Military ranks and units

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2003-09-05 03:17am

What's the rank order in the US Army and the Navy? And not as important as the previous two, but if anyone knows, can you post the hierarchy of the Air Force too?

Secondly, the hierarchy of units in the Army and the Navy, such as platoon, company, division, etc. And approximate number of soldiers/ships in each.

Thanks.

Post by **Edi** » 2003-09-05 03:26am

Military Rank Table, courtesy of Rob Wilson.

Army organization goes along the lines of:
Platoon (30 to 50 men)
Company (4 to 5 platoons)
Battalion (3 to 5 companies)
Regiment (optional, 3 to five battalions)
Division
Army Corps

Mind you, this is a roughly general breakdown; for US Armed Forces compositions, the other Mess members from the respective branches (or Sea Skimmer or Vympel) will answer you in more detail.

The organization below the platoon level varies with different militaries, so when e.g. I talk about a squad and somebody else from the US military talks about squads, we may not mean exactly the same thing.

Edi

greenmm · Post by **greenmm** » 2003-09-05 09:41am

Officers:

US Army:

2nd LT
1st LT
Captain
Major
Lt Colonel
Colonel
Brig. Gen
Maj Gen
Lt Gen
Gen
General of the Army (5-star) [max of 1 in the Army, and generally only 1 5-star officer in the entire US military at one time]

US Navy:

Ensign
Lt. (JG)
Lt.
Lt. Commander
Commander
Captain
*used to have Commodore, but I think it's been replaced by Rear Admiral now*
Rear Admiral
Vice Admiral
Admiral
Admiral of the Fleet (5-star) [max of 1 in the Navy, and generally only 1 5-star officer in the entire US military at one time]

Enlisted:

US Army:
Recruit
Private
Private 1st Class
Corporal/Specialist-4
Sergeant/Specialist-5
Staff Sergeant
Sergeant 1st Class
Master Sergeant
Sergeant Major
Command Sergeant Major
Command SgtMaj of the Army [only 1 in the Army at one time]

US Navy is much harder, and I'm not as familiar with it.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-09-05 10:06am

http://www.clancyfaq.com/milranks.htm

Gives you all ranks from each of the four major branches (Coast Guard is left out, but they follow the Navy structure for the most part) as well as rank insignia.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-09-05 12:44pm

Air Force:

Enlisted:
Airman Basic (E-1)
Airman (E-2)
Airman 1st Class (E-3)
Senior Airman (E-4)
Staff Sergeant (E-5)
Technical (Tech) Sergeant (E-6)
Master Sergeant (E-7)
Senior Master Sergeant (E-8)
Chief Master Sergeant (E-9)
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force

Officer:
2nd Lieutenant (O-1)
1st Lieutenant (O-2)
Captain (O-3)
Major (O-4)
Lieutenant Colonel (O-5)
Colonel (O-6)
Brigadier General (1 Star) (O-7)
Major General (2 Star) (O-8)
Lieutenant General (3 Star) (O-9)
General (4 Star) (O-10)

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2003-09-05 12:57pm

does anyone else find it considerably ironic that, considering the navy stereotype, there happens to be a Rear admiral?

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-09-05 12:59pm

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2003-09-05 02:25pm

Alyeska wrote:http://www.clancyfaq.com/milranks.htm

Gives you all ranks from each of the four major branches (Coast Guard is left out, but they follow the Navy structure for the most part) as well as rank insignia.

Coast Guard ranks are identical. The only difference is they use an anchor on the sleeve in place of the star the Navy uses, and there is no five star rank.

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2003-09-05 02:32pm

Two notes, first off USMC ranks are the same (for Officers) as US Army and Air Force.

Enlisted Ranks:
Private
Private First Class
Lance Corporal
Corporal
Sargeant
Staff Sargeant
Gunnery Sargeant
Master Sargeant / 1st Sargeant
Master Gunnery Sargeant / Sargeant Major / Sargeant Major of the Marine Corps

Warrant Officers:
Warrant Officer 1
Chief Warrant Officer 2
Chief Warrant Officer 3
Chief Warrant Officer 4
Chief Warrant Officer 5

Last small note, the rank of Specialist-5 no longer exists in the US Army.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-09-05 03:43pm

Zac Naloen wrote:does anyone else find it considerably ironic that, considering the navy stereotype, there happens to be a Rear admiral?

Do you know how many centuries old the rank of Rear Admiral is?

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2003-09-05 03:45pm

Edi wrote:Military Rank Table, courtesy of Rob Wilson.

Army organization goes along the lines of:
Platoon (30 to 50 men)
Company (4 to 5 platoons)
Battalion (3 to 5 companies)
Regiment (optional, 3 to five battalions)
Division
Army Corps

Mind you, this is a roughly general breakdown; for US Armed Forces compositions, the other Mess members from the respective branches (or Sea Skimmer or Vympel) will answer you in more detail.

The organization below the platoon level varies with different militaries, so when e.g. I talk about a squad and somebody else from the US military talks about squads, we may not mean exactly the same thing.

Edi

Battalion, BRIGADE, Regiment

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-09-05 03:49pm

Chardok wrote:

Battalion, BRIGADE, Regiment

Or brigade can come after regiment, or you could have only one or the other or both but with equal standing and the difference being organizational. All of which depends on what nation it is and what year. Not to mention the issue of how wildly unit strengths can vary, particularly with all the different types of regiments and brigades in different armies.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2003-09-05 03:53pm

Alls, IM saying is that when I was in the army, My chain went like this:
2nd squad, 2nd platoon, 66th MP co., 504th MP bn, 3rd MP Brigade (Provisional), 1st Corps, 7th Army cmd. I never thought about the fact there was no regiment I belonged to....weird....

greenmm · Post by **greenmm** » 2003-09-05 04:38pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:
Chardok wrote:

Battalion, BRIGADE, Regiment
Or brigade can come after regiment, or you could have only one or the other or both but with equal standing and the difference being organizational. All of which depends on what nation it is and what year. Not to mention the issue of how wildly unit strengths can vary, particularly with all the different types of regiments and brigades in different armies.

Well put. The US Army, for example, treats regiments differently depending on the situation:

-- most divisions don't even have regiments assigned
-- Armored Cav regiments are the equivalent to a conventional reinforced brigade, having more fire, air and combat support units attached
-- 82nd Airborne Division technically treats the brigade as above the regiment, but all the regiment is is 3 airborne battalions, with the brigade holding only the command and support units

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-09-05 04:50pm

greenmm wrote: General of the Army (5-star) [max of 1 in the Army, and generally only 1 5-star officer in the entire US military at one time]

Err, we havent had a 5 star since the last of the WWII officers
with that rank retired

Post by **RogueIce** » 2003-09-05 05:22pm

MKSheppard wrote:
greenmm wrote: General of the Army (5-star) [max of 1 in the Army, and generally only 1 5-star officer in the entire US military at one time]
Err, we havent had a 5 star since the last of the WWII officers
with that rank retired

There was also more than one, and more than one in the Navy. I think only the Air Force ever had only one.

They might've revised it since then, I guess, to allowing only one. Of course, since they've never made anybody one again, I guess it doesn't matter too much.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-09-05 06:17pm

RogueIce wrote:
MKSheppard wrote:
greenmm wrote: General of the Army (5-star) [max of 1 in the Army, and generally only 1 5-star officer in the entire US military at one time]
Err, we havent had a 5 star since the last of the WWII officers
with that rank retired
There was also more than one, and more than one in the Navy. I think only the Air Force ever had only one.

They might've revised it since then, I guess, to allowing only one. Of course, since they've never made anybody one again, I guess it doesn't matter too much.

When the rank was authorized the air force didn't exist and the Army and Navy where each allowed five slots. Neither reached that level, the army got to three which was as close at it came. As I recall the navy filled two slots, and the Air Force did indeed get only one slot when it was created in 1947, since it was apparent that that was as many as where necessary for any service in Peacetime.

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-09-05 10:37pm

Zac Naloen wrote:does anyone else find it considerably ironic that, considering the navy stereotype, there happens to be a Rear admiral?

Actually there are two.

One star -- Rear Admiral Lower Half
Two Stars -- Rear Admiral Upper Half

Now I'm sure you can have some fun putting those two together.

The term Commodore that used to be associated with one star is sometimes used to refer to someone in command of a Destroyer Squadron IIRC.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-09-05 10:46pm

My understanding is that a Commodore is not actually an official rank, but more of a title (rather like how the CO of a ship is referred to as the captain regardless of whether he's a O5 or O6).

Tsyroc · Post by **Tsyroc** » 2003-09-05 10:47pm

Howedar wrote:My understanding is that a Commodore is not actually an official rank, but more of a title (rather like how the CO of a ship is referred to as the captain regardless of whether he's a O5 or O6).

That's pretty much it. It's definately not a specific rank anymore.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-09-05 10:47pm

Tsyroc wrote: The term Commodore that used to be associated with one star is sometimes used to refer to someone in command of a Destroyer Squadron IIRC.

You generally find the split Rear Admiral ranks in fleets which dont have Commodore's. As for what they command, while they might have a full destroyer squadron with say cruisers its more likely they'll only have one division with the squadron under a Rear Admiral.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-09-05 10:49pm

Tsyroc wrote:
Howedar wrote:My understanding is that a Commodore is not actually an official rank, but more of a title (rather like how the CO of a ship is referred to as the captain regardless of whether he's a O5 or O6).

It is formal for some fleets. The USN hasn't used it since the nineteenth century as I recall.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-09-05 10:50pm

Well yeah, I was talking about the USN. Why talk about a navy that doesn't matter?

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2003-09-05 11:35pm

Chardok wrote:Alls, IM saying is that when I was in the army, My chain went like this:
2nd squad, 2nd platoon, 66th MP co., 504th MP bn, 3rd MP Brigade (Provisional), 1st Corps, 7th Army cmd. I never thought about the fact there was no regiment I belonged to....weird....

That's because in the US Armed Forces Regiment and Brigade have actually become interchangeable. For instance there are Armored Cavalry Regiments that are roughly the same size (in number of BNs) as a Combat Engineer Brigade.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2003-09-06 12:10am

IIRC Commodore is a title given to a commander of a squadron. These are typicaly senior Captains for the most part. Although its not unheard of to title a Rear Admiral (Lower Half) with Commodore if they too have a squadron.