Which rank uses Three stripes up and Crossed Rifles on its insignia?

Which rank uses Three stripes up and Crossed Rifles on its insignia?

• A. Sergeant (E-5)
• B. Staff Sergeant (E-6)
• C. Master Sergeant (E-8)
• D. First Sergeant (E-8)

Answer: (A)

Understanding Marine Corps enlisted insignia helps you read rank at a glance. The stripes (chevrons) indicate pay grade, while additional devices below or among the stripes show the exact rank and, in some cases, the branch. Three chevrons pointing up combined with the crossed rifles device is the insignia shown for a Sergeant, the first noncommissioned officer at pay grade E-5. The crossed rifles signify infantry, and the three stripes above indicate the E-5 level. The other options don’t use that exact combo. A Staff Sergeant has three stripes plus a rocker underneath, not crossed rifles. Master Sergeant and First Sergeant feature more complex insignia (additional rockers and, in some cases, a central symbol like a star or diamond) rather than three stripes with crossed rifles. So the three-stripes-with-crossed-rifles combination points to the Sergeant.

Understanding Marine Corps enlisted insignia helps you read rank at a glance. The stripes (chevrons) indicate pay grade, while additional devices below or among the stripes show the exact rank and, in some cases, the branch.

Three chevrons pointing up combined with the crossed rifles device is the insignia shown for a Sergeant, the first noncommissioned officer at pay grade E-5. The crossed rifles signify infantry, and the three stripes above indicate the E-5 level.

The other options don’t use that exact combo. A Staff Sergeant has three stripes plus a rocker underneath, not crossed rifles. Master Sergeant and First Sergeant feature more complex insignia (additional rockers and, in some cases, a central symbol like a star or diamond) rather than three stripes with crossed rifles. So the three-stripes-with-crossed-rifles combination points to the Sergeant.