Military Ranks, Units and Weapons

Military Ranks, Units and Weapons Military Ranks, Units and Weapons Military Ranks, Units and Weapons By Mark Nichol Even the best and most popular authors get facts wrong sometimes (often because they leave research to others and don’t vet it, or are careless in their own investigations), but that’s no excuse for shoddy writing that contradicts what a large segment of the readership knows to be true. One area that’s a minefield, so to speak, for writers is the military. It’s easy to find detailed information about military ranks, units, and weaponry, not to mention history, but here’s some basic training: Military Rank Various nations follow differing conventions of nomenclature for military ranks, which specify an individual’s place in the military hierarchy. Charts that compare various military ranks among and within countries abound in print and online, but the major distinction is between commissioned officers, noncommissioned officers, and enlisted personnel. The first category is for personnel, often college graduates, who command units of various sizes depending on seniority. Noncoms are experienced enlisted personnel who supervise smaller groups of lower-ranking personnel. The term captain is a common point of confusion. A captain (the word is from the Latin for â€Å"head†) originally led a company of soldiers of indeterminate size. In modern armies, marine units, and air forces, captains are relatively low-ranking officers probably in their late 20s or early 30s. Naval captains, however, for reasons I won’t detail here, are much higher in equivalent seniority and usually much older. Furthermore, the commanding officer of most vessels is, by tradition, called the captain, though they may not hold that specific rank. In books, films, and television programs, the creators often stretch the bounds of probability as far as rank is concerned. In the original Star Trek TV series, for example, Captain Kirk was very young to be commanding a starship, though the 2009 big-screen reboot gives a plausible explanation for his precocious promotion. (Well, as plausible as anything is concerned when the subject is Star Trek.) By contrast, Brad Pitt’s character in Quentin Tarantino’s World War II action flick Inglourious Basterds [sic] is a mere army lieutenant. People who hold that beginner’s rank are likely to be in their early to mid-20s, but Pitt is old enough to be a lieutenant’s father. Military-style ranks are used in American police and fire departments. In large cities, a captain is a fairly high rank (while lieutenants are fairly common, especially among detectives), but in smaller departments, the chief may hold the rank of captain, and there may be only one lieutenant, or up to several. Similarly, a captain or a lieutenant heads up a fire company, which may consist of only a few firefighters, but a small-town fire department with a single station may be headed by a captain. Military Units You’ve seen it before: a book or movie synopsis that goes something like â€Å"A tough sergeant leads a platoon of commandos behind enemy lines . . . .† The military has a very specific organizational structure, and a platoon, which consists of several dozen soldiers, is never led by a sergeant, who in combat would be responsible for no more than a dozen or so men. As it turns out, the story’s commando unit consists of eight guys. There’s no military unit ordinarily consisting of eight soldiers, but an ad hoc assemblage could informally be called a squad. But if it’s on a special mission, even a mere eight-man unit would likely be led not by a sergeant but by a fairly junior officer, like Tom Hanks’s Captain Miller in Saving Private Ryan (who is assisted by a sergeant, who would take charge if his commanding officer were killed or incapacitated). Military Weapons Plenty of derision has been aimed over the years at war and cop movies and westerns, and at genre fiction, in which the hero’s magic gun never runs out of bullets, but it still happens. (I was annoyed too, while watching an already annoying fantasy film, when a character ambled through a crowded market square with an uncovered double-bladed battle-ax strapped to his back. All he had to do was inadvertently back into somebody to perform an instant nose-ectomy.) Follow the Drill Details like these may seem trivial to civilians, but they’re distracting to millions of service members and veterans, and many others, who know a sergeant major from a major general, a division from a detachment, and a Luger from a Ruger. The same problem afflicts people with firsthand or secondhand knowledge of any other system or profession or industry or avocation. So, if you’re going to write about the military, or about any other topic, do your research, and write it right. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Gratitude" or "Gratefulness"?20 Clipped Forms and Their Place (If Any) in Formal Writing

SUNY Application Tips How to Apply, Deadlines, and More

SUNY Application Tips How to Apply, Deadlines, and More SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The State University of New York system of colleges- commonly known as SUNY- encompasses some 64 different campuses throughout New York. These campuses include research universities, community colleges, and even specific programs at other universities like Cornell. Though this means that students who want to attend SUNY schools have plenty of choices, it also means that the SUNY application can feel something like a maze of options. Which school do you need? Which application should you fill out? Are you applying to one school or many? If you’re thinking of attending one of these 64 schools and need assistance filling out the SUNY application, this guide is here to help. We’ll be covering admissions requirements, which schools require supplemental essays, and some helpful information for filling out your application. SUNY has so many campuses that there's probably a few in this picture. Despite having 64 different campuses, the SUNY system’s application is fairly straightforward. Most students who apply to schools in the system use applySUNY, a proprietary application developed specifically for SUNY. You can use applySUNY to apply to almost any college within the SUNY system. However, there are a few schools that require their own applications: Cornell University, College of Agriculture Life Sciences (Universal or Common Application) Cornell University, College of Human Ecology(Universal or Common Application) Cornell University, College of School of Industrial Labor Relations(Universal or Common Application) Cornell University, College of College of Veterinary Medicine(Universal or Common Application) Downstate Medical University (Apply Yourself Application) Empire State College (SUNY ESC Application) Health Sciences Center at Stony Brook University (Multiple Applications) Nassau Community College (Nassau Community College Application) College of Optometry (OptomCAS) Rockland County Community College (RCC Application) Suffolk County Community College (Suffolk County Community College Application) Westchester County Community College (Westchester Community College Application) If you’re applying to any of those, be sure that you look up application deadlines, expectations, and other information in advance. Their requirements may differ substantially from the applySUNY requirements, so get started early. Other schools accept the Common Application in addition to applySUNY, giving you a second option if you’re also applying to schools that aren’t in the SUNY system: Purchase College, SUNY SUNY Albany SUNY Alfred State College of Technology SUNY Binghamton University SUNY Buffalo State SUNY Cobleskill SUNY College at Brockport SUNY College at Geneseo SUNY College at Old Westbury SUNY College at Oneonta SUNY College of Environmental Science Forestry SUNY College of Technology at Canton SUNY Cortland SUNY Delhi SUNY Farmingdale State College SUNY Fredonia SUNY Maritime College SUNY Morrisville State College SUNY New Paltz SUNY Oswego SUNY Plattsburgh SUNY Polytechnic Institute SUNY Potsdam SUNY Stony Brook University SUNY University at Buffalo Keep an eye on deadlines to make sure you're always on target! When Is the SUNY Application Due? Now that you know which application you’ll be filling out, it’s time to get into logistics. The applySUNY application is available online and in a paper version. Electronic applications are generally faster and easier for both students and colleges, but if you have limited internet access or other concerns, it’s totally fine to submit a paper application instead. Regardless of which one you choose, be sure that you include all required material! The SUNY system is somewhat atypical in that there is no official deadline for general applications; they’re accepted on a rolling basis as long as a program has openings. However, applications will close as soon as a program is full, so the sooner you can apply, the better. It’s always wise to double-check the website of the campus you’re applying to. And though there is no official deadline, SUNY still recommends that you get your application in by December 1. For students applying Early Decision, application dates vary. Early Decision students applying to the NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred University or Maritime have a deadline of November 1, while students applying to Geneseo have a deadline of November 15, and ESF students have a deadline of December 1. For Early Action, a non-binding early application, students hoping to attend Albany or Binghamton should apply by November 1. Oswego hopefuls should apply by December 1. All other Early Action applications must be received by November 15. For all Early Action students, the deadline to finalize their enrollment decision is May 1. Good grades will make your application a slam dunk. What Test Scores and GPA Do You Need for SUNY Schools? The variety of schools within the SUNY system means that there’s no hard and fast GPA and test scores guidelines for the entire system. Aim high and work hard to get the best score possible, but if you’re looking to flesh out your college list with some SUNY schools, these are the admissions requirements: School GPA ACT SAT Acceptance Rate SUNY Adirondack n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY University at Albany 3.4 24 1095 54 percent New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University 3.03 23 1110 62.7% Alfred State College 3.04 22 1045 67.7% Binghamton University 3.7 29 1361 40.4% The College at Brockport 2.98 23 1095 53.2% SUNY Broome n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY University at Buffalo 3.6 26 1225 57.4% SUNY Buffalo State 3.15 20 970 60% SUNY Canton n/a 17 - 22 880 - 1100 82.6% Cayuga Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy Clinton Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Cobleskills 3.09 20 960 94.3% Columbia Greene Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy New York State College of Agriculture Life Sciences at Cornell University 4.05 33 1470 12.7% New York State College of Human Ecology at Cornell University 4.05 33 1470 12.7% New York State School of Industrial Labor Relations at Cornell University 4.05 33 1470 12.7% New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University 4.05 33 1470 12.7% Corning Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Cortland 3.4 24 1125 47.9% SUNY Delhi n/a n/a n/a 51.3% SUNY Downstate Medical Center n/a n/a n/a 14% Dutchess Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Empire State College n/a n/a n/a 84% SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry 3.85 26 1237 52.2% SUNY Erie Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Farmingdale State College 3.24 21 1062 59% Fashion Institute of Technology 3.6 n/a n/a 47% Finger Lakes Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Fredonia 3.3 24 1150 64.9% Fulton-Montgomery Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Genesee Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Geneseo 3.66 27 1290 72.4% Herkimer County Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy Hudson Valley Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Jamestown Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Jefferson Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Maritime College 3.26 25 1178 69.4% Mowhawk Valley Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Monroe Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Morrisville State College n/a 17 - 22 850 - 1060 77.4% Nassau Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY New Paltz 3.6 25 1171 44.3% SUNY Niagara County Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy North Country Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY College at Old Westbury 3.1 21 1070 68.6% SUNY Oneonta 3.6 23 1115 59.5% Onondaga Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY College of Optometry n/a n/a n/a Unknown SUNY Orange County Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Oswego 3.5 24 1150 54.4% SUNY Plattsburgh 3.2 23 1121 52.9% SUNY Potsdam 3.31 21 1080 66.6% SUNY Purchase College 3.1 24 1150 43.5% SUNY Rockland Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Schenectady County Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy Stony Brook University 3.79 28 1304 42.2% Suffolk County Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Sullivan County Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy SUNY Polytechnic Institute n/a n/a n/a 62% Tompkins Cortland Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy Ulster County Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy Upstate Medical University n/a n/a n/a 34% SUNY Westchester Community College n/a n/a n/a Open Admissions Policy Sharpen your pencils for SUNY's essay requirements. What Should You Know About SUNY Essays? Both the applySUNY application and the Common Application use the same prompts. You have seven choices, with just one required essay of 250 to 650 words. However, some colleges require or accept a supplemental essay for freshmen and transfer students.Unless otherwise stated, the colleges listed below may require or recommend the following supplemental prompt as part of the applySUNY supplement: Please provide additional information (up to 250 words) that will help us better understand your academic performance. You may also use this space to explain any chronological gaps in your academic history (e.g. a period of time after high school graduation before applying to college). Always double-check with each individual school to be sure of their requirements. Additional information may be required after submitting your essay, so check in regularly to be sure you don't miss it. Schools That Require or Recommend Supplemental Essays for Freshmen Alfred State College Required SUNY Binghamton Required SUNY at Brockport Required Buffalo State College Required SUNY at Buffalo Required, if using applySUNY College of Agriculture Technology at Cobleskill Recommended SUNY Cortland Required College of Technology at Delhi Required for Adult Learners College of Environmental Science and Forestry Required: The ESF Admissions Committee would like to understand your interest in the college and our programs of study. Please explain why you have chosen the SUNY-ESF majors you selected in the Academic section of this screen and how each would fulfill your educational and career goals. If you selected ‘Undeclared’ as one of your choices, please tell us which majors you are considering and how they will fulfill your educational and career goals. Farmingdale State College Required Fashion Institute of Technology Required: What makes you a perfect candidate for FIT? Why are you interested in the major you are applying to? The essay is also your chance to tell us more about your experiences, activities and accomplishments. (No more than 750 words, please.) If you are a transfer student, you will be prompted to submit information about your in-progress courses, including course name and numbering and the name of the school you are currently attending. SUNY Fredonia Required SUNY Geneseo Required - Geneseo Supplement Maritime College Required Morrisville State College Required SUNY New Paltz Required SUNY Old Westbury Required (Choose One): 1. Please describe the challenges you expect to face at the SUNY Old Westbury and how you are prepared to meet those challenges. 2. Please describe an experience that has impacted your educational goals, and explain how the SUNY Old Westbury can help you accomplish them. 3. Personal Statement of your choice. SUNY Oneonta Required SUNY Oswego Required SUNY Plattsburgh Recommended SUNY Potsdam Required SUNYPurchase Required: Purchase College’s motto is â€Å"Think Wide Open.† It’s our way of learning, teaching and being and so much more. By choosing Purchase, students make a conscious decision to join an intense community with a deep respect for individuality and diversity and an unparalleled environment of creativity and innovation. As an applicant, we want to know what Think Wide Open means to you. All students submit either an essay, video or other creative work (poem, song, visual artwork, etc.). It should be original and should connect to Think Wide Open broadly or specifically. Videos and creative works should include a brief introduction or statement that helps contextualize your submission for the viewer/reader. Stony Brook University Required SUNY Polytechnic Required Schools That Require or Recommend Additional Essays for Transfer Students School Requirement College of Technology at SUNY Delhi Required: Supplemental Application SUNY Purchase Required: Transfer Supplemental SUNY Polytechnic Recommended: Supplemental Application Spend some time planning to avoid chewing your pencil this much. How to Answer the SUNY Essay Prompts Since most of SUNY’s required essays are the same as the Common Application, you can follow all the best practices for writing impressive Common App essays.However, there are some additional things to keep in mind when you’re answering the prompts specifically for SUNY. Don’t answer the same prompt twice, unless you have a radically different answer the second time. Really put the effort in to ensure that your essays stand out from one another, even if they use the same prompt. Second, tie your SUNY essay into SUNY itself. Your Common Application essays can be more general because they’ll be sent to every school that you apply to, but your college-specific essays should be tied to individual colleges. To do this, consider making a visit to campus or browsing their course catalog and club lists. You want SUNY to know that you’re not applying just because of proximity or reputation- you want to go to a SUNY school because it matters to you, not because you’ve heard its good. Third, be sure that your essay is always personal and unique. You may share some features with other students, including your good grades and extracurriculars, but no student is exactly the same as you. Your essay should reflect that- a good SUNY essay will be so unique that nobody else could possibly have written the same thing. Dig deep into what makes you you as you write your essay. Don’t just present yourself as a collection of grades and time invested in extracurriculars. What does your time spent in cooking club say about you? Is it that you love creating delicious foods that feed your hungry friends? Is it that you understand the reward of simmering something all day to bring out its innate flavors? Is it the thrill of perfecting a recipe you invented yourself? The more specific and personal your essays are, the better off you’ll be. Fill them with context and personality and you’ll be on the way to a successful SUNY application. Be the red gummy bear in a sea of clear ones. What Does SUNY Look for in Students? Your essay is just one part of your SUNY application. SUNY is looking for a comprehensive picture of your strengths as a student, so keep all these things in mind as you’re working on your application: Strong Academics Grades are extremely important to a successful college application. Use the table above to find out the average admitted GPA for the schools you’re applying to in order to figure out if your grades are on target. If not, start working now to improve your grades. A guide like this one can help you start making an academic plan to get your application into shape, no matter where you’re at in your education Passion You could have the best grades in the world, but if you don’t demonstrate any interest or passion for the things you do, you’re not likely to be a successful college student. That doesn’t mean you have to be in love with every subject, but rather that your application shows that you have interests and pursuits that you’re passionate about. Let your application, and especially your essays, show that you’re a person with varied passions and interests. You can even use a â€Å"spike† approach to your application, which showcases that you’re not only a good student, but that you have a particular passion that you’re dedicated to honing at your chosen school. Say you’re very into journalism- if you weight your application with English courses, journalism courses, time spent working on your school newspaper, and maybe even a few published works outside of school, you’re showing SUNY that you’re serious about what you do and that you’re ready to put in the work to pursue it. Leadership Investment in activities is great, but leadership is even better. Colleges like SUNY want to see that you’re serious about your commitments, and a leadership position shows that you’re confident and capable of inspiring others. If you’ve acted as a team captain, an editor, a group leader, or any other position of authority related to your field, it’s worth including in your application and essay. Leadership positions not only demonstrate your passion, but also your trustworthiness and ability to inspire. These are important features on a college campus, where you’ll be participating in campus culture, not just being an individual in a sea of unfamiliar faces. Show that you can lead others and you’ll show SUNY that you’re a good person to have on campus. Diversity Students can easily get hung up on diversity, which is often used to mean difference in race, gender, sexuality, or socioeconomic status. But even if those things don’t apply to you- or if they don’t feel like they’re relevant to your experience- that doesn’t mean that you’re not a good fit. The word â€Å"diversity† can also be applied to diversity of experience and thought. Think about your upbringing and how it’s set you apart from others. Things like the size of your hometown, the number of siblings you have, or where you live can impact your thinking and experiences, too. Don’t be afraid to include how your environment has shaped the person you are, including how you relate to others. Understanding of Mission and Goals One of the strongest ways to connect with the school you’re applying to is to understand what they want to accomplish as a college. Consult their mission statement and academic goals, and even read a little deeper into the essay prompts to understand exactly what they’re looking for. Though individual SUNY schools may have their own mission statements, you can learn a lot about the system by consulting the general SUNY mission. For example, SUNY uses words like â€Å"diversity,† â€Å"access,† and â€Å"traditional and non-traditional students,† throughout. From that, we can deduce that SUNY is interested in providing opportunities and education to all kinds of students, not just those who are wealthy or privileged or even local. Keep this in mind as you’re working on your application. How can you align yourself with these values, or the other values expressed in SUNY’s mission statement? Do these ideas apply to you? If not, how can you demonstrate that you’re committed to helping maintain and grow that mission? Make a list, check it twice. SUNY Application Checklist Applying to SUNY- let alone applying to multiple schools at once- requires a lot of forms, essays, and documents coming together. If you’re struggling to stay on top of everything you need to do to apply, this checklist will help get you started. #1: DecideWhich Schools You’re Applying To Make a list of schools you’ll be applying to and the deadlines for each to help keep you on track. #2: Pay the Application Fee or Request a Waiver SUNY has a $50 application fee. If you qualify, get the fee waiver ahead of time and get it filled out so you’re ready to submit it with your application #3: Collect Letters of Recommendation If you’re submitting letters of recommendation, they should be ready to go along with your application. Ask your teachers, counselors, coaches, and so on early to be sure that you get a letter that’s of good quality and that's ready on time. #4: Complete the SUNY Application Depending on which SUNY school you’re applying to and whether or not you’ll be applying Early Decision or Early Action, you may or may not have a deadline. Research your school early so you can keep track of when you need to apply! #5: Submit Supplemental Portfolio and Essays Some SUNY schools require or allow supplemental portfolios or other materials. If you’ll be submitting them, they should already be ready to go by the time you submit your application. SUNY will give you the due dates for any supplemental materials when you complete your application. #6: Retrieve School Counselor Forms SUNY requires a special form from your school counselor. Your counselor is responsible for submitting this form, but be sure to give them plenty of time to do so. #7: Submit International Student Forms If you’re an international student, determine which forms you need in advance so you have plenty of time to fill them out and turn them in. #8: Submit Academic Record SUNY requests transcripts from freshmen and transfer applicants. You can request that your school send them electronically or by mail, but be sure you ask for them to be sent as soon as possible to ensure they arrive on time. #9: Submit FAFSA Submit your FAFSA application by June 30, 2019- but keep in mind that the earlier you submit, the better! Stay on top of your application and you'll be feeling as calm and balanced as these rocks. SUNY Application Tips This is a lot of information, but don’t panic. There are some simple things to keep in mind as you’re working on your SUNY application. Following these steps will help you be stress-free as you’re applying. Plan Early You’re guaranteed to get stressed if you’re trying to cram the entire college application process into just one month. Start early. The best time to start thinking about college applications is freshman year. The second best time is right now. No matter where you’re at, take a moment to draft a concrete plan to follow, including deadlines, and stick to it. The earlier you get started, the better. Don’t wait until deadlines are already looming- give yourself lots of time and avoid stressing. Focus on Either the SAT or ACT Is the ACT or SAT more important? That depends on a few different factors. But as you’re getting ready to apply for colleges, don’t worry too much about excelling on both. Pick one or the other to be your focus, and hone your score on that test. Don’t try to divide your attention. As long as your chosen school accepts the test you choose, it doesn’t matter which test you take. Do your best on one of them and you’ll be good to go. Strive for Depth Over Breadth in Extracurriculars You don’t need a thousand extracurriculars to impress SUNY. You don’t even need ten extracurriculars. What you need is depth, meaning that you’ve spent time cultivating an interest in something rather than doing a whole bunch of activities for the sole purpose of fleshing out your application. Having a variety is good, but not if you’ve only spent a minimum amount of time on them. Chase your passions and dive deep into them rather than dipping your toes into a whole bunch of fields. It’s better to have a couple of strong interests than tons of shallow ones. If you have time, try out lots of things, but don’t waste time you could spend on your passions doing soccer, baseball, piano lessons, volunteer work, tutoring, acrobatics, beekeeping, woodworking, photography, journalism, and Mathletes if only one or two of them are at all interesting to you. Seek Strong Letters of Recommendation Many SUNY schools allow or require letters of recommendation, but not all letters are created equal. You should be asking people in positions of authority who know you and your academic strengths to write your letters. Ask early, and don’t be offended if you get a â€Å"no† in response- it could be that the person you ask already has quite a few letters to write. Give the person you ask as much information as possible about where you’re applying and what programs you’re applying to; that will help them write an even better letter. Also, don’t forget to say thank you- though teachers expect to write letters of recommendation, you should always express gratitude for them going above and beyond their job duties. Keep Your Momentum Up Senior Year Once your application is in and your transcripts are submitted, it might be tempting to take a little break from your hard work and start slacking off in school. Don’t do it! Some schools require a mid-year report, which could hurt your chances. You’ve worked hard to get where you are, so keep up that positive momentum to carry you forward into college and beyond! What’s Next? Knowing what a college admissions committee is and what it does can help you write an even better application. There's lots of advice out there about how to write an impressive college application. But whatreally looks good on your app? Understanding the college application process can ease some of the stress of applying to colleges. This guide covers everything you need to know about applying! Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.