What is a NonCom in the US Navy?

Answer 1

Non-Commissioned Officers, or Noncoms/NCO's (Petty Officers in the Navy & Coast Guard, Sergeants in the other branches) form the backbone of the Navy. Though Chief Petty Officers (senior NCO's) are considered the "backbone", realistically all PO's are essential to Navy operations. They are the Supervisors, Teachers to both junior enlisted and junior commissioned officers, the ones who repair and maintain ship equipment, schedule work, etc. Without Petty Officers, the Navy could not function.

Unlike the other branches, Navy and Coast Guard Petty Officers are given a lot of responsibility, typically more than the other services. The Marines are a Naval component, so their Sergeants typically hold as much responsibility as their Sailor equivalents.

Petty Officers in the Navy or Non-coms in other services having special warfare qualifications typically advance faster also. Under the program I enlisted under in '79, I became a 3rd Class upon graduation from Sonar Basic Training. Just 2 years later, as a qualified Submariner, I was a 2nd class. 3½ years after that, and I was a 1st Class, all within 6 years. A clerical oversight found some time later revealed that I should've been advanced after my first test a year prior to my actual advancement, but it wasn't caught in time.

By comparison, the Air Force have NCO's that retire at E-5 after 20 years, or the equivalent of a 2nd class Petty Officer in the Navy.

Petty Officers, like Commissioned Officers, must meet certain requirements for promotion. Besides passing the rating test for the next Rank (a test for your particular Rating, or job), you must also have the recommendations of your supervising Enlisted and Commissioned Officers, Performance Evaluation marks above average or superior, and typically have contributed to the ship and its mission in some meaningful fashion. You must also not have been in any trouble.

For those sailors in certain naval warfare specialties (e.g., Submarine, SpecOps, Surface, Air Warfare), qualification in those specialties goes a long way toward advancement.

Though there are several established Petty Officer ranks from E-4 to E-9, there are other ranks within those that are considered senior. For example, on board a submarine, the Chief of the Boat (COB) is the Senior Enlisted rank onboard. Even if he is a Senior Chief (E-8) in rank, if a Master Chief is aboard the same boat (E-9) the COB still outranks him as the Senior member by appointed position and title.

Other equivalents in the Fleet are Command Master Chiefs, though they typically are E-9's. However, even if another E-9 is Senior to the CMC by time in rank and service, the CMC is still senior by position and authority granted.

I can honestly say that being a Senior Petty Officer on board my own boat was one of the best experiences of my career. Much of what I have achieved in my life and career is due to the experience gained during that time of my life. Had I not been medically forced from the Submarine Service, and with it my career, I would have stayed in and retired.