orgtheory quiz #1: american uniformed services
You think you know about organizations? Oh yeah? Really? Can you name all seven of the uniformed services of the United States federal government (those with officers as outlined by Title 10 of the Federal code)? Click below for the list:
The easy ones:
Here is a slightly harder one:
You are an Orgtheory sensei if you can guess the two remaining ones:
- The US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps
Didn’t get those last two? You know jack about organizations! You flunk into demography.
I knew this one, but it is embarrassing to explain why. I stumbled across a list of the seven when looking up the NOAA on Google and immediately thought, “I should memorize this, because it will come up in the weekly trivia game we play sooner or later.”
It hasn’t yet, but I’m ready!
Still, pretty sure I don’t quality as a sensei.
turducken
December 8, 2009 at 5:52 am
What about the U.S. Federal Ninja Corps? Best. Uniform. Ever.
Kieran
December 8, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Post Office doesn’t count?
Thorfinn
December 8, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Is demography THAT bad?
* weeps *
Guillermo
December 8, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Thorfinn: Interesting question. “Uniformed service” seems to refer military units as defined by Title 10. The Postal Service is mandated by the Constitution and it precedes Title 10. Also, a Congressional act of 1970 made the USPS an independent agency, while the uniformed services exist within specific departments (e.g., Coast Guard is now in homeland security). Finally, even though there is a post master general, it appears that the USPS does not employ the military organization that the uniformed services. There aren’t captains, admirals, etc. – though they do have a traditional M-form structure.
Kieran: You will be very sorry that you mentioned the USNS. Very sorry.
fabiorojas
December 8, 2009 at 6:14 pm
The American Ninja Corps certainly kick ass.
Omar
December 8, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Wow! I knew this one!
Earlier this year, I found this out upon when I looked up up something related to the Surgeon General. I learned about the NOAA Corp (who weirdly almost share a seal/emblem with the PHSCC) when I went to see what else I was missing.
Being able to waste 2 minutes of my time now telling you all now is basically the payoff I get for wasting 10 minutes of my time then.
Benjamin Mako Hill
December 9, 2009 at 2:48 am
I got the hardest two wrong (I guessed Merchant Marines and Secret Service).
NOAA makes sense because I think they have a rare similar paid vacation structure similar to the military services, although I though that applied to all full-time NOAA employees, not just to their “commissioned corps”. Does that mean they have no enlisted analogue?
Fun quiz for an org nerd like me. Good chance I’ll be getting a Ph.D. in the field. More quizes, please.
Hopefully Anonymous
December 13, 2009 at 12:02 am
[...] leave a comment » Previous quizzes: The Third Reich; Stalinists; Andorran Politics; world’s oldest firm; branches of the US armed services [...]
orgtheory quiz #6: the american statistical association « orgtheory.net
January 31, 2011 at 2:54 am
What about US marshals, BOP correctional officers, USDA forest rangers, and USDI park rangers? They all look like uniforms. The website I have linked to, show my daughter in her park ranger “outfit.”
Fred Thompson
February 1, 2011 at 7:34 pm
@Fred: There’s a definition of “uniformed services,” which means they are organized under the act of Congress that sets up the military and related organizations. Park rangers are not part of that law.
fabiorojas
February 1, 2011 at 8:23 pm