United States Air Force enlisted rank insignia

Formerly, the grade of sergeant was obtained after a time as a senior airman and successful completion of the Air Force NCO School.

In all other branches, NCO status can be achieved at the grade of E-4 (a corporal in the Army and Marine Corps, petty officer third class in the Navy and Coast Guard).

[3] During World War II, many USAAF NCOs wore the Army Air Corps branch insignia of the winged propeller underneath their chevrons.

[4] Changes to the rank structure were proposed almost immediately after the creation of the Air Force, but did not start occurring until the next year.

Air Force personnel were allowed to wear their old World War II-pattern uniforms and rank insignia until July 1952.

Two years passed before General Vandenberg, in February 1950, ordered all enlisted personnel in the Air Force be referred to as "airman" (singular) and "airmen" (plural) rather than "soldiers".

The end results finally became effective on 24 April 1952 with the release of a revised Air Force Regulation (AFR) 39–36.

[3] On 20 September 2021, the United States Space Force released several media graphics depicting the new rank insignia for enlisted personnel.

This position gained its own special insignia, the chief master sergeant chevrons with a wreath encircling the center star.

This returned sergeant to the rank structure as the first step in the NCO tier as a retention move but required achievement of a 5-skill Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) level.

The impetus behind this was to laterally promote senior E-4 airmen who were ready for NCO responsibilities but not prepared to take on the role of a staff sergeant.

This dual role lasted until March 1991, when then Chief of Staff General McPeak terminated the rank of sergeant effective 2 May 1991.

In November 2004, the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force insignia was updated to include the Great Seal of the United States with a white star on either side.

Ramon Colon-Lopez, the fourth senior enlisted advisor to the chairman, is to be the first to wear the new Air Force version of the insignia.

"[13] By 2018 a professional development and promotion pathway was in place for former military enlisted personnel who joined CAP at their previous rank.