 On December 23rd, the Navy celebrated the 180th anniversary of the enlisted insignia. Before 1833, there was no physical way to tell the difference between officers and non-officers aboard ships. In those times, Petty Officer was a title, not a rank, and they were handpicked by a ship's captain when he needed a job completed. In 1841, Petty Officers began wearing an eagle perched on an anchor on their sleeve. All Petty Officers wore the same insignia until rating badges were created in 1866. First, second, and third class Petty Officer ranks were formed in 1885. The Petty Officer insignia worn today came about in 1894 when the Navy established the Chief Petty Officer rank with three chevrons with an arch and eagle. Today, enlisted sailors wear rating badges only on their left sleeve to show their rank and job feel, and there are 56 ratings in the Navy. For more information, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website. From the Defense Media Activity, I'm Petty Officer Tyrell Morris.