Navy corpsman history...I had no idea

[Devildoc]

I went down a rabbit hole researching something, and found out that until 1968 Navy corpsman attached to Marines did not wear their Navy rank, but rather their corresponding Marine rank, with their shield (caduceus) on the left collar.

This changed in 1968 when the Navy came out with an order that said corpsmen must wear their Navy rank, thereby starting a period which remains in effect today whereby NO Marine knows what rank the corpsman actually is.

 

[Marauder06]

I went down a rabbit hole researching something, and found out that until 1968 Navy corpsman attached to Marines did not wear their Navy rank, but rather their corresponding Marine rank, with their shield (caduceus) on the left collar.

This changed in 1968 when the Navy came out with an order that said corpsmen must wear their Navy rank, thereby starting a period which remains in effect today whereby NO Marine knows what rank the corpsman actually is.

This was a problem in JSOC as well, especially for our non-Navy augmentees. A lot of "colonel privates" and "colonel corporals" got saluted on Balad. ;)

 

[BloodStripe]

This was a problem in JSOC as well, especially for our non-Navy augmentees. A lot of "colonel privates" and "colonel corporals" got saluted on Balad. ;)

View attachment 47690

First time I ever saw a Petty Officer, my boot ass definitely saluted. That was back in 03 when they still wore pins that were silver and shinny.

 

[AWP]

First time I ever saw a Petty Officer, my boot ass definitely saluted. That was back in 03 when they still wore pins that were silver and shinny.

Working around the Navy, I know the ranks...I can't see them. Passing a Chief in the hallway (p-way, whateverthefuck), I can never see if they are a Chief, Senior Chief, or Master Chief before they walk past me. Same with Marines. It is just a blob, a colored mass, and I don't want to disrespect them with the wrong rank, so everyone is Sir or Ma'am unless I'm sitting in a room with them and can PID the insignia.

 

[Devildoc]

This was a problem in JSOC as well, especially for our non-Navy augmentees. A lot of "colonel privates" and "colonel corporals" got saluted on Balad. ;)

View attachment 47690

Working around the Navy, I know the ranks...I can't see them. Passing a Chief in the hallway (p-way, whateverthefuck), I can never see if they are a Chief, Senior Chief, or Master Chief before they walk past me. Same with Marines. It is just a blob, a colored mass, and I don't want to disrespect them with the wrong rank, so everyone is Sir or Ma'am unless I'm sitting in a room with them and can PID the insignia.

The Navy enlisted rank structure exists only to confuse everyone else. Nominally you get called "petty officer so-and-so" (rate), just like "sergeant so-and-so". But you can also be called by your rating, "HM2 so-and-so", "YN3 so-and-so". But the number attached to your job (rating) is inverse to your rate (rank): HM3 is a petty officer 3rd class, an E4; HM1 is petty officer first class, an E6.

Chiefs are a whole, 'nother can of worms. And although chiefs are NCOs, they wear officer uniforms (with some differences, of course).

So yeah, I think it made sense for corpsmen to wear Marine enlisted chevrons* on their utility blouse collar; but then again, everyone calls us 'doc' anyway so I guess it doesn't matter.

Also to muddy the waters, sailors attached to the Marines can "go Marine regs" in which they wear Marine uniforms. Even that fucks up other Navy personnel.

 

[Box]

That Colonel Private is a pretty sweet rank - never heard that before.
Wouldn't matter though.
Medics, Grunts, Engineers, even the guy that fills the soda machine in the breakroom - I call them all sir now

Hell - if i pass an Army E7 - in uniform - that works in my office - in the hallway at the HQ building - I call them sir
-because I'm not in the Army anymore
-in fact, I call everyone sir now
-except the ma'ams
-I call them ma'am

Well, except for that one ma'am that still has a di...
...never mind
...I've said too much

 

[Ooh-Rah]

That Colonel Private is a pretty sweet rank - never heard that before.

That’s because the Corporal Captain trial was such a success!

 

[Topkick]

That’s because the Corporal Captain trial was such a success!

We just called them spec 4.

 

[Kraut783]