Ratings and the Evolution of Jobs in the Navy
This history of
ratings and apprenticeships in the U.S. Navy has been compiled primarily for
use by members of the Rating Review Board which has the responsibility for conducting
a continuing study of the enlisted rating structure. It will also prove helpful
in answering many questions that are received at frequent intervals concerning
the past enlisted rating structure.
While the ratings and historical notes referred to in this work are based on
factual data extracted from official publications and other historical sources,
it is recognized that there may be some discrepancies or omissions.
The Navy's enlisted
occupational system of today is a product of continuing evolution during the
Navy's almost 200 years of existence. Ratings come and go as new techniques
and equipment are introduced. Fulton could be said to be the father of our engineering
ratings, and also responsible for the disestablishment of the Sailmaker rating,
for when steam came, sails went, and the Sailmaker rating followed. Marconi,
with a new invention, could be considered responsible for the Radioman rating;
and, the Wright brothers could be called the fathers of aviation ratings.
As the Navy's rating structure has changed, so too, has the Navy. The first
steamship, the first mine, the first radar, the first torpedo, the first aircraft
carrier, and many other "firsts" all established a new era in the
Navy, and each had a direct impact on the enlisted occupational structure.
And so, after nearly 200 years of evolution, today's Navy enlisted rating structure
still plays a key role in career development, serves as a basis for training
programs, detailing, advancement, and simply keeping tabs on several hundred
thousand Navymen.
Information Courtesy of Naval Historical Center
