US Military Rank abbreviations

[scooter]

I have seen several discussions on how to abbreviate CAP rank in a signature block. A friend of mine, retired AF, sent me this to show how it is done in all branches. Notice, no periods and the use of upper and lower case. I guess we would use the AF style. The Coasties aren't covered so assume they use the Navy style.

[Luis R. Ramos]

I have seen several discussions on how to abbreviate CAP rank...

There would not be any discussions on this if all members would read the CAP publications they are expected to read and know they exist for some reason.   

These are shown on CAPR 35-5 CAP Officer and NCO Appointments and Promotions, Section A 1-3.a.

I guess we would...

No need to guess. Research the appropriate publications and... read! Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel... 

Also shown in CAPR 10-3, Preparing Official Correspondence at the end. 

I am pretty sure the Coasties have their own set of publications, and this would be covered there as well.

Nevertheless your attachment is well worth your post, in case an Admin Officer is asked to create a letter to a service member...  :clap:

Flyer

[LGM30GMCC]

The Tongue And Quill from the USAF is also beneficial if addressing outside organizations since it covers everything from the President, Senators, Congressmen, cabinet officials...all the way down.

[Pylon]

Already covered on the forum, too:  http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=1030.0

[Storm Chaser]

Using the proper abbreviation can sometimes make a big difference. For example, when I see Capt within the Armed Services, I know that the officer is most likely an O-3 in the Air Force or Marine Corps. If I see CPT, I know that the officer is most likely an O-3 in the Army. If I see CAPT, on the other hand, most likely the officer is an O-6 in the Navy. Unfortunately, people don't always use the proper abbreviations with regards to rank.

It's an even greater challenge within CAP because we have members that have served in different services and bring with them their own "way" of doing things.

[EMT-83]

Not really. A CAP officer is a CAP officer.

[Storm Chaser]

Not really. A CAP officer is a CAP officer.

If you are replying to my post, then that have nothing to do with what I was saying. I've seen many in CAP using terminology (including the wrong rank abbreviations) that is foreign to CAP and the USAF.

[lordmonar]

And yet the world still turned, the deficit still grew and global warming was still denied.

Use the proper abbreviations......but as Sgt Hulka said...."Lighten up Francis".

True Story......my AFROTC instructor  (an O-3 Capt) is TDY on an ROTC recruiting trip.  He signs into the local Navy Lodge (somewhere East Coastish) as Captain Hill.

20 minutes after checking into one of the finest billeting accomidations he has ever seen....there is a knock on his door....Low and Behold but a Navy Captain (read O-6 to us USAF types) is there introducing himself as the base commander and wondering what he can do for the visting Captain (O-6) who had the did not have to courtesey to give a little heads up to his fellow Captain (O-6).

Evedently this is a Navy thing....."Hey Capt X.....This is Capt Y.  I'm gonning to be passing through and staying at your Navy Lodge....don't panic!"

After Capt Hill explained...."I'm Air Force"....the light dawned and all was forgiven.

Nice story about how the services miscommunicate all the time......but even then....the world did not end...et al. 

[J2H]

I  was  Air  Force  but still used army abbreviations for officers

[Майор Хаткевич]

Why?

[SarDragon]

Probably for the same reasons CAP members call uniforms Class A, Class B, etc. 

[Luis R. Ramos]

Lord-

I thought it was customary in the military that when an officer is assigned to a command he pays a courtesy call to the installation commander. Is this not done, or is done under certain circumstances only?

What I really wonder is that once that O-6 found your instructor was really more like an O-3, did he lost the really, reallllyyyyy nice accommodations?

Flyer

[PHall]

Lord-

I thought it was customary in the military that when an officer is assigned to a command he pays a courtesy call to the installation commander. Is this not done, or is done under certain circumstances only?

Flyer

That's olde school military, as in 1960's and earlier.

[J2H]

Mainly because I can... I sent correspondence to my Ops Officer many times with CPT or CAPT, same as AFPC using Army ranks in VMPF (I was SSG in VMPF), LTs were always 2LT or 1LT, or many times, just LT

[jimmydeanno]

Shoot, in the Air Force, gaining units don't even know that they have personnel inbound a lot of the time.  "Hi, I'm your new 2d Lt."  "Really?  We weren't expecting you."  "Got my orders right here."  "Ok, nice to meet you.  Take 10 days to find a house while we figure out what we're supposed to do with you."

New officers typically just meet this unit commander when they come onto a duty station (unless they are a unit commander of some kind), then get to meet everyone else by going to meetings, etc.

[Luis R. Ramos]

J2-

Are you sure the recipient never fixed it behind your back, deciding it was trivial?    :angel:

Flyer

[J2H]

Perhaps, but I never thought anything about proper rank abbreviations, the assumption was if they knew who you were trying to get it didn't matter

[Storm Chaser]

Well, the AFIs are clear on the appropriate Air Force rank abbreviations, but it's true that many in the Air Force use the Army ones. Even Air Force sites, such as vMPF (Virtual Military Personnel Flight), use the Army rank abbreviations. I was just recently reading AFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel, and they have references to Class A and Class B uniforms, which since I can remember have been Army classifications, not Air Force ones.

[Private Investigator]

Eveybody thanks for sharing it was a hoot 

[UH60guy]

Just because I love stirring pots, thought I'd throw in a link to the Associated Press style guide. You public affairs officers out there need to keep this in mind when interacting with the public I'm a CPT in the Army, Capt in CAP but magically become a Capt. (add the period) if mentioned in any published article.

http://apstylebook.blogspot.com/2009/05/military-titles.html
edit: (yes this link is from someone's blog, but the official stylebook is behind a paywall. You get the idea )