Explore U.S. Navy ranks from seaman recruit to admiral. Learn rank structure, pay grades, insignia and promotion paths in this complete guide.

Be sure to check out our Black Stripe Tradition page linked below to see the history of black stripe removals from 2012, when the tradition started, all the way through today.

Whatever branch of service you’re in, you probably have a senior enlisted leader (SEL), be that a first sergeant, a chief or a gunny. That SEL was probably born in the 1980s or later, meaning that ...