 76px u.s. coast guardmaster chiefpetty officercap & collar device 70px u.s. coast guardmaster chiefpetty officerinsignia 70px|e-9 insignia good conductrating badge 70px|e-9 collar pin u.s. navymaster chiefpetty officercap & collar insignia master chief petty officer is the ninth, and highest, enlisted rate (pay grade e-9) in the u.s. navy and u.s. coast guard, just above senior chief petty officer. master chief petty officers are addressed as "master chief (last name)". they constitute the top 1.25% of the enlisted members of the maritime forces. ==advancement== in the navy, advancement to master chief petty officer is similar to that of chief petty officer and senior chief petty officer. it carries requirements of time in service, superior evaluation scores, and selection by a board of master chiefs. similarly, senior chief petty officers and chief petty officers are chosen by selection boards. in the coast guard, advancement to master chief petty officer is similar to other advancements consisting of competition with other advancement-eligible senior chief petty officers. advancement-eligible senior chief petty officers are prioritized based on written examination scores, evaluations, award points, time in service, and time in grade. master chief petty officers are then selected monthly from this prioritization list as positions become available. petty officers of all grades possess both a rate (the enlisted term for rank) and rating (job, similar to a military occupational specialty (mos) in other branches). the full title (most commonly usednavy sailor) is a combination of the two. thus, a master chief petty officer with the rating of fire controlman would properly be called a master chief fire controlman. each rating has an official abbreviation, such as fc for fire controlman, ft for fire control technician, and sts for sonar technician, submarines. when combined with the rate abbreviation (cm for master chief), it produces the full rate designation, such as fccm for master chief fire controlman. it is not uncommon practice to refer to the master chief by this shorthand in all but the most formal correspondence (such as printing and inscription on awards). mostly, though, they are simply called "master chief", regardless of rating. in certain ratings, which are split into two or more designations, the third letter is often dropped when the rank of master chief (or senior 
Military_ranks_of_the_United_States_Coast_Guard Military_ranks_of_the_United_States_Navy United_States_military_enlisted_ranks