Get Airman Rank Insignia

Enlisted Air Force ranks are broken down into three levels: Airmen (E-1 through E-4), non-commissioned officers (E-5 and E-6) and senior non-commissioned officers (E-7 through E-9). The Air Force is the only one of the five branches of the U.S. military where NCO status is achieved at the grade of E-5.

As opposed to all other USAF enlisted and officer ranks, airman basic has no rank insignia affiliated. The lack of uniform insignia for airman basic is the reason for the nickname "slick-sleeve"; all other enlisted Air Force ranks wear stripes and chevrons on their uniform sleeves.

Air Force Symbol Meaning It honors the heritage of our past and represents the promise of our future. Furthermore, it retains the core elements of our Air Corps heritage, the "Arnold" wings and star with circle, and modernizes them to reflect our Air and Space Forces of today and tomorrow.

Their rank insignia is a silver chevron, with the point down, outlined in blue and with an encircled star in the center. Common nicknames for an Airman are “Mosquito Wings” or “Wingnut,” because their rank insignia has only one chevron.

Air Force Officer Ranks: Company Grade Second Lieutenant (2nd Lt)(O1) The rank of second lieutenant is shown through a single gold bar. ... First Lieutenant (1st Lt)(O2) ... Captain (Capt)(O3) ... Major (Maj)(O4) ... Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col)(O5) ... Colonel (Col)(O6) ... Brigadier General (Brig Gen)(O7) ... Major General (Maj Gen)(O8)

The rank of basic airman was renamed to airman basic on 5 February 1959, still with no insignia attached.

The Airman First Class's rank insignia is the same as an Airman's, a silver chevron, outlined in blue, with a downwards point that has an encircled star at the center, except that it has two stripes to the chevron.