It looks like the E-4 mafia is coming out of the closet

Anyone who has served in the U.S. military, and many veterans of other military services, are familiar with the so-called “E-4 Mafia”: conscripts who straddle the line between non-commissioned officer and enlisted, who know enough to be useful and dangerous at the same time, and who tend to have a certain self-confidence that belies their competence. There have been many articles and stories about them, including (but not limited to):

The Real Army Gang: The E-4 Mafia

E4 Mafia: The Real Dons of the US Military

The E4 Mafia is a damn thing

7 Unofficial Rules the E4 Mafia Lives By

According to Task & Purpose, there is now even an “official” E-4 Mafia sleeve badge for the Navy!

Behind every great warship stands a young sailor with a moustache, a cap that may or may not get shouted at, depending on the weather or the time of day, and an aggressive disposition that is somewhere between humor and masochism.

We give you the E-4, the average American military guy. In this case, he’s an operations specialist aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, proudly, no, fearlessly standing guard with a vibrant patch on the right sleeve of his jacket that practically screams, “Look at this, f*****.”

There’s more at the link.

I, young, sweet, innocent and pure as the driven slush, was of course never a member of the E-4 Mafia or anything like it. On the other hand, there are certain incidents in my early days in the military that might seem like things the E-4 Mafia might approve of… but there were none, there were no witnesses (at least none higher than me) and the statute of limitations has run out!