Designated in Army regulations as nonsubdued sew-on grade insignia, the instantly recognizable embroidered chevrons, arcs, and star that signify the rank of Sergeant Major (E-9) are worn on the sleeves of dress uniform coats or jackets, viz., the Army Service / Dress, Army Green Service/ Dress, and Blue Mess and White Mess Dress Uniforms.
Please review your selection of the color of the fabric upon which your Sergeant Major chevrons will be embroidered before proceeding to checkout or continuing shopping. Chevrons sewn onto white fabric are worn only on the White Mess Jacket, while blue backing fabric is employed for chevrons that will be placed on the Blue Mess Dress Jacket or Army Service / Dress Uniform Coats. Heritage Tan chevrons on Heritage Green fabric. the most recent addition to the lineup of authorized chevron colors and backing fabrics, were introduced for wear with the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) Coat and long- and short-sleeve shirts (on the Class B AGSU).
Additionally, we offer chevrons on green fabric for our customers seeking insignia authorized for wear with the discontinued Class A Army Green Uniform Although it had an official “wear-out” date of September 30, 2015, it is still popular among veterans, uniform collectors, and TV and motion-picture companies seeking Mil-Spec versions of the classic “Army Greens.”
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The rank of Sergeant Major was introduced in the U.S. Army on July 16, 1776 with a Congressional resolution specifying that the commanding officer of each regiment appoint a “serjeant major” (along with a quartermaster sergeant, drum major, and a fife major). A variety of insignia were used to denote this rank in the decades that followed, including colored epaulettes, sashes, plumes, and even a chevron. But it was not until the Army issued new uniform regulations in 1847 that the Sergeant Major insignia was given the now-familiar design of three chevrons (points up) above three arcs (although the 1847 regulations describe it as "three bars, and an arc," i.e., singular arc). This edition of the regulations also saw the first appearance of a lozenge in Army heraldry (used then and now for the rank of First Sergeant).
The rank of Sergeant Major was disestablished in 1920, subsumed by the rank of Master Sergeant, but was revived in 1958 with the creation of two new enlisted pay grades (E-8 and E-9). At that time the five-pointed star was added to the trio of chevrons and arcs, and the design has remained the same ever since.