Navy Question

A

AngryKoala

Old Salt
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 30, 2020
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#1
I'm currently writing my father's obituary and I'm trying to make sure I get his service accurately notated.

His pay rate was E-4 but his grade was FTC 3. E-4 = petty officer third class but FTC 3 = Chief Petty Officer. When describing it in a sentence do I use chief petty officer or petty officer third class?

I guess I'm asking what is the correct way to word it so it is accurate? He worked on the phalanx system FYI.
 
#12
chrome said:
Some nuance, but this assumes he didn't stay in the navy reserves after his active duty time and make Chief later.
Click to expand...

He did not. Here's a pic of his uniform. Kind of a crappy pic but my camera phone sucks ass.
20211005_201725.jpg
 
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#14
AngryKoala said:
I'm currently writing my father's obituary and I'm trying to make sure I get his service accurately notated.

His pay rate was E-4 but his grade was FTC 3. E-4 = petty officer third class but FTC 3 = Chief Petty Officer. When describing it in a sentence do I use chief petty officer or petty officer third class?
Sorry about your dad!!!!!!🇺🇸⚡️Memories…….

I guess I'm asking what is the correct way to word it so it is accurate? He worked on the phalanx system FYI.
Click to expand...
 
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#20
Fire Control Tech Third Class John Doe.

I was a PR1(AW)

So my full name would have been

Aircrew Survival Equipment First Class Air Warfare William B Buckenhoff, Snakenavel Idaho.

It has been 10 years, and maybe I screwed it up. But I think this was the naming convention I remember.
 
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#21
My condolences on your loss.
I assume he was a submariner? Boats had FTG (gun) and FTB (ballistic). Surface guys were FC. Sometime in the early to mid 90s rates were combined to just FT. As others have already noted FTG3 or Fire Control Technician Third Class are correct.
I was FT1, originally FTG2 when rates combined.
 
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#23
FjallJager said:
Fire Control Tech Third Class John Doe.

I was a PR1(AW)

So my full name would have been

Aircrew Survival Equipment First Class Air Warfare William B Buckenhoff, Snakenavel Idaho.

It has been 10 years, and maybe I screwed it up. But I think this was the naming convention I remember.
Click to expand...
Loved my riggers. What squadron were you in?

would have been PR1 (AW)
 
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#24
Ricker said:
My condolences on your loss.
I assume he was a submariner? Boats had FTG (gun) and FTB (ballistic). Surface guys were FC. Sometime in the early to mid 90s rates were combined to just FT. As others have already noted FTG3 or Fire Control Technician Third Class are correct.
I was FT1, originally FTG2 when rates combined.
Click to expand...

Ship, I can't for the life of me remember which one.
 
#25
FTG (Gun Fire Control)

From a site I found:
The Fire Control Technician (FT) rating was first established in 1955 as the new designation for the Fire Controlman (FC) rating, due in no small part to the Navy’s transitioning from guns to missiles for many of its ships' offensive and defensive weapons systems. The Fire Control Technician did have several specialty ratings, which included FTA (Automatic Directors), FTG (Gun Fire Control), FTB (Ballistic), FTM (Missiles), and FTU (Underwater). But Sailors working on ballistic missiles on submarines wore the same rating badge as those working on surface vessels working with guns. In 1985, a split was made at the General Rating level: FT Sailors would be billeted on submarines, and Fire Controlmen would be the weapons masters on surface vessels.
 
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#26
If I recall the MIL did go thru a process to standardize stuff like this. So when ratings were 3 letter designations they would change it to 2 letters with the "specialization" in parentheses. I.E> FTG would become FT(G). While the uniform may just be an FT insignia, and his pay rate may show FT3, his overall classification in personnel manning may be FT3(G). Add to that any other qualifications he may have achieved= FT3(G) SW...Surface Warfare

I'm not saying this is 100% correct, just a peek into the crazy world of military designations and classifications.

With much respect and condolences I applaud @AngryKoala to undertake the task in ensuring the designations are correct as best possible.
 
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#29
HeavyAssault said:
If I recall the MIL did go thru a process to standardize stuff like this. So when ratings were 3 letter designations they would change it to 2 letters with the "specialization" in parentheses. I.E> FTG would become FT(G). While the uniform may just be an FT insignia, and his pay rate may show FT3, his overall classification in personnel manning may be FT3(G). Add to that any other qualifications he may have achieved= FT3(G) SW...Surface Warfare

I'm not saying this is 100% correct, just a peek into the crazy world of military designations and classifications.

With much respect and condolences I applaud @AngryKoala to undertake the task in ensuring the designations are correct as best possible.
Click to expand...

^good stuff above
 
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#30
Mike Casselton said:
I can't help you on the rank thing, but if you wipe your camera lens before taking pics, they don't come out blurry.
Click to expand...
The protective covering cracked and broke that protected the lens. I wiped it but I believe whatever is on there is permanent. It was also exposed to water so I am happy it still takes pics at this point.
 
#31
HeavyAssault said:
If I recall the MIL did go thru a process to standardize stuff like this. So when ratings were 3 letter designations they would change it to 2 letters with the "specialization" in parentheses. I.E> FTG would become FT(G). While the uniform may just be an FT insignia, and his pay rate may show FT3, his overall classification in personnel manning may be FT3(G). Add to that any other qualifications he may have achieved= FT3(G) SW...Surface Warfare

I'm not saying this is 100% correct, just a peek into the crazy world of military designations and classifications.

With much respect and condolences I applaud @AngryKoala to undertake the task in ensuring the designations are correct as best possible.
Click to expand...

Thank you and it is the least I could do for a father that gave me everything I could ask for and then some.
I'm just glad he kept his discharge papers so I could schedule taps and the legion to come out and give him a proper send off.
 
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#32
AngryKoala said:
I'm currently writing my father's obituary and I'm trying to make sure I get his service accurately notated.

His pay rate was E-4 but his grade was FTC 3. E-4 = petty officer third class but FTC 3 = Chief Petty Officer. When describing it in a sentence do I use chief petty officer or petty officer third class?

I guess I'm asking what is the correct way to word it so it is accurate? He worked on the phalanx system FYI.
Click to expand...
The Navy has changed the way they name ratings several times.
If his payrate was E-4, then, likely, at the time, his rating was FTC-3 Fire Control Technician Third Class.
I'll give you an example, the Gunners Mate rating, for a time was broken up into GMG (Gunners Mate Guns) and GMM (Gunners Mate Missles) prior to that, they were just Gunners Mates and the NEC's they earned indicated their specialty, now, they are known as Gunners Mates and their NEC's indicate their specialty.
According to this, I'm thinking Fire Control Technician GunFire Control (FTG).

U.S. NAVY FIRE CONTROL TECHNICIAN (FT) RATING BADGE

us navy Fire Control Technician (FT) rating badge
www.uniforms-4u.com www.uniforms-4u.com
 
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#33
AngryKoala said:
Thank you and it is the least I could do for a father that gave me everything I could ask for and then some.
I'm just glad he kept his discharge papers so I could schedule taps and the legion to come out and give him a proper send off.
Click to expand...
My deepest sympathies in the passing of your father and thank you for seeking to honor his time of service to our country as a member of the USN. Have done local USN Honor Guard details here in N. TX and would hope the same would be made available through a local NOSC (Naval Operations Support Center). Please feel free to reach out via PM. Thank you Sir and Godspeed to you and your family.
 
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#34
Sorry for your loss 😞 Awesome you are doing the right things !

I hope my daughter follows my wishes ....I
have it set up to where I will have my cremation stuff sent to San Diego , a Navy ship will do the scattering of ashes in the Pacific. Think they provide a map of where the ship was to next of kin ? Organ donor too , may want to pass on my liver 🙈 Got a huge peeve about artificial Taps being played. My AO has a Vietnam Vet that was a former band director. He plays it right !
🇺🇸
 
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#39
AngryKoala said:
I'm currently writing my father's obituary and I'm trying to make sure I get his service accurately notated.

His pay rate was E-4 but his grade was FTC 3. E-4 = petty officer third class but FTC 3 = Chief Petty Officer. When describing it in a sentence do I use chief petty officer or petty officer third class?

I guess I'm asking what is the correct way to word it so it is accurate? He worked on the phalanx system FYI.
Click to expand...
Petty Officer 3rs class Fire Control Technician. Retired Cheif Gunners Mate here.
 
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