Petty Officer First Class
A senior US Navy noncommissioned officer, E-6 and NATO OR-6, leading shops and standing key watches.
Overview
Petty Officer First Class wears three chevrons below the eagle and rating mark and is the senior technician of a division, often its leading petty officer, running its daily routine under a chief. Selection to E-6 uses the same advancement examination and quota system as lower grades, with markedly harder competition. PO1s qualify for chief through a multi-year cycle and typically hold warfare qualification as senior watch supervisors. OR-6 aligns with the Army staff sergeant. First class petty officers carry collateral duties: command fitness leader, career counselor, safety observer, the connective tissue of shipboard routine.
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