Who is the highest Military Rank and Pay grade?

Retired Army 04 (Major)
9 years enlisted (Aviation) 14 years commissioned (Field Artillery) 3 years Recalled to Active Duty (Retiree Recall)

 

It's a well known fact that a US Coast Guard E-7 or above, will out rank all other services combined ranks....."It's science"

 

I always found it interesting that Navy and Coast Guard E7s seem to get lumped together with the E8/E9 and get the same prestige it takes Army NCOs to reach E8/E9 (First Sargent and Sargent Major) to get. I get it that they are senior NCOs - I guess it's because there is a perception of much more separation between Chiefs and Petty Officers - much more so than in the Army between SFC and SSG. Just my opinion looking from the outside.

 

This was meant more as a "jab" to all the other services. The Coast Guard is a very small branch, and you tend to stay close with others even when moving up the ladder. Especially in the aviation field. You will likely see the same individuals at different stations throughout your career. So even if your long time buddy is above you or below you in rank at your next station...there will always be the internal bond. I never had the chance to interact with any Army, Marine, or Airforce E-7's or above. Plenty of Navy though, and I can tell you that the Coast Guard probably has the least bit of seperation between Chiefs and Petty officers. You work closer, because you have to.

 

Maybe "separation" is the wrong word - prestige maybe. I really can only speak as to impressions as an outsider and a former Army NCO.
In the Coast Guard and Navy being a Chief seems, again from an outsides impression and stories related to me, to have quite a bit of prestige which includes all E7,E8 and E9. That same level of prestige in the Army is typically reserved for First Sargent (E8) and more so for Sargent Major (E9) especially Command Sargent Major.

To give you an example: The Army is not so different than how you describe the USCG in that folks on occasion run into each other. So a friend of mine with whom we were junior NCOs together He a SSG (E6) me a SGT (E5) ended up being assigned to a Battalion HQ years later he a MSG (E8) me a CPT (03).
I always called him by his rank Master Sargent rather than by Sargent which is the custom in the Army. He asked me why I did that and I told him I felt that he deserved the respect for all he had accomplished even though it was not really according to established custom. All Army NCOs from E5 to E8 are typically addressed as Sargent except for First Sargent and Sargent Major. Can you imagine in the USCG or Navy all E5 to E8 being addressed as Petty Officer?

 

I was just shy of my rocker.