Grunt Speak
Nonrate
Coast Guard
Definition
An E-3 and below in the Coast Guard — someone who hasn't picked a rating yet and gets assigned to whatever awful task nobody else wants. Every senior Coastie remembers being a nonrate the way trauma survivors remember the event.
Example Usage
"As a nonrate I spent four months chipping paint, standing mid-watches, and being told I'd understand when I picked up a rate."