The chevron symbol consists of upward pointed arrows, one below the other. The arrows can be seen as much as four in a row, but not all chevron insignias have the same number of arrows. In heraldry, the chevron symbol is one of the most notable signs. This symbol and its number of arrows in most cases represents the ranking of a particular member of the military or other armed forces. Each arrow itself is called a chevron. These chevrons come in a form of a patch or badge that are sewn onto the military jacket/police uniform of the individual. One chevron indicates that the individual is a private or lance corporal. Two chevrons show that said person is a corporal. Three chevrons they are a sergeant and having four chevrons signifies a higher ranking sergeant. Chevrons are used in many militaries all around the world, they are used as a way of identifying a member and what rank they are or how many years they have been in the armed forces.

This symbol did not derive directly from the military standpoint however. This symbol dates back as far as the ancient Greco-Roman Empire when Greece and Rome interlocked civilizations. In the Roman alphabet, the chevron symbol is actually the fourth letter, or number. This is a symbol in the Roman alphabet that does not occur in the English alphabet. The chevron was very popular amongst the people that they even used this symbol to paint on pottery for decorative purposes. Others took it more seriously and would engrave the symbol on the weapons used by the Greek Spartan warriors, most notably on the front of the shields. Because the Greek Spartans were known for doing this, the widespread of the symbol took off and is now a part of the worlds armed forces culture.

Military Chevron Tattoo

Having the chevron as a tattoo, there are many different ways, styles, and variations to a piece such as this. Depending on your reasoning for wanting this tattoo, there are different ways to go about the graphic; how big or small can it be, where should you get it, and how do you represent it on yourself, for what purposes. Since the chevron is such a simple design, you can basically fit it anywhere you would like. Those who have been in the military or are maybe even serving in the armed forces that have chevrons on their jackets like to remind themselves of their accomplishments. This being said, many people of the military will get the number of chevrons they have and put it on the spot where it is displayed on their jacket. Normally a tattoo such as this is seen on the upper arms. A more noticeable spot to have this tattoo to show off to the world would be on the forearm. A tattoo such as this one could be done as simple as the lines of the chevron, or you could make the outline of the chevron arrows and fill them in. Another idea would be to have the outline of the chevron arrows and have a camouflage style effect on the inside. Doing this could separate your tattoo with the rest of the chevron tattoos out there.