The Virtual Navy

Petty Officer Third Class is the fourth enlisted rank in the VNAVY and, just above Seaman and below Petty Officer Second Class, and is the lowest form of non-commissioned officer, equivalent to a Corporal in the U.S. Army and Marines Petty Officer Third Class shares the same pay grade as Senior Airman in the Air Force, which does not have an NCO rank corresponding with E-4.

Unlike the Seaman and lower ranks, advancement to Petty Officer Third Class is not automatic given time in service, but is also contingent on performance evaluations by their superiors and rate examinations (test of specialty knowledge), except for certain technical ratings which carry automatic advancement to PO3, after successful completion of the rating's "A" school and fulfillment of time in rate requirements. The advancement cycle is currently every 6 months. Only a certain number of billets (job openings for this rank) open up biannually and all Seamen compete. The top scorers are chosen for advancement, but only in sufficient quantities to fill the billets available.

Petty Officers serve a dual role as both technical experts and as leaders. Unlike the sailors below them, there is no such thing as an "undesignated Petty Officer." Every petty officer has both a rate (rank) and rating (job, similar to an MOS or AFSC in other branches). A petty officer's full title is a combination of the two. Thus, a Petty Officer Third Class who has the rating of Fire Control Technician is called a Fire Control Technician Third Class. The term petty officer is, then, only used in abstract, the general sense, when referring to a group of petty officers of different ratings, or when the petty officer's rating is unknown.

Each rating has an official abbreviation, such as FT for Fire Control Technican, STS for Sonar Technician Submarines, or ET for Electronics Technician. When combined with the petty officer level, this gives the short-hand for the petty officer's rank, such as FT3 for Fire Control Technician Third Class. It is common practice to refer to the petty officer by this short hand in all but the most formal correspondence (such as printing and inscription on awards). Often, the petty officer is just referred to by the short hand designation, without using the surname. Thus FT3 Shearer would just be called FT3.

The rating insignia for a Petty Officer Third Class is a white perched eagle above a chevron. On more formal uniforms (summer whites and winter working blues or above), the symbol for the petty officer's rating will be placed between the two. On white uniforms, the eagle, rating, and chevron will be navy blue (this has led to the eagle being referred to as the "crow" in common practice, and often the entire rating badge is simply referred to as the crow). On navy blue, the eagle and rating are white, and the chevron is red. Working uniforms and metal rank devices have the rating symbol omitted.

When a sailor is promoted the petty officer third class it is traditional for persons already holding that or a higher enlisted rank to “tack on the crow”. This is done with a gesture ranging from a light tap to a hard punch over the new petty officers sleeve insignia. This, however, has been deemed as "hazing" in the recent past, and as such can subject individuals involved in this practice to disciplinary action. This disciplinary action often includes the individual being demoted.

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