The three services used a variety of uniforms for routine duties as well as for parade, fatigue, field, and shipboard duties. Colors were army khaki and army green, navy blue, and air force blue. Officers had an optional white uniform for summer wear in addition to dress uniforms for ceremonies and formal occasions. Government-issue uniforms worn by enlisted personnel were made of less expensive material and were simpler in design than uniforms worn by officers.

Army officer ranks up to the grade of colonel were the same as in the United States Army, that is, three company grades and three field grades (see fig. 15). The two general officer grades were equivalent to major general and lieutenant general in the United States system. Rank insignia, worn on shoulder boards or shirt collar, consisted of from one to six gold bars for second lieutenant through colonel, and two and three miniature gold sunbursts for major general and lieutenant general, respectively. Navy and air force officers had eight comparable ranks insignia were worn on lower sleeves similar to the United States Navy.

All services utilized several ranks of technicians between the commissioned officer and NCO levels. These were highly trained specialists who in many respects could be compared to warrant officers in the United States services. Technicians--five levels in the army and the air force and four in the navy--were career personnel who had been carefully screened for technical aptitude before being accepted for special training. Selected from among conscripts and volunteers, those accepted usually had attained higher educational levels than the average conscript.

In the navy, there were three petty officer ranks and two seaman ranks, but the other two services had, in effect, two levels of NCOs: subofficers, and sergeants and corporals. Subofficers were generally those who had served an initial tour and decided to follow a military career in the structure, they were comparable to the supergrades among United States enlisted personnel. The sergeants and corporals were generally conscripts on their initial tour who were selected for leadership traits (see fig. 16).

Data as of September 1992