US Army & Army National Guard Enlisted Rank Insignia

United States Army
United States Army National Guard
Enlisted Insignia of Rank
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*Following the trend of so many of the world's nations, the United States Army and the United States Army National Guard are going back to more visible insignia of rank.

Enlisted insignia of rank is worn on both arms, mid-sleeve between shoulder and elbow.

The rank insignia themselves are permanently set on rectangular patches, and are part of the patches themselves.

*There are now TWO (2) grades of E-1.  They are the ranks of:
Recruit------------This rank is for use in Boot Camp (i.e. Basic Training) only!!
Private (PV1)---This is the LOWEST regular enlisted rank!

*All Specialist ranks (SP4 to SP9) have been re-instated and are now considered as NCO's, with command authority as all the other NCO ranks.
*All Specialists (from E5 to E9) can serve as First Sergeants, and wear the First Sergeant's diamond above their Specialist rank insignia.

*First Sergeants are now considered as an appointed position as well as a speciality, whereby any NCO from E5 to E9 can serve as a unit's First Sergeant, and they wear the First Sergeant's diamond insignia as part of their insignia of rank.

*The insignia of rank for all E9's (with the exception of Specialist-9's of course) has changed, with the inclusion of a fourth "rocker" to their rank insignia, just as  E9's in the United States Marine Corps have.