List of Discontinued Navy Ratings You Should Know About

Navy ratings describe how the Navy assigns work across the force. Each sailor has a rating, which is their job title. The rating also signals the skills the Navy expects them to use.

These roles keep the fleet operating every day. They cover work like engine upkeep, communications, and cybersecurity.

Navy work changes as technology and threats change. New systems replace older methods. Some ratings fade out over time. The Navy may merge them into newer jobs or remove them entirely.

Over the years, the Navy has ended many ratings that once mattered a great deal.

This section reviews those discontinued Navy ratings. It explains what each rating did, why it mattered at the time, and how the Navy adjusted after the rating disappeared.

The Evolution of Navy Ratings

1775. The Basics

Early Navy jobs stayed simple and practical. Quartermasters handled navigation and ship control. Boatswain’s Mates ran deck work and kept daily operations on track. Gunner’s Mates supported ship weapons and ammunition. The Navy focused on what a sailing force needed most.

19th and Early 20th Century. More Jobs, More Skills

Ships grew larger and more complex. Missions expanded. The Navy began adding specialists to handle new demands.

Some sailors used bugles to pass orders across a ship. Others ran printing and paperwork. Signalmen took on communications. Seamanship still mattered, but technical skill started to shape how the Navy staffed ships.

World War I and World War II. Every Job You Can Think Of

Wartime growth changed the workforce quickly. The Navy expanded in size and added many more roles to support fleets operating across the globe.

Core jobs such as engineers and radio operators became more common. At the same time, the Navy created niche positions for unique needs. Some roles supported emerging tools and methods, including jobs tied to pigeons for messaging and airships for surveillance and transport.

Cold War and Beyond. The Tech Boom

The Cold War accelerated technical change. Nuclear propulsion, guided missiles, and computers reshaped how the Navy built ships and fought wars.

New ratings supported these systems. The Navy trained specialists for nuclear operations, missile work, electronics, and information systems. Examples include roles tied to nuclear power, missiles, electronic warfare, and Information Technology. As a result, traditional seamanship played a smaller role in many areas. Technical expertise became central to fleet readiness.

Notable Discontinued Navy Ratings and Their Roles

Pigeon Trainer (Quartermaster, Pigeon. QM (P))

Before reliable radios, the Navy used carrier pigeons to send messages during combat. The birds carried notes when other methods failed. The Navy used them during World War I and World War II.

By 1961, radio systems had improved. The Navy no longer needed pigeons for messaging, so it ended the rating.

Airship Rigger (AR)

During World War II, the Navy operated airships. These aircraft needed constant upkeep to stay safe and mission-ready.

Airship Riggers handled repairs and maintenance. The Navy reduced airship use after the war. By 1948, the rating ended along with most airship operations.

Bugler (BUG)

Before public address systems, bugle calls helped manage life on a ship. Buglers signaled wake-ups, work details, and emergency stations.

By 1948, radios and shipboard speaker systems handled most of these signals. The Navy discontinued the rating.

Boiler Technician (BT)

Steam-powered ships relied on large boilers to generate power. Boiler Technicians maintained those boilers and supported safe operation at sea.

As the fleet moved away from steam plants, the need for this rating declined. In 1996, the Navy merged Boiler Technician into the Machinist’s Mate rating.

Signalman (SM)

Signalmen handled visual communications at sea. They used flags, flashing lights, and other line-of-sight systems to pass messages between ships.

Over time, encrypted radios and satellite communications replaced most visual signaling. The Navy ended the Signalman rating in 2003.

Nuclear Weaponsman (NW) to Gunner’s Mate Technician (GMT) to Weapons Technician (WT)

These sailors supported nuclear weapons work. Their duties included maintenance, security, and strict handling procedures.

By 1995, policy and force structure changes reduced the need for a separate rating focused only on nuclear weapons. The Navy shifted the work into broader weapons specialties, which also led to changes in rating names and organization.

Chemical Warfareman

Chemical Warfaremen focused on chemical defense. They supported detection, response actions, and contamination control.

As the Navy reorganized its force protection roles, these duties moved into the Damage Controlman community. The separate rating ended.

Printer (PrTr)

Before widespread computers, ships used onboard printing presses for newsletters, manuals, forms, and official documents.

As digital tools replaced print workflows, the Printer rating became less necessary. The work transitioned into modern public affairs and media roles, including what later became the Mass Communication Specialist rating.

Powder Monkey (Boy)

In the Civil War era, young boys carried gunpowder from storage areas to gun crews during combat. The role was dangerous and placed children in direct risk.

By 1893, the Navy ended the practice. The service stopped using children in this kind of shipboard combat support work.

Why Navy Ratings Get Discontinued

Automation Kills Jobs

Automation replaces tasks that once needed large teams. Systems that required constant hands-on work can now run through software and sensors.

Computers track targets, monitor equipment, and run diagnostics with speed and consistency. Ratings tied to older tools lose value when newer systems handle the same work with fewer people.

Merging and Cutting Redundancies

Some ratings become too narrow for a modern fleet. Others overlap with similar jobs. The Navy often responds by combining smaller specialties into broader ratings.

This approach reduces duplicate training and streamlines manning. It also makes it easier to move sailors across related jobs when needs change.

Warfare Never Stays the Same

Combat priorities shift over time. When strategy changes, the job list changes with it.

Steam-era roles declined as propulsion and ship systems evolved. New mission areas now drive force structure, including cyber operations and advanced weapons systems. If a rating no longer supports current requirements, the Navy ends it or folds it into something else.

Culture Reshapes the Navy

Language and job structures also change. The Navy updates titles and classifications to fit a modern force.

Some changes support clearer career paths. Others align with current standards, including gender-neutral terms. The Navy keeps certain traditions, but it also revises its structure to match how today’s service operates.

The Legacy of Discontinued Ratings

Old Ratings Built Today’s Navy

Many discontinued ratings shaped the jobs that exist now. In many cases, the Navy did not remove the work. It reassigned the work to newer roles.

For example, visual communication roles evolved into modern communications specialties. Weapons roles also shifted as new technology changed how sailors maintain and operate systems.

Veterans Don’t Let Ratings Die

A rating often becomes part of a sailor’s identity. Even after the Navy removes the title, many veterans still use the old name.

Veterans share stories, mentor younger sailors, and preserve the history of their communities. The rating may end on paper, but the people who held it often keep it alive.

Insignia Still Holds Weight

Old rating badges and insignia still carry meaning. Veterans collect them and pass them down within families.

Museums also preserve these items as part of naval history. They show the skills the Navy once relied on and the sailors who performed that work.

Speaking of Navy Jobs

Discontinued ratings show how the Navy has changed over time. Each rating that ends points to a shift in technology, tactics, or how the Navy organizes work.

The Navy may remove a rating from its official list, but many of those roles shaped the jobs that exist today. Veterans also help keep that history in circulation. They share what the job was like, teach traditions, and make sure the work is not forgotten.

Preserving that history takes effort. Shadow boxes, medal displays, and saved insignia help document what sailors did and how the fleet once operated. Museums, veteran groups, and historical societies also play a role by collecting artifacts and recording service stories.

The job title may be gone, but the legacy remains.

If you want to explore current Navy jobs, contact your local Navy recruiter for more information.

You may also be interested in learning about The Oldest Ratings in the U.S. Navy for enduring job titles, Why Are Navy Engineers Called Snipes? for engineering rating history, and Top 10 Coolest Jobs in the Navy for modern career options.