Chief petty officer (E-7)
Chief petty officer is the seventh enlisted rank in the US Navy, pay grade E-7. On khaki uniforms the insignia is a gold fouled anchor with silver letters USN.
How to read it
The uniform regulations describe the collar device as a gold fouled anchor with silver block letters USN on its shank; the same anchor is the chief’s cap badge. On dress uniforms a chief wears a rating badge instead: an eagle, three chevrons with an arc (the rocker) above them, and the specialty mark. The rank sits above Petty officer first class (E-6) and below Senior chief petty officer (E-8), who adds one star above the anchor. Navy.com says “Chief” means a chief petty officer, E-7, and describes chiefs as recognised experts in their rating who supervise sailors, mentor junior leaders and give commanders technical advice.
Also searched as: chief, CPO, E-7 navy.
Ranks and insignia as the US Navy’s own uniform regulations and pages set them out. Pay grades are the Department of Defense’s.
Anchor with stars
The anchor is the same for every chief. Stars above its stock show the higher grades: one for a senior chief, two for a master chief and three for the master chief petty officer of the Navy.
Where the arc came from
According to the Naval History and Heritage Command, the Navy created the rank in 1894 and gave the chief the three chevrons with arc and eagle.
Read next
- Next in Navy ranksSenior chief petty officer (E-8)Senior chief petty officer is the eighth enlisted rank in the US Navy, pay grade E-8. On khakis the insignia is the chief’s gold fouled anchor with USN and one silver star above it.
- The same shape in Accessibility symbolsAudio description symbol (AD)AD stands for audio description: a narrator describes what is happening on screen or on stage in the pauses between the dialogue, for people who are blind or have low vision.
More navy ranks
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with curves and waves or letters and numbers.
Sources
- Navy Uniform Regulations, articles 4211–4214: CPO rate insignia, United States Navy Uniform Regulations (NAVPERS 15665J), arts. 4211–4214, Navy Personnel Command (MyNavy HR), art. 4211.1a; art. 4212.2
- U.S. Military Rank Insignia, Resources: U.S. Military Rank Insignia (enlisted and officer insignia by paygrade), U.S. Department of Defense (defense.gov), Enlisted insignia, E-7
- U.S. Navy Ranks & Insignia, U.S. Navy Ranks & Insignia (navy.com), U.S. Navy Recruiting Command (navy.com), Senior Enlisted Leaders: E-7 to E-9; FAQ
- Naval Traditions: Names of Rank, “Petty Officer”, Naval Traditions: Names of Rank, Enlisted Ranks, “Petty Officer”, Naval History and Heritage Command, para. 6
- Navy Uniform Regulations, article 4321: CPO headgear insignia, United States Navy Uniform Regulations (NAVPERS 15665J), art. 4321, Navy Personnel Command (MyNavy HR), art. 4321.1
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 29, 2026. How we research
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