Stripes and Bars Mystery Cache

NOTE: This cache is 1 of 16 associated with the Ol' Salty Dog's Maritime Mixer cache series.

Find your way to the physical cache container at the coordinates revealed by solving the puzzle below. In the physical cache container, attached to the log, you will find a "puzzle piece" that will get you one step closer to finding Ol' Salty Dog's Maritime Mixer.

Military ranking is a system of hierarchical relationships in the armed forces. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a military hierarchy. It incorporates the principles of exercising power and authority into the military chain of command, the succession of commanders superior to subordinates through which command is exercised. The military chain of command constructs an important component for organized collective action.

Ranking systems have been known for most of military history to be advantageous for military operations, in particular with regards to logistics, command, and coordination. As time went on and military operations became larger and more complex, military ranks increased and ranking systems themselves became more complex.

Rank is not only used to designate leadership, but to establish pay-grade as well. As rank increases, pay-grade follows, but so does the amount of responsibility. The military uniform will denote the wearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniform.

In today's Coast Guard, the ranks associated with various pay-grades are divided into three groups: enlisted personnel (E), warrant officer (W), and officer (O). Enlisted pay grades begin at E-1 and end at E-9, warrant officer pay grades originate at W-2 and terminate at W-4, and officer pay grades start at O-1 and finish at O-10. Below are pictured an assortment of Coast Guard rank insignia. Utilize your sleuthing skills and identify the pay-grade associated with each rank insignia pictured (annotated as A through J). The last digit of each pay-grade will provide the needed number for each missing decimal minute digit of this puzzle cache's coordinates.