The era from 1902 to 1920 was the most complex era for enlisted rank insignia in the United States Army. During that time the army was organized with each branch (cavalry, infantry, artillery, etc.) having its own rank structure. This led to a large number of insignia designs being used.
On July 17, 1902, the army issued General Order 81 prescribing new uniforms. Enlisted chevrons were made smaller and changed to point up. The smaller chevrons were due to the wearing of shirts as outerwear in the warm climates that the army was operating in at the time. The army had allowed chevrons on shirts in July 1898.Circular 26, July 25, 1898 The large coat chevrons in use at the time did not fit on shirt sleeves so soldiers began to fashion smaller versions of their chevrons. The army gave preliminary approval of smaller chevrons in 1900.Emerson, William K.. U.S. Army Soldiers and Their Chevrons: An Illustrative Catalog and History from the Revolutionary War to Present. United States: R. James Bender, 2013., p. 93 The new regulations made the smaller chevrons the standard for all uniforms.
The insignia was to be in the colors of each branch, light blue for infantry, yellow for cavalry, red for artillery, buff for the Quartermaster's Department that included the detachment at West Point, grey for the Subsistence Department, maroon piped with white for the Medical Department, red piped with white for the Corps of Engineers, black piped with red for the Ordnance Department and orange piped with white for the Signal Corps. They would be worn on a background matching the coat. This meant that each design was placed on backgrounds of blue, white, khaki and olive drab. There was also a rust colored fatigue uniform worn by men of the artillery at emplacements. Regulations call for "usual chevrons", which would have meant red on a rust background. It seems in practice the chevrons were brown or tan.Emerson, William K.. U.S. Army Soldiers and Their Chevrons: An Illustrative Catalog and History from the Revolutionary War to Present. United States: R. James Bender, 2013., 176
US Army Sergeants' Chevrons 1902 +Dress BlueWhiteKhakiOlive DrabFatigue
US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1902
Quartermaster's Department Subsistence Department Medical Department Corps of Engineers No Insignia No InsigniaOrdnance Department No InsigniaSignal Corps Cavalry No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaArtillery Corps No Insignia No InsigniaInfantry No Insignia No InsigniaMilitary Academy DetachmentNo InsigniaNo Insignia
On March 2, 1903, the rank structure of the medical department was changed to Sergeant First Class (replacing Hospital Steward), Sergeant (replacing Acting Hospital Steward), Corporal, Lance Corporal (replacing Lance Acting Hospital Steward), Private First Class and Private.32stat930 Insignia was prescribed on April 28, 1903.War Department General Order 62, April 28, 1903
No InsigniaSergeant First ClassSergeantCorporalLance CorporalPrivate First ClassPrivate On October 1, 1903, the color for infantry was changed from light blue to white.War Department General Order 37, October 16, 1903
US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1903
Quartermaster's Department Subsistence Department Medical Department No InsigniaCorps of Engineers No Insignia No InsigniaOrdnance Department No InsigniaNo InsigniaSignal Corps Cavalry No Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaArtillery Corps No Insignia No InsigniaInfantry No Insignia No InsigniaMilitary Academy DetachmentNo InsigniaNo Insignia
A rank of Master Signal Electrician was added to the Signal Corps on April 28, 1904.33stat261 Also on that date a Band Sergeant and Assistant Leader was added to the West Point Band.33stat442 He probably wore the three chevrons of a sergeant.
New uniform regulations were issued on December 31, 1904War Department General Order 197, December 31, 1904 that not only prescribed insignia for Master Signal Electricians but changed the color of all insignia not worn on the dress blue coat. Supplying so many versions of insignia had proved to be difficult and costly. The regulation changed the insignia for the white, khaki and olive drab coats from branch colors to olive drab shirting flannel.
US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1904–1906
Quartermaster's Department Subsistence Department Medical Department No InsigniaCorps of Engineers No Insignia No InsigniaOrdnance Department No InsigniaNo InsigniaSignal Corps Cavalry No Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaArtillery Corps No Insignia No InsigniaInfantry No Insignia No InsigniaMilitary Academy DetachmentNo InsigniaNo Insignia
On January 25, 1907, The Corps of Artillery was split into Field Artillery regiments and a Coast Artillery Corps.34stat861-862 The regimental structure for the field artillery added the ranks of Regimental Sergeant Major, Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant, Regimental Commissary Sergeant, Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant and Chief Mechanic. In the Coast Artillery Corps the ranks of Master Gunner and Engineer were added and electrician sergeants were split into two classes. Artificers were removed from both organizations.
Insignia was prescribed on August 14, 1907.War Department General Order 197, August 14, 1907 Engineers wore a governor in a ring and Master Gunners a shell in a wreath. Master electricians now wore lightning in a wreath, Electrician Sergeants First Class three chevrons, one arc and lightning and Electrician Sergeants Second Class three chevrons and lightning. Master Gunner EngineerMaster ElectricianElectrician Sergeant First ClassElectrician Sergeant Second Class
US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1907
! Quartermaster's DepartmentSubsistence DepartmentMedical DepartmentNo InsigniaCorps of EngineersNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaOrdnance DepartmentNo InsigniaSignal CorpsCavalryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaField ArtilleryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaCoast Artillery CorpsNo InsigniaNo InsigniaInfantryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMilitary AcademyNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo Insignia
Insignia for the coast artillery was changed again on January 18, 1908.War Department General Order 15, January 18, 1908 Master Gunners now wore a shell in a wreath under a star, Engineers wore the same with a governor instead of a shell and Master Electricians wore the same with lightning. Electrician Sergeants wore three chevrons over a wreath with lightning with first class being denoted by a bar. Firemen now wore one chevron and one arc with a governor.
The background of all private first class style insignia was made round instead of rectangular to save cloth.Emerson, William K.. U.S. Army Soldiers and Their Chevrons: An Illustrative Catalog and History from the Revolutionary War to Present. United States: R. James Bender, 2013., p. 186
Master Gunner EngineerMaster ElectricianElectrician Sergeant First ClassElectrician Sergeant Second ClassFireman
US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1908
! Quartermaster's DepartmentSubsistence DepartmentMedical DepartmentNo InsigniaCorps of EngineersNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaOrdnance DepartmentNo InsigniaSignal CorpsCavalryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaField ArtilleryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaCoast Artillery CorpsNo InsigniaNo InsigniaInfantryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMilitary AcademyNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo Insignia In January 1909 the Band Sergeant and Assistant Leader of the West Point Band and the Sergeant In charge of the West Point field musicians were given distinctive insignia.Emerson, William K.. U.S. Army Soldiers and Their Chevrons: An Illustrative Catalog and History from the Revolutionary War to Present. United States: R. James Bender, 2013., p. 222-223
On January 22, 1909, Master Signal Electricians were given insignia different from other Master Electricians.War Department General Order 11, January 22, 1909
On March 3, 1909, enlisted detachments were added to the army's various service schools.35stat733/War Department General Order 118, June 15, 1909
On June 12, 1909, the rust fatigue uniform was replaced with a uniform made of blue denim.War Department Circular 37, June 12, 1909
Insignia for the new uniform was prescribed on November 4, 1909.War Department General Order 221, November 2, 1909 They were to be of "red washable material placed on a background of blue denim cloth". It seems that in practice the army never found a red washable material that was color fast. Instead the chevrons were just outlines of red stitching.Emerson, William K.. U.S. Army Soldiers and Their Chevrons: An Illustrative Catalog and History from the Revolutionary War to Present. United States: R. James Bender, 2013., 177
Band Sergeant and Assistant Leader Sergeant of Field MusicMaster Signal Electrician
US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1909
+Quartermaster's DepartmentSubsistence DepartmentMedical DepartmentNo InsigniaCorps of EngineersNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaOrdnance DepartmentNo InsigniaSignal CorpsCavalryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaField ArtilleryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaCoast Artillery CorpsNo InsigniaNo InsigniaInfantryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMilitary Academy No InsigniaService School DetachmentsNo Insignia
On March 10, 1910, enlisted detachments at service schools were ordered to wear green dress chevrons and the detachment at West Point was ordered to wear green piped with white.War Department General Order 39, March 10, 1910
On March 23, 1910, the title of Farrier and Blacksmith was shortened to just Farrier and a rank of Horseshoer was added.36stat245 Insignia was prescribed on June 13, 1910. Horseshoers would continue the horseshoe of Farriers and Blacksmiths, Farriers would now wear a horse head and insignia for Wagoners was now a wagon wheel.War Department General Order 109, June 13, 1910
Horseshoer (Cavalry) Horseshoer (Field Artillery)Farrier (Cavalry)Wagoner (Cavalry)
US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1910
+Quartermaster's DepartmentSubsistence DepartmentMedical DepartmentNo InsigniaCorps of EngineersNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaOrdnance DepartmentNo InsigniaSignal CorpsCavalryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaField ArtilleryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaCoast Artillery CorpsNo InsigniaNo InsigniaInfantryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMilitary Academy No InsigniaNo InsigniaService School DetachmentsNo Insignia
New uniform regulations, issued on December 29, 1911, eliminated the khaki uniform and therefore the need for chevrons with a khaki background. Privates of the Signal Corps no longer wore insignia.
US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1911
+!Quartermaster's DepartmentSubsistence DepartmentMedical DepartmentNo InsigniaCorps of EngineersNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaOrdnance DepartmentNo InsigniaSignal CorpsNo InsigniaCavalryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaField ArtilleryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaCoast Artillery CorpsNo InsigniaNo InsigniaInfantryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMilitary AcademyNo InsigniaNo InsigniaService School Detachments No InsigniaNo Insignia
On August 24, 1912, the army's Quartermaster, Subsistence and Pay Departments were merged into the Quartermaster Corps.37stat591 The new corps contained the enlisted ranks of Master Electrician, Quartermaster Sergeant, Quartermaster Corps, Sergeant First Class, Sergeant, Corporal, Cook, Private First Class and Private. The old ranks of Post Quartermaster Sergeant and Post Commissary Sergeant were eliminated.
It is not clear when insignia was prescribed. No InsigniaMaster Electrician Quartermaster CorpsQuartermaster Sergeant, Quartermaster CorpsSergeant Quartermaster CorpsCorporalQuartermaster CorpsCook, Quartermaster CorpsPrivate First ClassQuartermaster CorpsPrivate Quartermaster Corps
US Army Olive Drab Chevrons 1912
!Quartermaster CorpsNo InsigniaMedical DepartmentNo InsigniaCorps of EngineersNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaOrdnance DepartmentNo InsigniaSignal CorpsNo InsigniaCavalryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaField ArtilleryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaCoast Artillery CorpsNo InsigniaNo InsigniaInfantryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMilitary Academy No InsigniaNo InsigniaService School DetachmentsNo Insignia