Petty Officer First Class Petty Officer First Class is the sixth enlisted rank in the U . S . Navy and U . S . Coast Guard , just above Petty Officer Second Class and below Chief Petty Officer , and is a non - commissioned officer . Each rating has an official abbreviation , such as FT for Fire Control Technician , STS for Sonar Technician Submarines , or TM for Torpedoman ' s Mate . When combined with the petty officer level , this gives the short - hand for the petty officer ' s rank , such as FT1 for Fire Control Technician First Class . It is common practice to refer to the petty officer by this short hand in all but the most formal correspondence ( such as printing and inscription on awards ) . Often , the petty officer is just referred to by the short hand designation , without using the surname . Thus CS1 Dimmer would just be called CS1 . A First Class Petty Officer may be generically referred to as PO1 when the sailor ' s rating is not known , although some prefer to be called simply " Petty Officer ( Eby ) . " Similar to Petty Officer Second Class and Third Class , advancement to Petty Officer First Class is contingent upon the following conditions : The advancement cycle is currently every 6 months ( March and September ) . Only Second Class Petty Officers that achieve a passing score on the biannual advancement examination are eligible to be advanced to First Class Petty Officer . Once the examination is complete , a quota is established based upon the needs of the Navy with respect to the specific rating the sailor holds . Using the rating ET ( Electronics Technician ) as an example : The Navy ' s new High Year Tenure policy imposes a maximum enlistment of 20 years to a Petty Officer First Class . If a PO1 fails to make Chief Petty Officer within those 20 years , the Petty Officer is involuntarily separated for not meeting advancement requirements . This may be waived in the event the sailor holds critical training , NEC ' s or clearances . The rate insignia for a Petty Officer First Class is a perched eagle above three chevrons . On more formal uniforms ( summer whites and winter working blues or above ) , the symbol for the petty officer ' s rating will be placed between the eagle and the chevrons . On white uniforms , the eagle , rating , and chevrons will be black ( this has led to the eagle being referred to as the " crow " in common practice , and often the entire rating badge is simply referred to as the crow ) . On navy blue uniforms , the eagle and rating are white , and the chevrons are red unless the sailor has been in the Navy for 12 years or more all with good conduct - then that sailor wears gold chevrons on the dress blue uniform . The Coast Guard does not use golden chevrons . Working uniforms and metal rank devices do not have the rating symbol . First Class Petty Officers normally serve as a Leading Petty Officer ( LPO ) of a division , and may direct the activities of a division in the absence of the division Chief Petty Officer . First Class Petty Officers often form associations at their commands . Membership in these associations are voluntary but often seen as a vital step in preparation for advancement to Chief Petty Officer . At smaller commands with few Petty Officers , Second Class Petty Officers are sometimes invited to join , in which case the associations are commonly referred to " Acey - Ducey " associations . Petty Officers serve a dual role as both technical experts and as leaders . Unlike the sailors below them , there is no such thing as an " undesignated Petty Officer . " Every petty officer has both a rate ( rank ) and rating ( job , similar to an MOS in other branches ) . A petty officer ' s full title is a combination of the two . Thus , a Petty Officer First Class , who has the rating of Fire Control Technician would properly be called a Fire Control Technician First Class . The term petty officer is only used in the general sense when referring to a group of petty officers of different ratings , or when the petty officer ' s rating is unknown , or when someone who is E - 3 or below addresses a petty officer while in basic training or during an A school .