145 39,695 157,265 E-5 65,544 67,876 26,022 61,672 221,114 E-4 106,466 51,965 35,626 51,545 245,602 E-3 50,488 42,796 42,503 55,267 191,054 E-2 27,491 15,408 20,869 7,192 70,960 E-1 25,571 12,821 10,783 10,504 59,679 Source: Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center. www.crs.gov 7-5700

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