Along with E-5 Staff Sergeants, E-6 Technical Sergeants are said to make up the service’s “NCO Tier.” Though most frequently associated with technical expertise, Technical Sergeants must also handle supervisory roles and serve as unit leaders while simultaneously taking responsibility for their subordinates’ development through mentoring and experiential guidance.
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Embroidered Technical Sergeant rank insignia is worn on the Air Force’s two utility uniforms, the Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) and the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP), as well as a gamut of non-dress garments and ensembles. The OCP was officially introduced for wear on 1 October 2018 as the replacement for the ABU, which has a mandatory wear-out date of 31 March 2021.
Rank insignia on the OCP is worn on the chest rather than on the shoulders (for Enlisted Airmen) and collars (Officers) of the ABU. Because of the radically different design of ABU Technical Sergeant sew-on insignia, we feature it on our
USAF Chevrons page.
| Uniform/Garment | Selections |
| OCP Coat | Rank with Velcro, OCP
Sew-on, OCP |
| ABU Coat (Officer) | Sew-on, ABU |
| ABU Coat (Enlisted) | Shoulder chevrons (go) |
| OCP Patrol Cap (Officers) | Sew-on, OCP |
| ABU Patrol Cap (Officers) | Sew-on, ABU |
| APECS | Gortex Loop, ABU |
| Improved Rain Suit | Gortex Loop, ABU |
| Sage Green Fleece | Rank with Velcro, ABU |
| Coyote Brown Fleece | Rank with Velcro, ABU |
| Woodland Gore-Tex Jacket | Gortex Loop, OCP |
| ECWCS | Gortex Loop, OCP |
Both insignia patterns are manufactured in three attachment styles—sew-on, hook and loop (Rank with Velcro), and slip-on (Gortex loop)—to accommodate the wide range of uniforms and garments on which they are worn. We’ve included this chart for quick reference as you use the selection boxes to the right to specify the Style and Pattern of the Technical Sergeant rank insignia you need. Note: Either sew-on or hook and loop insignia may be worn on the OCP coat, but the attachment style must match those of the nametape and USAF tape.