page_title: Israeli Ground Forces
section_title: Ranks
hierarchical_section_title: Israeli Ground Forces / Ranks, uniforms and insignia / Ranks
caption_attribution_description: August 21, 2012 The 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade during a drill held in the Golan Heights, northern Israel. The NAMER (&quot;Tiger&quot;), a new vehicle combining the artillery abilities of the Merkava tank and the APC's shielding capacities, was fully integrated in this drill for the first time, improving the battle tactics used by the IDF in the field. Photo by Staff Sgt. (res.) Abir Sultan The Israel Defense Forces Facebook &#8226; blog &#8226; Twitter
context_page_description: The Israeli Ground Forces are the ground forces of the Israel Defense Forces. As part of the military wing of the Israeli security forces, the ground forces have no civilian jurisdiction within Israel. The commander is the General Officer Commanding with the rank of Major General, the Mazi, subordinate to the Chief of General Staff.
  An order from Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion on 26 May 1948 officially set up the Israel Defense Forces as a conscript army formed out of the paramilitary group Haganah, incorporating the militant groups Irgun and Lehi. The Ground Forces have served in all the country's major military operations—including the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, 1956 Suez Crisis, 1967 Six-Day War, 1973 Yom Kippur War, 1976 Operation Entebbe, 1982 Lebanon War, 1987–1993 First Intifada, 2000–2005 Second Intifada, 2006 Lebanon War, and the Gaza War. While originally the IDF operated on three fronts—against Lebanon and Syria in the north, Jordan and Iraq in the east, and Egypt in the south—after the 1979 Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty, it has concentrated in southern Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories, including the First and the Second Intifada.
context_section_description: Unlike most militaries, the IDF uses the same rank names in all corps, including the air force and navy. For ground forces' officers, rank insignia are brass on a red background. Officer insignia are worn on epaulets on top of both shoulders. Insignia distinctive to each corps are worn on the cap.
  Enlisted grades wear rank insignia on the sleeve, halfway between the shoulder and the elbow. For the ground forces, the insignia are white with blue interwoven threads backed with the appropriate corps color.
  From the formation of the IDF until the late 1980s, sergeant major was a particularly important warrant officer rank, in line with usage in other armies. However, in the 1980s and 1990s the proliferating ranks of sergeant major became devalued, and now all professional non-commissioned officer ranks are a variation on sergeant major (rav samal) with the exception of rav nagad.
  All translations here are the official translations of the IDF's website.
  Conscripts (Hogrim) (Conscript ranks may be gained purely on time served)
  Private (Turai)
  Corporal (Rav Turai)
  Sergeant (Samal)
  First Sergeant (Samal Rishon)
  Warrant Officers (Nagadim)
  Sergeant First Class (Rav Samal)
  Master Sergeant (Rav Samal Rishon)
  Sergeant Major (Rav Samal Mitkadem)
  Warrant Officer (Rav Samal Bakhir)
  Master Warrant Officer (Rav Nagad Mishneh)
  Chief Warrant Officer (Rav Nagad)
  Academic officers (Ktzinim Akadema'im)
  Professional Academic Officer (Katzin Miktzo'i Akadema'i)
  Senior Academic Officer (Katzin Akadema'i Bakhir)
  Officers (Ktzinim)
  Second Lieutenant (Segen Mishneh) [1951–Present]
  Lieutenant (Segen)
  Captain (Seren)
  Major (Rav Seren)
  Lieutenant Colonel (Sgan Aluf)
  Colonel (Aluf Mishneh) [1950–Present]
  Brigadier General (Tat Aluf) [1968–Present]
  Major General (Aluf) [1948–Present]
  Lieutenant General (Rav Aluf)
caption: Soldiers of the Golani Brigade on the Golan Heights
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