Table of Contents
What is the order of rank in the military?
Officer Ranks
- Second Lieutenant. Typically the entry-level rank for most commissioned officers.
- First Lieutenant. A seasoned lieutenant with 18 to 24 months of service.
- Captain.
- Major.
- Lieutenant Colonel.
- Colonel.
- Brigadier General.
- Major General.
Who ranks highest in the military?
five-star General of the Army
The highest rank attainable in the Army is the five-star General of the Army. Often called a “five-star general”, the rank of General of the Army has historically been reserved for wartime use and is not currently active in the U.S. Army.
How do military ranks work?
Military rank is a badge of leadership. A corporal is expected to fill a leadership role and has a higher rank than a specialist, even though both receive E-4 pay. In the Marine Corps, a master gunnery sergeant and a sergeant major are both E-9s, but the sergeant major has the higher rank.
What is the best rank in the military?
The highest rank attainable in the Army is the five-star General of the Army. Often called a “five-star general”, the rank of General of the Army has historically been reserved for wartime use and is not currently active in the U.S. Army.
Who was the last 5 star general in the US Army?
Only nine Americans ever have held this rank. The last living five-star general was Omar Bradley, who died in 1981. The best way to understand Army ranks in order is to see each paygrade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Army. You also can read more details for Army enlisted ranks and Army officer ranks.
How are the ranks displayed in the military?
The only rank names and abbreviations that are exactly the same across all services who use them are those for warrant officers. These military ranks are displayed on service member uniforms through a series of symbols, such as chevrons, stripes, stars and bars.
There has been no authorization to use the rank since the World War II era. The table below lists all the standard ranks in the U.S. Navy and their respective pay grades, insignias, abbreviations, and classifications.