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Rank

he American chevron is not a new idea. For thousand of years the military, ecclesiastical and civil authorities have used some outward symbol to identify rank and function in society. In the U.S. military, noncommissioned officer rank insignia evolved over the past 150 years from a mishmash of epaulets, sashes, cockades and stripes to today's limited set of stylized and standardized chevrons. Prior to 1872, documentation standards were almost nonexistent. A general order from the War Department dated March 27, 1821, documented the first firm reference to U.S. soldiers wearing chevrons. Today, the chevron represents a pay grade, not a specific trade.

Originally, officers also wore chevrons, but this practice began to phase out in 1829. Despite this 10-year use of chevrons by officers, most people think only of enlisted grades when chevrons are mentioned.

The direction a chevron points alternated through the years. Originally, they pointed down, and on some uniforms, covered almost the entire width of the arm. In 1847, the point reversed to an "up" position, which lasted until 1851. Service chevrons, commonly called "hash marks" or "service stripes," were established by George Washington to show completion of three years service. After the American Revolution, they fell into disuse and it wasn't until 1832 before the idea was reinstituted. They have been authorized in one form or another ever since.

U.S. Air Force chevrons trace their evolution from 1864 when the Secretary of War approve a request from Maj. William Nicodemus, the Army's chief signal officer, for a distinctive signal rank insignia 10 years later. The names Signal Service and Signal Corps were used interchangeably during 1864-1891. In 1889, a simple sergeant's chevron cost 86 cents and a corporal's was 68 cents.

The official lineage of today's Air Force began Aug. 1, 1907, when the U.S. Army Signal Corps formed an Aeronautical Division. The unit was upgraded to an Aviation Section by 1914,...