How to Identify Military Rank (US Army): 10 Steps (with Pictures) Identifying Enlisted Ranks 1 Know where to look for insignia. Enlisted soldiers’ uniforms include the Army Combat Uniform (ACU), which is typically made of camouflaged print fabric, and the “Green” uniform, which is made of a heavy fabric coat and trousers or skirt. Insignia will be displayed on various places depending on the type of uniform: Look on the cap of an ACU. Enlisted soldiers display their rank insignia in the center of their caps. [1] A rank insignia patch will be sewn on the chest area of an ACU. The “Green” uniforms of enlisted soldiers have a rank insignia patch on the upper sleeves. [2] Enlisted soldiers do not display their rank insignia on their berets. Instead, the insignia of their unit will show on the front of the beret. [3] 2 Learn the insignia of privates. [4] [5] The lowest rank (E-1) of enlisted soldiers, privates in Basic Combat Training (BCT), do not have insignia. Privates at the E-2 rank display a single yellow chevron.

Soldiers at the Private First Class rank (PFC, E-3) wear a symbol of a chevron closed by a rounded bar at the bottom, enclosing a green field. 3 Distinguish the insignia of soldiers at the E-4 rank. [6] [7] Specialists (SPC) will wear a green triangular insignia with a rounded top and a gold eagle in the center. Corporals (CPL), however, have insignia made of two chevrons. 4 Distinguish sergeant insignia. [8] [9] There are a number of kinds of sergeants in the U.S. Army, at both enlisted and non-commissioned officer ranks. Paying close attention to their insignia will help you to distinguish them. A Sergeant’s (SGT, E-5) insignia is very similar to a corporal's, but shows three chevrons instead of two. A Staff Sergeant’s (SSG, E-6) insignia shows three chevrons closed by a rounded bar at the bottom, enclosing a green field. The insignia of a Sergeant First Class (SFC, E-7) is like a Staff Sergeant’s, but with two rounded bars at the bottom.

A Master Sergeant’s (MSG, E-8) insignia is like a Sergeant First Class', but with three rounded bars at the bottom. A First Sergeant’s (1-SG, E-8) is like a Master Sergeant’s, with the addition of a small yellow diamond in the middle. A Sergeant Major (SGM, E-9) is like a First Sergeant’s, with a star in the middle instead of a diamond. A Command Sergeant Major (CSM, E-9) is like a First Sergeant’s, but two sheaves of wheat surrounding a star in the center instead of a diamond. The Sergeant Major of the Army’s (E-9) insignia is like a First Sergeant’s, but with a golden eagle and two stars in the middle instead of a diamond. Method Identifying Officer Ranks 1 Know where to look for insignia. Officer’s uniforms also include the Army Combat Uniform (ACU), which is typically made of camouflaged print fabric, and the “Green” uniform, which is made of a heavy fabric coat and trousers or skirt. Insignia will be displayed on various places depending on the type of uniform: Rank insignia is displayed in the center of an ACU cap.

[10] A rank insignia patch will also be sewn on the chest area of an ACU. The “Green” uniforms of officers will show rank insignia on the shoulders. [11] An officer’s rank insignia will be displayed in the center of his or her beret, when one is worn. [12] Officer’s “Green” uniforms will have a black stripe on the outside of each trouser leg, as well as a black band on each sleeve just above the cuff. [13] 2 Distinguish Lieutenant and Captain insignia. [14] [15] Second Lieutenants (2LT, O-1) , First Lieutenants (1LT, O-2) and Captain (CPT, O-3) all have bar-shaped insignia. A Second Lieutenant’s is a single gold bar, while the First Lieutenant’s is a single silver bar. A Captain’s (CPT, O-3) insignia is made up of two silver bars. 3 Distinguish Major and Lieutenant Colonel insignia. [16] [17] Both of these ranks have leaf-shaped insignia.

However, a Major’s (MAJ, O-4) is a gold leaf, while a Lieutenant Colonel’s (LTC, O-5) is a silver leaf. 4 Learn the insignia of a Colonel. [18] [19] A Colonel (COL, O-6) is the last rank prior to general. The insignia of this rank is a silver eagle with outstretched wings. 5 Distinguish the insignia of Generals. [20] [21] There are five ranks of generals in the U.S. Army. The insignia of each rank is made up of silver stars, so pay close attention to the different insignia to distinguish the ranks. A Brigadier General’s (BG, O-7) insignia is a single silver star. A Major General’s (MG, O-8) insignia is two silver stars side-by-side. A Lieutenant General’s (LTG, O-9) insignia is made of three silver stars side-by-side. A General’s (GEN, O-10) insignia is made of four silver stars side-by-side.

The General of the Army’s (GOA, O-11) insignia is made of five silver stars arranged in a pentagon pattern. This rank only used during certain wartime periods. 6 Distinguish Warrant Officer Insignia. [22] [23] The insignia of the five ranks of Warrant Officer in the U.S. Army are all made of black blocks on a bar-shaped silver background. The insignia can be distinguished by the type and number of blocks. The insignia of a Warrant Officer 1 (WO1, W-1) is a single small black block in the center of a silver bar. The insignia of a Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2, W-2) is two black blocks in the center of a silver bar. The insignia of a Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3, W-3) is three black blocks in the center of a silver bar. The insignia of a Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4, W-4) is four black blocks in the center of a silver bar.

The insignia of a Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5, W-5) is a single long black block running down the center of a silver bar. Community Q&A How many stripes do generals have? wikiHow Contributor Generals don't have rank stripes. The only stripes they would have are service stripes or overseas bars. What is a warrant officer? wikiHow Contributor Warrant officers specialize in technical equipment, including flying aircraft. All pilots in the U.S.Army are warrant officers. What does a gunnery sergeant's bars look like? wikiHow Contributor Just like a Sergeant First Class rank in the army, but the Marines version features a pair of crossed rifles. How much does rank E-4 make? wikiHow Contributor $2,046.00 is the lowest you can make with 2 years or less of service and without having any special pay. What do three stars on the front of a uniform mean? wikiHow Contributor What does the three black dots mean? wikiHow Contributor Three black dots is the insignia for a Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Cadet Captain. On the green uniform, the dots are silver; on the utility uniforms, they are black. What does 18/Z stand for?

wikiHow Contributor 18 Zulu is the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) identifier for a Senior Special Forces Sergeant. Individuals with this MOS are the Senior Sergeant in their ODA, or Operational Detachment Alpha. What are the major military patches? wikiHow Contributor There are literally hundreds of different shoulder sleeve insignia (commonly referred to as "patches"). Worn on the left sleeve of the utility uniforms, they represent the Division or Brigade the soldier is assigned to. The ones on the right sleeve represent the unit in which the soldier served in combat for a period of six months or longer. Patches are not worn on the Army blue uniform. A metal device of the same design as the full-color patch of the former wartime unit is worn on the right breast pocket instead. Are both the first and last names on a sergeant uniform? wikiHow Contributor Brigadier General | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia See also Brigadier Brigadier General is a senior rank in the Armed Forces . It is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General . A Brigadier General is typically in command of a Brigade consisting of around 3,000 troops (three Battalions ).

In some countries, this rank is given the name of Brigadier , which is often considered to not be a General Officer rank, but is usually equivalent to Brigadier General in the armies of nations that use the rank. The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general, or simply a brigadier, would command a brigade in the field. The rank spread throughout the world after being adopted in the 18th century by the United States with simultaneous spreading of the rank by the British Empire . An alternative rank of "Brigade general" was first used in the French revolutionary armies. In the first quarter of the 20th century, British and Commonwealth Armies used the rank of Brigadier General as a temporary appointment, or as an honorary appointment on retirement; in the 1920s this practice changed to the use of Brigadier, which was not classed as a General Officer. A few countries use Major General as the equivalent of Brigadier General, rather than as the rank above; these are countries which then generally use a rank of Colonel General to make four general officer ranks. The naval equivalent is often Commodore or Rear admiral , but this depends on the rank system of the navy in question.

Contents Edit The rank of brigadier general (with some local variations) is used in the Argentine Air Force . The use of the rank is different from that of other military forces of the world. Unlike other armed forces, the rank of brigadier general is actually the highest rank in the Argentine Air Force . This is due to the use of the rank of brigadier and its derivatives to designate all general officers in the Air Force: brigadier (lowest general officer) brigadier-major (middle) and brigadier-general (highest). The rank of brigadier general is reserved for the Chief of the General Staff of the Air Force, as well as the Chief of the Joint General Staff if he should be an Air Force officer. The Argentine Army does not use the rank of brigadier-general, instead using the equivalent rank of brigade general (in Spanish general de brigada). Australia Edit In the Australian Imperial Force during World War I , the rank of brigadier general was always temporary and held only while the officer was posted to a particular task, typically the command of a brigade. When posted elsewhere, the rank would be relinquished and the former rank resumed. This policy prevented an accumulation of high-ranking general officers brought about by the relatively high turnover of brigade commanders.

Brigadier general was also used as an honorary rank on retirement. The rank insignia was like that of the current major general , but without the pip - example . As in the United Kingdom , the rank was later replaced by brigadier . Hence, prior to 1922, a "brigadier general" was a "general officer"; subsequently, brigadiers were not "generals"; this is shown by the rank insignia being like that of a colonel, but with an extra (third) pip - example . Edit The rank was known as Brigadier inconformity with the rank structure of the Commonwealth Nations prior to 2001 in the Bangladesh Army . It is the lowest ranking General Officer between the ranks of Colonel and Major General . The Bangladesh Army introduced the rank of Brigadier General in 2001, however the grade stayed equivalent to Brigadier . Brigadier General is equivalent to Commodore of Bangladesh Navy & Air Commodore of Bangladesh Air Force . It is still more popularly called Brigadier (One Star General). Belgium Edit The Belgian Army uses the rank of général de brigade (French) and brigadegeneraal (Dutch).

However, in this small military there are no permanent promotions to this rank, and it is only awarded as a temporary promotion to a full colonel who assumes a post requiring the rank, notably in an international context (e.g. as Military Attaché in a major embassy). Brazil Edit Brigadier General is the lowest rank amongst general officers of the Brazilian army. They wear two stars as this is the entry level for general officers in the Brazilian Army. In the Brazilian Air Force , the 2 star , 3 star and 4 star are known as Brigadeiro (Brigadier), Major-Brigadeiro (Major-Brigadier) and Tenente-Brigadeiro-do-Ar (Lieutenant-Air-Brigadier) respectively. See Military ranks of Brazil and Brigadier#Officer rank in Latin America for more information. Canada Edit In the Canadian Forces , the rank of brigadier-general (BGen) (brigadier-général or bgén in French) is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a commodore of the Navy . A brigadier-general is the lowest rank of General Officer , the Army and Air Force equivalent of a Naval flag officer .

A brigadier-general is senior to a colonel or naval captain , and junior to a major-general or rear admiral . The rank title "brigadier-general" is still used notwithstanding that brigades in the army are now commanded by colonels . Until the late 1990s brigades were commanded by brigadier-generals. In the air force context, brigadier-generals used to command air force "Groups" until these bodies were abolished in the late 1990s. The rank insignia for a brigadier-general is a single gold maple leaf beneath crossed sword and baton, all surmounted by St. Edward's Crown, worn on the shoulder straps of the service dress jacket, and on slip-ons on other uniforms. The service dress jacket also features a wide strip of gold braid around the cuff. On the visor of the service cap are two rows of gold oak leaves; the air force wedge cap features gold braid on the edges of the ear flaps. The cap insignia for a general officer is a modified version of the Canadian Forces insignia; the collar insignia (Army generals only) is two crossed sabres .

Some brigadier-generals, by nature of holding a branch-specific appointment, may continue to wear the insignia of their personnel branch ; for example, the chaplain-general wears the general officer's cap insignia with the collar insignia of the Chaplain Branch , [2] while the surgeon-general continues to wear the cap and collar insignia of the Canadian Forces Medical Service . [3] Army uniform variations Edit Chinese rank of (Da-Xiao 大校) or Senior Colonel is a direct equivalent of a brigadier. It ranks above colonel (Shang-Xiao 上校) and below major general (Shao-Jiang 少将). A brigadier is commonly in command of a division(Shi 师) or a brigade(Lv 旅). Divisional commanders are seldom general officers. Estonia In the Estonian military , the rank is called Brigaadikindral France Edit France uses the rank of Brigade General ("général de brigade"). It formerly used the historic rank, until 1793, of Brigadier des armées ("Brigadier of the Armies"). The rank contrasts with the French sub-officer rank of Brigadier.

As with all French general officers, a French brigade general is titled "general" without any implication that he is an Army General ; for instance General De Gaulle never rose higher than brigade general. Until 1793, a rank of Brigadier des armées ("Brigadier of the Armies") existed in the French Army , which could be described as a senior colonel or junior brigade commander. The normal brigade command rank was Field Marshal (Maréchal de camp) (which elsewhere is a more senior rank). A "Brigadier of the Armies" wore one star and a "Field Marshal" wore two stars. During the French Revolution, the revolutionaries' drive to rationalise the state led to a change in the system of ranks. The rank of "Brigadier of the Armies" was abolished and the normal brigade command rank, Field Marshal, was replaced by Brigade General. The rank of Brigade General inherited the two stars of the rank of Field Marshal, explaining the absence since 1793 of a French rank with only one star. Nowadays, a French général de brigade generally commands a brigade, which is the biggest permanent formation in the French army.

The rank can also be awarded in an honorary fashion to retiring colonels. The insignias are two stars, worn on the shoulder are at the sleeve of the uniform, depending on the dress. Two different kepis are issued : the service kepi sports the two starts, while the formal kepi features a large band of oak leaves (the kepi of a division general has two smaller such bands). Charles de Gaulle , held the rank of Brigade General . He was given a temporary promotion to this rank in May 1940 as commander of the 4th Armoured Reserve Division (4ème division cuirassée de réserve). However his authority as head of the Free French really came from being the only cabinet member outside occupied France, not from his military rank. As a reminder of his war position, he refused any further promotion. Rank insignia of French Army a général de brigade and French Air Force général de brigade aérienne In Hungary the Brigadier General is a relatively new military rank used from 1992. The Army and the Air Force insignia are not different.

Indonesia In Indonesia , Brigadir Jenderal (abbreviated as Brigjen) is the fourth highest rank and the lowest general rank both in Polri and TNI . The insignia is a gold star. Iran Edit The equivalent rank for Brigadier General in Iranian army and air force is called Sar-Tip. It is above the rank of Sar-Hang (colonel) and below the rank of Sar-Lashkar (major general). Notice that Iranian Revolutionary Guards also use this rank. The difference is in salutation. One refers an army or air force brigadier general as "Timsar Sar-Tip", while a revolutionary guard general is referred to as "Sardar Sar-Tip". As an unwritten rule which states the highest Iranian military rank to be the rank of a Majorgeneral the Brigadier General is considered to be second highest rank of Iranian military. Which is customly the rank of the commander of Airforce and equvalantly the Navy. Israel In the Israel Defense Forces , the rank of brigadier general is called Tat Aluf and is the third highest rank, below Aluf (major general) and Rav Aluf ( lieutenant general or general ), and above Aluf Mishne (colonel).

Jordan In the Jordanian military, the rank of Brigadier general is known as "Amid", and it is higher than colonel "Akeed" and lower than Major general "Liwa" Korea Edit The rank of brigadier general is known in South Korea as Junjang and is a direct equivalent to the United States one star rank, with very similar insignia. The military of North Korea does not technically maintain a brigadier general rank, but the rank of senior colonel (대좌, Taejwa) which is above colonel (상좌, Sangjwa) and below major general (소장, Sojang) is the effective equivalent. Mexico Edit In Mexico, brigade general is the rank below Divisional General and, confusingly, the rank above Brigadier General. A Mexican brigade general wears as rank insignia the arms of Mexico above two stars. (A Mexican brigadier general wears the arms of Mexico above one star.) Myanmar (Burma) Edit The rank of brigadier general is known in Myanmar as Bo Mhu Gyoke and is often the deputy commander of one of Myanmar's Regional Military Commands (RMC) , commander of the light infantry division (LID) or Military Operation Commands (MOC) .

In civil service, brigadier general often hold the office of deputy minister or director general of certain ministries. Pakistan Edit The Pakistan Army has followed the British Army rank system since independence from the British Empire in 1947. However, the crown in the ranks has been replaced with a star and crescent, which symbolizes the sovereignty of the Government of Pakistan. Brigadier General is equivalent to brigadier in the Pakistan army , commodore in the Pakistan Navy and air commodore in the Pakistan Air Force . Brigadier is also called a one star general . Like other armies, this rank is higher than colonel and lower than major general . Poland Prior to 2002, the Polish rank of Generał brygady was equivalent to both the ranks of major general and brigadier general. Portugal Edit In the Portuguese Army and Air Force , Brigadeiro-General is a temporary general rank for the colonels that have to exercise a special command. It is the equivalent of the commodore rank in the Portuguese Navy . The rank was reintroduced in 1999.

Before that, it existed, simply as Brigadeiro, from 1707 to 1864 and, again, from 1929 to 1937. From 1937 to 1999, Brigadeiro become the 2-star general rank in the Portuguese Army. As 2-star rank it was substituted by the rank of Major-General . Spain In the Spanish Army and Spanish Air Force , General de Brigada is the lowest rank of general officers. Its equivalent on the Navy is Contraalmirante. Sweden In the Swedish Army and Swedish Air Force , Brigadgeneral is the lowest rank of general officers. Its equivalent on the Navy is Flottiljamiral. Turkey Edit In the Turkish Army and the Turkish Air Force , the equivalent rank is Tuğgeneral (the Turkish Navy equivalent would be Tuğamiral). The name is derived from tugay, the Turkish word for a brigade . Both tugay and tuğ- as military terms may owe their origins to the older Turkish word tuğ, meaning horsetail, which was used as a symbol of authority and rank in Ottoman and pre-Ottoman times.

United Kingdom Brigadier-General was formerly a rank in the British Army and Royal Marines , and briefly in the Royal Air Force . It first appeared in the army in the reign of James II , [4] but did not exist in the Royal Marines until 1913. [5] It was abolished in both the army and the marines in 1922, being replaced in the army by the grade of Colonel Commandant (which already existed in the marines). Colonel Commandant was in turn replaced by the grade of Brigadier in the army in 1928, and at some time between World War II and 1957 in the marines. [6] [7] From its formation on 1 April 1918 until 31 July 1919, the Royal Air Force maintained the rank of brigadier general. It was superseded by the rank of air commodore on the following day. Brigadier-General was a temporary rank only, bestowed on a colonel or lieutenant-colonel (or on a colonel commandant in the marines) for the duration of a specific command.

The insignia for the rank was a crossed sword and baton on its own; higher grades of general at the time and still consist of this device with the addition of a star, crown or both for a full general. Brigadier is the highest field officer rank (hence absence of the word "general"), whereas brigadier-general was the lowest general officer rank. However, the two ranks are considered equal. The equivalent naval rank is commodore and the equivalent Air Force rank is air commodore . The History of American Military Rank The History of American Military Rank Search the site By Rod Powers Updated October 14, 2016 In the U.S. Military services, rank determines who gets to tell whom what to do. The higher one's rank the more authority (and responsibility) they have. U.S. Military personnel fall into one of three categories: (1) enlisted members, (2) warrant officers, and (3) commissioned officers . Warrant officers outrank all enlisted members, and commissioned officers outrank all warrant officers and enlisted members. "Rank" and "pay grade" are closely associated terms, but not quite the same. "Pay grade" is an administrative classification, associated with a member's pay.

"Rank" is a title and denotes the member's level of authority and responsibility. An E-1 is the lowest enlisted pay grade. That person's "rank" is a "Private" in the Army and Marine Corps, an "Airman Basic" in the Air Force, and a "Seaman Recruit" in the Navy and Coast Guard . I should also probably note here that in the Navy and Coast Guard, the term "rank" is not used among enlisted Sailors. The proper term is "rate." Through the ages, the badge of ranks has included such symbols as feathers, sashes, stripes and showy uniforms. Even carrying different weapons has signified rank. The badges of rank have been worn on hats, shoulders and around the waist and chest. The American military adapted most of its rank insignia from the British. Before the Revolutionary War, Americans drilled with militia outfits based on the British tradition. Sailors followed the example of the most successful navy of the time -- the Royal Navy. So, the Continental Army had privates, sergeants, lieutenants, captains, colonels, generals, and several now-obsolete ranks like the coronet, subaltern, and ensign.

One thing the Army didn't have was enough money to buy uniforms. To solve this, Gen. George Washington wrote, "As the Continental Army has, unfortunately, no uniforms and consequently many inconveniences must arise from not being able to distinguish the commissioned officers from the privates, it is desired that some badge of distinction be immediately provided; for instance that the field officers may have red or pink colored cockades in their hats, the captains yellow or buff, and the subalterns green." Even during the war, rank insignia evolved. In 1780, regulations prescribed two stars for major generals and one star for brigadiers worn on shoulder boards, or epaulets. The use of most English ranks carried on even after the United States won the war. The Army and Marine Corps used comparable ranks, especially after 1840. The Navy took a different route. The rank structure and insignia continued to evolve. Second lieutenants replaced the Army's coronets, ensigns, and subalterns, but they had no distinctive insignia until Congress gave them "butterbars" in 1917. Colonels received the eagle in 1832.

From 1836, majors and lieutenant colonels were denoted by oak leave; captains by double silver bars -- "railroad tracks"; and first lieutenants, single silver bars. In the Navy, Captain was the highest rank until Congress created flag officers in 1857 -- before then, designating someone an admiral in the republic had been deemed too royal for the United States. Until 1857, the Navy had three grades of captain roughly equivalent to the Army's brigadier general, colonel and lieutenant colonel. Adding to the confusion, all Navy ship commanders are called "captain" regardless of rank. With the onset of the Civil War, the highest grade captains became commodores and rear admirals and wore one-star and two-star epaulets, respectively. The lowest became commanders with oak leaves while captains in the middle remained equal to Army colonels and wore eagles. At the same time, the Navy adopted a sleeve stripe system that became so complex that when David Glasgow Farragut became the service's first full admiral in 1866, the stripes on his sleeves extended from cuff to elbow. The smaller sleeve stripes used today were introduced in 1869.

Chevrons are V-shaped stripes whose use in the military go back to at least the 12th century. It was a badge of honor and used in heraldry. The British and French used chevrons -- from the French word for "roof" -- to signify the length of service. Chevrons officially denoted rank in the U.S. military for the first time in 1817, when cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., wore them on their sleeves. From West Point, chevrons spread to the Army and Marine Corps. The difference then was chevrons were worn points down until 1902 when Army and Marine Corps enlisted personnel switched to the present points up configuration. Navy and Coast Guard petty officers trace their insignia heritage to the British. Petty officers were assistants to the officers aboard ship. The title wasn't a permanent rank and the men served at the captain's pleasure. Petty officers lost their rank when the crew was paid off at the end of a voyage. In 1841, Navy petty officers received their first rank insignia -- an eagle perched on an anchor.

Ratings -- job skills -- were incorporated into the insignia in 1866. In 1885, the Navy designated three classes of petty officers -- first, second and third. They added chevrons to designate the new ranks. The rank of chief petty officer was established in 1894. During World War II, the Army adopted technician grades. Technicians of a given grade earned the same pay and wore the same insignia as equivalent noncommissioned officers except for a small "T" centered under the chevrons. Technicians, despite the stripes, had no command authority over troops. This evolved into the specialist ranks, pay grades E-4 to E-7. The last vestige today survives plainly as "specialist," pay grade E-4. When there were such people as specialists 7, they wore the current eagle symbol surmounted by three curved gold bars -- often called "bird umbrellas." When the Air Force became a separate service in 1947, it kept the Army officer insignia and names but adopted different enlisted ranks and insignia. Warrant officers went through several iterations before the services arrived at today's configuration.

The Navy had warrant officers from the start -- they were specialists who saw to the care and running of the ship. The Army and Marines did not have warrants until the 20th century. Rank insignia for warrants last changed with the addition of chief warrant officer 5. The Air Force stopped appointing warrant officers in the 1950s and has none on active duty today. Other interesting rank tidbits include: Ensigns started with the Army but ended with the Navy. The rank of Army ensign was long gone by the time the rank of Navy ensign was established in 1862. Ensigns received gold bars in 1922, some five years after equivalent Army second lieutenants received theirs. "Lieutenant" comes from the French "lieu" meaning "place" and "tenant" meaning "holding." Literally, lieutenants are placeholders. The British originally corrupted the French pronunciation, pronouncing the word, "lieuftenant," while Americans (probably because of French settler influence) maintained the original pronunciation. While majors outrank lieutenants, lieutenant generals outrank major generals .

This comes from British tradition: Generals were appointed for campaigns and often called "captain generals." Their assistants were, naturally, "lieutenant generals." At the same time, the chief administrative officer was the "sergeant major general." Somewhere along the way, "sergeant" was dropped. Gold is worth more than silver, but silver outranks gold. This is because the Army decreed in 1832 that infantry colonels would wear gold eagles on an epaulet of silver and all other colonels would wear silver eagles on gold. When majors and lieutenant colonels received the leaves, this tradition could not continue. So silver leaves represented lieutenant colonels and gold, majors. The case of lieutenants is different: First lieutenants had been wearing silver bars for 80 years before second lieutenants had any bars at all. Colonel is pronounced "kernal" because the British adopted the French spelling "colonel" but Spanish pronunciation "coronel" and then corrupted the pronunciation. While rank insignia is important, sometimes it isn't smart to wear them. When the rifled musket made its appearance in the Civil War, sharpshooters looked for officers.

Officers soon learned to take off their rank insignia as they approached the battle line. The Air Force actually took a vote on their enlisted stripes. In 1948, then-Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Hoyt Vandenberg polled NCOs at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington and 55 percent of them chose the basic design still used today. When the Air Force became a separate service in 1947, it kept the Army officer insignia and names but adopted different enlisted ranks and insignia.​ More History of the American Military Bundeswehr | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia (help· info ) ) is the unified armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities. The States of Germany are not allowed to maintain armed forces of their own, since the German Constitution states that matters of defense fall into the sole responsibility of the federal government . [6] The Bundeswehr is divided into a military part (armed forces or Streitkräfte) and a civil part with the armed forces administration (Wehrverwaltung).

The military part of the federal defense force consists of the Heer ( Army ), Marine ( Navy ), Luftwaffe ( Air Force ), Streitkräftebasis (Joint Support Service), and the Zentraler Sanitätsdienst (Central Medical Services) branches. The Bundeswehr is among the world's most technologically advanced and best-supplied militaries, as befits Germany's overall economic prosperity and significant military industry . However, with military spending amounting only to 1.3% of the GDP (2011), it is also amongst the lowest budgeted militaries in the world in terms of share of GDP. [7] As of September 2013, the Bundeswehr has a strength of roughly 183,000 active troops, making it the 30th largest military force in the world and the fourth largest in the European Union, behind the armed forces of France, Italy and the United Kingdom. [3] In addition the Bundeswehr has approximately 144,000 reserve personnel (2010).

[4] Contents Edit The Bundeswehr was preceded by the old German state armies, then the Reichswehr (1921–1935), and the Wehrmacht (1935–1945). The Bundeswehr, however, does not consider itself as their successors and does not follow the traditions of any former German military organisation. The official Bundeswehr traditions are based on three major lines: [8] the military reformers at the beginning of the 19th century such as Scharnhorst , Gneisenau , and Clausewitz , the members of the military resistance against Hitler such as Claus von Stauffenberg and Henning von Tresckow and its own tradition since 1955. Großer Zapfenstreich As its symbol the Bundeswehr uses a form of the Iron Cross . The Iron Cross has a long history, having been awarded as a military wartime decoration for all ranks since 1813, and earlier associated with the Teutonic knights . The name Bundeswehr was proposed by the former Wehrmacht general and Liberal politician Hasso von Manteuffel .

One of the most visible traditions is the Großer Zapfenstreich , a form of military tattoo that goes back to the landsknecht era.[ citation needed ] Another expression of the traditions in the German armed forces is the ceremonial vow ( Gelöbnis ) of recruits, during basic training. Annually on July 20, the date of the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler by Wehrmacht officers in 1944, recruits of the Wachbataillon vow at the Bendlerblock , where the officers had their headquarters but recently the national commemorations in Berlin are now held at the grounds of the Reichstag , and there are similar ones held all over the Federal Republic on that day.

The wording of the ceremonial vow of conscripts was and still is (for full-time recruits and volunteer personnel starting from 2011 onward): "I pledge to serve the Federal Republic of Germany loyally and to defend the right and the freedom of the German people bravely." "Ich gelobe, der Bundesrepublik Deutschland treu zu dienen und das Recht und die Freiheit des deutschen Volkes tapfer zu verteidigen." Professional soldiers and officers of the Bundeswehr have to swear an oath with the same words, but beginning with "Ich schwöre, ..." ("I vow to..."). Cold War 1955–1990 Edit Germany joined NATO in 1955 After World War II the responsibility for the security of Germany as a whole rested with the four Allied Powers : the United States , the United Kingdom , France and the Soviet Union . Germany had been without armed forces since the Wehrmacht was dissolved following World War II . When the Federal Republic of Germany was founded in 1949, it was without a military. Germany remained completely demilitarized and any plans for a German military were forbidden by Allied regulations.

Only some naval mine-sweeping units continued to exist, but they remained unarmed and under Allied control and did not serve as a national defence force. Even the Federal Border Protection Force , a mobile, lightly armed police force of 10,000 men, was only formed in 1951. A proposal to integrate West German troops with soldiers of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Italy in a European Defence Community was proposed but never implemented. There was a discussion between the United States, the United Kingdom and France over the issue of a revived (West) German military. In particular, France was reluctant to allow Germany to rearm in light of recent history (Germany had invaded France twice in living memory, in World War I and World War II , and also defeated France in the Franco-German War of 1870/71; (see also French–German enmity )). However, after the project for a European Defence Community failed in the French National Assembly in 1954, France agreed to West German accession to NATO and rearmament. Leopard 2 tanks With growing tensions between the Soviet Union and the West, especially after the Korean War , this policy was to be revised.

While the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) was already secretly rearming, the seeds of a new West German force started in 1950 when former high-ranking German officers were tasked by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer to discuss the options for West German rearmament. The results of a meeting in the monastery of Himmerod formed the conceptual base to build the new armed forces in West Germany. The Amt Blank (Blank Agency, named after its director Theodor Blank ), the predecessor of the later Federal Ministry of Defense, was formed the same year to prepare the establishment of the future forces. Hasso von Manteuffel , a former general of the Wehrmacht and liberal politician, submitted the name Bundeswehr for the new forces. This name was later confirmed by the West German Bundestag. The Bundeswehr was officially established on the 200th birthday of Scharnhorst on 12 November 1955. In personnel and education terms, the most important initial feature of the new German armed forces was to be their orientation as citizen defenders of a democratic state, fully subordinate to the political leadership of the country.

[9] A personnel screening committee was created to make sure that the future colonels and generals of the armed forces were those whose political attitude and experience would be acceptable to the new democratic state. [10] There were a few key reformers, such as General Ulrich de Maiziere, General Graf von Kielmansegg, and Graf von Baudissin, [11] who reemphasised some of the more democratic parts of Germany’s armed forces history in order to establish a solid civil-military basis to build upon. The Bundeswehr was the first NATO-member to use the Soviet-built MiG 29 jet, taken over from the former East German Air Force . After an amendment of the Basic Law in 1955, West Germany became a member of NATO. The first public military review took place at Andernach, in January 1956.

[12] A US Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) helped with the introduction of the Bundeswehr's initial equipment and war material, predominantly of American origin.[ citation needed ] In 1956, conscription for all men between the ages of 18 and 45 was reintroduced, later augmented by a civil alternative with longer duration (see Conscription in Germany ). In response, East Germany formed its own military force, the Nationale Volksarmee (NVA), in 1956, with conscription being established only in 1962. The Nationale Volksarmee was eventually dissolved with the reunification of Germany in 1990. Compulsory conscription was suspended - but not completely abolished as an alternative - in January 2011. During the Cold War the Bundeswehr was the backbone of NATO's conventional defence in Central Europe. It had a strength of 495,000 military and 170,000 civilian personnel. Although Germany had smaller armed forces than France and the United States, Cold War Historian John Lewis Gaddis assesses the Bundeswehr as "perhaps world's best army".

[13] The Army consisted of three corps with 12 divisions, most of them heavily armed with tanks and APCs. The Luftwaffe owned significant numbers of tactical combat aircraft and took part in NATO's integrated air defence (NATINAD) . The Navy was tasked and equipped to defend the Baltic Approaches, to provide escort reinforcement and resupply shipping in the North Sea and to contain the Soviet Baltic Fleet. During this time the Bundeswehr did not take part in combat operations. However there were a number of large-scale training and operational casualties. The first such incident was in June 1957, when 15 paratroop recruits were drowned in the Iller river, Bavaria. [14] German Reunification 1990 Edit After reunification of Germany in 1990, the Bundeswehr was reduced to 370,000 military personnel in accordance with the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany between the two German governments and the Allies (2+4 Treaty). The former East German Nationale Volksarmee (NVA) was disbanded, with a portion of its personnel and material being absorbed into the Bundeswehr.

A Eurofighter Typhoon of the Luftwaffe . About 50,000 Volksarmee personnel were integrated into the Bundeswehr on 2 October 1990. This figure was rapidly reduced as conscripts and short-term volunteers completed their service. A number of senior officers (but no generals or admirals) received limited contracts for up to two years to continue daily operations. Personnel remaining in the Bundeswehr were awarded new contracts and new ranks, dependent on their individual qualification and experience. Many received and accepted a lower rank than previously held in the Volksarmee. In general, the unification process of the two militaries—under the slogan "Armee der Einheit" (or "Army of Unity")—has been seen publicly as a major success and an example for other parts of the society. With the reduction, a large amount of the military hardware of the Bundeswehr, as well as of the Volksarmee, had to be disposed of.

Most of the armored vehicles and fighter jet aircraft (Bundesluftwaffe - due to Reunification - was the only Air Force in the world that flew both: Phantoms and MIGs) were dismantled under international disarmament procedures. Many ships were scrapped or sold, often to the Baltic states or Indonesia (the latter received 39 former Volksmarine vessels of various types). Reorientation Edit A major event for the German military was the suspension of the compulsory conscription for men in 2011. In 2011/12, a major reform of the Bundeswehr was announced, further limiting the number of military bases and soldiers. [15] As of December 2012, the number of active military personnel in the Bundeswehr was down to 191,818, corresponding to a ratio of 2.3 active soldiers per 1,000 inhabitants. [16] Military expenditure in Germany was at €31.55 billion in 2011, corresponding to 1.2% of GDP.

[17] Both the number of active soldiers and the military expenditure places Germany below comparable countries of the European Union such as France and the United Kingdom. While this is already true in absolute terms, the difference is even more pronounced when taking into account Germany's larger population and economy. This discrepancy is often criticized by Germany's military allies, especially the United States. [18] [19] Command organization Minister of Defense, Thomas de Maizière With the growing number of missions abroad it was recognized that the Bundeswehr required a new command structure. A reform commission under the chairmanship of the former President Richard von Weizsäcker presented its recommendations in spring 2000. In October 2000 the Joint Support Service, the Streitkräftebasis, was established to concentrate logistics and other supporting functions such as military police, supply and communications under one command. Medical support was reorganized with the establishment of the Central Medical Services . The combat forces of the Army are organized into five combat divisions and participate in multi-national command structures at the corps level. The Air Force maintains three divisions and the Navy is structured into two flotillas. The Joint Support Service and the Central Medical Services are both organized in four regional commands of identical structure.

All of these services also have general commands for training, procurement, and other general issues. A German Navy Frigate The minister of defense or the chancellor is supported by the Chief of Defense (CHOD, Generalinspekteur ) and the service chiefs (Inspekteure) and their respective staffs in his or her function as commander-in-chief. The CHOD and the service chiefs form the Military Command Council (Militärischer Führungsrat) with functions similar to those of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the United States. Subordinate to the CHOD is the Armed Forces Operational Command (Einsatzführungskommando). For smaller missions one of the service HQs (e.g. the Fleet Command) may exercise command and control of forces in missions abroad. The Bundestag must approve any deployment abroad by a simple majority. This has led to some discontent with Germany's allies about troop deployments e.g. in Afghanistan since parliamentary consent over such issues is relatively hard to achieve in Germany. Mission German Army soldiers in Afghanistan (2009) The role of the Bundeswehr is described in the Constitution of Germany (Art. 87a) as absolutely defensive only.

Its only active role before 1990 was the Katastropheneinsatz (disaster control). Within the Bundeswehr, it helped after natural disasters both in Germany and abroad. After 1990, the international situation changed from East-West confrontation to one of general uncertainty and instability. Today, after a ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court in 1994 the term "defense" has been defined to not only include protection of the borders of Germany, but also crisis reaction and conflict prevention, or more broadly as guarding the security of Germany anywhere in the world. According to the definition given by former Defense Minister Struck, it may be necessary to defend Germany even at the Hindu Kush . This requires the Bundeswehr to take part in operations outside of the borders of Germany, as part of NATO or the European Union and mandated by the UN. Operations Edit Since the early 1990s the Bundeswehr has become more and more engaged in international operations in and around the former Yugoslavia, and also in other parts of the world like Cambodia or Somalia . After the September 11, 2001 attacks , German forces were employed in most related theaters except Iraq.

Bundeswehr current international operations Frigate Karlsruhe of the German Navy rescuing shipwrecked people off the coast of Somalia where it is patrolling Currently (September 11, 2013) there are Bundeswehr forces in: [20] Afghanistan / 94 personnel (mandate limit: 180) The actual number of troops serving in an abroad deployment complies with the requirements of the current security situation. In addition to the numbers above, forty soldiers are on permanent stand-by for medical evacuation operations around the world in assistance of ongoing German or coalition operations (STRATAIRMEDEVAC). In support of Allied stabilization efforts in Iraq, the Bundeswehr is also training the new Iraqi forces in locations outside Iraq, such as the United Arab Emirates and Germany. Since 1994, the Bundeswehr has lost about 100 troops in deployments abroad. See also: German Armed Forces casualties in Afghanistan . Equipment Further information: Combat vehicles of the German Army , Aircraft Inventory of the German Luftwaffe and Vessels of the German Navy According to the new threat scenario facing Germany and its NATO allies, the Bundeswehr is currently reorganising itself.

To realise growth in mobility and the enlargement of the air force's capabilities, the Bundeswehr is going to buy 60 Airbus A400M transports as well as 180 Eurofighter Typhoon fighters and also several unmanned aerial vehicle models. For the ground forces it plans to upgrade to Leopard 2 A7 main battle tank, developing a land soldier system and a new generation of transportation vehicles and light vehicles, such as the Fennek , the Boxer MRAV , KMW Grizzly , or the Puma (IFV) . Further, the German Navy is going to build new corvettes (dubbed K131), the new F125 class frigates , two Joint Support Ships and two more Type 212 submarines . Naval Air Wing 5 helicopter Vehicle of the Sanitätsdienst Edit German Army service uniforms. The service uniform is theoretically the standard type of Bundeswehr uniform for general duty and off-post activity, most associated, however, with ceremonial occasions. The army's service uniform consists of a light gray, single-breasted coat and darker gray trousers, worn with a light blue shirt, black tie, and black shoes.

The peaked, visored cap has been replaced by the beret as the most common form of headgear. Dress uniforms featuring dinner jackets or double-breasted coats are worn by officers for various social occasions. The battle and work uniform consists of Flecktarn camouflage fatigues, which are also worn on field duty. In practice, they are also used for general duty and off-post at least at barracks where there is also field duty even by others, and for the way home or to the post, and generally regarded as the Heer uniform. [21] In all three services, light sand-colored uniforms are available for duty in warmer climates. A different, traditional variety of the service uniform is worn by the Gebirgsjäger (mountain infantry), consisting of ski jacket, stretch trousers, and ski boots. Instead of the beret, they wear the grey "mountain cap". (see here for details.) The field uniform is the same, except for the (optional) metal Edelweiss worn on the forage cap. A German infantryman stands at the ready with his Heckler & Koch G36 during a practice exercise in 2004. US troops watch in the background.

All rifles in the photo are equipped with blank firing adapters. The traditional arm-of-service colors appear as lapel facings and as piping on shoulder straps. Generals wear an inner piping of gold braid; other officers wear silver piping. Lapel facings and piping are maroon for general staff, green for infantry, red for artillery, pink for armor, black for engineers, yellow for communications, dark yellow for reconnaissance and various other colors for the remaining branches. Combat troops wear green (infantry), black (armor), or maroon (airborne) berets. Logistics troops and combat support troops, such as artillery or engineers, wear red berets. A gold or silver badge on the beret denotes the individual branch of service. The naval forces wear the traditional navy blue, double-breasted coat and trousers; enlisted personnel wear either a white shirt or a navy blue shirt with the traditional navy collar. White uniforms provide an alternative for summer. The officer's dress cap is mounted with a gold anchor surrounded by a wreath. The visor of the admiral's cap bears a double row of oak leaves. The air force service uniform consists of a blue jacket and trousers with a light blue shirt, dark blue tie, and black shoes.

Olive battle dress similar to the army fatigue uniform is worn in basic training and during other field duty. Flying personnel wear wings on their right breast. Other air force personnel wear a modified wing device with a symbol in its center denoting service specialization. These Tätigkeitsabzeichen come in bronze, silver, or gold, depending on one's length of service in the specialty. Wings, superimposed over a wreath, in gold, silver, or bronze, depending on rank, are also worn on the service or field cap. Ranks Main article: Command and obedience in the Bundeswehr Service Uniform Army (Heer) In general, officer ranks are those used in the Prussian and pre-1945 German armies. Officer rank insignia are worn on shoulder straps or shoulder boards. Army (Heer) and air force (Luftwaffe) junior officers' insignia are four pointed silver stars while field grade officers wear silver (black or white on camouflage uniforms) stars and an oak wreath around the lowest star. The stars and wreath are gold for general officers.

In the case of naval (Marine) officers, rank is indicated by gold stripes on the lower sleeve of the blue service jacket and on shoulder boards of the white uniform. Soldier and NCO ranks are similar to those of the Prussian and pre-1945 German armies. In the army and air force, a Gefreiter corresponds to the NATO rank OR-2 and Hauptgefreiter to OR-3. An Unteroffizier is the lowest-ranking sergeant (OR-5), followed by Stabsunteroffizier (OR-6), Feldwebel and Oberfeldwebel (OR-7), Hauptfeldwebel (OR-8), Stabsfeldwebel (OR-9) and Oberstabsfeldwebel. Ranks of army and air force enlisted personnel are designated by stripes, chevrons, and "sword knots" worn on rank slides. Naval enlisted rank designations are worn on the upper (OR 1-5) or lower (OR-6 and above) sleeve along with a symbol based on an anchor for the service specialization (rating).

Army and air force officer candidates hold the separate ranks of Fahnenjunker , Fähnrich and Oberfähnrich, and wear the appropriate rank insignia plus a silver cord bound around it. Officers candidates in the navy Seekadett (sea cadet; equivalent to OR-4) and Fähnrich zur See (midshipman second class; OR-5) wear the rank insignia of the respective enlisted ranks but with a gold star instead of the rating symbol, while an Oberfähnrich zur See (midshipman first class; OR-7) wears an officer type thin rank stripe. Medical personnel of all three services wear a version of the traditional caduceus (staff with entwined serpents) on their shoulder straps or sleeve. The officers' ranks have own designations differing from the line officers, the rank insignias however are basically the same. Women Edit Ulrike Flender , the first female combat pilot in the unified German military Women have served in the medical service since 1975. From 1993 to 2000, they were also allowed to serve as enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers in the medical service and the army bands .

In 2000, in a lawsuit brought up by Tanja Kreil , the European Court of Justice issued a ruling allowing women to serve in more roles than previously allowed. Since 2001 they can serve in all functions of service without restriction, but they were not subject to conscription. There are presently around 14,500 women on active duty and a number of female reservists who take part in all duties including peacekeeping missions and other operations. In 1994, Verena von Weymarn became Generalarzt der Luftwaffe ("Surgeon General of the Air Force"), the first woman ever to reach the rank of general in the armed forces of Germany. Rank structure Badges of Rank; Australian Navy, Army, Air Force 1 under a crown indicates Lieutenant Colonel 2 under a crown indicates Colonel 3 under a crown indicates Brigadier 1 above a crossed baton & sword indicates Major General 1 under crown and above a crossed baton & sword indicates General Wording is "Tria Juncta In Uno" which translates to '3 join to become one', a reference to the 3 countries that became the United Kingdom.

Australian metal badge of rank for a WO1 in WW1. Worn on the right sleeve, below the elbow and just above the overseas service stripes (also shown). Australian metal badge of rank for a WO1 in WW1. Worn on the right sleeve, below the elbow. In some cases it was worn on a leather band on the right wrist. Note there was a gold coloured backing plate inside the sleeve that was not seen. Rank badges worn on the cuff by British Officers in WW1. As Australians had to interact with the Brits they were required to recognise these badges. Colour Sergeant The rank of colour sergeant was introduced into the British Army in 1813 as the protector of the ensign and the Colour. There was/is no such rank in the Australian Army except at the Royal Military College Duntroon, where it was a rank within the Corps of Staff Cadets. The escorts in a Colour Party are often Staff Sergeants and for ceremonial occasions, when Colours are on parade, they are referred to as the colour sergeants. The rank did exist in Colonial Units. The most famous Australian ever to hold the rank was General Sir John Monash who was Colour Sergeant of 4th Battalion Victorian Rifles.

Details Lance Sergeant (no longer used in Australia) Strictly speaking the rank of Lance Sergeant was (should have been) used only in the context of the Australian Light Horse. He was normally a senior sergeant who literally held the lance bearing the Brigade pennant and was alongside the Brigade Commander during a campaign. The lance sergeant (by holding the raised lance) would indicate to the other men where the brigade commander was on the field. Remember this was a time when Brigade Commanders were in the front line, leading by example. Regarding the Lance Sergeant in relation to Infantry Battalions it was used as a floating (appointment) rank between Corporal and Sergeant. It was and still is used in the British army as a definite rank, but in the Australian army it appears it was used in a semi-official way. A Lance Sergeant had the same pay as a Sergeant , same responsibilities and the same chevrons. I believe though that demotion for a Lance Sergeant was a matter of a stroke of the pen as the rank was not official. In some units the rank was referred to as the still used Temporary Sergeant or Acting Sergeant. The Irish Guards (along with the rest of the Household Division) have a unique rank structure.

Where the rest of the Army have Lance- Corporals who wear one chevron and Corporals who wear two chevrons, the Guards have Lance-Corporals who wear two chevrons and the rank of Lance-Sergeant who is a full Corporal but who wears three chevrons and is senior by appointment to a normal Corporal. The rank structure was appointed by Queen Victoria who stated that her Guards would not wear only one chevron when mounting guard outside the Royal Palaces so she stated that the Lance-Corporal would wear two chevrons. That left the problem of what the full Corporal would wear to show that he was a full Corporal so the rank of Lance-Sergeant was appointed. Even though the Lance-Sergeant is only a full Corporal to the eyes of outside Regiments and Corps, he still has full Sergeant's Mess privileges. Sergeant

Question: What rank does an officer in the British Army hold who wears the insignia of a crown and two stars on his shoulder straps ?
Answer: COLONEL