Our New Sailor's "Rate"- How to address your new Sailor at PIR! :)

[Crazy Blonde (Ship 2, Div-925)]

When our SRs become Sailors, and graduate at PIR we want to make sure we address them properly. They have EARNED it! :)

Many of them will no longer be Seaman Recruits!

Some of our Sailors will have 2 or 3 stripes on the top of their left sleeve. The stripes may be white/black, red, green or blue.

Group Rate Marks
for
Pay Grades E-1 through E-3

Sailors in pay grades E-1 through E-3 are considered to be in apprenticeships. As they begin their path towards advancement to Petty Officer in a specific specialty, they begin in the appropriate "group".

For example, a Sailor who wishes to be an Electrician's Mate will begin in the Engineering/Hull group. The groups and the general rate marks (stripes) for E-1 through E-3 are shown here. (Note: E-1s do not wear any rate marks.)

These rate marks are shown (below) for the dress blue uniform. For whites, the background is white and the stripes are Navy blue.

Those who earn it through a training school [an "A" school] or by passing a Navy-wide examination will wear a rating insignia above the stripes.

Group (linked to rating insignia)	Pay Grade	Rate	Abbreviation	Stripe Color
Deck, Administration, Medical, Dental	E-1	Seaman Recruit Hospital Recruit Dental Recruit	SR HR DR	[none]
	E-2	Seaman Apprentice Hospital Apprentice Dental Apprentice	SA HA DA
	E-3	Seaman Hospitalman Dentalman	SN HN DN
Engineering, Hull	E-1	Fireman Recruit	FR	[none]
	E-2	Fireman Apprentice	FA
	E-3	Fireman	FN
Aviation	E-1	Airman Recruit	AR	[none]
	E-2	Airman Apprentice	AA
	E-3	Airman	AN
Construction (SeaBees)	E-1	Constructionman Recruit	CR	[none]
	E-2	Constructionman Apprentice	CA
	E-3	Constructionman	CN

[Petersmomma]

My son will be E-2 a  Hospital Apprentice upon graduation

[Crazy Blonde (Ship 2, Div-925)]

Petersmom, He will be a SA (Seaman Apprentice), UNTIL he completes the requirements of A-School, where he will be training to be a HM. When he graduates, if he is still an E-2, THEN he will be an HA Hospital Apprentice. Lady Hamilton explains that above, Thank Goodness because, I was very confused until she did! :) They must graduate A-school to use these Rates:

• HR - Hospital Recruit (E-1)
• HA - Hospital Apprentice (E-2)
• HN - Hospitalman (E-3)

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

Also, when they are in "A" school...they will tell you how to address their mail. My son was going through IT "A" school and was still an SR (E-1)...then failed out of the rating and was allowed to choose another...he got BU (Builders) in the Seabee community. I was told to address his mail "CR ######, #######" (Contstructionman Recruit) even though he had not completed school yet.

Formally on his mail he is BUCA (he is an apprentice now) but as far as how he gets addressed while working? I'm gonna bet it is just his last name that is used!

[Crazy Blonde (Ship 2, Div-925)]

This is good to know, I'm guessing the mail might be addressed that way for sorting purposes to get it to the right mail group. They did that with his dad's mail, to funnel it to the mail room that delivered to his work area.

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

....meant to put "addressed" while he is working? LOL

[addy62]

What would be E-3 for someone with an EOD contract?

[aj2daway]

"The Deck/Admin/Medical group also includes Technical and Weapons specialties.

Your future Sailor will be either an SR, SA or SN at PIR."  

addy, copied this directly from Lady Hamilton's response so it would appear that you will have a a SN (Seaman) with 3 white stripes to address. They can correct me, of course.