Have to get this off my chest, because I see Sam called Major a lot.
Pararescueman (Sometimes called Parajumpers or PJs) in the USAF, which we’re told Sam was, is an enlisted position. Sam Wilson was a non-commissioned officer – I’m gonna guess he was at least a Sergeant and given the level of specialised training, probably a Staff Sergeant.
Pararescuemen have officers – they are called Combat Rescue Officers. They have most of the same training (though not all in as much detail) plus officer/strategic training. The idea is that the PJs are the detail guys (concentrating on individual casualties) the CRO keeps a wider, coordinating view, so doesn’t (or at least tries not to) get tied down with his hands stuck in somebody’s guts. I don’t think it is very likely a CRO would be strapping on a wingsuit, but in any case if Sam says he was Pararescue that means by definition that he was an NCO.
(Why does this bother me? Because while I think for most writers it’s a well-meant ‘well he was brave and important, must have been an officer’ that’s ignoring the many highly trained and skilled people who can be found among the NCOs. Making Sam an officer may feel like valueing him up, but it’s also kind of valueing NCOs down)
From what my googling’s turned up (sorry, away from my notes right now) a Pararescuemen in that kind of position (regardless of what equipment he’s using) would probably be an Airman First Class or Senior Airman. But yeah, definitely not an officer.
our enlisted ranks are Airman Basic, Airman, Airman First Class, Senior Airman, Staff Sergeant, Tech Sergeant, Master Sergeant, Senior Master Sergeant, and Chief Master Sergeant
I asked my father about this, and his response was that the air force only had one rank: Badass. Everything else was just a matter of degree. This is much more helpful.
think just how much all the avengers must love sam though
natasha telling him awful jokes 24/7 and always keeping his fave ice cream in the freezer
tony making him new wings every 15 minutes because “i can iMPROVE THIS SHIT WILSON JUST LET ME TRY ADDING ROCKET BOOSTERS”
bruce drinking tea with him because sometimes it feels like they’re the only two sane people on the team
wanda loving just hanging around him and leaving little gifts like mint plants and chocolate lying around because she can get a sense of what he likes off of him and wants to give him nice things because sam?? is so nice???
rhodey and vision and sam having arm wrestling contests and they try to get the others to place bets
thor always laughs at his jokes and one time sam fell asleep on the couch and woke up with thor’s cape tucked around him
clint and sam are bird bro bffs no questions asked. they even have friendship bracelets. natasha made them.
bucky keeps an intense eye out to see if anyone bothers him and if he runs into a spot of trouble literally anywhere he’ll find the winter fucking soldier sitting at his kitchen counter sharpening a collection of knives and asking for names
steve showing his affection by outlapping him every time they run and texting him cute pictures of dogs in the middle of the day
THEN LETS FUCKING TALK FOR EIGHT YEARS ABOUT THIS ONE GIF
Not about Sam, but about Steve.
LOOK HOW RELAXED HE IS IN SAM’S HOUSE. He’s just chilling there, with Sam’s OJ, that Sam definitely drinks straight from the bottle btw) He’s leaned so far back into his chair that he has to actively sit up.
This is a man who just got chased around and nearly murdered by Nazis on several occasions, but he feels so safe and secure in Sam’s house that he can melt into his chair and sip orange juice. Yes, he’s probably bone dead tired and still thinking about the fact that what little he knew about everything is a fucking lie, but here’s Steve in a similar situation:
Bone tired, Loki has been fuckin shit up and the nice guy who made his really tight suit is ostensibly dead. But he’s sitting forward, alert and thinking.
Overall I think Steve is a pretty tense and closed off person. He’s always got this ridiculously rigid posture and doesn’t seem to let himself go around anyone, including his team. Actually I think it’s gotten more tense as time wears on.
In CA:TFA, he’s pretty relaxed, even with the new body.
In The Avengers, unless actively fighting, he stands like his suit is lined with solid steel and not Kevlar.
In TWS, it’s even stronger. He stands like a hardened marine who’s seen too much.
and also he has that JFC face that puts even my shadiest and saltiest of friends to shame:
And of course, there’s the RAEG OF STEVE, which really only apparently happens out of costume. (Interesting? Interesting.)
But around Sam, he’s super chill. He drops his shoulders and visually looks less like Captain spandex and more like a dude who wants to get to know Sam, possibly even in the biblical sense.
Shoulders dropped, open posture, smizing.
Then you see him more vulnerable than he’s been in this entire series. Even skinny! Steve walked with more aggression than the dude who shows up on Sam’s doorstep:
he maintains that vulnerability when in Sam’s presence through the entire movie, even when he’s pissed.
When he puts the suit on however, he squares right the fuck up
ANyhow i forgot what i was doing but IN CONCLUSION
Steve is super relaxed around Sam and has probably definitely been to his house before the world went to shit.
