United Kingdom and United States military ranks compared
UK and US officer ranks compared
(Rank codes are at each side of the table.)
Not listed are U.S. warrant officers. A warrant officer is an officer who can and does command, carry out military justice actions and sits on both selection and promotion boards. A US warrant officer is a single-track specialty officer, initially appointed by the US Secretary of the Army; he/she receives a commission upon promotion to Chief Warrant Officer Two (CW2).[1]
In the UK the separation between 'other' ranks and 'officer' ranks can on occasion become permeable. Notably, within the British armed services, both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career progression with the British army, both rising from the rank of Private to Brigadier during World War II. Lord Nelson within the Navy rose from Ordinary Seaman and coxswain to be Vice Admiral of the White. In the US military such advancement is not uncommon, all four services maintaining programs that select promising enlisted men for the commissioned ranks.
Notes to table above
- RAF-style ranks are also used by the Royal Australian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Nigerian Air Force, Indian Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, Bangladesh Air Force, Hellenic Air Force, Egyptian Air Force, Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard, Royal Air Force of Oman and Sri Lanka Air Force. The Ghana Air Force and Air Force of Zimbabwe (previously Royal Rhodesian Air Force) also use the same basic system, but replace Pilot Officer and Flying Officer with Air Sub Lieutenant and Air Lieutenant. The Royal Thai Air Force uses the RAF ranks also. The Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Malaysian Air Force also previously used the system.
- OF-10 ranks in the United States can only be attained during war time; the last five-star officer died in 1981. This is also now generally the case in the UK, although provision is made to award them under special circumstances in peacetime (no promotions to these ranks have been made since they were generally suspended in 1997). Captain-General Royal Marines is a ceremonial rank, usually held by a member of the Royal Family. Currently the senior serving officer in the Royal Marines, the Commandant General, holds the rank of Major-General.
- The Royal Marines rank alongside their army equivalents. However, when borne on the books of any of HM Ships or Naval Establishments Royal Marines are subject to the Naval Discipline Act 1957; in those circumstances, many officer ranks in the Royal Marines formerly enjoyed greater status. Second Lieutenants were equivalent to Sub Lieutenants and ranks from Lieutenant to Major were considered equivalent to one rank higher (OF-2 to OF-4). Lieutenant Colonels were considered equivalent to RN Captains with less than six years in the rank, and Colonels were equivalent to Captains with more than six years seniority. Higher ranks followed the equivalence on the table above. This state of affairs ended on 1 July 1999, when Royal Marine officer ranks were fully aligned with those of the Army.
- Not used in the Royal Marines. Royal Marines officers join as Second Lieutenants; after two years service, provided that Phase 2 training has been successfully completed, they are promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (if under 21 at the time of joining) or Captain (if 21 or older at the time of joining).
- No longer used in the Royal Navy. Officers join BRNC Dartmouth as Midshipmen (if non-graduates) or Sub-Lieutenants (if graduates), but use the non-substantive rank of Officer Cadet (O/C) during the pre-Initial Sea Training phase.
- Depending on the particular Officer Commissioning Program. Naval Academy, Merchant Marine Academy and NROTC are Midshipmen (MIDN); U.S. Coast Guard Academy are Cadets; U.S. Navy Seaman-to-Admiral 21 (STA-21) and Officer Candidate School are Officer Candidates (OC).
- Note that the U.S. military usually uses O-1 to O-10 to symbolize officers, and not the NATO codes of OF-1 to OF-10 in which all subaltern officers are classed as OF-1 (O-1 and O-2 in US). O-11 is sometimes used for the U.S. OF-10 ranks, but is not official.
- At various times the O-7 rank in the USN has been called "Commodore" and "Commodore Admiral"
US "Enlisted" and UK "Other" ranks compared
The British Armed Forces do not use the term Enlisted Ranks. The equivalent in the Royal Navy is Ratings and in the other services is Other Ranks (divided into Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers or Airmen).
UK and US ranks are categorised in the NATO rank code system OR-1 to OR-9. Ranks with the same code are equivalent.
Notes on comparison:
- In the US Army OR-1 - OR-4a (Specialist) are junior enlisted, and not Junior NCO's. OR-4b (Corporal) - OR-6 are Junior Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO's), and OR-7 - OR-9 are Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCO's).
- In the USAF OR-1 - OR-4 are junior enlisted, OR-5 - OR-6 are NCO's, and OR-7 - OR-9 are SNCO's.
- In the USMC, OR-1 - OR-3 are junior enlisted, OR-4 - OR-5 are NCO's, and OR-6 - OR-9 are Staff Non-Commissioned Officers.
- In the US Navy and Coast Guard, OR-1 - OR-3 or "unrated (wo)men" are junior enlisted, OR-4 - OR-6 or Petty Officers are NCO's, and OR-7 - OR-9 or Chief Petty Officers are SNCO's.
Addendum: In the US Army and the USMC the term "Troop" may be used for lower enlisted in Cavalry, Scout and Ranger Units, along with the occasion use for dismounted Infantry. Its specific definition is a brigade sized unit of Cavalry. Specific use is identified in context of reference to deliniate size from 1 to 1,800 +/- soldiers. [2]
Notes to table above
- A Warrant Officer in UK service is a senior non-commissioned rank not comparable to the various grades of Warrant Officer in the US, although holding the Queen's Warrant and with certain privileges similar to those of officers. In the Army and Royal Marines, they are referred to by their appointment, of which there are many (for example, Regimental Sergeant Major is a WO1 appointment). The US rank is held by single track career specialists (ranking between Enlisted Ranks and 2nd Lieutenant) and have no NATO equivalent. A RN Warrant Officer Class 1 incorporated the former rank of Fleet Chief Petty Officer.
- RAF Flight Sergeants - Although technically equivalent to British Army Staff Sergeant this does not equate to time served or experience since the RAF does not have the rank of WO2.
- The RN created the rate of Warrant Officer Class 2 on 1 April 2004. Previously, there was a rate of Charge Chief Petty Officer, who usually ranked as OR-7, although above other CPOs. A Charge Chief Artificer (a highly-qualified technical CCPO) could be given a NATO OR-8 status, but still ranked below WO2 in the Army and Royal Marines. On the creation of WO2, all CCPOs were upgraded to this rate.
- In the US 'OR #' system, NCOs are from OR4 onwards hence the equivalents in rank name do not tie in exactly. In the US Army a Corporal is considered an NCO, but a Specialist is not.
- British Sergeants/Petty Officers are seen as equal to E5 and E6 although Corporals as well as Sergeants may be appointed to an official OR-5 (i.e. E-5) military role as is suited to the particular situation.
- From April 1, 1999 Able Rating and Ordinary Rating merged and the rate Operator Maintainer was created to replace them, Marine 1st Class and Marine 2nd Class merged, and Junior Rating and Junior Marine were abolished.
- Aircraft Technical trades and musicians only.
- Household Cavalry.
- The most senior WO1s are, in descending order, the Conductors (Cdr) of the Royal Logistic Corps, the Academy Sergeant Major (AcSM), and the Garrison Sergeant Major (GSM) of the London District
- The rank of Junior Corporal is used by the RAF Section of the Combined Cadet Force as an equivalent to OR-3.
- Includes Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), Garrison Sergeant Major (GSM), and Household Cavalry Regimental Corporal Major (RCM). These appointments are similar in function to the equivalent US rank indicated, but are equal in rank to other WO1 appointments.
- Includes Company Sergeant Major (CSM), Squadron Sergeant Major (SSM), Royal Artillery Battery Sergeant Major (BSM), Household Cavalry Squadron Corporal Major (SCM), and Band Sergeant Major. These appointments are similar in function to the equivalent US rank indicated, but are equal in rank to other WO2 appointments.
- Infantry regiments.
- Staff Sergeants can also hold other appointments, such as Company Quartermaster Sergeant.
- Royal Artillery.
- Brigade of Guards.
- The alternatives to the rank of Private are as follows:
- In the US Army, First Sergeant is considered senior to and promoted laterally from Master Sergeant when selected for and assigned to a First Sergeant billet, typically the senior NCO in a company (troop, battery) sized unit. Upon reassignment a 1SG reverts to his previous rank of MSG. In the USMC, the OR-8 ranks and OR-9 ranks are equivalent, but on separate career tracks (i.e. a MSgt is promoted directly to MGySgt, and a 1st Sgt to SgtMaj.)
- The alternatives to the rank of Seaman are as follows:
- Also Fireman Apprentice (FA), Airman Apprentice (AA), Hospitalman Apprentice (HA), Constructionman Apprentice (CA).
- Also Fireman Recruit (FR), Airman Recruit (AR), Hospitalman Recruit (HR), Constructionman Recruit (CR).
- Unique ranks; the senior NCO in each Service.
See also
References
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