The Ranks of the U.S. Army

The ranks of U.S. Army personnel are often worn on their military uniforms to distguish their status. Army rank patches are worn on shoulder (or in some cases the on sleeve) of the uniform.

There are 9 levels of enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army. The first of the U.S. Army ranks commence with the Private and conclude with Sergeant Major of the Army.

Alongside each proper Army rank name is the abbreviated rank identifier and the enlisted grade (or pay grade.) An enlisted grade begins at E1 and ends at E9. Grades E9, E8, E7 and E4 are distinguished since each of them has multiple ranks linked to them.

Below is a list of each rank found the U.S. Army and there distiguished chevrons (or stripes) that define each rank insignia

• Private, PV1, E1 is a basic recruit grade and rank. Their collar and sleeve are bare as they wear no insignia.
• Private, PV2, E2 wears insignia of one chevron on the collar and sleeves.
• Private First Class, PFC, E2 wears insignia of one chevron and a rocker
• Specialist 4, SP4, E4 is somewhat a unique rank. It is the only enlisted rank which doesn't bear rockers or chevrons. Instead, its rank is a solid shield with one eagle centered on it.
• Corporal, CPL, E4 wears the insignia of 2 chevrons.
• Sergeant, SGT, E5 sometimes referred to as 'Buck Sergeant', wears the insignia of 3 chevrons.
• Staff Sergeant, SSG, E6 wears insignia of 3 chevrons and one rocker.
• Sergeant First Class, E7 wears insignia of 3 chevrons and 2 rockers. Platoon Sergeant, E7 is of the same rank as Sergeant First Class and so wears the same number of Army rank patches- 3 chevrons and 2 rockers.
• Master Sergeant, E8 wears insignia of 3 chevrons and 3 rockers.
• First Sergeant, E8 wears insignia of 3 chevrons and 3 rockers but has more authority than Master Sergeant. One small diamond resides in the space of the rockers and chevrons.
• Sergeant Major, E9 wears 3 chevrons and 3 rockers. A small 5-pointed star resides inside the space of the rockers and chevrons.
• Command Sergeant Major, E9 wears a small 5-pointed star with a wreath within the space of 3 chevrons and 3 rockers.
• Sergeant Major of the Army, E9 is the highest enlisted rank and he represents all the Army enlisted soldiers. Centered between 2 5-pointed stars is the eagle from the United States Great Seal. This is centered horizontally within the 3 chevrons and 3 rockers.

Each one of the U.S. Army rank insignia patches. There are specific patches for certain types of military uniforms, such as MultiCam or ACU Army rank patches. There are even rank patches in sew-on and Velcro options, depending on the standards of the Army or military branch.

Each Army rank is special in its own unique way and holds a valuable position in the military hierarchy. Soldiers serving at any level of the order of military are equally as essential as their fellow service members even though their training, duties, responsibilities and ranks may vary.

Features & Advancements in Today's Army Combat Shirts

Whether from Propper, Rothco, or 5.11 Tactical, today's army combat shirts are one of the best tops available for various combat situations. Army combat shirts provide a wide range of features and help protect users from a wide range of elements and hazards.

In this article, we share some the advancements and features behind common army combat shirts on the market.

Materials Used in Army Combat Shirts

Modern army combat shirts are typically made of a 60/40 or 50/50 blend of cotton and nylon that helps in insulating the skin when exposed to high temperatures such as is the case with flash fires and blasts. Unlike polyester or “polypro” the resulting blend does not melt onto the skin and thereby reduces burn injuries.

Nearly all army combat shirts feature a No Melt/No Drip Cordura Baselayer fabric to cover the torso. This extremely light weight and extra comfortable torso fabric unlike heavier Nomex apparels is not only durable but it also reduces chafe, increases airflow between the skin and the fabric thus wicking sweat away from the body.

Features Behind Army Combat Shirts

For the ultimate apparel best suited to the most hostile environments, manufacturers have come up with army combat shirts featuring padded elbows. Commonly called “the SuperFabric abrasion dots”, such elbow pads are designed to provide a good level of durability and protection when a soldier is in crawling position. The rest of the sleeve fabric, just like the Cordura Baselayer fabric making up the torso, is designed to be flame resistant.

Following the discovery that uniform chest and lower pockets can’t be reached especially when a soldier is wearing body armor and thus practically useless, manufacturers have done away with the weight of the pockets on a standard army combat shirt. Instead, the pockets are located on the sleeves where they can be easily accessed.

After phasing out breast pockets, shoulder pockets have become rampant in nearly all army combat shirts being produced today. This adequately addresses known problems when wearing body armor and in addition, the shoulder pockets feature light weight FR zippers that help keep military gear within reach.

Another peculiar feature of nearly all modern army combat shirts is the presence of wrist cuffs. Such hook and loop cuff closures can be easily adjusted to fit a variety of wrist sizes in a way that the shirt assumes a snug fit.

To help in identification, army combat shirts designs have incorporated Velcro loops on the sleeve pockets to help attach a soldier’s name, rank, unit and their flag patches. This feature has done away with the Army Logo that featured in army combat shirt and appeared at the front of the shirt.

Colors of Army Combat Shirts

Most army combat shirts come in camo patterns, such as ACU digital, MutliCam, Woodland, and desert camo. Other designs feature heavily foliage green color, though other options such as sand color body, black, olive drab and khaki color options are also available. Most of the army combat uniform designs can be found at military-issue stores like Military Uniform Supply.

Other features to be found in army combat shirts include: the presence of glint tape holder for IR military operations tape that helps identify friend from foe, sleeves which are gusseted, a mock turtle neck, flat seams to minimize chafing under body armor and pen pocket on forearm for easy access.

The Rise of MultiCam in Today's Military Uniforms & Combat Gear

MultiCam® is a advanced camouflage pattern that's becoming quite popular due to its incredible effectiveness in the field, as well as its unique and innovative design.

MultiCam was designed to disguise users amidst a wide range of environments, seasons, and conditions. The objective behind its creators was to develop a new camouflage that centers on the need for optimal concealment in a wide spectrum of terrain and changing conditions.

While there are a wide range of camouflage options that suit the demands for concealment in specific environments (such as that of today's desert and woodland BDU's), MultiCam is known to be effective in a wide array of landscapes and conditions, making it one of the most revolutionary developments to support the United States Armed Forces.

The Design Behind MultiCam Camouflage

MultiCam camouflage is a complex pattern composed of many different layers and colors. The background color scheme consists of a tan/brown gradient with light shades of green in between. The frontal layers of MultiCam include a green/yellow color gradient with blotches of brown and a slight pink scattered throughout the camouflage's pattern.

The desirable feature behind MultiCam is its ability to conceal a user by deceiving the eye's perception of color. In essence, the visible appearance of MultiCam seems to change from slight green to brown, depending on the brightness and backdrop of the environment. This makes MultiCam uniforms and combat gear ingenious applications for a wide range of situations, particularly for use in the Middle East.

The Emergence of MultiCam in Today's Military Uniforms & Gear

MultiCam uniform attire and gear has exploded over the last few years. For military issue applications, MultiCam uniforms have become increasingly demanding as more combat situations are present in Middle Eastern environments. Retailers like Military Uniform Supply have realized this rise in demand MultiCam uniforms and combat gear.

Beyond military use, hunters and outdoors men are also finding MultiCam to be a unique choice for their attire. The uniqueness of this camouflage pattern has earned recognition amongst many different markets.