Senior airman (
SrA) is the fourth
enlisted rank (E-4) in the
United States Air Force, just above
airman first class and below
staff sergeant. The rank designation is the same for male and female. Between its approval on 30 December 1975 (with implementation 1 June 1976) and 19 March 1991, senior airmen wore sleeve chevrons with blue center stars instead of silver to distinguish them from the non-commissioned officer rank of "
sergeant", also a pay grade of E-4. The latter was abolished in 1991 and the blue center star was changed to white to conform to all enlisted rank chevrons. The Air Force promotes an airman first class (A1C) to senior airman after 36 months "time in service" (TIS) and 20 months "time in grade" (TIG), or 28 months TIG, whichever occurs first. Outstanding airmen first class, limited to no more than 15 percent of the total, may be promoted to senior airmen six months early, in a competitive process called
below the zone. Senior airmen are expected to be technically proficient and begin to develop leadership skills, and may be expected to supervise an airman of lesser rank. Senior airmen must attend the five-week
Airman Leadership School, the first course of the Air Force's college of enlisted professional military education, before being promoted to staff sergeant. SrAs with no projected promotion and between three and six years TIS, may attend Airman Leadership School.
History Formerly, from 1976 to 1991, There are no longer any personnel on active duty who hold this rank. Due to high year of tenure rules in effect at the time, the last person to hold the rank was forced out of the Air Force on 23 March 1998. Sergeants wore the same chevrons as present-day senior airmen. Senior airmen wore similar chevrons, but with a blue (green on the fatigue or
battle dress uniform) subdued central star, as did all airmen in the lowest tier. Both get paid the same. Senior airmen are the lowest USAF rank eligible for selection as USAF recruiters, and (before the fall of 2013) as military training instructors for USAF
basic military training. , the USAF and the US Space Force are the only United States military services that do not have a non-commissioned officer rank at the E-4 pay grade. Previously, from 1947 to 1952, and from late 1968 or early 1969 to 1997, the rank of sergeant (E-4) was a non-commissioned officer rank in the USAF. In the interim, from 1952 to at least early 1968, the pay grade rank was titled "airman first class". ==See also==