📈 Historical Evolution of U.S. Navy Ratings & Roles (1940–2010)
Use these tables to help date cruise books, rosters, and yearbooks by matching rating names, abbreviations, and billet titles to their eras. Entries focus on changes commonly encountered in GG Archives materials.
Jump to:
🧩 Ratings Timeline (Renames & Mergers)
Guidance: Expand an item to see era snapshots. Add new rows as you verify them in your cataloging.
-
RD → OS — Radarman retitled Operations Specialist (1970s)
- 1940s: RD (Radarman)
- 1960s: RD in fleet service
- 1970s: Reclassification to OS begins
- 1980s–2000s: OS (Operations Specialist)
- Notes: Broader CIC/operations scope replaced radar-only focus.
-
BT → MM — Boiler Technician merged into Machinist’s Mate (1997)
- 1940s–1980s: BT (Boiler Technician)
- 1990s: Merge planned; steam plants retire
- 2000s: MM (Machinist’s Mate)
- Notes: Propulsion community consolidated as legacy boilers phased out.
-
PN → YN — Personnelman merged into Yeoman (2005)
- 1940s–1990s: PN (Personnelman)
- 2000s: YN (Yeoman)
- Notes: Admin consolidation modernized personnel/records work.
-
AT / AE (Avionics) — Streamlining across 1990s–2000s
- 1940s–1980s: AT / AE established and stable
- 1990s–2000s: Avionics communities streamlined/consolidated
- Notes: Reflects digital systems and evolving maintenance structures.
-
YN (Yeoman) — Title stable; scope expands
- 1940s–2000s: YN
- Notes: Responsibilities broadened with admin merges (e.g., PN→YN in 2005).
-
HM (Hospital Corpsman) — Consistent across eras
- 1940s–2000s: HM
- Notes: Wide duty variety (ships, clinics, hospitals, FMF).
🧭 Billet & Title Nomenclature
-
CAG → CVW Commander — Title change in 1963; nickname “CAG” persists
- 1940s–early 1960s: CAG (Commander, Air Group)
- 1963→: CVW Commander (Carrier Air Wing Commander)
- Notes: Informal “CAG” usage remains common after 1963.
-
Air Boss — Carrier Air Officer; colloquial title widely used
- 1940s: Air Officer formalized on carriers
- 1960s–2000s: “Air Boss” in common usage; deputy is “Mini Boss”
- Notes: Commands launch/recovery from Pri-Fly; safety authority on deck.
-
XO (Executive Officer) — Standard stepping stone to CO by late 20th c.
- 1940s–2000s: XO = second-in-command
- Notes: By the 1980s–2010 era, XO-to-CO progression standardized across the fleet.
✈️ Aviation Community Notes
-
Flight Deck Jersey Colors (roles at a glance)
- Yellow: Aircraft directors (“yellow shirts”).
- Blue: Plane handlers; chocks & chains.
- Green: Catapults & arresting gear (V-2), maintenance, ground support equipment.
- Red: Ordnance (“ordies”), crash & salvage, EOD.
- Purple (“Grapes”): Aviation fuel (JP-5).
- Brown: Plane captains (aircraft crew chiefs).
- White: Safety, QA, medical, LSO team, inspectors (varies by era).
-
Air Department Divisions (carrier)
- V-1: Flight deck operations (spotting, towing, directing).
- V-2: Catapults & arresting gear systems.
- V-3: Hangar deck operations (movement, maintenance flow).
- V-4: Aviation fuels (JP-5 handling, fueling/defueling).
- V-5: Air operations / Pri-Fly / communications (varies by era and ship).
-
Pri-Fly (Primary Flight Control)
- Who: Air Boss & Mini Boss with spotters.
- What: Controls launches, recoveries, deck traffic, and emergencies.
- Where: Island’s top observation space; distinct from bridge/CIC.
-
LSO (Landing Signal Officer)
- Role: Guides carrier landings; evolved from hand-held paddles to optical systems (Fresnel lens).
- Location: Aft port quarter on the LSO platform.
- Note: Typically in white jerseys; critical safety authority during recoveries.
-
Catapults & Arresting Gear (CATOBAR)
- Catapults: Hydraulic (early) → steam catapults (1950s–2000s) for launches.
- Arresting gear: Wires (cross-deck pendants) + below-deck engines to stop aircraft.
- Green shirts (V-2): Operate/maintain these systems.
-
Launch/Recovery Cycle & “Foul” Lines
- Cycle: Spot → arm → launch → recover → respot (repeat).
- Foul lines: Painted safety boundaries; a “foul deck” call halts movement across them.
- Signals: Radios, hand signals, and deck indicators; Air Boss commands from Pri-Fly.
-
Plane Captain vs. Aircraft Director
- Plane Captain (Brown): Responsible for a specific aircraft’s condition and readiness.
- Aircraft Director (Yellow): Marshals aircraft on deck using wands/hand signals.
-
Fuel, Ordnance & Crash/Salvage
- Purple (V-4): JP-5 fueling/defueling operations and safety.
- Red (Ordnance): Weapons handling, arming/safeing; EOD integration when required.
- Crash & Salvage: Firefighting, rescue, and clearing damaged aircraft from the deck.
How to Use This Page
- Date a document: Match a rating/billet label to the closest era above.
- Verify terms: Check the Glossary for definitions and the Ranks, Ratings & Roles page for responsibilities.
- Cross-reference: For carriers, see Carrier Roles.
