Mountain Home bulletin. (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1888-1889, 1889-02-16
RANKS IN THE ARMY.
The Successive Grades from Private Sol
slier to MMlor-t;enernl.

dier to Major -tenerai.
In times OF peace it is not very prob
able that private soldier could be
successfully promoted to the rank of
General, but it is possible. BY recent
legislation, the private soldier who |
has acquired d non-commissioned OFF, |
GERS stripes and has served two years,
may, upon application, be examined
Tor promotion to the rank OF Second
Lieutenant, and If he gets the appoint
ment, he is then in the straight line
of promotion TO the highest rank.
The chances are that after thirty or
forty years OF service he will not have
risen higher than Major. and by that
time he will be retired on account OF
old age or disability. Yet there are
very few grades between the lowest
non-commissioned officer and the high
est commissioned officer, which is at
present that of Major-General
Here are the successive grades, be-
ginning at the lowest: Corporal, SER
geant, Second Lieutenant, First Lieu
tenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant
Colonel, Colonel, rigadier-Gencral,
Major-General.
| Here are eleven steps which the pri-
vate soldier must mount before he can
reach the prize. The first three are
comparatively easy. and may be
climbed inside of three years, but there
is likely to be n long wait before the
First Lieutenancy is gained.
Each rank has its distinguishing
marks. All non-commissioned officers
wear 'chevrons," which are bars on
each sleeve, sewed on above the elbow
from the outer and inner seams of the
sleeve, Running obliquely down and
toward the centre, forming IL V. The
color of the chevrons indicates the
branch of the service white for in.
fantry, yellow for cavalry, red fol
artillery and orange for the signal
corps.
Corporals have two bars on each
sleeve. Sergeants wear three bars
The first. or orderly sergeant, has [
lozenge, or diamond, in addition to tht
bars. The quartermaster sergean
wears three stripes and three barr
across the top. The signal-corps ser
geant wears crossed signal flags OF
each sleeve. The ordnance scrgean
has three stripes and II star in red
The sergeant majors chevrons hav'
I three stripes above. forming an ar
, over the stripes. A hospital stewar,
has a green half chevron, with IL cadu
| ceus embroidered in yellow.
, Commissioned officers wear shoulder
+ straps. The groundwork indicates tn
, branch Of the service, the same as IL
the chevrons The ornaments insid
, the strap indicate the rank
g The Second Lieutenant has plai
v strap The First Lieutenant has on
/. bar near each end of the strap. Th
Captain has two bars near each end {
d the strap. These three grades ar
( regiInental officers, promotion bein
| confined to the regiment to which the
) ire attached.
: The Major is the first staff Office
@ eligible to II Colonelcy
a any regiment He wears golden
a broidered leaf near each end of til
strap. The Lieutenant-Colonel has
silver-embroidered leaf in the SAN
place.
The Colonel has silver-embroidero
u eagle in the center Of the strap. III
Brigadier-General has star in th
. center, and the Major-General weal
two stars.
q In addition to these insignia, officer
q of the medical department have IL
letters NJ. S on their shoulder strap
v officers of the pay department, the lie
= y ters p. d.; officers Of the quartcrma
. ter's department, q. d., and officers I
the commissary department, {. D.
. Golden Days.