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US Department of Defense
American Forces Press Service


Do You Know



WASHINGTON, June 18, 1998 – Where does the word "chevron" come from?
It's French for rafter or roof

Which enlisted ranks don't wear chevrons?
Lowest three grades of Navy and Coast Guard seaman, and Army specialists

What is the origin of the sergeant?
Originally a servant to a medieval knight

Why do some organizations have a "sergeant at arms"?
Armed servants kept order in the Middle Ages

"Soldier" is derived from what Latin word?
Soldus, a contraction of solidus, a Roman coin used for paying troops