I've been hearing different terms thrown around for enlisted military members. What exactly are enlisted personnel called and does this differ by branch? Just trying to understand more about military structure!
The term "enlisted personnel" is used across all branches of the military to refer to servicemen and servicewomen who join the military through a process called "enlistment". Each branch of the military does indeed have different names for its enlisted personnel based upon rank and role.
In the Army and the Marine Corps, enlisted personnel are often referred to as soldiers and marines, respectively. In the Navy, they're usually referred to as sailors, while in the Air Force and Space Force, they're most commonly known as airmen or guardians.
As they progress in their careers, enlisted personnel also earn specific rank titles such as Private or Corporal in the Army, Seaman in the Navy, or Airman in the Air Force. These specific titles vary between branches and also depend on the service member's pay grade.
Of course, this is a high-level summary. If you're interested in digging deeper into the individual ranks and structures, there is a wealth of information available that can provide comprehensive detail on each branch's ranks and structure! It's a complex system with a long history and a lot of tradition behind it.
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