petty officer

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A Petty Officer is a noncommissioned officer or equivalent in many navies.

History

At the height of the Age of Sail there was a group of inferior officers between the sea officers, both commissioned and warrant, and the sailors commonly known as petty officers. These were men with some claim to officer's rank, sufficient to distinguish them from ordinary ratings without raising them so high as the sea officers. Several were warrant officers, in the literal sense of being appointed by warrant, and like the warrant sea officers, their superiors, they were usually among the specialists of the ships's company.^[1]

Two of the petty officer's rates, midshipman and master's mate, were a superior petty officer with a more general authority, but they remained no more than ratings. However, it was quite possible for a warrant officer, such as the armourer, to be court-martialled for striking a midshipman as his superior officer. The reason why was both were regarded as future sea officers, with the all-important social distinction of the right to walk the quarter deck. Midshipmen wore distinctive uniforms, master's mates dressed respectably, and both behaved like officers. Master's mates evolved into the rank of sub-lieutenant, and midshipmen evolved into a naval cadet.^[1]

Relative Ranks in the Royal Navy, c1810 ^[2]

Canada

There are two Petty Officer ranks in the Canadian Navy. Petty Officer 2nd Class (PO2) (Maître de deuxième classe or m2 in French) is equivalent to a Sergeant and Petty Officer 1st Class (PO1) (Maître de première classe or m1) is equivalent to a Warrant Officer.

Petty Officers are normally addressed as "Petty Officer Bloggins" or "PO Bloggins", thereafter as "PO". The "1st Class" and "2nd Class" designations are normally only used when such a distinction needs to be made, such as on a promotion parade or to distinguish two Petty Officers with similar names but different ranks.

United Kingdom

In the Royal Navy, the rate of Petty Officer comes above that of Leading Rating and below that of Chief Petty Officer. It is the equivalent of Sergeant in the Royal Marines, British Army and Royal Air Force. Petty Officer is the lowest of the Senior Rating grades. Petty Officers, like all senior rates, wear fore and aft rig.

	Ratings and Other Ranks of the British Armed Forces
	OR-1	OR-2	OR-3	OR-4	OR-5/OR-6	OR-7	OR-8	OR-9
Royal Navy:		AB		LH	PO	CPO	WO2	WO1
Royal Marines:		Mne	LCpl	Cpl	Sgt	CSgt	WO2	WO1
Army:	Pte	Pte	LCpl	Cpl	Sgt	SSgt / CSgt	WO2	WO1
Royal Air Force:	AC	LAC - SAC - Jnr Tech		Cpl	Sgt	Chf Tech - Flt Sgt		WO / MAcr

United States

Petty Officer 1^st class insignia.

The title of Petty Officer in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard has three separate "classes" (3^rd class through 1^st class) and three senior grades (Chief Petty Officer, Senior Chief Petty Officer, Master Chief Petty Officer).

Petty Officer Third Class is equivalent to Corporal in the United States Army (or Specialist, but only in terms of pay grade), Corporal in the United States Marine Corps, and Senior Airman in the United States Air Force (but only in terms of pay grade).

Petty Officer Second Class is equivalent to Sergeant in the United States Army and Marine Corps, and Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force.

Petty Officer First Class is equivalent to Staff Sergeant in the United States Army and Marine Corps, and Technical Sergeant in the United States Air Force.

v • d • e U.S. enlisted ranks
	E-1	E-2	E-3	E-4	E-5	E-6	E-7	E-8	E-9
Air Force:	AB	Amn	A1C	SrA	SSgt	TSgt	MSgt	SMSgt	CMSgt - CCM - CMSAF
Army:	PV1	PV2	PFC	SPC - CPL	SGT	SSG	SFC	MSG - 1SG	SGM - CSM - SMA
Marine Corps:	Pvt	PFC	LCpl	Cpl	Sgt	SSgt	GySgt	MSgt - 1stSgt	MGySgt - SgtMaj - SgtMajMarCor
Navy:	SR	SA	SN	PO3	PO2	PO1	CPO	SCPO - CMDCS	MCPO - CMDCM - FORCM - FLTCM - MCPON
Coast Guard:	SR	SA	SN	PO3	PO2	PO1	CPO	SCPO	MCPO - CMC - MCPOCG

See also

• Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
• Master Chief Petty Officer
• Senior Chief Petty Officer
• Chief Petty Officer
• Chief Petty Officer 1st Class
• Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class
• Petty Officer 1st Class
• Petty Officer First Class
• Petty Officer 2nd Class
• Petty Officer Second Class
• Petty Officer Third Class
• United States Navy enlisted rates
• List of United States Navy ratings
• Starshina (Russian equivalent)

Footnotes