# Navy rank question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366 "2002-08-17T18:09:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hermn8r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/53a042/32.png) [@hermn8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermn8r)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366/1 "2002-08-17T18:09:09Z")
I have seen the following as a rank at the end of an article in a Navy Newsletter. ETCM(SS) John Doe In this and other articles the person was also referred to as Master Chief Petty Officer John Doe. But, I have seen other Master Chief Petty Officers with different ‘abbreviations’ for the rank. Could some help me out here and explain the ‘abbreviation’? Also, in my searching I turned up a few ETCM(SW) hits. What’s with the parenthetic letters and the difference between SS and SW? It seems that all of these are referred to as Master Chief PO when it is spelled out. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366/2 "2002-08-17T18:28:13Z")
The Navy Dopers will have the more detailed explanation, but the “CM” part of the rating abbreviation refers to the person holding the grade of Master Chief Petty Officer, E-9 (like a US Army Sgt. Major or USAF Chief Master Sgt.). The letters before the CM refer to the person’s rating (career specialty), and the parenthesis to some subspecialization or qualification. In the Navy, Enlisted “rank” is a “rating”, describing both your grade (3 levels each of Seaman, Petty Officer, and Chief PO) and your job specialty (Bosun’s Mate, yeoman, electrician, avionics technician, etc.). Master Chief Yeoman Richard Roe, abbreviates (I seem to recall) YMCM Richard Roe, referred to as Master Chief Petty Officer Roe. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366/3 "2002-08-17T18:55:49Z")
ETCM = Master Chief Electronics Technician. (Electronics Technician, Chief, Master?) ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366/4 "2002-08-17T18:58:09Z")
IIRC the “(SS)” indicates a qualified submariner. [http://www.scs.wsu.edu/~gadrian/sub2.html](http://www.scs.wsu.edu/~gadrian/sub2.html) ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366/5 "2002-08-17T19:07:05Z")
ETCM(SS) = Electronics technician Master Chief, submarines. The ET part is the rating. There are a whole bunch of these ranging from the common (BM for botswain’s mate) to the obscure (LI for lithographer). [Here’s a complete list](http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ratings/navrate.html). The CM part is the rate. The US navy has the following rates: ```auto paygrade rate abbreviation ========================================================== E-1 Seaman Recruit SR E-2 Seaman Apprentice SA E-3 Seaman SN E-4 Petty Officer 3rd Class 3 E-5 Petty Officer 2nd Class 2 E-6 Petty Officer 1st Class 1 E-7 Chief Petty Officer C E-8 Senior Chief Petty Officer CS E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer CM ``` Before Petty Officer, not everyone has a rating. Those going into certain ratings will have seaman replaced with either fireman (for engine room types), constructionman (for Seabees), or hospitalman (for hospital corpsmen). For petty officers, it is common to refer to one using just the rating (e.g. machinists mate 3rd class, rather than machinists mate petty officer 3rd class, for an MM3). The SS part describes which community the person is qualified for. SS is subs, SW is surface, AW is aviation. I’ve also seen DV used to indicate diving qualification, and there may be others, but those three are the primary ones. Sometimes a person has more than one of these. I recall a former Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy being an MMCM(SS/SW/AW). ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366/6 "2002-08-17T19:17:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by waterj2 \* > \*\*Before Petty Officer, not everyone has a rating. Those going into certain ratings will have seaman replaced with either fireman (for engine room types), constructionman (for Seabees), or hospitalman (for hospital corpsmen). > \*\* Those rank insignia for E1-3 are color coded by rating group with seaman white, airman gree, fireman red and constructionman blue. Those in apprenticeship training may also wear a striker’s badge indicating the rate they will have when they are promoited to third class petty officer. ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2002, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366/7 "2002-08-18T00:00:24Z")
For a list of Navy ratings: [Navy ratings](http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/allhands/ah0197/rankrate.html) Coast Guard ratings: [Coast Guard ratings](http://www.gocoastguard.com/RATINGS/ratingindex.html) CG BMC sends… ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2002, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366/8 "2002-08-18T00:04:06Z")
btw, that Navy link gives an excellent brief on the differences between rate, rating, rank, grade etc. Each term has it’s own meaning, and the words are not interchangeable. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366/9 "2002-08-18T01:27:52Z")
Pain in the ass, innit? I’ve been exposed to the Navy for over ten years and I _still_ don’t know all the enlisted quals. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2002, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366/10 "2002-08-18T03:42:51Z")
Former ET3 racer72 reporting for duty, sir! ---
**Author:** ![hermn8r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/53a042/32.png) [@hermn8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermn8r)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2002, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-rank-question/124366/11 "2002-08-18T12:40:54Z")
Thanks everyone for all of the replies.