Corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations . Within NATO , each member nations corresponding military rank of corporal is combined under the NATO - standard rank scale code OR - 4 . The rank of corporal nominally corresponds to commanding a section or squad of soldiers . However , in the United States Army , the rank of corporal is rarely used , as the Table of Organization & Equipment ( TO & E ) rank of a fire team leader is sergeant and that of squad leader is staff sergeant . In the United States Marine Corps , corporal is the Table of Organization ( TO ) rank for a rifle fire team leader , machine gun team leader , light mortar squad leader , and assault weapon squad leader , as well as gunner on most larger crew served weapons ( i . e . , medium mortars , heavy machine guns , anti - tank missiles ) , armored vehicles ( e . g . , tanks , light armored vehicles , and armored assault vehicles ) , and the two ( 2 ) assistant gunners on a howitzer ( the gunner is a sergeant ) . In most countries which derive their military structure from the British military system , it is a more senior rank than that of private . However , in several other countries , such as Canada , Italy and Norway , corporal is a junior rank , indicating a more experienced soldier than a private , and also on a higher pay scale , but having no particular command appointment corresponding to the rank , similar to specialist in the U . S . Army . Etymology . The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase " capo corporale " ( " head of a body " ) . It may also be derived from an appointment as an officer ' s bodyguard , originally being an adjective pertaining to the word " body " . Argentina . All three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic use two or three ranks of corporal , or " cabo " . Corporals in the Argentine military are considered " suboficiales subalternos " ( subaltern sub - officers / lower non - commissioned officer s ) , superior only to all ranks of Volunteers ( enlisted members of the Army and Air Force ) and Seamen ( enlisted members of the Navy ) . In the Argentine Army , there are two ranks of corporal , junior and senior : " Cabo " ( “ corporal ” ) and " cabo primero " ( “ first corporal ” ) . While the Argentine Navy has three corporal ranks , from junior to senior : " Cabo segundo " ( corporal second class ) , " Cabo primero " ( corporal first class ) and " cabo principal " ( principal corporal ) , which is equal to the army rank of " sargento " ( sergeant ) . The Air Force has the same number of corporal ranks as the navy , and keeps the same titles , with the exception of " cabo " ( corporal ) instead of the navy ' s " cabo segundo " ( corporal second class ) . The rank is also used by the Argentine National Gendarmerie and the Argentine Federal Police , which use the rank in the same manner as the Army , as well as the Argentine Naval Prefecture . Australia . Corporal is the second lowest of the non - commissioned officer ranks in the Australian Army , falling between lance - corporal and sergeant . A corporal is usually a section commander , and is in charge of 7 - 14 soldiers of private rank . He is assisted by a second - in - command , a lance - corporal or a senior private . The same ranks within artillery units are bombardier and lance - bombardier respectively . A corporal is frequently referred to as ' seco ' ( abbreviation of section commander ) by all ranks in everyday speech but not in formal written correspondence . Corporal is also a rank of the Royal Australian Air Force , being equal to both the Australian Army and Royal Air Force rank of corporal . There is no RAAF equivalent to the army rank of lance - corporal . Belgium . All branches of the Belgian Armed Forces , except the Naval Component , use three ranks of corporal : corporal ( , ) , master corporal ( , ) and 1st master corporal ( , ) . Corporal is equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR - 3 , whereas master corporal and 1st master corporal are equivalent to OR - 4 . The rank immediately below corporal is 1st private and the rank directly above 1st master corporal is sergeant . The equivalent of these ranks in the Naval Component are quartermaster , chief quartermaster and 1st chief quartermaster . Brazil . Corporal ( in Portuguese " cabo " ) is the first NCO rank of the Brazilian Army . Soldiers who successfully complete the corporal course may be promoted to the rank of corporal should they excel in the course . A corporal in the Brazilian Army will lead the smallest fractions of units as machine gun squads , mortar and infantry squads . Canada . Corporal is an Army and Air Force non - commissioned member rank of the Canadian Forces . Its Naval equivalent is leading seaman . It is senior to the rank of private and its naval equivalent able seaman , and junior to master corporal ( " caporal - chef " ) and its equivalent master seaman ( " matelot - chef " ) . It is part of the cadre of junior non - commissioned officers , and one of the junior ranks . In French the rank is " caporal " . The rank insignia of a corporal is a two - bar chevron , point down , worn in gold thread on both upper sleeves of the service dress jacket ; in rifle green ( army ) or dark blue ( air force ) thread on CADPAT slip - ons for operational dress ; in old gold thread on blue slip - ons on other air force uniforms ; and in gold metal and green enamel miniature pins on the collars of the army dress shirt and outerwear coats . On army ceremonial uniforms , it is usually rendered in gold braid ( black for rifle regiments ) , on either both sleeves , or just the right , depending on unit custom . Corporal is the first non - commissioned officer rank , and the lowest rank officially empowered to issue a lawful command . Corporals can lead troops if they have the formal qualifications to be promoted to master corporal but have not been promoted yet . However , the rank of corporal was severely downgraded after Unification , along with the attendant responsibilities . A corporal in the Canadian Army in 1967 had the same duties and responsibilities that a sergeant has today . In an infantry section a corporal will sometimes command an assault team if a master corporal is leading the section or they are pending promotion to master corporal . Another effect of Unification was to delete the appointments of lance - corporal and lance - sergeant ( a corporal holding the acting rank of sergeant ) . The former is still common in other Commonwealth militaries . Corporal is deemed to be the substantive rank of the members carrying the appointment of master corporal . On pay documents , corporal was formerly listed as " Cpl ( A ) " and master corporal as " Cpl ( B ) " . Privates in the Canadian Forces are considered to be apprentices in their trades , and corporals are journeymen . To become a corporal one must have served four years as a private , and have achieved Qualification Level 5 trades training , or two years in the reserves but only require the completion of their trades course . In some cases , privates having served a minimum of 3 years may be advance promoted to the rank of corporal with the approval of their superiors , providing they have shown dedication to the military and exemplary skills with reference to their trade . The rank of corporal in artillery units follows the British convention and is styled bombardier — thus a master corporal is a master bombardier . In rifle regiments , a distinction was historically drawn between a corporal and an acting corporal ; The Queen ' s Own Rifles of Canada had a special insignia to distinguish between the two . Denmark . In the Danish military the rank of corporal ( " korporal " in Danish ) is the lowest rank of the NCO group . Professional ( non - conscripted ) soldiers , often those with the rank of " overkonstabel " ( somewhat similar to “ specialist ” in the U . S . Army ) may sometimes get selected for the rank of corporal , if they have unique experience or skills . This can ' t be given as a battlefield appointment and the aspiring corporal has to take a 3 - week course in order to be promoted . A corporal will often be given a task similar to that of other countries corporals ; i . e . ad hoc assistance of squad - commanders . In the homeguard a private can after completing a 10 day course get promoted to the rank of corporal and function as second in command of an infantry squad . The rank of corporal was phased out but was reintroduced into the Danish Army in October 2008 . Finland . " Alikersantti " is an OR - 4 rank and the lowest NCO rank of the Finnish Defence Forces . " Alikersantti " carries two - chevron rank insignia . In translations from English to Finnish the corporal rank is often mistranslated as lance corporal , which is called " korpraali " in Finnish . In direct translation the rank name basically means " junior sergeant " or “ sub - sergeant ” . Typical duties of " alikersantti ' are leading the squad or being second - in - command of the squad . France . There are three ranks of corporal ( " caporal " in French ) . In the French Army these are not NCO ranks , but enlisted ones . The corporals are called " ranked " ( " gradés " ) . NCO start at the rank of " sergent " ( OR - 5 ) . In the regiments of cavalry traditions , the " caporaux " are called " brigadier s " , but not in Troupes de Marine where they are still called " caporaux " whether they are infantry , cavalry or artillery . Germany . Historically the German army rank of " Unteroffizier " was the traditional German equivalent to the British Army corporal rank , and this grade has existed as a military rank since at least the 18th century . Other sources identify the German rank of " Gefreiter " as being equivalent to a corporal rank of other armies , it was indeed a deputy rank to the " Unteroffizier " and thus was considered the equivalent to a British Army lance corporal . The additional German rank of " Obergefreiter " was historically considered a senior lance corporal otherwise second corporal in the foot artillery which replaced the bombardier rank . In modern - day " Bundeswehr " usage the German rank of " Unteroffizier " is classified as OR - 5 within the combined NATO - standard rank scale and is considered more to be a sergeant less a corporal rank , with " Oberstabsgefreiter " and " Stabsgefreiter " now considered the equivalent ranks to the corporal ( OR - 4 ) . In the years between 1934 and 1945 there was also a corresponding paramilitary " Schutzstaffel " ( SS ) rank grade of " Unterscharführer " , it was considered equivalent to a Germany Army " Unteroffizier " rank . India and Pakistan . These ranks are still used in the Indian Army and Pakistan Army . Although this rank is still used in the Indian and Pakistan Air Force and is a rank given to an airman who is senior to leading air craftsman but junior to a sergeant . Iran . Corporal ( in Persian سرجوخه " Sarjukhe " ) is one of the lower ranks of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army . A " sarjukhe " is usually responsible for 4 or 5 soldiers . Ireland . Corporal ( " ceannaire " in Irish ) is the lowest rank of non - commissioned officer within the Irish Army and Air Corps . The Naval Service equivalent is leading seaman . Army . The main role of an infantry corporal is to either command a section as the section commander or to command the fire support group as the second in command of the section . All corporals are qualified instructors on drill , section weapons , and fieldcraft . In the Artillery Corps , the corporal is normally assigned to a gun detachment as a , or a detachment commander . Artillery corporals can also find themselves in charge of the battery signals section . The army rank insignia consists of two winged chevrons ( or " stripes " ) , the dress uniform being red chevrons with a yellow border . Air Corps . Before 1994 , the Air Corps was considered part of the army and wore army uniforms with distinct corps badges but the same rank insignia . With the introduction of a unique Air Corps blue uniform in 1994 , the same rank markings in a white colour were worn , before the introduction of a new two - chevron badge with wing rank marking . Israel . In the Israel Defense Forces , soldiers are promoted from private to corporal ( " rav - turai " or " rabat " ) after 7 – 10 months of service ( 7 for combatants , 8 for combat support and 10 for non - combatants ) , if they performed their duties appropriately during this time . Soldiers who take a commander ' s course , are prisoner instructors or practical engineers become corporals earlier . Corporals get a symbolic pay raise of 3 . 60 NIS and those who are also non - commissioned officers ( " mashak " ) are able to command privates in their respective units . A corporal may be promoted to sergeant about 11 or 12 months after becoming a corporal , or to the rank of second lieutenant if they complete an officer ' s course . Italy . A soldier can be promoted from private ( " soldato " ) to corporal rank ( " caporale " ) after 3 months of service . Mexico . Corporal ( in Spanish " cabo " ) is one of the lower ranks of the Mexican army . New Zealand . The New Zealand Defence Force awards the corporal rank to soldiers or airman after 6 or 7 years of service . There is substantial responsibility on the part of a corporal in the New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force . They usually command a small team and work closely with their sergeants . A pay increase is also given . Like their British and Australian counterparts , they wear two chevrons to distinguish their rank . Corporals have what is termed ' power of arrest ' , and is impressed on recruits in RNZAF basic training . Basically , this power means that any airman or private disobeying or ignoring an order from a corporal will be subject to military arrest by that individual . Needless to say , power of arrest is used by higher ranks to enforce their orders , corporal in the RNZAF being the lowest rank with this power . Norway . In the Norwegian Armed Forces , promotion to the rank of " korporal " is an acknowledgement for good service by conscripted personnel . The rank does give some commanding authority , and corporals may be given increased informal responsibilities by senior officers and non - commissioned officers . The rank carries two chevrons and a slight pay increase . All conscripted personnel in the military police are awarded the rank after the five month learning period is over . Poland . In the Polish Land Forces , the rank of " kapral " is the lowest rank in the NCO corps ( OR - 3 in NATO code ) . Most commonly the rank is held by a NCO commanding an infantry squad , tank or gun crew , or a similar unit . The equivalent rank in the Polish Navy is " mat " . As with many other military ranks , direct comparison between various armies might be misleading . Before World War II Polish Army ' s " kapral " was more or less equivalent to the British rank of lance corporal , while British rank of corporal was named " plutonowy " ( lit . " platooner " ) . In modern times the rank is still equivalent to lance corporal in UK or private first class in the U . S . Army ( OR - 3 ) , while British and American rank of corporal ( OR - 4 ) is equivalent to the Polish rank of " starszy kapral " ( lit . “ senior corporal ” ) , introduced in 1971 . Historically , the rank was first introduced in Poland in 17th century , together with mercenary troops of Italian origin . In foreign troops on the royal payroll , a " kapral " commanded four ranks of musketeer s or part of a company of pikemen . In the 20th century , between the world wars , the rank of corporal was held by both conscripted NCOs and professional soldiers alike . This was changed after World War II , when the Polish Army was under Soviet command and the rank of " kapral " was modified to resemble that of Soviet " junior sergeant " , reserved for conscripted NCOs . In modern Polish Army the rank is reserved for professional soldiers exclusively . The insignia of " kapral " ( worn on shoulder straps and / or badge above breast pocket ) are two bars . Russia . The rank of corporal ( ) existed in the Russian Army from 1647 to 1798 , when it was replaced with that of non - commissioned officer ( , from , literally “ sub - officer ” ) . Soviet and modern Russian armies have the rank of junior sergeant ( ) that is more or less equivalent to the rank of corporal . Singapore . Corporals in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between lance corporal and corporal first class . It is a rank most commonly held by Full Time National Servicemen with at least an A Level Certification or Polytechnic Diploma . The rank insignia for a corporal is two chevrons pointing downward with an arc on top . In the past , the SAF followed the British model , and corporals were non - commissioned officer s often holding the appointment of section leader . Today , a corporal is not a specialist ( NCO - equivalent ) , and holds no command authority , although they may be given higher responsibilities such as appointment as a section 2IC , or 2nd - in - command . In the Singapore Police Force , Singapore Civil Defence Force , Singapore Prison Service and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority , a corporal is a rank below sergeant . The rank is also used in uniformed groups for students such as National Police Cadet Corps , National Cadet Corps and National Civil Defence Cadet Corps . Spain . In the Spanish Armed Forces " cabo " ( corporal ) is the rank between " soldado de primera " ( first class private ) and " cabo primero " ( first corporal ) . It actually equates to a NATO OR - 3 , with " cabo primero " equating to an OR - 4 and " cabo mayor " to an OR - 5 . Sweden . In the Swedish Army , Navy and Air Force the rank of " korpral " is a rank for soldiers with a specialization , and often in charge of a group six to ten men . People ' s Republic of China . Corporal ( Chinese : 下士 , literally " junior officer " ) is the lowest among the ranks of the non - commissioned officer of the People ' s Liberation Army . This rank was once replaced by the rank " level one non - commissioned officer " ( Chinese : 一级士官 , 1998 – 2009 ) , but was re - introduced in 2009 . Republic of China ( Taiwan ) . Corporal ( Chinese : 下士 , literally " junior officer " ) is the lowest among the ranks of the non - commissioned officer of the Republic of China Army , Marines , and Military Police . United Kingdom . Corporal is the second rank of non - commissioned officer in the British Army , Royal Marines and RAF Regiment , falling between lance - corporal and sergeant . The badge of rank is a two - bar chevron ( also known as " stripes " , " tapes " or " hooks " ) . A corporal ' s role varies between regiments , but in the standard infantry role a corporal commands a section , with a lance - corporal as second - in - command ( 2ic ) . When the section is split into fire teams , they command one each . In the Royal Armoured Corps , a corporal commands an individual tank . Their duties therefore largely correspond to those of staff sergeant s in the United States Army and corporals are often described as the " backbone " of the British Army . In the Household Cavalry all non - commissioned ranks are designated as different grades of corporal up to regimental corporal major ( who is a warrant officer class 1 ) . There is no effective actual rank of corporal however , and the ranks progress directly from lance - corporal to lance - corporal of horse ( who is effectively equivalent to a corporal ; technically a lance - corporal of horse holds the rank of corporal , but is automatically give the appointment of lance - corporal of horse ) . Similarly , in the Foot Guards the appointment of lance - sergeant is effectively used instead of corporal , with a lance - corporal wearing two stripes : this is sometimes said to have originated with Queen Victoria who did not like ' her own guardsmen ' having only one chevron . Royal Artillery corporals are called bombardier s , although until 1920 the Royal Artillery had corporals and bombardier was a lower rank . The rank of second corporal existed in the Royal Engineers and Royal Army Ordnance Corps until 1920 . A common nickname for a corporal is a " full screw " , with lance - corporals being known as " lance - jacks " . Corporal is the lowest NCO rank in the Royal Air Force ( aside from the RAF Regiment who have lance - corporals ) , coming between junior technician or Senior aircraftman technician and sergeant in the technical trades , or senior aircraftman and sergeant in the non technical trades . Between 1950 and 1964 , corporals in technical trades were known as “ corporal technicians ” and wore their chevrons point up . In the Royal Navy , the equivalent to corporal is leading hand or leading rate . Although classified as NATO OR - 4 , British corporals frequently fill OR - 5 equivalent posts . The Army Cadet Force , Combined Cadet Force , Air Training Corps , Royal Marines sections of the Sea Cadet Corps and the Combined Cadet Force all have the rank of corporal , reflecting the structure of their parent service ; therefore it is the second NCO rank of the ACF , CCF ( including the RAF Section , which has the rank of junior corporal ) and marine cadets , and the first NCO rank in the ATC . United States . United States Army . In the U . S . Army corporal is preceded by the first three forms of private and the rank of specialist . A corporal rank shares the same pay grade ( E - 4 ) as a specialist . Unlike a specialist , however , a corporal is a non - commissioned officer and may direct the activities of other soldiers . A soldier may be promoted to corporal directly from the rank of private first class or laterally promoted from specialist . The typical criterion for promotion to corporal is that the junior enlisted soldier must be serving in a leadership position that would typically be occupied by an NCO such as a sergeant or higher . Normally these promotions are given to specialists who work in an NCO position but who are prevented promotion to sergeant ( E - 5 ) due to not having sufficient promotion points . For a time , it was not uncommon to find paralegal corporals assigned to the legal assistance branch of a post ' s staff judge advocate ' s office , despite often having little or no actual leadership duties . Army Regulation 27 - 55 " Notarial Services " conferred ( under provisions of 10 U . S . C . § § 936 , 1044a ) authority to act as a notary and consul of the United States upon JAG Corps NCOs . Notarisation of powers of attorney and other documents is a " bread - and - butter " task in such offices , which necessitated the presence of either NCOs or state notaries . AR 27 - 55 was later amended to confer the authority on such paralegal specialists who are so designated by their respective staff judge advocate . It is common for a corporal to lead a fireteam ; however , if a soldier is promoted to corporal and there are too many soldiers of that rank , the new corporal will stay in his current position . United States Marine Corps . Corporal is the fourth enlisted rank in the U . S . Marine Corps , ranking immediately above lance corporal and immediately below sergeant . The Marine Corps , unlike the Army , has no other rank at the pay grade of E - 4 . Corporal is the lowest grade of non - commissioned officer in the U . S . Marine Corps , though promotion to corporal traditionally confers a significant jump in authority and responsibility compared to promotion from private through lance corporal . Marine infantry corporals generally serve as " fire - team leaders , " leading a 4 - man team or weapons crew of similar size ( e . g . , assault weapons squad , medium machine gun team , or LWCMS mortar squad ) . In practice , however , the billet of fire team leader is generally held by a lance corporal , while corporals serve in the squad leader billet that would normally be held by a sergeant ( E - 5 ) in infantry units . In support units , corporals generally serve in " journeyman " level roles in which they direct the activities of junior Marines and provide technical supervision , on a very limited scope , under the direct supervision of a sergeant or SNCO . Due to its emphasis on small - unit tactics , its infantry - centric ethos , and its tradition of empowering junior NCO ' s to exercise first - level leadership , Marine Corps ' Tables of Organization ( TO ' s ) usually place corporals ( as well as sergeants and staff sergeants ) in billets where other services would normally have higher ranking NCO ' s in authority . Similarly , the term " Strategic Corporal " refers to the special responsibilities conferred upon a Marine corporal over the other branches of the U . S . armed forces . Vietnam . In the Vietnam People ' s Army , corporal ( " Hạ sĩ " ) is the lowest rank in non - commissioned officer . Corporal is below sergeant and above private 2nd class Ship ' s corporal . In some navies a “ ship ' s corporal ” is a position , not the rank of a petty officer who assists the master at arms in his various duties . Corporals in popular culture . Benito Mussolini was a corporal at one time . Although Adolf Hitler has often been referred to as a " corporal " in English , his actual rank , " gefreiter " , was more equivalent to senior private ; he was never a corporal ( " unteroffizier " ) . A corporalship or corporal ' s guard is a name for a small band of followers based on the small amount of soldiers directly led by a corporal . In the movie " Aliens " , after the death of Sergeant Apone and a concussion suffered by Lieutenant Gorman , Corporal Hicks takes command , where he is referred to as a " grunt " . In the novelization of the game " Doom " , the protagonist Flynn Taggart is a corporal in the United States Marine Corps at the beginning of the story , though he later receives a promotion to sergeant . In Terry Pratchett ' s Discworld novels , there is a small , unpleasant corporal named Nobby Nobbs . A running joke in the books is that he is so small and unpleasant that it is disputed whether or not he is human . In M * A * S * H , Radar O ' Reilly and Maxwell Klinger are corporals . The protagonist of Valve ' s is a US Marine corporal named Adrian Shephard . Corporal Blutch from the Belgian comic books " Les Tuniques Bleues " , is a bluecoat cavalryman in the Northern army during the American Civil War .