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US Air Force Enlisted Rank Timeline

1947-2004

1947-1976

Pay Grade		September 1947	April 1949	April 1952	Dec. 1958	Feb. 1959	March 1967	Oct. 1967	June 1976
pre-1949	post-1949
	E-9							Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force	Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
					Chief Master Sergeant	Chief Master Sergeant	Chief Master Sergeant	Chief Master Sergeant	Chief Master Sergeant
	E-8				Senior Master Sergeant	Senior Master Sergeant	Senior Master Sergeant	Senior Master Sergeant	Senior Master Sergeant
1	E-7	First Sergeant Master Sergeant	Master Sergeant	Master Sergeant	Master Sergeant	Master Sergeant	Master Sergeant	Master Sergeant	Master Sergeant
2	E-6	Technical Sergeant	Technical Sergeant	Technical Sergeant	Technical Sergeant	Technical Sergeant	Technical Sergeant	Technical Sergeant	Technical Sergeant
3	E-5	Staff Sergeant Technician 3rd Grade	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant
4	E-4	Sergeant   Technician 4th Grade	Sergeant	Airman 1st Class	Airman 1st Class	Airman 1st Class	Airman 1st Class	Sergeant	Sergeant Senior Airman
5	E-3	Corporal Technician 5th Grade	Corporal	Airman 2nd Class	Airman 2nd Class	Airman 2nd Class	Airman 2nd Class	Airman 1st Class	Airman 1st Class
6	E-2	Private 1st Class	Private 1st Class	Airman 3rd Class	Airman 3rd Class	Airman 3rd Class	Airman 3rd Class	Airman	Airman
7	E-1	Private	Private	Basic Airman	Basic Airman	Airman Basic	Airman Basic	Airman Basic	Airman Basic
		September 1947	April 1949	April 1952	Dec. 1958	Feb. 1959	March 1967	Oct. 1967	June 1976

 

1976-present

Pay Grade	June 1976	1993	November 2004
E-9	Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force	Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force	Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
	Chief Master Sergeant	Chief Master Sergeant	Chief Master Sergeant
E-8	Senior Master Sergeant	Senior Master Sergeant	Senior Master Sergeant
E-7	Master Sergeant	Master Sergeant	Master Sergeant
E-6	Technical Sergeant	Technical Sergeant	Technical Sergeant
E-5	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant
E-4	Sergeant Senior Airman	Senior Airman	Senior Airman
E-3	Airman 1st Class	Airman 1st Class	Airman 1st Class
E-2	Airman	Airman	Airman
E-1	Airman Basic	Airman Basic	Airman Basic
	June 1976	1993	November 2004

Reference:

US Department of the Air Force, Air Force Historical Research Agency, A Timeline of the Enlisted Rank Chevron of the United States Air Force, 1993

All text and images © Justin T. Broderick, 2013 unless otherwise indicated.