A Technician Third Grade earned the same pay as a Staff Sergeant and would be called “Sergeant,” but held less authority than a PFC Sixth Grade.

Within each grade are ranks, sometimes more than one. You’ll see there are seven enlisted pay grades, with 1st being the highest and 7th the lowest. The chart below shows the grade and rank system in the Army during World War II. Navy rates in World War II were numerous, ranging from “Boilermaker” and “Patternmaker” to “Pharmacist” and “Yeoman.” In creating the “Technician,” the Army was really just catching up with the Navy, which had long designated sailors according to the skill or, as the Navy calls it, their “rate,” which can be more important than rank.

The stripes and the “T” just indicated pay grade. In fact, for most of the war, all Technicians, no matter the stripes, had all the authority of privates. The information on Womens insignia is from the QM 2-3 - WAC and. They did specialized jobs, like drafting or crystal grinding. Shoulder sleeve insignia worn by divisions and larger units of World War No. The “T” stood for “Technician” and indicated some special trade. The Army still used chevrons on top and rockers beneath, but now added a conspicuous capital “T” in the field underneath the chevrons. The Army also created some new enlisted ranks that complicated the simple Private-Corporal-Sergeant stripe system that had prevailed before the war. There were thousands of codes, and the system was confusing, but the basic structure is still with us today.

To keep track of these jobs, the Army created the MOS–Military Occupation Specialty Codes.

World war 2 navy rank patches