In a navy, a rate, rating or bluejacket is a junior enlisted sailor who is not a warrant officer or commissioned officer. Depending on the country and navy that uses it, the exact term and the range of ranks that it refers to may vary.
A 19th-century caricature portraying ratings on a Royal Navy ship. The man with a sword is a commissioned officer, as is the man on the ladder with the telescope. All others are ratings.
The term comes from the general nautical usage of rating to refer to a seaman's class or grade as recorded in the ship's books.[1] The system of conferring authority on sailors in the Royal Navy evolved through the recognition of competence: landsman, ordinary seaman, able seaman, through to the appointment of authority as a petty officer.
The general structure now used breaks down into four major groupings:[2]
In the United States Navy, the term bluejacket is used instead to refer to enlisted sailors that rank below a chief petty officer. Bluejacket derives itself from an item of clothing that was worn by junior enlisted sailors before 1886.[3] It was used especially when the sailors were deployed ashore as infantry.[4]
The terms rate, and rating as used in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard refer to an enlisted member's pay grade (i.e. relative seniority or rank), and occupational field, respectively. In the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, an enlisted sailor is most commonly addressed, both verbally and in correspondence, by a combination of their rate and rating rather than by rate alone, unlike in other branches of the armed forces. For example, a sailor whose rate is "Petty Officer 1st Class" (pay grade E-6) and whose rating is "boatswain's mate" would be addressed as "Boatswain's Mate 1st Class" (abbreviated "BM1"). However, it is also correct to address sailors in pay grades E-4 through E-6 simply as "petty officer" (e.g. "Petty Officer Jane Smith") and pay grades E-7, E-8, and E-9 are addressed as "Chief", "Senior Chief", or "Master Chief" respectively. Pay grades E-3 and below do not have a rating and are sometimes referred to as "non-rates", and simply addressed as "Seaman" or by their last name alone; i.e. "Seaman Jones" or "Jones".
^Debra Gray (2004). BTEC First Public Services (uniformed). Heinemann. pp. 39–. ISBN978-0-435-45459-3.
^"Nautical Terms and Naval Expressions – Uniform Edition". The Sextant. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
^Patrick H. Roth (20 September 2012). . Appendix A Thirty six Illustrative Examples of the Use of Sailors as Infantry. The Navy Department Library. Archived from the original on 5 March 2006. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
References
Baker, Ernest A., The New English Dictionary, Odhams Press, London, 1932.
Cutler, Thomas J., The Blue Jacket's Manual Centennial Edition, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 2002. ISBN9781557502087
February 01, 2023
naval, rating, confused, with, rating, system, royal, navy, navy, rate, rating, bluejacket, junior, enlisted, sailor, warrant, officer, commissioned, officer, depending, country, navy, that, uses, exact, term, range, ranks, that, refers, vary, 19th, century, c. Not to be confused with Rating system of the Royal Navy In a navy a rate rating or bluejacket is a junior enlisted sailor who is not a warrant officer or commissioned officer Depending on the country and navy that uses it the exact term and the range of ranks that it refers to may vary A 19th century caricature portraying ratings on a Royal Navy ship The man with a sword is a commissioned officer as is the man on the ladder with the telescope All others are ratings Contents 1 Royal Navy 2 United States Navy and United States Coast Guard 3 See also 4 Notes 5 ReferencesRoyal Navy EditIn the Royal Navy and other navies in the Commonwealth rate and rating are interchangeably used to refer to an enlisted sailor who is ranked below warrant officers and commissioned officers but may include petty officers and chief petty officers The term comes from the general nautical usage of rating to refer to a seaman s class or grade as recorded in the ship s books 1 The system of conferring authority on sailors in the Royal Navy evolved through the recognition of competence landsman ordinary seaman able seaman through to the appointment of authority as a petty officer The general structure now used breaks down into four major groupings 2 Able rate Leading rate Petty officer Chief petty officerUnited States Navy and United States Coast Guard EditIn the United States Navy the term bluejacket is used instead to refer to enlisted sailors that rank below a chief petty officer Bluejacket derives itself from an item of clothing that was worn by junior enlisted sailors before 1886 3 It was used especially when the sailors were deployed ashore as infantry 4 The terms rate and rating as used in the U S Navy and U S Coast Guard refer to an enlisted member s pay grade i e relative seniority or rank and occupational field respectively In the U S Navy and Coast Guard an enlisted sailor is most commonly addressed both verbally and in correspondence by a combination of their rate and rating rather than by rate alone unlike in other branches of the armed forces For example a sailor whose rate is Petty Officer 1st Class pay grade E 6 and whose rating is boatswain s mate would be addressed as Boatswain s Mate 1st Class abbreviated BM1 However it is also correct to address sailors in pay grades E 4 through E 6 simply as petty officer e g Petty Officer Jane Smith and pay grades E 7 E 8 and E 9 are addressed as Chief Senior Chief or Master Chief respectively Pay grades E 3 and below do not have a rating and are sometimes referred to as non rates and simply addressed as Seaman or by their last name alone i e Seaman Jones or Jones See also EditRoyal Navy ratings rank insignia Rating system of the Royal Navy List of United States Navy ratings List of United States Navy enlisted rates List of United States Coast Guard ratings The Bluejacket s ManualNotes Edit New English Dictionary p 886 Debra Gray 2004 BTEC First Public Services uniformed Heinemann pp 39 ISBN 978 0 435 45459 3 Nautical Terms and Naval Expressions Uniform Edition The Sextant Retrieved 11 January 2019 Patrick H Roth 20 September 2012 Sailors as Infantry in the U S Navy Appendix A Thirty six Illustrative Examples of the Use of Sailors as Infantry The Navy Department Library Archived from the original on 5 March 2006 Retrieved 18 December 2012 References EditBaker Ernest A The New English Dictionary Odhams Press London 1932 Cutler Thomas J The Blue Jacket s Manual Centennial Edition Naval Institute Press Annapolis Maryland 2002 ISBN 9781557502087 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Naval rating amp oldid 1058443395, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
