The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified armed forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed by the second Second Continental Congress to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War.... is any rank below a commissioned officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position.... . The term can also be inclusive of noncommissioned officers. In most cases, enlisted service personnel perform jobs specific to their own occupational specialty, as opposed to the more general command responsibilities of commissioned officers. In the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Military of the United States and one of the uniformed services of the United States.... , this job specialty is known as an Air Force Specialty Code
Air Force Specialty Code
The Air Force Specialty Code is an alphanumeric code used by the United States Air Force to identify an Air Force Specialty . Officer AFSCs consist of four characters and enlisted AFSCs consist of five characters.... , in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S.... and United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing Military power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to rapidly deliver Marine Air-Ground Task Force.... , a Military Occupational Specialty
Military Occupational Specialty
A Military Occupational Specialty code is used in the United States Army and United States Marines. In the United States Air Force, a system of Air Force Specialty Codes is used.... , and in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the navy of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently has approximately 331,682 personnel on active duty as of 31 December 2008 and 124,000 in the United States Navy Reserve.... and United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the Military of the United States and one of seven Uniformed services of the United States. In addition to being a military branch at all times, it is unique among the armed forces in that it is also a Admiralty law agency and a Federal government of the United States regulatory agency.... , a naval rating
Naval rating
The term rating or rate carries different meanings depending on which navy is being discussed.... .
The armed forces of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the British Armed Forces or His/Her Majesty's Armed Forces, and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, encompasses a Royal Navy, an British Army, and an Royal Air Force.... and the armed forces of other Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states.... countries (except Canada
Canada
Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean.... ), the equivalent term in respect of armies and air forces is Other Rank
Other Ranks
Other Ranks in the British Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force are those personnel who are not commissioned officers. In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called Naval ratings.... (or OR for short), while navies use the term rating
Naval rating
The term rating or rate carries different meanings depending on which navy is being discussed.... ; in Canada, the term is non-commissioned member
Non-commissioned member
A non-commissioned member , in the Canadian Forces, is defined in the Queen's Regulations and Orders as:"? any person, other than an officer , who is enrolled in, or who pursuant to law is attached or seconded otherwise than as an officer to, the Canadian Forces?"... (NCM).
