United States Army enlisted rank insignia 1902–1920

The era from 1902 to 1920 was the most complex era for enlisted rank insignia in the United States Army. During that time the army was organized with each branch (cavalry, infantry, artillery, etc.) having its own rank structure. This led to a large number of insignia designs being used.

On July 17, 1902, the army issued General Order 81 prescribing new uniforms. Enlisted chevrons were made smaller and changed to point up. The smaller chevrons were due to the wearing of shirts as outerwear in the warm climates that the army was operating in at the time. The army had allowed chevrons on shirts in July 1898.^[1] The large coat chevrons in use at the time did not fit on shirt sleeves so soldiers began to fashion smaller versions of their chevrons. The army gave preliminary approval of smaller chevrons in 1900.^[2] The new regulations made the smaller chevrons the standard for all uniforms.

The insignia was to be in the colors of each branch, light blue for infantry, yellow for cavalry, red for artillery, buff for the Quartermaster's Department that included the detachment at West Point, grey for the Subsistence Department, maroon piped with white for the Medical Department, red piped with white for the Corps of Engineers, black piped with red for the Ordnance Department and orange piped with white for the Signal Corps. They would be worn on a background matching the coat. This meant that each design was placed on backgrounds of blue, white, khaki and olive drab. There was also a rust colored fatigue uniform worn by men of the artillery at emplacements. Regulations call for "usual chevrons", which would have meant red on a rust background. It seams in practice the chevrons were brown or tan.^[3]

US Army Sergeants' Chevrons 1902[edit]

	Quartermaster's Department USMA Detachment	Subsistence Department' (Post Commissary Sergeant)	Medical Department (Acting Hospital Steward)	Corps of Engineers	Ordnance Department	Signal Corps	Cavalry	Corps of Artillery	Infantry
Dress Blue
White
Khaki
Olive Drab
Fatigue

US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1902[edit]

	Regimental Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Senior Grade	Ordnance Sergeant	Post-Commissary Sergeant	Post Quartermaster Sergeant	Electrician Sergeant	Hospital Steward	Sergeant First Class	Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant	Regimental Commissary Sergeant	Chief Musician	Squadron Sergeant Major	Battalion Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Junior Grade	Color Sergeant	Chief Trumpeter	Principal Musician	Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant	First Sergeant	Drum Major	Sergeant	Company/Battery/Troop Quartermaster Sergeant	Stable Sergeant	Acting Hospital Steward	Corporal	Cook	Ferrier and Blacksmith	Saddler	Wagoner	Trumpeter	Mechanic	Musician	Artificer	Lance Acting Hospital Steward	Private Serving as Lance Corporal	Private First Class	Private Second Class	Private of the Hospital Corps	Private
Quartermaster's Department
Subsistence Department
Medical Department
Corps of Engineers																																No Insignia							No Insignia
Ordnance Department																																					No Insignia
Signal Corps
Cavalry																													No Insignia	No Insignia									No Insignia
Artillery Corps																																No Insignia							No Insignia
Infantry																																No Insignia							No Insignia
Military Academy Detachment																																No Insignia							No Insignia

On March 2, 1903, the rank structure of the medical department was changed to Sergeant First Class (replacing Hospital Steward), Sergeant (replacing Acting Hospital Steward), Corporal, Lance Corporal (replacing Lance Acting Hospital Steward), Private First Class and Private.^[4] Insignia was prescribed on April 28, 1903.^[5]

					No Insignia
Sergeant First Class	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance Corporal	Private First Class	Private

On October 1, 1903, the color for infantry was changed from light blue to white.^[6]

US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1903[edit]

	Regimental Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Senior Grade	Ordnance Sergeant	Post-Commissary Sergeant	Post Quartermaster Sergeant	Master Electrician	Electrician Sergeant	Sergeant First Class	Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant	Regimental Commissary Sergeant	Chief Musician	Squadron Sergeant Major	Battalion Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Junior Grade	Color Sergeant	Chief Trumpeter	Principal Musician	Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant	First Sergeant	Drum Major	Sergeant	Company/Battery/Troop Quartermaster	Stable Sergeant	Corporal	Cook	Ferrier and Blacksmith	Saddler	Wagoner	Trumpeter	Mechanic	Musician	Artificer	Private Serving as Lance Corporal	Private First Class	Private Second Class	Private
Quartermaster's Department
Subsistence Department
Medical Department																																				No Insignia
Corps of Engineers																															No Insignia					No Insignia
Ordnance Department																																			No Insignia	No Insignia
Signal Corps
Cavalry																												No Insignia	No Insignia							No Insignia
Artillery Corps																															No Insignia					No Insignia
Infantry																															No Insignia					No Insignia
Military Academy Detachment																															No Insignia					No Insignia

A rank of Master Signal Electrician was added to the Signal Corps on April 28, 1904.^[7] Also on that date a Band Sergeant and Assistant Leader was added to the West Point Band.^[8] He probably wore the three chevrons of a sergeant.

New uniform regulations were issued on December 31, 1904^[9] that not only prescribed insignia for Master Signal Electricians but changed the color of all insignia not worn on the dress blue coat. Supplying so many versions of insignia had proved to be difficult and costly. The regulation changed the insignia for the white, khaki and olive drab coats from branch colors to olive drab shirting flannel.

US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1904–1906[edit]

	Regimental Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Senior Grade	Ordnance Sergeant	Post-Commissary Sergeant	Post Quartermaster Sergeant	Master Electrician	Electrician Sergeant	Sergeant First Class	Master Signal Electrician	Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant	Regimental Commissary Sergeant	Band Sergeant and Assistant Leader	Chief Musician	Squadron Sergeant Major	Battalion Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Junior Grade	Color Sergeant	Chief Trumpeter	Principal Musician	Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant	First Sergeant	Drum Major	Sergeant	Company/Battery/Troop Quartermaster	Stable Sergeant	Corporal	Cook	Ferrier and Blacksmith	Saddler	Wagoner	Trumpeter	Mechanic	Musician	Artificer	Private Serving as Lance Corporal	Private First Class	Private Second Class	Private
Quartermaster's Department
Subsistence Department
Medical Department																																						No Insignia
Corps of Engineers																																	No Insignia					No Insignia
Ordnance Department																																					No Insignia	No Insignia
Signal Corps
Cavalry																														No Insignia	No Insignia							No Insignia
Artillery Corps																																	No Insignia					No Insignia
Infantry																																	No Insignia					No Insignia
Military Academy Detachment																																	No Insignia					No Insignia

On January 25, 1907, The Corps of Artillery was split into Field Artillery regiments and a Coast Artillery Corps.^[10] The regimental structure for the field artillery added the ranks of Regimental Sergeant Major, Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant, Regimental Commissary Sergeant, Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant and Chief Mechanic. In the Coast Artillery Corps the ranks of Master Gunner and Engineer were added and electrician sergeants were split into two classes. Artificers were removed from both organizations.

Insignia was prescribed on August 14, 1907.^[11] Engineers wore a governor in a ring and Master Gunners a shell in a wreath. Master electricians now wore lightning in a wreath, Electrician Sergeants First Class three chevrons, one arc and lightning and Electrician Sergeants Second Class three chevrons and lightning.

Master Gunner	Engineer	Master Electrician	Electrician Sergeant First Class	Electrician Sergeant Second Class

US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1907[edit]

	Regimental Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Senior Grade	Master Electrician	Master Signal Electrician	Engineer	Electrician Sergeant First Class	Ordnance Sergeant	Post-Commissary Sergeant	Post Quartermaster Sergeant	Sergeant First Class	Electrician Sergeant Second Class	Master Gunner	Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant	Regimental Commissary Sergeant	Band Sergeant and Assistant Leader	Chief Musician	Squadron Sergeant Major	Battalion Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Junior Grade	Color Sergeant	Chief Trumpeter	Principal Musician	Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant	First Sergeant	Drum Major	Sergeant	Company /Batter/Troop Quartermaster Sergeant	Stable Sergeant	Corporal	Fireman	Cook	Ferrier and Blacksmith	Saddler	Wagoner	Trumpeter	Chief Mechanic	Mechanic	Musician	Artificer	Private Serving As Lance Corporal	Private First Class	Private Second Class	Private
Quartermaster's Department
Subsistence Department
Medical Department																																											No Insignia
Corps of Engineers																																						No Insignia				No Insignia	No Insignia
Ordnance Department																																										No Insignia
Signal Corps
Cavalry																																		No Insignia	No Insignia								No Insignia
Field Artillery																																						No Insignia					No Insignia
Coast Artillery Corps																																						No Insignia					No Insignia
Infantry																																						No Insignia					No Insignia
Military Academy																																		No Insignia	No Insignia			No Insignia					No Insignia

Insignia for the coast artillery was changed again on January 18, 1908.^[12] Master Gunners now wore a shell in a wreath under a star, Engineers wore the same with a governor instead of a shell and Master Electricians wore the same with lightning. Electrician Sergeants wore three chevrons over a wreath with lightning with first class being denoted by a bar. Firemen now wore one chevron and one arc with a governor.

The background of all private first class style insignia was made round instead of rectangular to save cloth.^[13]

Master Gunner	Engineer	Master Electrician	Electrician Sergeant First Class	Electrician Sergeant Second Class	Fireman

US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1908[edit]

	Regimental Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Senior Grade	Master Electrician	Master Signal Electrician	Engineer	Electrician Sergeant First Class	Ordnance Sergeant	Post-Commissary Sergeant	Post Quartermaster Sergeant	Sergeant First Class	Electrician Sergeant Second Class	Master Gunner	Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant	Regimental Commissary Sergeant	Band Sergeant and Assistant Leader	Chief Musician	Squadron Sergeant Major	Battalion Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Junior Grade	Color Sergeant	Chief Trumpeter	Principal Musician	Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant	First Sergeant	Drum Major	Sergeant	Company /Batter/Troop Quartermaster Sergeant	Stable Sergeant	Corporal	Fireman	Cook	Ferrier and Blacksmith	Saddler	Wagoner	Trumpeter	Chief Mechanic	Mechanic	Musician	Artificer	Private Serving As Lance Corporal	Private First Class	Private Second Class	Privates
Quartermaster's Department
Subsistence Department
Medical Department																																											No Insignia
Corps of Engineers																																						No Insignia				No Insignia	No Insignia
Ordnance Department																																										No Insignia
Signal Corps
Cavalry																																		No Insignia	No Insignia								No Insignia
Field Artillery																																						No Insignia					No Insignia
Coast Artillery Corps																																						No Insignia					No Insignia
Infantry																																						No Insignia					No Insignia
Military Academy																																		No Insignia	No Insignia			No Insignia					No Insignia

In January 1909 the Band Sergeant and Assistant Leader of the West Point Band and the Sergeant In charge of the West Point field musicians were given distinctive insignia.^[14]

On January 22, 1909, Master Signal Electricians were given insignia different from other Master Electricians.^[15]

On March 3, 1909, enlisted detachments were added to the army's various service schools.^[16][17]

On June 12, 1909, the rust fatigue uniform was replaced with a uniform made of blue denim.^[18]

Insignia for the new uniform was prescribed on November 4, 1909.^[19] They were to be of "red washable material placed on a background of blue denim cloth". It seams that in practice the army never found a red washable material that was color fast. Instead the chevrons were just outlines of red stitching.^[20]

Band Sergeant and Assistant Leader	Sergeant of Field Music	Master Signal Electrician

US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1909[edit]

	Regimental Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Senior Grade	Master Electrician	Master Signal Electrician	Engineer	Electrician Sergeant First Class	Ordnance Sergeant	Post-Commissary Sergeant	Post Quartermaster Sergeant	Sergeant First Class	Electrician Sergeant Second Class	Master Gunner	Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant	Regimental Commissary Sergeant	Chief Musician	Squadron Sergeant Major	Battalion Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major Junior Grade	Color Sergeant	Chief Trumpeter	Principal Musician	Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant	First Sergeant	Drum Major	Band Sergeant and Assistant Leader	Sergeant of Field Music	Sergeant	Company /Battery/Troop Quartermaster Sergeant	Stable Sergeant	Corporal	Fireman	Cook	Acting Cook Hospital Corps	Farrier	Horseshoer	Saddler	Wagoner	Trumpeter	Chief Mechanic	Mechanic	Musician	Artificer	Private Serving as Lance Corporal	Private First Class	Private Second Class	Private
Quartermaster's Department
Subsistence Department
Medical Department																																														No Insignia
Corps of Engineers																																									No Insignia				No Insignia	No Insignia
Ordnance Department																																													No Insignia
Signal Corps
Cavalry																																					No Insignia	No Insignia								No Insignia
Field Artillery																																									No Insignia					No Insignia
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