Australian Army officer rank insignia
Encyclopedia
Australian Army
officers receive a commission that is personally signed by the Governor-General of Australia
, acting for the Monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, of Australia
. Rank insignia for commissioned officers is identical to that of the British Army
, with the addition of a band containing the word "Australia" beneath the insignia.
The rank of Officer Cadet is given to those who are studying at the Australian Defence Force Academy
. Their rank is then changed to Staff Cadet upon entry to the Royal Military College, Duntroon
(RMC-D) where they become a part of the Corps of Staff Cadets. Officer cadets wear a 10mm wide white stripe, on a DPCU slide or hard shoulder board, as their rank insignia. Officer Trainees in University Regiments undergoing Army Reserve Officer Training have also been known as Officer Cadets as of November, 2009. Previous to this they administratively belonged to RMC-D and were known as Staff Cadets. Staff Cadets are presently only full-time RMC-D officer trainees. Staff Cadets wear "RMC" on their rank slides in order to distinguish them from other training establishments.
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Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
officers receive a commission that is personally signed by the Governor-General of Australia
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
, acting for the Monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Rank insignia for commissioned officers is identical to that of the British Army
British Army officer rank insignia
-Origins:The first British Army rank insignia were introduced in 1760. According to the Royal Clothing Warrant, General Officers were distinguished by the pattern and arrangement of laces on the cuff.Badges for field officers were first introduced in 1810...
, with the addition of a band containing the word "Australia" beneath the insignia.
Ranks and Rank Grades
Officer ranks in the Australian Army are organised into grades for administrative and promotional purposes. The rank grades also give an indication of what that particular officer's role or position may be, although 'Rank Grade' is not an official term. The ranks are organised below from highest to lowest:General Officer Ranks
- Field MarshalField Marshal (Australia)Field Marshal is the highest rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of field marshal. A five-star rank, the equivalent ranks in the other armed services are Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force...
(Abbreviated: FM) - O11. This rank is generally reserved for wartime and ceremonial purposes; there are no regular appointments to the rank. Sir Thomas BlameyThomas BlameyField Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian general of the First and Second World Wars, and the only Australian to date to attain the rank of field marshal....
is the only Australian-born officer promoted to the rank. Prince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, is currently the only living holder of the rank of Field Marshal in the Australian Army. The Duke, however, does not have any active role in the Australian command structure. - GeneralGeneral (Australia)General is the second highest rank, and the highest active rank, of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of General; it is also considered a four-star rank....
(Abbreviated: GEN) - O10. Since the Second World War, (with one exception), this rank has only been held when an Army officer is appointed as Chief of the Defence ForceChief of the Defence Force (Australia)Chief of the Defence Force is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force . The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, in a coequal arrangement with the Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.The position is a...
. - Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General (Australia)Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....
(Abbreviated: LTGEN) - O9. Held by Chief of Army and, when Army officers are appointed to the positions, Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Chief of Joint OperationsChief of Joint OperationsChief of Joint Operations is the appointment held by the 3*-ranked Officer that heads the Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood Headquarters, North London....
and Chief of Capability Development. - Major GeneralMajor General (Australia)Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank...
(Abbreviated: MAJGEN) - O8.
Senior Officer Ranks
- BrigadierBrigadierBrigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
(Abbreviated: BRIG) - O7. Like the United Kingdom, prior to 1922 Australia used the rank Brigadier GeneralBrigadier GeneralBrigadier 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. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
. - Colonel (Abbreviated: COL) - O6.
Field Grade Officer Ranks
- Lieutenant Colonel (Abbreviated: LTCOL) - O5.
- Major (Abbreviated: MAJ) - O4.
Company Grade Officer Ranks
- Captain (Abbreviated: CAPT) - O3.
- Lieutenant (Abbreviated: LT) - O2.
- Second Lieutenant (Abbreviated: 2LT) - O1.
Cadet Rank Insignia
SCDT and OCDT are equivalent rank titles.The rank of Officer Cadet is given to those who are studying at the Australian Defence Force Academy
Australian Defence Force Academy
The Australian Defence Force Academy is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force .Tertiary education is provided by the...
. Their rank is then changed to Staff Cadet upon entry to the Royal Military College, Duntroon
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
(RMC-D) where they become a part of the Corps of Staff Cadets. Officer cadets wear a 10mm wide white stripe, on a DPCU slide or hard shoulder board, as their rank insignia. Officer Trainees in University Regiments undergoing Army Reserve Officer Training have also been known as Officer Cadets as of November, 2009. Previous to this they administratively belonged to RMC-D and were known as Staff Cadets. Staff Cadets are presently only full-time RMC-D officer trainees. Staff Cadets wear "RMC" on their rank slides in order to distinguish them from other training establishments.
Officer Rank Insignia of the Australian Army
The insignia worn by officers in the Australian Army use three symbols which are also used in the insignia of the British ArmyBritish Army officer rank insignia
-Origins:The first British Army rank insignia were introduced in 1760. According to the Royal Clothing Warrant, General Officers were distinguished by the pattern and arrangement of laces on the cuff.Badges for field officers were first introduced in 1810...
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- The Star, commonly called a pip, is derived from that of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
. - The Crown has varied in the past, with the Imperial State CrownImperial State CrownThe Imperial State Crown is one of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.- Design :The Crown is of a design similar to St Edward's Crown: it includes a base of four crosses pattée alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross. Inside is a velvet cap...
being used from 1910 until 1953, when it was replaced by the St Edward's Crown from the coronation of Elizabeth II. - The Crossed Sword and Baton has been in use by generals of the British Army since at least 1800.
Insignia
| General Ranks of the Australian Army | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Marshal Field Marshal (Australia) Field Marshal is the highest rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of field marshal. A five-star rank, the equivalent ranks in the other armed services are Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force... (FM) |
General (GEN) |
Lieutenant General Lieutenant General (Australia) Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank.... (LTGEN) |
Major General Major General (Australia) Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank... (MAJGEN) |
Brigadier General (until 1922) |
| Australian Field Marshal rank insignia is similar to the British insignia although there is a small difference where in the Australian Rank the Crown is 5mm above the Crossed Batons FM Badge and in the British Rank, the Crown is attached to the FM Crossed Batons |
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| Senior Officer Ranks of the Australian Army | Field Grade Officer Ranks of the Australian Army | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Brigadier Brigadier Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general.... (BRIG) (since 1928) |
Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... (COL) |
Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence... (LTCOL) |
Major Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... (MAJ) |
| Company Grade Officer Ranks of the Australian Army | ||
|---|---|---|
| Captain (CAPT) |
Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... (LT) |
Second Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal... (2LT) |
| Officer Cadet/Officer Trainee Ranks of the Australian Army | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officer Cadet Officer Cadet Officer cadet is a rank held by military and merchant navy cadets during their training to become commissioned officers and merchant navy officers, respectively. The term officer trainee is used interchangeably in some countries... (OCDT) |
Staff Cadet (SCDT) |
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See also
- Australian Army enlisted rank insigniaAustralian Army enlisted rank insigniaLike the British Army, the Australian Army does not use the term 'enlisted' to describe its non-commissioned ranks. Instead, personnel who are not Commissioned Officers are referred to as Other Ranks. These are soldiers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Warrant Officers . Warrant Officers are...
- Australian Defence Force ranks and insigniaAustralian Defence Force ranks and insigniaThis article lists the ranks of officers and enlisted personnel in the Australian Defence Force 's three service branches. The ADF comprises the:*Royal Australian Navy *Australian Army*Royal Australian Air Force...
- List of Australian generals and brigadiers