calling all US military. please help me understand ranks

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Blintok

Senior member
Jan 30, 2007
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First to all present serving armed forces thanks for what you do.

now to my question.

seen this in a few war films and googled it and thot i understood but....

First seen in Saving Private Ryan. Upham is a corporal with a "T" under the stripes.
When i looked it up it said Technical sargeant (or in above. Technical corporal)
so since Upham was not front line grunt and working ..(to use a Vietnam war venacular)
in the rear with the gear...i thot thats what it meant and to differentiate from the front line ranks.

Then i saw the HBO series of Band of Brothers. In that i saw several ranks with the "T" but they were definately in the thick of battle ...

so now i think. ok maybe they are "technically" a Sargeant. they get the pay but not the authority the rank entails? i cant see regular PFC talking rude to even a corporal as they did in Saving Private Ryan (SPR) to upham

so what does it all mean? if they are what i say above, what is the point? why not just make them a real corporal?

i am confused.
 
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Vic Vega

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2010
4,535
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_enlisted_rank_insignia_of_World_War_II

Technicians

On January 8, 1942, under War Department Circular No. 5, the ranks of Technician Third Grade (T/3), Technician Fourth Grade (T/4), and Technician Fifth Grade (T/5) were created and replaced the existing specialist ranks. Initially, these ranks used the same insignia as the Staff Sergeant, Sergeant, and Corporal, but on September 4, 1942, Change 1 to AR 600-35 added a "T" for "Technician" to the standard chevron design that corresponded with that grade. [2] Despite that, as with the Specialists that they replaced, unofficial insignia using a specialty symbol instead of the T were used in some units.[citation needed]
A technician was generally not addressed as such, but rather as the equivalent line (NCO) rank in its pay grade (T/5 as Corporal; T/4 as Sergeant; T/3 as Sergeant or Staff Sergeant). Officially, a technician did not have the authority to give commands or issue orders but could under combat conditions be placed second in command of a squad by a Sergeant. Unofficially, most units treated them as though they were of the equivalent rank of the same pay grade.[citation needed]
The Technician ranks were removed from the rank system in 1948. The concept was brought back with Specialist ranks of in 1955.
[edit] Technical Sergeant

Technical Sergeant was renamed Sergeant First Class in 1948. However, it still survives as an Air Force rank.
 
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Bateluer

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
Blintok said:
First to all present serving armed forces thanks for what you do.

now to my question.

seen this in a few war films and googled it and thot i understood but....

First seen in Saving Private Ryan. Upham is a corporal with a "T" under the stripes.
When i looked it up it said Technical sargeant (or in above. Technical corporal)
so since Upham was not front line grunt and working ..(to use a Vietnam war venacular)
in the rear with the gear...i thot thats what it meant and to differentiate from the front line ranks.

Then i saw the HBO series of Band of Brothers. In that i saw several ranks with the "T" but they were definately in the thick of battle ...

so now i think. ok maybe they are "technically" a Sargeant. they get the pay but not the authority the rank entails? i cant see regular PFC talking rude to even a corporal as they did in Saving Private Ryan (SPR) to upham

so what does it all mean? if they are what i say above, what is the point? why not just make them a real corporal?

i am confused.
Click to expand...

Movie accuracy? Stop me if I'm wrong, but troops on the ground, especially in WW2, didn't wear ranks insignia. Who'd want to make themselves a target for snipers?
 
V

Vic Vega

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2010
4,535
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Bateluer said:
Movie accuracy? Stop me if I'm wrong, but troops on the ground, especially in WW2, didn't wear ranks insignia. Who'd want to make themselves a target for snipers?
Click to expand...

They did in fact wear them.

26349019.jpg
43327548.jpg
 
F

fire400

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 2005
5,204
21
81
Just be aware the Korean War and the Vietnam War, Iraq War and Afganistan War;

"The United States never declared war."

..."The use of force was given to the U.S. presidents, authorized."

Plus, you're talking Hollywood here. If you really gave a damn, you'd just call your local recruiters or google it yourself.
 
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Blintok

Senior member
Jan 30, 2007
429
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fire400 said:
Just be aware the Korean War and the Vietnam War, Iraq War and Afganistan War;

"The United States never declared war."

..."The use of force was given to the U.S. presidents, authorized."

Plus, you're talking Hollywood here. If you really gave a damn, you'd just call your local recruiters or google it yourself.
Click to expand...

my local recruiters would be Canadian and thus would not know ... and if you read more than my header you would come to the 3rd line in the op ...

declared or not it was definately a war to the guys on the ground.
 
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Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
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fire400 said:
Just be aware the Korean War and the Vietnam War, Iraq War and Afganistan War;

"The United States never declared war."

..."The use of force was given to the U.S. presidents, authorized."
Click to expand...
Am I misreading his post or did the OP never mention anything about that?
 
Gunslinger08

Gunslinger08

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
13,234
2
81
Keep in mind that it is illegal to exactly reproduce a military uniform. I wouldn't try getting my information from television drama.
 
A

Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
0
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joshsquall said:
Keep in mind that it is illegal to exactly reproduce a military uniform. I wouldn't try getting my information from television drama.
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Pretty sure that's not the case. I believe it's illegal to wear a uniform which would make others confuse your position, but on the set of a movie is completely different.

I know I can go to a surplus store and buy both Canadian and American military uniforms, complete, off the racks. They don't have stock codes, though, but that hardly matters.
 
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Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
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joshsquall said:
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/theorderlyroom/a/uniformwear.htm
Click to expand...

From your link:

(exceptions)
(f) While portraying a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps, an actor in a theatrical or motion-picture production may wear the uniform of that armed force if the portrayal does not tend to discredit that armed force.
Click to expand...
 
Bateluer

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
Alone said:
This. The only thing remotely close to that is that no one salutes outside of garrison. Well, in Canada, anyway.
Click to expand...

You sure? I could have sworn that field troops didn't wear rank insignia, at least on their helmets. Slapping officer's bars on your helmet made you a higher priority target for the enemy.

I'll try to find a link.
 
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Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
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0
Bateluer said:
You sure? I could have sworn that field troops didn't wear rank insignia, at least on their helmets. Slapping officer's bars on your helmet made you a higher priority target for the enemy.

I'll try to find a link.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the modern US military doesn't have rank on their helmets. I know for a fact Canadians don't, neither do we solute in the field.
 
Nintendesert

Nintendesert

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2010
7,761
5
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The retarded ass Army and Air Force salute on certain bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. No Marine will salute anywhere forward.

Rank insignia is worn according to uniform policies. Can be on the arm, chest or patches etc. on flak jackets and such. I've yet to see them on the helmet by anyone.

Officers wear subdued rank where they are a flat black or flat brown. Though you'll see some boot officers wearing shiny insignia.
 
LTC8K6

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,575
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We did not salute in the field when I was in the US Army in the early 90's.
 
C

caspur

Senior member
Dec 1, 2007
460
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0
Can the reverse work? Meaning grunts would wear high ranking insignia to draw fire away from the officers?

Also, why did Vic Vega post a picture where the white guys are diligently looking for the enemy, but the black guy is on the phone? Dude isn't even paying attention.
 
LTC8K6

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,575
126
caspur said:
Can the reverse work? Meaning grunts would wear high ranking insignia to draw fire away from the officers?

Also, why did Vic Vega post a picture where the white guys are diligently looking for the enemy, but the black guy is on the phone? Dude isn't even paying attention.
Click to expand...

The black guy is the most important. He's calling in the observations.
 
A

Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
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caspur said:
Can the reverse work? Meaning grunts would wear high ranking insignia to draw fire away from the officers?
Click to expand...
Pretty sure someone might have a problem with that...This isn't some video game strategy shit, where you're all like "lulz, he thought my level 1 dude was level 25 and killed him instead!!1hh21haahaha!!"

I really hope you were kidding.
 
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