# Army Uniforms: Chevrons Up or Down?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/army-uniforms-chevrons-up-or-down/408976>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 22, 2007, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/army-uniforms-chevrons-up-or-down/408976 "2007-06-22T11:17:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/army-uniforms-chevrons-up-or-down/408976/1 "2007-06-22T11:17:29Z")

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Non-Commissioned army officers wear chevrons as a badge of rank. In the US Army, the tips of the chevrons point up. During the Civil war, the chevrons pointed down. Anybody know why the change was made?

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**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2007, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/army-uniforms-chevrons-up-or-down/408976/2 "2007-06-22T11:37:13Z")

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Ask, and you shall receive: [http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Rank\_page/History\_of\_Enlisted\_Ranks.htm](http://www.tioh.hqda.pentagon.mil/Rank_page/History_of_Enlisted_Ranks.htm)