List of United States Navy enlisted rates < onlyinclude > A United States Navy " enlisted rate " indicates where an enlisted sailor stands within the chain of command , and also defines one ' s pay grade . An enlisted sailor ' s " rate " is similar conceptually to a naval officer ' s " rank " . The word " rate " refers to an enlisted sailor ' s pay grade , while the word " rating " refers to one ' s area of occupational specialization within the enlisted Navy . Associated with the enlisted pay grades is a numbering system from the most junior enlisted sailor ( " E - 1 " ) to the most senior enlisted sailor ( " E - 9 " ) . This enlisted numbering system is the same across all five branches of the U . S . Military . < / onlyinclude > Rates are displayed on a rating badge , which is a combination of rate and rating . E - 1s through E - 3s have color coded group rate marks based on their career field . Personnel in pay grade E - 1 do not have an insignia to wear . Ratings are earned through " A " schools , which are attended before deployment and after undergoing initial basic training at Recruit Training Command , Great Lakes , Illinois . Some members may undergo additional training in a " C " school either before or after a tour of duty . Upon completion , they are assigned a four - digit Navy Enlisted Classification ( NEC ) code , which identifies a skill that is outside of their standard rating . An example is NEC 2780 , which shows that the sailor is qualified as a Network Security Vulnerability Technician . The rating symbols depicted for each rating badge listed below ( except for the rating badge of the Command Master Chief ) is Boatswain ' s Mate . Uniforms . The rating badge is worn on the left upper sleeve for the dress blues or " crackerjacks " , the winter blues or " working blues " , the dress whites , and the summer whites or " tropical whites " , as well as the Navy pea coat . The background color and material of the patch matches the uniform on which it is worn . On the utility uniform ( including the utility shirt and utility jacket ) , a rating patch , which omits the rating symbol , is worn on the upper left sleeve ( see picture ) . On the coverall and camouflage uniforms , a pair of smaller rating patches are worn on the collar tips ; as with the utility uniform , the rating symbol is left off . Those Petty Officers and above who meet good conduct requirements are authorized to wear the gold variation s of their respective rating badges . E - 1 to E - 3 . Sailors in pay grades E - 1 through E - 3 are considered to be in apprenticeships . They are divided into five definable groups , with colored group rate marks designating the group to which they belong : Seaman , Fireman , Airman , Constructionman , and Hospitalman . One of three apprentice devices may be worn above the rank insignia , which denotes the sailor is an apprentice in a particular field and is in search of a rating to join . Sailors who have gone directly to a base , station , or ship without any specialized training are eligible to select a career field , and through correspondence courses and extensive on - the - job training , may qualify for a rating . This process is called " striking for a rate . " If an enlisted member has qualified for a rate , but has not yet become a petty officer , he is called a designated striker , and is identified by a striker ' s badge that displays the sailor ' s rating , along with his group rate marks . The serviceperson is addressed by one ' s group designation , if known ( e . g . , Fireman Jones , Constructionman Apprentice Smith ) ; by the generic appellation ' seaman ' ; or by one ' s striker designation ( Boatswain ' s Mate Seaman Watson , Culinary Specialist Seaman Recruit Johnson ) . < onlyinclude > < / includeonly > < / onlyinclude > E - 4 to E - 6 . E - 4 to E - 6 are considered to be non - commissioned officer s ( NCOs ) , and are specifically called Petty Officer s in the Navy . Petty Officers perform not only the duties of their specific career field but also serve as leaders to junior enlisted personnel . They must take responsibility for their subordinates , address grievances , inform the chain of command on matters pertaining to good order and discipline , and may even have to place personnel on report . The title Petty Officer comes from the French word " petit " , meaning something small . In medieval England , villages had several " petite " or " petty " officers who were subordinate to major officials . Thus , Petty Officers are assistants to senior officers . Petty Officers have been an important part of the U . S . Navy since its beginning . They were originally appointed by the ship ' s captain and usually held such appointments while serving under the captain who selected them . The Petty Officers of this time did not have uniforms or a rank insignia . In 1841 a rate badge was assigned , consisting of a sleeve device displaying an eagle perched on an anchor . Rating marks did not appear until 1866 . From 1885 to 1894 , the Navy recognized three classes of Petty Officers — first , second , and third . These noncommissioned officer s were authorized to wear a " rate " ( rank ) insignia consisting of chevrons pointing down under a spread eagle and a rating mark . Unlike the current rate badge , the eagle faced right instead of left . The current insignia for Petty Officers came about in 1894 , and is a perched eagle with spread wings facing left ( usually referred to as a " crow , " due to its black color on white uniforms and the outdated dungaree working uniforms ) atop a rating mark , with chevrons denoting their rank below . The authority to wear gold rating badges and service stripes on the dress blue and working coverall uniform is granted when a sailor completes and maintains twelve consecutive years of honorable service without any official record of bad conduct due to punitive action via non - judicial punishment or courts martial . The gold rating badges and service stripes are distinct from the Good Conduct Medal , which is awarded for three years of honorable service . Coloration of the insignia for E - 4 through E - 9 depends upon the uniform worn . Black cloth with red or gold embroidered stripes is used on the winter uniforms , while white cloth with black embroidered stripes is used on the summer uniforms , and medium blue cloth with red or gold embroidered stripes is used on the working coverall . E - 7 to E - 9 . E - 7 to E - 9 are still considered Petty Officers , but are considered a separate community within the Navy , unlike NCO ' s of other branches of service . They have separate berthing and dining facilities ( where feasible ) , wear separate uniforms , and perform separate duties . Advancement to Chief Petty Officer ( E - 7 ) or above requires a peer review by existing Chief Petty Officers beyond the normal examination score and performance evaluation process . The annual list of Chief selectees are authorized by Congress , leading chiefs to sometimes overstate , " it took an act of Congress to put these anchors here , it will take an act of Congress to take them off . " The proper form of address to a Chief Petty Officer is " Chief " , " Senior Chief " ( or " Senior " ) , or " Master Chief " according to their rating . In the U . S . Navy , the Chief is specifically tasked , in writing , with the duty of training Junior Officers ( Ensign , Lieutenant ( j . g . ) , Lieutenant , and Lieutenant Commander ) — one of the major differences between a Chief in the Navy and his counterparts in the senior NCO corps in the Army , Marine Corps , and Air Force . Although the title " Chief " has been around since the Continental Navy in 1776 , the Chief Petty Officer rate was not established until 1 April 1893 . At that time nearly all enlisted members who had carried the rate of Petty Officer First Class since 1885 were advanced to Chief Petty Officer , with the exception of Schoolmasters , Ship ' s Writers , and Carpenter ' s Mates . The rates Senior Chief and Master Chief were established on 1 June 1958 . To be eligible for advancement to Senior Chief , a Chief Petty Officer must have had three years in the current grade . For advancement to Master Chief , a Senior Chief must have a total of three years in the current grade . The dress blue insignia consists of a perched eagle or " crow " with spread wings atop a rating mark , with three chevrons and one ' rocker ' above the rating mark . Inverted five - point stars above the crow denote the rank of Senior Chief ( one star ) or Master Chief ( two stars ) . All other uniforms use the collar device to denote rank . It consists of a fouled anchor ( an anchor that is entangled with its chain ) with the initials U . S . N . ( in silver ) superimposed , with stars above the anchor to indicate higher pay grades , similar to the dress blue insignia . Command Master Chief . After attaining the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer , servicemembers may choose to further their career by becoming a Command Master Chief Petty Officer ( CMC ) . A CMC is considered to be the senior - most enlisted service member within a command , and is the special assistant to the Commanding Officer in all matters pertaining to the health , welfare , job satisfaction , morale , utilization , advancement and training of the command ' s enlisted personnel . CMCs can be Command level ( within a single unit , such as a ship or shore station ) , Fleet level ( squadrons consisting of multiple operational units , headed by a flag officer or commodore ) , or Force level ( consisting of a separate community within the Navy , such as Subsurface , Air , Reserves ) . CMC insignia are similar to the insignia for Master Chief , except that the rating symbol is replaced by an inverted five - point star , reflecting a change in their rating from their previous rating ( i . e . , MMCM ) to CMDCM . The stars for Command Master Chief are silver , while stars for Fleet or Force Master Chief are gold . Additionally , CMCs wear a badge , worn on their left breast pocket , denoting their title ( Command / Fleet / Force ) . Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy . The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy ( MCPON ) ( currently Master Chief Petty Officer Rick D . West ) is the senior enlisted person in the Navy , appointed by the Chief of Naval Operations ( CNO ) ( currently Admiral Gary Roughead ) to serve as a spokesperson to address the issues of enlisted personnel to the highest positions in the Navy . The MCPON is the senior enlisted advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations and Chief of Naval Personnel . Exact duties vary , depending on the CNO , though the duties generally include traveling throughout the Navy , observing training and talking to sailors and their families . The MCPON serves on several boards concerned with enlisted members , represents the Department of the Navy at special events , and may be called upon to testify before Congress regarding enlisted personnel issues . The position was originally established as " Senior Enlisted Advisor of the Navy " in January 1967 in response to a recommendation from the Secretary of the Navy ' s task force on Navy personnel retention . Three months later , the title was officially changed to " Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy " . The individual rating specialty marks for the MCPON was replaced by an inverted star in 1971 . The MCPON ' s current insignia is similar to Fleet or Force CMCs , with the addition of a third star above the crow or anchor .