A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states.... s' armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external and internal aggressors.... ranking
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchy relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms.... designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy
Hierarchy
A 'hierarchy' is an arrangement of items The word derives from the Greek language , from ?e?????? , "president of sacred rites, high-priest" and that from , "sacred" + , "to lead, to rule".... of an armed force compared to another. Several of these lists mention NATO reference codes. These are the NATO rank reference codes
Ranks and insignia of NATO
Ranks and insignia of NATO are combined military insignia used by the member countries of the NATO.NATO maintains a "standard rank scale" in an attempt to match every member country's military rank to corresponding ranks used by the other members.... , used for easy comparison amongst NATO
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization , also called the Atlantic Alliance, is a military alliance established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949.... countries. Links to comparison charts can be found below.
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A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states.... s' armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external and internal aggressors.... ranking
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchy relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms.... designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy
Hierarchy
A 'hierarchy' is an arrangement of items The word derives from the Greek language , from ?e?????? , "president of sacred rites, high-priest" and that from , "sacred" + , "to lead, to rule".... of an armed force compared to another. Several of these lists mention NATO reference codes. These are the NATO rank reference codes
Ranks and insignia of NATO
Ranks and insignia of NATO are combined military insignia used by the member countries of the NATO.NATO maintains a "standard rank scale" in an attempt to match every member country's military rank to corresponding ranks used by the other members.... , used for easy comparison amongst NATO
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization , also called the Atlantic Alliance, is a military alliance established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949.... countries. Links to comparison charts can be found below.
The following table displays the rank insignia worn by officers of the Argentine Army.Argentine Army officers wear their rank insignia in shoulderboards....
The following is a display of rank insignia used by enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers of the Argentine Army, including field dress, parade dress and everyday dress uniforms...
Australian Army Officers receive a commission that is personally signed by the Governor-General of Australia, acting for the Monarch. 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....
Like 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....
The Royal Australian Air Force inherited its rank structure from the Royal Air Force. The RAF based its officer ranks on the Royal Navy, and its airmen ranks on the British Army....
The following image shows the badges of rank and special insignia for Officer and enlisted personnel in the Australian Defence Force three service branches....
Military ranks and insignia of Bosnia and Herzegovina
This page shows you the military rank system and military insignia of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina that existed from 1992 to 2005 and the current Bosnian army that exists from 2006 to present known as OSBIH or Armed Forces of Bosnia-Herzegovina....
This article presents the insignia and ranks of the Brazilian military. These ranks originate from those adopted upon Brazil's independence from Portugal in 1822....
This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Canadian Forces. As the Canadian Forces are officially bilingual, the French language ranks are in italics....
The People's Liberation Army has not always used ranks or insignia. In common with the practice of the Red Army at the time of its founding in 1927, neither were used until 1955 when a system of ranks was established.... (People's Republic of China)
The ranks in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy are similar to those of the Chinese Army, formally known as the People's Liberation Army Ground Force, except that those of the PLA Navy are prefixed by ?? meaning Naval Force or Navy.... (People's Republic of China)
The ranks in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force are similar to those of the Chinese Army, formally known as the People's Liberation Army Ground Force, except that those of the PLA Air Force are prefixed by ?? meaning Air Force.... (People's Republic of China)
The Royal Danish Army forms together with the Army Home Guard the land forces of the Military of Denmark.The Royal Danish Army is currently undergoing a thorough transformation of structures, equipment and training methods, abandoning its traditional role of anti-invasion defence, instead focusing on out of area operations via among other i...
The Royal Danish Air Force is the air force of Denmark, it is an expeditionary Air Force, with capability organised to support both international operations and homeland security....
Other ranks are a joined term for military personnel that are not Officer officers of various forces, by the Ranks and insignia of NATO. These personnel are Non-commissioned officer and privates/seamen/aircraftsmen....
The Military of Estonia In April 1917 the mobilization department of the Chief of the General Staff issued an order to concentrate Estonian military personnel in their homeland....
Present Estonian system of rank insignia is a direct descendant of various systems used in the past in the Estonian Army. Some of the grades trace their name back to period of World Wars, for instance the rank of aspirant literally means an officers in training in military academies or voluntaries, serving as temporary officers....
Finnish military ranks form a system that incorporates features from Swedish, German, and Russian armed forces. In addition, it has some typically Finnish characteristics that are mostly due to the personnel structure of the Finnish Defence Forces....
Rank insignia in the French army, depends on whether the soldier belongs to a "foot arm" or a "horse arm". All arms are designated either a foot or horse arm....
The German German Army distinguishes three career paths: officers , non-commissioned officers and enlisted men .Rank insignia are worn on both shoulders....
Modern Greek military ranks are based on Ancient Greek & Byzantine Empire terminology, even though the ranks correspond to those of other Western armies....
The following table contains the military ranks of the Military of Hungary, both Hungarian Ground Forces and Hungarian Air Force ranks are all the same. Information taken from ....
The following graphs presents the officer ranks of the Indian Air Force. These ranks generally correspond with those of Western militaries, and reflect those of the British military ranks....
The following graphs presents the officer ranks of the Indian army. These ranks generally correspond with those of Western militaries, and reflect those of the British military ranks....
The following graphs presents the officer ranks of the Indian navy. These ranks generally correspond with those of Western militaries, and reflect those of the British military ranks....
The Military of Indonesia uses a simplified ranking system for the three branches of Indonesian Army, Indonesian Navy and Air Force. Most of the ranks are similar with differentiations for the high-ranked officers....
Iraqi military ranks Every military needs discipline and respect in order to achieve its objective. The military uses ranks in order to achieve a chain of command that is responsible for work to go smoothly....
Notes*In the IDF, the same ranks are used throughout the military, including the Israeli Air Force and Israeli Navy. This contrasts with many other armed forced that have a separate rank system for different branches....
This chart represents the Italian Army rank insignia used on the slip-on of winter service uniforms. The color of the uniforms is Khaki .Officers who are assigned to a position attaining a higher rank wear the star of the higher rank with a red enamel....
New Zealand military ranks are largely based on those of the United Kingdom. The three forces have their own rank structure, with a rank equivalency that allows seamless interoperability between the services....
Comparative military ranks of Korea refer to the ranks and insignia maintained by the three primary military powers on the Korean Peninsula, those being the Military of South Korea , the Military of North Korea , and the United States armed forces....
The green part represents soldiers and the equivalent of non-commissioned officers. The blue part represents officers. Norway does not have a NCO-system and thus Sersjant and Kvartermester are grouped with the officers under the common designation befal....
OriginsPresent Polish system of rank insignia is a direct descendant of various systems used in the past in the Polish Army. Some of the grades trace their name back to Middle Ages, for instance the rank of chorazy literally means a flag bearer....
The Singapore Armed Forces has a unified rank structure, with the identical rank names and insignia for Officer , Warrant Officers, Specialist s, and enlisted men throughout the Singapore Army, Republic of Singapore Navy, and Republic of Singapore Air Force....
ArmyThe South African Army was formed in 1912 as the Union Defence Force. It was given its present name in 1951. The rank system is derived from that of the British Army....
The following tables present the military ranks and insignia of the Sri Lanka Army. These ranks generally correspond with those of Western or Commonwealth of Nations militaries, and reflect those of the British Army Other Ranks rank insignia and the British Army officer rank insignia....
The following tables present the military ranks and insignia of the Sri Lanka Navy. These ranks generally correspond with those of Western or Commonwealth of Nations militaries, and reflect those of the Royal Navy ratings rank insignia and the Royal Navy officer rank insignia....
Military ranks and insignia of the Sri Lanka Air Force
The following tables present the military ranks and insignia of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Upon the formation of the Sri Lanka Air Force in 1951, rank titles and badges for ORs were adopted from the Royal Air Force RAF officer ranks and RAF enlisted ranks, specifically the Royal Flying Corps ....
Swiss army ranks have changed little over the centuries, except for the introduction, in 2001, of a new set of warrant officers. The rank of Fourier, for instance, bestowed on the WO who administers a company's finances and subsistence, has been discontinued in the French army, but remains in Switzerland....
Rank StructureThe rank system of the Republic of China Army is based on Wehrmacht during the Sino-Germany cooperation era. Currently, the rank structure is getting closer to the one used by the United States Army....
|- align = center|Abbreviation:||FM||Gen||Lt Gen||Maj Gen||Brig||Col||Lt Col||Maj||Capt||Lt||2Lt||||OCdt|-|colspan = 8|1 Abeyance - appointments no longer made to this rank in peacetime....
The term used in the Royal Air Force to refer to all ranks below RAF officer ranks level is Other Ranks . It includes Warrant Officers, non-commissioned officers and airmen....
OfficersRoyal Navy uniform were not authorised until 1748. At first the cut and style of the uniform differed considerably between ranks and specific rank insignia only sporadically used....
The chart below represents the current enlisted rank insignia of the United States Air Force.While all Air Force military personnel are referred to as Airmen, it can specifically refer to the pay grades of E-1 through E-4 which are below the level of non-commissioned officers ....
Current insigniaThis chart displays the United States Air Force officer rank insignia. The ranks are divided into three sections: company grade, field grade, and general officers....
The chart below represents the current enlisted rank insignia of the United States Army.This chart represents the United States Army enlisted rank insignia with seniority increasing left-to-right inside a given pay grade....
In the United States military, a Warrant Officer is ranked as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1 ....
This chart represents United States Army officer rank insignia.The structure of U.S. ranks has its roots in British military traditions. At the start of the American Revolutionary War, uniforms, let alone insignia, were barely affordable and recognition of ranks in the field was problematic....
These charts represents the United States Coast Guard enlisted Naval rate insignia. Rates are used to describe an enlisted sailors pay-grade. Rates aren't to be confused with "List of United States Coast Guard ratings ", which describe the Coast Guards enlisted occupations....
In the United States military, a Warrant Officer is ranked as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1 ....
United States Coast Guard officer rank describes an officers pay-grade. Rank is displayed on collar devices, shoulder boards, and on the sleeves of dress uniforms....
The chart below represents the current enlisted rank insignia of the United States Marine Corps.This chart represents the United States Marine Corps enlisted rank insignia with seniority increasing right-to-left inside a given pay grade....
In the United States military, a Warrant Officer is ranked as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1 ....
Commissioned Officers are distinguished from other officers by their commission, which is the formal written authority, issued in the name of the President of the United States, that confers the rank and authority of a Marine Officer....
In the United States military, a Warrant Officer is ranked as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1 ....
Commissioned officers in the Navy have pay grades ranging from W-2 to W-5 and O-1 to O-10, with O-10 being the highest: those with paygrades between W-2 to W-5 are considered specialists in their field....
United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officer rank insignia
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps officer rank insignia
A new law aprooved in July 2008 changed the military ranks of Venezuela. The law was sanctioned by Venezuelan Legislative Body ?Asamblea Nacional?, however the changes were designed by President Hugo Ch?vez Fr?as in order to standardize Venezuelan military ranks with the Cuban Armed Forces, among another changes in terms of names, functions a...
The Vietnam People's Army distinguishes three careerpaths: Officer s , non-commissioned officers , and enlisted members .... of the People's Army of Vietnam or PAVN
World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers.... and Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers.... comparisons
The following table shows comparative officer ranks of the principal Allies and Central Powers powers during World War I. For modern ranks refer to Comparative military ranks....
The following table shows comparative officer ranks of major Allies#World War II and Axis powers during World War II. For modern ranks refer to Comparative military ranks....
Army ranks of the Japanese Empire during World War II
The following tables present the Military rank insignia of the Empire of Japan military before and during World War II. These designs were worn on shoulders as passants between the years 1911 and 1938, then on collars afterwards until 1945, when the Imperial Japanese Army was dissolved....
Naval ranks of the Japanese Empire during World War II
The following graphs present the rank insignia of the Japan navy during World War II. These designs had been used between the years 1931 to 1945, but were discontinued after World War II, when the Imperial Japanese Navy had been dissolved....
Nazi party paramilitary ranks were pseudo-military titles which were used by the National Socialist German Workers Party between the years of 1920 and 1945.... :
The ranks and insignia of the Schutzstaffel were a Nazi party paramilitary ranks used by the Schutzstaffel to differentiate that organization from the regular German armed forces, the German state, and the Nazi Party....
The ranks and insignia of the Sturmabteilung were the first Nazi party paramilitary ranks to be developed by the Nazi Party in 1920. The titles and phrases used by the SA were eventually adopted by several other Nazi paramilitary groups, among them the Schutzstaffel ....
The Ranks and insignia of the Hitler Youth were a Nazi Party Nazi party paramilitary ranks that existed from 1932 to 1945. The Hitler Youth had existed for nearly a decade before, but the organization did not maintain any particular system of ranks....
Ranks and insignia of the National Socialist Flyers Corps
The Ranks and insignia of the National Socialist Flyer Corps were a Nazi party paramilitary ranks in use by the National Socialist Flyers Corps between the years of 1933 and 1945....
Ranks and insignia of the National Socialist Motor Corps
The Ranks and insignia of the National Socialist Motor Corps were a Nazi party paramilitary ranks used between the years of 1931 and 1945. The ranks were based closely on the ranks and insignia of the Sturmabteilung , of which the NSKK had originally been a part....
The Volkssturm was a Germany national militia of the last months of World War II. It was founded on Adolf Hitler's orders on October 18, 1944 and conscripted males between the ages of 16 to 60 years who were not already serving in some military unit as part of a German militia....
United States Army enlisted rank insignia of World War II
The U.S. Army enlisted military rank insignia that was used during World War II differs from the current system. The color scheme used for the insignia's Chevron design was defined as either silver grey on dark blue, olive drab on dark blue, or khaki on dark blue ....
Ranks and insignia of NATO are combined military insignia used by the member countries of the NATO.NATO maintains a "standard rank scale" in an attempt to match every member country's military rank to corresponding ranks used by the other members....
Comparative military ranks of Korea refer to the ranks and insignia maintained by the three primary military powers on the Korean Peninsula, those being the Military of South Korea , the Military of North Korea , and the United States armed forces....
Air forces of most of the countries use ranking system similar to army. However, the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations countries, or those formerly under a British influence, use a different set of ranks loosely based on naval equivalents; Lieutenant, Commander, Captain and Commodore are prefixed for air force use w...
Navy have military rank systems that often are quite different from those of army or air forces. Sometimes, services that are considered parts of the navy – marine or amphibious corps – use the army-style ranks instead, while the ranks listed here are reserved for Naval_fleets....