United States Coast Guard enlisted rate insignia

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These charts represents the United States Coast Guard enlisted rate insignia. Rates are used to describe an enlisted sailors pay-grade. Rates aren't to be confused with "ratings", which describe the Coast Guards enlisted occupations. (The rating symbols depicted are for a boatswain's mate).

1 E-1 to E-3
2 E-4 to E-6
3 E-7 to E-9
4 Command Master Chief
5 Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
6 See also
7 References

Junior enlisted personnel are broken up into five definable groups with colored insignia stripes designating with which group they belong. A speciality mark may be worn above the rank insignia, which denotes training in a particular field: either as an apprentice (one that is in search of a rating to join), or as a designated striker (one that has found a rating but is not yet a petty officer). The serviceperson is addressed by their group designation, if known (ie Fireman Jones, Constructionman Apprentice Smith); by the generic appellation 'seaman;' or by their striker designation (ETSN Watson, CSSR Johnson).

Sleeve Insignia	Rate title	Pay grade	Abbreviation	NATO code
Image Needed	Seaman Recruit / Hospitalman Recruit	E-1	SR	OR-1
Image Needed	Fireman Recruit	E-1	FR	OR-1
Image Needed	Airman Recruit	E-1	AR	OR-1
	Seaman Apprentice / Hospitalman Apprentice	E-2	SA	OR-2
	Fireman Apprentice	E-2	FA	OR-2
	Airman Apprentice	E-2	AA	OR-2
	Seaman / Hospitalman	E-3	SM	OR-3
	Fireman	E-3	FM	OR-3
	Airman	E-3	AM	OR-3

E-4 to E-6 are considered to be non-commissioned officers (NCOs), and are specifically called petty officers in the Coast Guard. Their insignia is a perched eagle with spread wings (also referred to as a 'crow') atop a rating mark (a rating mark, or 'rate' is a symbol denoting their job category, similar to U.S. Army and U.S. Marines' MOS), with chevron(s) denoting their relative rank below.

Onboard ships, the First Class Petty Officers become members of the First Class Mess which serves as a recognition of their status at the top of the junior enlisted ranks. This manifests itself on small ships as a few reserved tables in the galley, but may be a separate seating area or space onboard a large ship. The food is the same as that in the galley from which the other junior ranks eat. It also is a precursor to the Chief's mess.

Rate title	Pay grade	Abbreviation	NATO code
Petty Officer Third Class	E-4	PO3	OR-4
Petty Officer Second Class	E-5	PO2	OR-5
Petty Officer First Class	E-6	PO1	OR-6

E-7 to E-9 are still considered NCOs, but are considered a separate community within the Coast Guard, unlike 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 an additional step of peer review by existing Chief Petty Officers. This goes beyond the normal examination score and performance evaluation process. Their dress blue insignia consists of a perched eagle with spread wings atop a rating mark, with three chevrons and one 'rocker' below; inverted five-point stars above the crow denote the rank of Senior Chief (one star) or Master Chief (two stars). However, all other uniforms use the fouled anchor device to denote rank. It consists of a fouled anchor with the Coast Guard Shield (in silver) superimposed, with stars above the anchor to indicate higher paygrades, similar to the dress blue insignia.

The proper form of address to a Chief Petty Officer is simply "Chief." In the US Coast Guard, the Chief is specifically tasked in writing with the duty of training Junior Officers (Ensign, Lieutenant (j.g.), Lieutenant, and Lieutenant Commander). This is one of the major differences between a Chief in the Coast Guard and his counterparts in the Staff NCO corps in the Navy, Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force. Interestingly, Marine Corps Staff Sergeants embarked on most ships in the US Navy are members of the Chief's Mess instead of the First Class Mess.

Rate title	Pay grade	Abbreviation	NATO code
Chief Petty Officer	E-7	CPO	OR-7
Senior Chief Petty Officer	E-8	SCPO	OR-8
Master Chief Petty Officer	E-9	MCPO	OR-9

Upon obtaining Master Chief Petty Officer, the servicemember may choose to further their career by becoming a Command Master Chief (CMC). These personnel are considered to be the senior-most enlisted servicemember within their command, and are the special assistant to the Commanding Officer in all matter pertaining to the health, welfare, job satisfaction, morale, utilization, advancement and training the command's enlisted personnel.

Sleeve Insignia	Collar device	Rate title	Pay grade	Abbreviation	NATO code
		Command Master Chief Petty Officer	E-9	CMDCM	OR-9

The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG) is the senior enlisted person in the Coast Guard. The MCPOCG serves as the senior enlisted leader of the Coast Guard, and as an advisor to the Commandant of the Coast Guard in matters dealing with enlisted personnel and their families. The MCPOCG is also an advisor to the many boards dealing with enlisted personnel issues; may be called upon to testify on enlisted personnel issues before Congress; and, maintains a liaison with enlisted spouse organizations.