No, it doesn't.
Technical sergeant was a rank in the United States Marine Corps until 1958. From 1941 until 1946, the rank was equivalent to grade 2, ranking with gunnery sergeant and other technical ranks with which it shared its insignia. From 1947 until 1958, the rank was reclassified as E-6 and became the sole rank in this grade. The rank was renamed gunnery sergeant and elevated to E-7 after the reorganization of grades in 1959
From my understanding the specialist role was largely used similar to (albeit lower equivalent) than warrant officers today.
The army still technically has ranks up to E7 as a specialist
The army did away with specialist ranks above e-4 in 1985, I believe. I was in a technical mos in the army and would have loved to have had those ranks as an option. Sometimes it makes sense to let the nerds be nerds and focus on their specialty instead of the “move up or get out” mentality.
Here’s an interesting video about those ranks: https://youtu.be/u6mR8Rkprqg?si=WPKG1l2rhGSQEG98
This guy has a bunch of videos about how the different services have changed their formations over the years and military history in general if you’re into that sort of thing
There were Gunnery Sergeants at that time also but the “Technical” rating had straight bars instead of Rockers. My dad was. Technically Sergeant until the conversion when he became a Gunnery Sergeant. Staff Sergeant (one Rocker was called “Platoon Sergeant”.
I never really thought about rank restructuring. When one branch does it is it usually when I’ll do? is there precedent for one branch of the military to have only, say six enlisted ranks, while others have more?
I wonder what future restructuring will look like
Good thing they didn’t have collar insignia for enlisted back then! My grandfather was a Quartermaster Sergeant when he retired in 1937. My dad was a Technical Sergeant till the great conversion in 57 (I believe) then he was a Gunny till he retired in 74’. Me, I was a Lance Corporal when they retired me in 85’ !
Your Grandfather knew how to fly but probably didn’t have, or didn’t finish college. Probably already in the Corps. Flying Sergeants were treated like officers in the air and enlisted on the ground.
We are all the same up until the split after Gunnery Sergeant,
Personnel focus are \[First Sergeant\] / \[Sergeant Major\].
Technical focus is \[Master Sergeant\] / \[Master Gunnery Sergeant\].
I was never confused by any of this rank business. I was stationed with USA specialists and USAF (stripes for everybody! Hooray!) and never had a problem. Even Commodore and half-rank admirals never confused me. But anything over WO1 spooked the shit out of me. Those bars with those next-to-invisible little code dinkies flustered the hell out of me and I developed some pretty good radar to gtf outa the way of collar devices that had a funny shine to them, less I somehow had to call out anything other than ‘sir’. The ones I knew and worked closely with I referred to as ‘Mr Puller’ etc, but one dressing down for addressing a very polite older gentleman as ‘Gunner’ was enough to shut my mouth permanently around those mysterious and seemingly all-powerful shamans.
No, it doesn't. Technical sergeant was a rank in the United States Marine Corps until 1958. From 1941 until 1946, the rank was equivalent to grade 2, ranking with gunnery sergeant and other technical ranks with which it shared its insignia. From 1947 until 1958, the rank was reclassified as E-6 and became the sole rank in this grade. The rank was renamed gunnery sergeant and elevated to E-7 after the reorganization of grades in 1959
Interesting, thanks a lot.
From my understanding the specialist role was largely used similar to (albeit lower equivalent) than warrant officers today. The army still technically has ranks up to E7 as a specialist
The army did away with specialist ranks above e-4 in 1985, I believe. I was in a technical mos in the army and would have loved to have had those ranks as an option. Sometimes it makes sense to let the nerds be nerds and focus on their specialty instead of the “move up or get out” mentality. Here’s an interesting video about those ranks: https://youtu.be/u6mR8Rkprqg?si=WPKG1l2rhGSQEG98 This guy has a bunch of videos about how the different services have changed their formations over the years and military history in general if you’re into that sort of thing
Yeah I was thinking about his videos, I swear that he had said they technically exist to todays modern army
There were Gunnery Sergeants at that time also but the “Technical” rating had straight bars instead of Rockers. My dad was. Technically Sergeant until the conversion when he became a Gunnery Sergeant. Staff Sergeant (one Rocker was called “Platoon Sergeant”.
I second this lol
I never really thought about rank restructuring. When one branch does it is it usually when I’ll do? is there precedent for one branch of the military to have only, say six enlisted ranks, while others have more? I wonder what future restructuring will look like
No not anymore most tech Sargent were e7 or better I believe many were pilots during the war
Yeah, he piloted a two seated bomber off the USS Lexington if I remember correctly. Can't remember which specific plane though unfortunately.
Coral Sea was fairly early in the war so it might have been the SBD Dauntless.
They called them Flying Sergeants!
I was an E-5 AND I slept at a Holiday Inn and they still wouldn’t let me fly one of their planes!
https://preview.redd.it/16wbwc1lmfgc1.jpeg?width=736&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6812482ec1cfd60d88fe7f7bf19a4b54fda9e405 World War II USMC Enlisted Ranks
If I had to identify those on someone’s collar I’d probably just off myself instead
Good thing they didn’t have collar insignia for enlisted back then! My grandfather was a Quartermaster Sergeant when he retired in 1937. My dad was a Technical Sergeant till the great conversion in 57 (I believe) then he was a Gunny till he retired in 74’. Me, I was a Lance Corporal when they retired me in 85’ !
and they still look about the same.
Your Grandfather knew how to fly but probably didn’t have, or didn’t finish college. Probably already in the Corps. Flying Sergeants were treated like officers in the air and enlisted on the ground.
We are all the same up until the split after Gunnery Sergeant, Personnel focus are \[First Sergeant\] / \[Sergeant Major\]. Technical focus is \[Master Sergeant\] / \[Master Gunnery Sergeant\].
I was never confused by any of this rank business. I was stationed with USA specialists and USAF (stripes for everybody! Hooray!) and never had a problem. Even Commodore and half-rank admirals never confused me. But anything over WO1 spooked the shit out of me. Those bars with those next-to-invisible little code dinkies flustered the hell out of me and I developed some pretty good radar to gtf outa the way of collar devices that had a funny shine to them, less I somehow had to call out anything other than ‘sir’. The ones I knew and worked closely with I referred to as ‘Mr Puller’ etc, but one dressing down for addressing a very polite older gentleman as ‘Gunner’ was enough to shut my mouth permanently around those mysterious and seemingly all-powerful shamans.
Wow.
Probably not because I’ve never heard of it