Air Force Chevron History

The 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, and in 1918, the War Department separated the Aviation Section (air service) from the Signal Corps, making it a distinctive branch of service. With the creation of the Army Air Service, their device became the winged propeller. In 1926, the branch became the Army Air Corps, still retaining the winged propeller design in its chevron.

Distinctive chevrons became cumbersome. Specific designs often depicted a trade skill and each branch required individual colors. For example, in 1919, the Medical Department had seven different chevrons that no other branch used. In 1903, a sergeant might have worn four different chevrons, depending upon which uniform he wore. The overwhelming problems of pay, grade, titles, and allowances caused Congress in 1920 to consolidate all ranks into seven pay grades. This broke the historic practice of authorizing each and every position and listing the pay of each job throughout the Army. The change drastically affected chevron design.

Stopping the use of branch and specialty chevrons died hard despite the official War Department policy. Private manufacturers made old specialty designs with the new blue background prescribed for the new chevrons. Unauthorized chevrons were common and these improvised sleeve insignia were even sold in some post exchanges. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the War Department fought a losing battle against the specialty chevrons. The most prevalent of the unauthorized specialty chevrons were those worn by Army Air Corps members, with the winged propeller.

The Air Force won its independence Sept. 18, 1947, as a full partner with the Army and the Navy when the National Security Act of 1947 became law. There was a time of transition following the new status given the Air Force. The chevrons retained the "Army look." Enlisted personnel were still "soldiers" until 1950, when they became "airmen" to distinguish them from "soldiers" or "sailors."

No documented rationale exists for the design of the present Air Force enlisted chevrons, except the minutes from a March 9, 1948, Pentagon meeting which states that chevron designs were circulated at Bolling AFB, Washington D.C. A group of 150 soldiers (airmen) were polled and 55 percent selected the design used today. Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Air Force chief of staff, then approved the choice of the enlisted majority.

Perhaps the star incorporated early aircraft markings. A star design evolved on military aircraft tails and fuselages as early as 1916, and by 1917, the world began associating the star with the United States. Perhaps the stripes, gracefully slanting toward the sky, leave a gentle hint of wings.

Rank titles and the number of stripes also changed through the years. The first basic change in the enlisted grade structure since 1920 occurred June 1, 1958. Congress authorized two new "super grades," E-8 and E-9. Design for the new chevrons presented a problem. "Zebra stripes" were not desirable, yet other suggestions were not acceptable either.

Designs such as stars (rejected because it overlapped the general officer's insignia); and a lozenge-shaped diamond (rejected because it was too near the shape of the first sergeant diamond) were considered. The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force position presented a similar dilemma in 1967. Another stripe was considered but rejected as "too much." The Air Staff finally agreed upon the star encircled by a wreath on the interior field of stripes. For a brief period, 1975-1991, a blue star replaced the traditional white one for senior airman, airman first class and airman.

Today's enlisted chevron moved one stripe from the bottom to the top of the chevron for E-7 through E-9, giving it a "roof." The silver star returned to all enlisted ranks and bold white stripes instead of silver-tinted ones give the chevrons an even larger look.

The chevron is a study in the evolution of tradition, structure change and uniform adaptability to changing needs. It relays a long history and remains a distinguishing mark of progressive responsibility.

Information courtesy of U.S. Air Force News Service