United States Armed Forces Ranks and Insignia

The ranks and insignia of the United States Armed Forces define the hierarchy of authority, responsibility, and command within the United States Armed Forces. The system is divided into three broad categories: enlisted personnel, warrant officers, and commissioned officers. Each branch—the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Air Force, United States Space Force, and United States Coast Guard—has its own insignia and traditions, though rank structures are broadly comparable.

Overview

Enlisted personnel – form the foundation of the military, carrying out tasks, operations, and technical work.

Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and petty officers – provide leadership and supervision of enlisted troops.

Warrant officers – technical specialists with authority between enlisted and commissioned officers.

Commissioned officers – exercise command authority and leadership at tactical, operational, and strategic levels.

== Enlisted Ranks == Each service uses a tiered system of junior enlisted, NCOs, and senior NCOs:

Army and Marine Corps – Private (E-1) through Sergeant Major/Sergeant Major of the Army/Marine Corps (E-9).

Air Force and Space Force – Airman Basic (E-1) through Chief Master Sergeant/Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (E-9).

Navy and Coast Guard – Seaman Recruit (E-1) through Master Chief Petty Officer/Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy/Coast Guard (E-9).

Warrant Officers

Found in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard (not in the Air Force or Space Force).

Warrant Officers (WO1) through Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5) provide technical expertise in fields such as aviation, intelligence, engineering, and logistics.

Commissioned Officers

Commissioned officers hold presidential commissions and lead units, organizations, and commands. Ranks are generally equivalent across the services:

Company-grade officers – Second Lieutenant/Ensign (O-1) through Captain/Lieutenant (O-3).

Field-grade officers – Major/Lieutenant Commander (O-4) through Colonel/Captain (O-6).

General/flag officers – Brigadier General/Rear Admiral (lower half) (O-7) through General/Admiral (O-10).

Special Titles

Army: General of the Army (five-star rank, used during World War II).

Navy: Fleet Admiral (five-star rank).

Air Force: General of the Air Force (five-star rank, held only by Henry H. Arnold).

Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not have five-star ranks.

Insignia

Insignia vary by branch:

Army/Marine Corps/Air Force/Space Force – stripes, chevrons, bars, oak leaves, eagles, and stars.

Navy/Coast Guard – stripes and sleeve insignia for officers, chevrons and specialty marks for enlisted sailors.

Rank Equivalency

Despite differences in titles, ranks are equivalent across services. For example:

An Army Captain (O-3) = a Navy Lieutenant (O-3) = an Air Force/Space Force Captain (O-3).

An Army Sergeant (E-5) = a Marine Sergeant (E-5) = a Navy Petty Officer Second Class (E-5).

Pay Grades

Military ranks are standardized by pay grades:

Enlisted: E-1 to E-9

Warrant Officers: W-1 to W-5

Officers: O-1 to O-10

Also See

• United States Armed Forces

• United States Army

• United States Navy

• United States Marine Corps

• United States Air Force

• United States Space Force

• United States Coast Guard

• Military pay grade

External Links

• Department of Defense – Ranks and Insignia

• U.S. Army Ranks

• U.S. Navy Ranks

• U.S. Marine Corps Ranks

• U.S. Air Force Ranks

• U.S. Space Force Ranks

• U.S. Coast Guard Ranks