Can I interest you in the fact that if you climb high enough through the ranks of New York City’s sanitation department, you eventually get to wear a uniform that looks remarkably like a military general’s? The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has a long-standing tradition of outfitting its highest-ranking officials in formal, military-style Class A uniforms. With forest green jackets, peaked caps, and gold insignia, the uniforms reflect a chain of command that traces back to 1895, when Colonel George E. Waring Jr. reorganized the city’s street-cleaning force. His reforms emphasized discipline, professionalism, and accountability, helping turn sanitation into a vital part of New York’s public health system. That military-inspired structure remains in place today. Deputy Chiefs wear one star, Assistant Chiefs two stars, Chiefs three stars, and Directors four stars. Although DSNY is a civilian agency, its clearly defined hierarchy helps manage one of the world’s largest municipal sanitation departments, coordinating daily waste collection for millions of residents while allowing crews to respond quickly to major snowstorms and other citywide emergencies.