Operational Medicine Medical Education and Training

FMST Student Manual - 2008 Web Edition*

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

Field Medical Training Battalion
Camp Lejeune

FMST 1101

Rank Structure of Armed Forces Personnel

Terminal Learning ObjectiveS

1. In a military environment, identify the rank and rate structure of Armed Forces Personnel, per the reference.  (FMST-HSS-1101)

Enabling Learning Objectives

1. Without the aid of references, identify rank equivalencies between the rank structures of Armed Forces personnel, per the student handout. (FMST-HSS-1101a)

2. Without the aid of references, given a list to choose from, identify the equivalent rank insignia of Armed Forces personnel, per the student handout.  (FMST-HSS-1101b)

3. Without the aid of references, given a description or title, identify the seniority between rank/pay grade of Armed Forces personnel, per the student handout.  (FMST-HSS-1101c)


 ENLISTED RANKS


 
 Enlisted Rank Insignia
E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E9 of ...
Service members in pay grades E-1 through E-3 are usually either in some kind of training status or on their initial assignment. The training includes the basic training phase where recruits are immersed in military culture and values and are taught the core skills required by their service component.

Visit Web Specials on Basic Training: Link: Army/Marines Link: AF/Navy

Basic training is followed by a specialized or advanced training phase that provides recruits with a specific area of expertise or concentration. In the Army and Marines, this area is called a military occupational specialty; in the Navy it is known as a rate; and in the Air Force it is simply called an Air Force specialty.

ARMY — * For rank and precedence within the Army, specialist ranks immediately below corporal. Among the services, however, rank and precedence are determined by pay grade.

NAVY/COAST GUARD — *A specialty mark in the center of a rating badge indicates the wearer's particular rating. ** Gold stripes indicate 12 or more years of good conduct. *** 1. Master chief petty officer of the Navy and fleet and force master chief petty officers. 2. Command master chief petty officers wear silver stars. 3. Master chief petty officers wear silver stars and silver specialty rating marks. TOP
Army title Navy title Marine Corps title Air Force title
Coast Guard title
The U.S. Coast Guard is a part of the Department of Transportation in peacetime and the Navy in times of war. Coast Guard rank insignia are the same as the Navy except for color and the seaman recruit rank, which has one stripe.
E1 Private Seaman Recruit (SR) Private Airman Basic
TOP
E2
Private E-2
(PV2)


Army Private E2
 
Seaman Apprentice
(SA)


Navy/Coast Guard Seaman Apprentice E2
Private First Class
(PFC)


Marine Private 1st Class E2
Airman
(Amn)

Air Force Airman E2
TOP
E3
Private First Class
(PFC)

Army Private 1st Class E3
Seaman (SN)



Navy/Coast Guard Seaman E3
Lance Corporal
(LCpl)


Marine Lance Corporal E3
Airman First Class
(A1C)

Air Force Airman 1st Class E3
TOP
E4
Corporal
(CPL)

Army Corporal E4
Specialist
(SPC)

Army Specialist E4
Petty Officer
Third Class(PO3) **


Navy/Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class E4
Corporal
(Cpl)

Marine Corporal E4
Senior Airman
(SrA)


Air Force Senior Airman E4
TOP
  Leadership responsibility significantly increases in the mid-level enlisted ranks. This responsibility is given formal recognition by use of the terms noncommissioned officer and petty officer. An Army sergeant, an Air Force staff sergeant, and a Marine corporal are considered NCO ranks. The Navy NCO equivalent, petty officer, is achieved at the rank of petty officer third class. TOP
Army title Navy title
 		 Marine Corps title Air Force title
Coast Guard title
E5
Sergeant
(SGT)

Army Sergeant E5
 		 Petty Officer
Second Class
(PO2) **

Navy/CoastGuard Petty Officer 2nd Class E5 		Sergeant
(Sgt)

Marine Sergeant E5 Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
(SSgt)


Air Force Staff Sergeant E5
TOP
E6
Staff Sergeant
(SSG)

Army Staff Sergeant E6

 		 Petty Officer
First Class
(PO1) **

Navy/CoastGuard Petty Officer 1st Class E6 		Staff Sergeant
(SSgt)

Marine Sergeant E6 Staff Sergeant 		Technical Sergeant
(TSgt)



Air Force E6 Technical Sergeant
TOP
E7
Sergeant First Class
(SFC)

Army Sergeant 1st Class E7
Chief Petty Officer
(CPO) **

Navy/CoastGuard Chief Petty Officer E7
Gunnery Sergeant
(GySgt)

Marine Sergeant E7 Gunnery Sergeant
Master Sergeant
(MSgt)


Air Force E7 Master Sergeant
First Sergeant




TOP
  At the E-8 level, the Army, Marines and Air Force have two positions at the same pay grade. Whether one is, for example, a senior master sergeant or a first sergeant in the Air Force depends on the person's job. The same is true for the positions at the E-9 level. Marine Corps master gunnery sergeants and sergeants major receive the same pay but have different responsibilities. All told, E-8s and E-9s have 15 to 30 years on the job, and are commanders' senior advisers for enlisted matters.

A third E-9 element is the senior enlisted person of each service. The sergeant major of the Army, the sergeant major of the Marine Corps, the master chief petty officer of the Navy and the chief master sergeant of the Air Force are the spokespersons of the enlisted force at the highest levels of their services. TOP
Army title Navy title Marine Corps title Air Force title
Coast Guard title
E8 Master
Sergeant
(MSG)

Army Master Sergeant E8 		First
Sergeant
(1SG)

Army First Sergeant E8		 Senior Chief Petty Officer
(SCPO) **


Navy/CoastGuard Senior Chief Petty Officer E8 		Master Sergeant
(MSgt)


Marine Sergeant E8 Master Sergeant
First Sergeant




 		 Senior
Master Sergeant
(SMSgt)

Air Force Senior Master Sergeant E8		 First Sergeant





TOP
E9
Sergeant Major
(SGM)




Army Sergeant Major E9

 
Command
Sergeant Major
(CSM)



Army Command Sergeant Major E9
Master Chief
Petty Officer
(MCPO)
**
***

Navy/CoastGuard Master Chief Petty Officer E9
Fleet/Command
Master
Chief Petty
Officer
**
***


Navy/CoastGuard Fleet/Command Master Chief Petty Officer E9
Sergeant Major
(SgtMaj)




Marine Sergeant E9 Sergeant Major
Master Gunnery
Sergeant (MGySgt)



Marine Sergeant E9 Master Gunnery Sergeant
Chief Master
Sergeant
(CMSgt)





First Sergeant
Command
Chief Master
Sergeant
(CCM)




Air Force Chief Master Sergeant E9

TOP
E9
Sergeant Major
of the
Army
(SMA)


Army Sergeant Major of the Army E9
Master Chief
Petty Officer
of the
Navy
(MCPON)
and
Coast Guard
(MCPOCG)

Navy Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy E9
**
***
Sergeant Major
of the
Marine Corps
(SgtMajMC)


Marine Sergeant E9 Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

 
Chief Master
Sergeant of the Air Force
(CMSAF)


Air Force Command Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force E9


TOP

 

OFFICER RANKS

Marine Corps Officers wear gold or silver rank insignias on the shoulder lapel of their coats or overcoats.  They also wear small replicas of the insignia on their shirt collar.  The color and shape of the insignia varies with their rank.

Officer ranks within the Marine Corps are categorized into three groups

- Company Grade: W1 to W5 and O-1 to O-3

- Field Grade: O-4 to O-6

- General Grade: O-7 to O-10

 

 

spacegif
W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | O1 | O2 | O3 | O4 | O5 | O6 | O7 | O8 | O9 | O10 | General of...
Officer ranks in the United States military consist of commissioned officers and warrant officers. The commissioned ranks are the highest in the military. These officers hold presidential commissions and are confirmed at their ranks by the Senate. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps officers are called company grade officers in the pay grades of O-1 to O-3, field grade officers in pay grades O-4 to O-6 and general officers in pay grades O-7 and higher. The equivalent officer groupings in the Navy are called junior grade, mid-grade and flag.

Warrant officers hold warrants from their service secretary and are specialists and experts in certain military technologies or capabilities. The lowest ranking warrant officers serve under a warrant, but they receive commissions from the president upon promotion to chief warrant officer 2. These commissioned warrant officers are direct representatives of the president of the United States. They derive their authority from the same source as commissioned officers but remain specialists, in contrast to commissioned officers, who are generalists. There are no warrant officers in the Air Force.
U.S. Army U.S. Navy U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Air Force
U.S. Coast Guard
Naval officers wear distinctively different rank devices depending upon the uniform they're wearing. The three basic uniforms and rank devices used are: khakis, collar insignia pins; whites, stripes on shoulder boards; and blues, stripes sewn on the lower coat sleeves.
W1
Warrant Officer 1
WO1

U.S. Army Warrant Officer 1		 USN Warrant
Officer 1 — WO1

USN Warrant Officer 1 

 
Warrant Officer 1
WO

U.S. Marine Corps Warrant Officer 1		 NO WARRANT
W2 Chief Warrant Officer 2
CW2


U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2
 		 USN Chief Warrant
Officer 2 — CWO2
U.S. Navy/Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2
 

USCG
USCG Chief Warrant Officer CWO2
 

 Chief Warrant Officer 2
CWO2

U.S. Marine Corps Warrant Officer 2
 		 NO WARRANT
W3 Chief Warrant Officer 3
CW3


U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 		USN Chief Warrant
Officer 3 — CWO3
Navy/Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3
 

USCG
USCG Chief Warrant Officer CWO3

Chief Warrant Officer 3
CWO3

Marine Corps Warrant Officer 3

 		 NO WARRANT
W4 Chief Warrant Officer 4
CW4

Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 		USN Chief Warrant
Officer 4 — CWO4
U.S. Navy/Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4
 

USCG
USCG Chief Warrant Officer 4

Chief Warrant Officer 4
CWO4

U.S. Marine Corps Warrant Officer 4
 		 NO WARRANT
W5 Chief Warrant Officer
CW5

U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5

 		 USN Chief Warrant
Officer
CWO5

USN Warrant Officer 5 		Chief Warrant Officer 5
CWO5

U.S. Marine Corps Warrant Officer 5 		NO WARRANT
  U.S. Army U.S. Navy
 		 U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Air Force
U.S. Coast Guard
O1
Second Lieutenant
2LT

U.S. Army Officer Second LT
 
Ensign
ENS

Second Lieutenant
2nd Lt.

U.S. Marine Corps Officer Second Lt 		Second Lieutenant
2nd Lt.

U.S. Air Force Officer Second Lt
O2 First Lieutenant
1LT

U.S. Army Officer First LT

 		 Lieutenant Junior Grade
LTJG

U.S. Navy/CoastGuard Officer Lieutenant Junior Grade

 		 First Lieutenant
1st Lt.

U.S. Marine Corps Officer First Lt 		First Lieutenant
1st Lt.

U.S. Air Force Officer First Lt
O3 Captain
CPT

U.S. Army Officer Captain 		Lieutenant
LT

U.S. Navy/CoastGuard Officer Lieutenant
 		 Captain
Capt.

U.S. Marine Corps Officer Captain

Captain
Capt.

U.S. Air Force Officer Captain


 
O4
Major
MAJ

Army Officer Major

 		 Lieutenant Commander
LCDR

Navy/CoastGuard Officer Lieutenant Commander

 
Major
Maj.

Marine Corps Officer Major
Major
Maj.

Air Force Officer Major
O5
Lieutenant Colonel
LTC

Army Officer LT Colonel

 		 Commander
CDR


Navy/CoastGuard Officer Commander 		Lieutenant Colonel
Lt. Col.

Marine Corps Officer Lt Colonel
 		 Lieutenant Colonel
Lt. Col.

Air Force Officer Lt. Colonel
O6 Colonel
COL

Army Officer Colonel 		Captain
CAPT

Navy/CoastGuard Officer Captain 		Colonel
Col.

Marine Corps Officer Colonel 		Colonel
Col.

Air Force Officer Colonel
O7 Brigadier General
BG

Army Officer Brigadier General		 Rear Admiral
Lower Half
RDML

Navy/CoastGuard Officer Rear Admiral Lower Half		 Brigadier General
Brig. Gen.

Marine Corps Officer Brigadier General 		Brigadier General
Brig. Gen.

Air Force Officer Brigadier General
O8
Major General
MG

Army Officer Major General
 Rear Admiral
Upper Half
RADM
Navy/CoastGuard Officer Rear Admiral Upper Half		 Major General
Maj. Gen.

Marine Corps Officer Major General 		Major General
Maj. Gen.

Air Force Officer Major General
O9 Lieutenant
General
LTG

Army Officer LT General		 Vice Admiral
VADM

Navy/CoastGuard Officer Vice Admiral

 		 Lieutenant
General
Lt. Gen.

Marine Corps Officer Lt General 		Lieutenant
General
Lt. Gen.

Air Force Officer Lt General
O10
General
GEN
Army Chief of Staff

Army Officer General
Admiral
ADM
Chief of Naval Operations

and

Commandant of the
Coast Guard

Navy/CoastGuard Officer Admiral 		General
Gen.
Commandant of the
Marine Corps

Marine Corps Officer General 		General
Gen.
Air Force Chief of Staff


 
General of the Army
(Reserved for wartime only)

Army Officer General of the Army

Fleet Admiral
(Reserved for wartime only)

Navy/CoastGuard Officer Fleet Admiral
 
General of the Air Force
(Reserved for wartime only)

Air Force Officer General of the Air Force

 

 

 Note:  A memory aid to remember the seniority of general officers is:  Be My Little General for Brigadier, Major, Lieutenant, and General.

Each branch of the Armed Forces has a senior officer for their respective service: 

- Marines:  Commandant of the Marine Corps

- Navy:  Chief of Naval Operations
- Army:  Chief of Staff of the Army

- Air Force:  Chief of Staff of the Air Force

REFERENCE

Blue Jackets Manual, 22nd Edition, Pgs 60-62

Rev: July 2008

 

Rank Structure Review

 

 

Match the Marine Corps rank with the proper name.  (Not every name will be used)

 

Marine Corps Officer Colonel

Marine Sergeant E5 Sergeant

Marine Corps Officer Lt General

Marine Lance Corporal E3

 Captain

Private

Lance Corporal

First Sergeant

Sergeant

Major General

Lieutenant General

Colonel

 

     

 

*The FMST Student Manual was produced by the Field Medical Training Battalion-East, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. This 2008 web edition has been enhanced by the Brookside Associates, Ltd., preserving all of the original text material, while augmenting, modifying, eliminating or replacing some of the graphics to comply with privacy and copyright laws, and to enhance the training value. These enhancements are marked with a red box  □ and are C. 2008, with all rights reserved.

 

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