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Apetty officer (PO) is anon-commissioned officer in manynavies. They aresuperior to aseaman, and subordinate to more senior non-commissioned officers, such aschief petty officers.

Petty officers are usually sailors that have served at least several years in their respective navies. Petty officers represent the junior and mid-grade non-commissioned officer ranks of many naval services, and are generally responsible for the day-to-day supervision of ranks junior to them. They may also serve as technical specialists within theirrating (military occupation).

The modern petty officer dates back to theAge of Sail in theRoyal Navy. Petty officersrank between navalofficers (bothcommissioned andwarrant) and mostenlistedsailors. These were men with some claim to officer rank, sufficient to distinguish them from ordinaryratings, without raising them so high as the sea officers. Several were warrant officers, in the literal sense of being appointed bywarrant, and like the warrant sea officers, their superiors, they were usually among the specialists of the ship's company.^[1] TheOxford English Dictionary suggests that the title derives from the Anglo-Norman and Middle French "petit", meaning "of small size, small, little".^[2]

Two of the Royal Navy petty officer's rates,midshipman andmaster's mate, were a superior petty officer with a more general authority, but they remained no more than ratings. However, it was quite possible for a warrant officer (such as the armourer), in his role as a superior officer, to becourt-martialed for striking a midshipman. This is because the midshipman was regarded as future sea officer, with the all-important social distinction of having the right to walk thequarterdeck. Midshipmen wore distinctive uniforms, master's mates dressed respectably, and both behaved like officers. The master's mate rating evolved into the rank ofsub-lieutenant, and midshipman evolved intonaval cadet.^[1] In the same administrative reforms of the 1860s that created the rank of Sub-lieutenant, two grades of Petty Officer were established for senior ratings — Petty Officer Second Class and Petty Officer First Class, the latter usually being achieved by men who had served as a PO 2nd Class with good conduct for six years. PO2s wore 'square rig' (the traditionalsailor suit worn by junior ratings) while PO1s wore 'fore and aft' rig likechief petty officers and above. PO2s wore insignia of afouled anchor (as forleading hands) but surmounted by a crown, while the insignia of a PO1 was a pair of crossed fouled anchors with a crown. The rank of Petty Officer Second Class was abolished in 1907 and the rank simply being titled as Petty Officer from then, with the uniform and insignia formerly used by PO1s.^[3]

• Petty officer third class
• Petty officer second class
• Petty officer first class
• Chief petty officer
• Senior chief petty officer
• Master chief petty officer

There are two petty officer ranks in theRoyal Canadian Navy.Petty officer, 2nd class (PO2) (maître de deuxième classe orm2 inFrench) is equivalent to asergeant andpetty officer, 1st class (PO1) (maître de première classe orm1) is equivalent to awarrant officer.

Petty officers are normally addressed as "Petty Officer Bloggins" or "PO Bloggins", thereafter as "PO". The "1st class" and "2nd class" designations are normally only used when such a distinction needs to be made, such as on a promotion parade or to distinguish two petty officers with similar names but different ranks. The NATO rank denotion for "petty officer, 2nd class" is OR-6 (petty officers, 2nd class with less than 3 years seniority are considered OR-5). The NATO rank denotion for "petty officer, 1st class" is OR-7.

A petty officer is anon-commissioned officer in theIndian Navy, equivalent to theNATOrank enlisted grade ofOR-6. They are equal in rank to a sub inspector of police in the Police, orhavildar in theIndian Army andsergeant in theIndian Air Force. A petty officer issuperior in rank to aleading rate andsubordinate to achief petty officer, as is the case in the majority of Commonwealth navies.

A petty officer has the ability to work as a leader, capable of taking charge of a group of personnel, and taking roles in the training and recruitment of new members of the Indian Navy.

In theRoyal Navy, the rate of petty officer comes above that ofleading rating and below that ofchief petty officer. It is the equivalent ofsergeant in theRoyal Marines,British Army andRoyal Air Force. Petty officer is the lowest of thesenior rating grades. Petty officers, like all senior rates, wear"fore and aft" rig.

The title of petty officer in theUnited States Navy andUnited States Coast Guard has three separate "classes" (in order from junior to senior: 3rd class, 2nd class, 1st class) and three senior grades (chief petty officer, senior chief petty officer, master chief petty officer).Petty officer, first class is equivalent in paygrade tostaff sergeant in the United States Army and Marine Corps, andtechnical sergeant in the United States Air Force and United States Space Force.Petty officer, second class is equivalent in paygrade tosergeant in the United States Army, Marine Corps, and Space Force, andstaff sergeant in the United States Air Force.Petty officer, third class is equivalent in paygrade tocorporal in theUnited States Army, corporal in theUnited States Marine Corps,senior airman in theUnited States Air Force, andspecialist 4 in theUnited States Space Force.

In the Navy, Petty Officer, Third Class is the juniormost of the Non-Commissioned Officer ranks, and thus a sailor must demonstrate satisfactory performance in the previous rank (E-3) in the form of a favorable performance review(s) by his/her superiors, and the passing of an exam, in order to be promoted to PO3.

Enlisted rank has two components: rate (pay grade) and rating (job specialty). Both components are reflected in the title. A sailor in the rate of petty officer first class with a rating of Aviation Machinist's Mate, would be an Aviation Machinist's Mate 1st Class (abbreviated "AD1"). In the Navy, it is acceptable to refer to a Petty Officer as such, while in the Coast Guard, rating is always used.

• 
  Petty officer
  (Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard)^[5]
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  Petty officer
  (Royal Australian Navy)^[6]
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  Petty officer
  (Royal Bahamas Defence Force)^[7]
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  পেটি অফিসার
  Pēṭi aphisāra
  (Bangladesh Navy)^[8]
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  Petty officer
  (Barbados Coast Guard)^[9]
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  Petty officer
  (Republic of Fiji Navy)
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  Petty officer
  (Guyana Coast Guard)
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  Petty officer
  (Indian Navy)^[10]
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  Petty officer
  (Irish:Mion-oifigeach)
  (Irish Naval Service)^[11]
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  Petty officer
  (Jamaican Coast Guard)^[12]
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  Petty officer
  (Namibian Navy)^[13]
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  Petty officer
  (Royal New Zealand Navy)^[14]
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  Petty officer
  (Nigerian Navy)^[15]
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  Petty officer
  (Papua New Guinea Maritime Element)
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  Petty officer
  (South African Navy)^[16]
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  Petty officer
  (Sri Lanka Navy)^[17]
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  Petty officer
  (Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard)^[18]
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  Petty officer
  (Royal Navy)^[19]

• Boatswain's mate (disambiguation)
• List of United States Navy ratings
• Royal Navy ratings rank insignia
• United States Navy enlisted rates

• Military ranks of the Commonwealth
• Military ranks of Australia
• Military ranks of Canada
• Military ranks of the Royal Navy
• Military ranks of the United States Navy
• Naval ranks
• Marine occupations

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