Enlisted Ranks of the US Air Force

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Enlisted personnel make up the better part of the United States Air Force. This guide explains the rank structure in the event that you ever meet one. This is only a guide and those that you meet may not reflect the personalities depicted herein.

Airmen

In general terms, everyone in the Air Force (and even some Navy personnel) are considered Airmen. But for the purposes of this guide, only the first four ranks fall into this catagory. Airmen can be identified by having between one and three stripes on their sleaves. Or, in the case of Airman Basic, no rank at all.

Airman Basic - AB


[otherwise known as 'Slick Sleave' / pay grade: E-1]

:: Unless you live in San Antonio (home to the Air Force's Basic Military Training Center), you're not likely to encounter one of these. With the 6-year enlistment, most people choose to skip this rank after completing their technical training.

Airman - Amn


[oka 'Mosquito Wing' / E-2]

:: This rank is the most troublesome. Either the wearer has only been in a few months and is inexperienced, or they were busted down from a higher rank for doing something stupid. And by stupid I mean they got caught. Some of the more popular things to get caught doing are drinking and doing drugs. Look on the arm for a star with one stipe out either side.

Airman First Class - A1C


[oka 'A-One-See' / E-3]

:: The most enthusiastic of the ranks. A1C's do the majority of the grunt work and menial tasks. And at the same time are encouraged to stay in the Air Force and make it a career. As a result of this, their enthusiasm dies shortly before making it to the rank of Senior Airman. They are identified by a star and two stripes.

Senior Airman - SrA


[may also refer to themself as 'Sergeant'1 / E-4]

:: These are a dying breed. With the high promotion rates of the last few years, the only Senior Airman left are those who slept in and missed the promotion test. This is also the rank at which alot of people leave the Air Force. If you see one (look for a star and three stripes), ask them how many months/days they have left.

Non-Commissioned Officers

NCOs are the middle-managers of the Air Force. They are required to both supervise and perform their job, tasks which can be conflicting at best. They can be identified by one (Staff) or two (Tech) additional stripes below the Airmen stripes.

Staff Sergeant - SSgt


[oka 'Staff' or 'Sergeant'... rarely both at the same time / E-5]

:: The "know-it-all's" of the Air Force. Newer Staffs believe that, because they're now NCOs, they automatically posess all of the knowledge required to do their job. Older Staffs think that, because they've been in so long, they know everything from experience. The truth is that Staff Sergeants know very little and should be closely supervised.

Technical Sergeant - TSgt


[oka 'Tech Sergeant' or just 'Tech' / E-6]

:: Techs are the "go-to-guys" because they have the perfect mix of rank and experience. They're there to make sure the job gets done... after they've had their coffee.

Senior Non-Commissioned Officers

SrNCOs are exactly that, officers without a commission put into positions of seniority. Not because they have the ability to make good decisions, but because the Air Force doesn't have enough commissioned officers to fill all of the positions. They can be recognized by one (Master), two (Senior) or three (Chief) chevrons at the top of the their rank insignia, and are collectively refered to as the 'Top Three.'

Master Sergeant - MSgt


[oka 'Sergeant' / E-7]

:: Master Sergeants are the first official level of organizational supervision. They tend to micro-manage because they think it's an effective management tool. This is despite the fact that they spent the last 15 years being micro-managed, and complained about it every single day.

Senior Master Sergeant - SMSgt


[oka 'Senior' / E-8]

:: It's unclear why this rank exists.

Chief Master Sergeant - CMSgt


[oka 'Chief'... never EVER refer to as 'Sergeant'2 / E-9]

:: The highest of the enlisted ranks. Chiefs are a select few who make sure that officers don't interfere with the day-to-day opperations of enlisted personnel. If you see one carrying a small Jeep or other such trinket, this means that they are the lowest ranking Chief on the base. You should attempt to take this item from them, and exchange it for alcohol.3

Specialty Ranks for Senior Non-Commisioned Officers

First Sergeant


[oka 'The Shirt' or 'The First Shirt'... designated by a diamond]

:: The Shirt acts as an inbetween for the Commander and the enlisted folks in the squadron. Their primary responsibility is to handle any situation before the Commander finds out about it. You'll see them alot in police stations and courtrooms, usually with an Airman in tow. They can be any of the top three ranks.

Command Chief Master Sergeant


[designated by a second star under the chevrons]

:: This is the highest ranking person in a Wing or Major Command (MAJCOM). They oversee the well-being of all of the enlisted personnel at a particular base.

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force


[designated by a wreath in place of the center star]

:: The highest ranking enlisted person in the Air Force. He/She works at the top levels to ensure that enlisted personnel are taken care of.

1When given a promotion line number, some Senior Airmen will refer to themself as Staff Sergeant Select. This goes for the rest of the NCO ranks as well by adding 'Select' to the end of the promoted rank. This lasts until the person actually 'sews on' the next rank, which could be up to a year later.2This gets kind of confusiing when working with Navy personnel. To them a 'Chief' is any of the Top Three, and they don't like it when you don't call them Chief.3It is best to find another Chief and give it to them, and they will return the item in exchange for your alcohol (usually a case of beer).

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