# Military ranks of Cape Verde

Military ranks of Cape Verde are the insignia used to denote rank in the Cape Verdean Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Coast Guard.

## Background

The Cape Verdean Armed Forces have existed since independence from Portugal in 1975. The currently comprise 1,200 personnel in the National Guard, plus 200 Coast Guard and 100 in the Air Force (which organisationally comes under the Coast Guard). The structure and organisation is defined by the Decree-Law no. 30/2007 of August 20. The National Guard and Coast Guard have their own headquarters which are responsible to the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, a colonel. The Chief of Staff also has responsibility for the armed forces' Staff Command and Logistics Command. The chief of staff is supported by a deputy, also a colonel. The Coast Guard use the same rank structure as the land forces and have been commanded by an officer with the rank of major (2013) or lieutenant-colonel (2011).
The organisation is headed by a General Chief of Staff who, in 2015, held the rank of Major-General. The armed forces as a whole come under the control of the civilian government.

## Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers |
| Cape Verdean National Guard vte | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cape Verdean National Guard vte | Major-general | Major-general | Brigadeiro-general | Brigadeiro-general | Coronel | Coronel | Tenente-coronel | Tenente-coronel | Major | Major | Capitão | Capitão | Primeiro tenente | Primeiro tenente | Tenente | Tenente | Subtenente | Subtenente |
| Cape Verdean Coast Guard vte | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cape Verdean Coast Guard vte | Contra-almirante | Contra-almirante | Comodoro | Comodoro | Capitão–de–mar | Capitão–de–mar | Capitão–de–navio | Capitão–de–navio | Capitão-de–patrulha | Capitão-de–patrulha | Capitão-tenente | Capitão-tenente | Primeiro-tenente | Primeiro-tenente | Tenente | Tenente | Guarda-marinha | Guarda-marinha |

### Student officer ranks

| Rank group | Student officer |
| Cape Verdean National Guard | |
| Cape Verdean National Guard | Aspirante |
| Cape Verdean Coast Guard | |
| Cape Verdean Coast Guard | Aspirante à oficial |

## Enlisted

This table illustrates the rank insignia of enlisted members of the national guard and coast guard.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted |
| Cape Verdean National Guard vte | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | No insignia |
| Cape Verdean National Guard vte | Sargento-mor | Sargento-mor | Sargento-mor | Sargento-mor | Sargento-mor | Sargento-mor | Sargento-chefe | Sargento-chefe | Sargento-principal | Sargento-principal | Primeiro-sargento | Primeiro-sargento | Primeiro-sargento | Primeiro-sargento | Primeiro-sargento | Primeiro-sargento | Segundo-sargento | Segundo-sargento | Sargento | Furriel | Instruendo curso de sargento | Instruendo curso de sargento | Cabo-principal | Cabo-principal | Cabo de Secção | Cabo de Secção | Cabo-adjunto | Cabo-adjunto | Primeiro-cabo | Primeiro-cabo | Primeiro-cabo | Segundo-cabo | Segundo-cabo | Segundo-cabo | Instruendo curso de cabo | Soldado |
| Cape Verdean Coast Guard vte | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cape Verdean Coast Guard vte | Sargento-mor | Sargento-mor | Sargento-mor | Sargento-mor | Sargento-mor | Sargento-mor | Sargento-chefe | Sargento-chefe | Sargento-principal | Sargento-principal | Primeiro-sargento | Primeiro-sargento | Primeiro-sargento | Primeiro-sargento | Primeiro-sargento | Primeiro-sargento | Segundo-sargento | Segundo-sargento | Furriel | Furriel | Segundo-furriel | Segundo-furriel | Cabo-principal | Cabo-principal | Cabo de secção | Cabo de secção | Cabo-adjunto | Cabo-adjunto | Primeiro-cabo | Primeiro-cabo | Primeiro-cabo | Segundo-cabo | Segundo-cabo | Segundo-cabo | | |

## Former ranks
### Officers

| Rank group | General / flag officers | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers | Junior officers |
| Cape Verdean National Guard (1992–2012) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cape Verdean National Guard (1992–2012) | | | Colonel Coronel | Colonel Coronel | Lieutenant Colonel Tenente-coronel | Lieutenant Colonel Tenente-coronel | Major Major | Major Major | Captain Capitão | Captain Capitão | First Lieutenant Primeiro tenente | First Lieutenant Primeiro tenente | Lieutenant Tenente | Lieutenant Tenente | Second Lieutenant Subtenente | Second Lieutenant Subtenente | Officer Cadet Aspirante | Officer Cadet Aspirante | Officer Cadet Aspirante | Officer Cadet Aspirante | Officer Cadet Aspirante | Officer Cadet Aspirante | Officer Cadet Aspirante | Officer Cadet Aspirante | Officer Cadet Aspirante | Officer Cadet Aspirante | Officer Cadet Aspirante | Officer Cadet Aspirante |
| Cape Verdean National Guard (1975–1992) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Cape Verdean National Guard (1975–1992) | Brigade Commandant Comandante de brigada | Brigade Commandant Comandante de brigada | First Commandant Primeiro comandante | First Commandant Primeiro comandante | Commandant Comandante | Commandant Comandante | Major Major | Major Major | Captain Capitão | Captain Capitão | First Lieutenant Primeiro tenente | First Lieutenant Primeiro tenente | Lieutenant Tenente | Lieutenant Tenente | Second Lieutenant Subtenente | Second Lieutenant Subtenente | Officer Cadet Aspirante} | Officer Cadet Aspirante} | Officer Cadet Aspirante} | Officer Cadet Aspirante} | Officer Cadet Aspirante} | Officer Cadet Aspirante} | Officer Cadet Aspirante} | Officer Cadet Aspirante} | Officer Cadet Aspirante} | Officer Cadet Aspirante} | Officer Cadet Aspirante} | Officer Cadet Aspirante} |

### Enlisted

| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted | Enlisted |
| Cape Verdean National Guard (1992–2012) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | No insignia | No insignia |
| Cape Verdean National Guard (1992–2012) | Sergeant-major Sargento-mor | Sergeant-major Sargento-mor | Sergeant-major Sargento-mor | Sergeant-major Sargento-mor | Sergeant-major Sargento-mor | Sergeant-major Sargento-mor | Chief sergeant Sargento-chefe | Chief sergeant Sargento-chefe | Master sergeant Sargento-principal | Master sergeant Sargento-principal | First sergeant Primeiro-sargento | First sergeant Primeiro-sargento | First sergeant Primeiro-sargento | Second sergeant Segundo-sargento | Second sergeant Segundo-sargento | Second sergeant Segundo-sargento | Sergeant Sargento | Sergeant Sargento | Sergeant Sargento | Sergeant Sargento | Lance sergeant Furriel | Lance sergeant Furriel | Master corporal Cabo-adjunto | Master corporal Cabo-adjunto | First corporal Primeiro-cabo | First corporal Primeiro-cabo | First corporal Primeiro-cabo | Second corporal Segundo-cabo | Second corporal Segundo-cabo | Second corporal Segundo-cabo | Soldado | Soldado |
| Cape Verdean National Guard (1975–1992) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | No insignia | No insignia |
| Cape Verdean National Guard (1975–1992) | | | | | | | | | | | First sergeant Primeiro-sargento | First sergeant Primeiro-sargento | First sergeant Primeiro-sargento | Second sergeant Segundo-sargento | Second sergeant Segundo-sargento | Second sergeant Segundo-sargento | Lance sergeant Terceiro-sargento | Lance sergeant Terceiro-sargento | Lance sergeant Terceiro-sargento | Lance sergeant Terceiro-sargento | Lance sergeant Terceiro-sargento | Lance sergeant Terceiro-sargento | | | First soldier Primeiro-soldado | First soldier Primeiro-soldado | First soldier Primeiro-soldado | First soldier Primeiro-soldado | First soldier Primeiro-soldado | First soldier Primeiro-soldado | Soldado | Soldado |