Military ranks of Serbia

This is a list of military ranks used by the Serbian Armed Forces.

Army (land forces)

Officers

NATO CodeOF-9OF-8OF-7OF-6OF-5OF-4OF-3OF-2OF-1

Army
Serbian titleГенералГенерал-ПотпуковникГенерал-МајорБригадни ГенералПуковникПотпуковникМајорКапетанПоручникПотпоручник
English equivalentGeneralLieutenant GeneralMajor GeneralBrigadier GeneralColonelLieutenant ColonelMajorCaptainLieutenantSecond Lieutenant

Enlisted

NATO CodeOR-9OR-8OR-7OR-6OR-5OR-4OR-3OR-2OR-1

Army
No insignia
Serbian titleЗаставник I класеЗаставникСтарији Водник I класеСтарији ВодникВодникМлађи водникДесетарРазводникВојник
English equivalentEnsign 1st classEnsignStaff Sergeant 1st classStaff SergeantSergeantJunior SergeantCorporalLance CorporalPrivate

Air Force and Air Defense

Officers

NATO CodeOF-9OF-8OF-7OF-6OF-5OF-4OF-3OF-2OF-1

Air Force and Air Defence
Serbian titleГенералГенерал-ПотпуковникГенерал-МајорБригадни ГенералПуковникПотпуковникМајорКапетанПоручникПотпоручник
English equivalentGeneralLieutenant GeneralMajor GeneralBrigadier GeneralColonelLieutenant ColonelMajorCaptainLieutenantSecond Lieutenant

Enlisted

NATO CodeOR-9OR-8OR-7OR-6OR-5OR-4OR-3OR-2OR-1

Air Force and Air Defence
No insignia
Serbian titleЗаставник I класеЗаставникСтарији Водник I класеСтарији ВодникВодникМлађи водникДесетарРазводникПилот
English equivalentEnsign 1st classEnsignFlight Sergeant 1st classStaff SergeantSergeantJunior SergeantCorporalAirman First ClassAirman

River Flotilla

Although a Landlocked country, Serbia maintains a river flotilla (small river navy) of about 15 vessels on the Danube river.

Officers

NATO CodeOF-9OF-8OF-7OF-6OF-5OF-4OF-3OF-2OF-1

River Flotilla
Serbian titleАдмиралВице АдмиралКонтра АдмиралКомодорКапетан Бојног БродаКапетан ФрегатеКапетан КорветеПоручник ФрегатеПоручник КорветеПотпоручник
English equivalentAdmiralVice AdmiralRear AdmiralCommodoreCaptainFregattenkapitänKorvettenkapitänFregattenleutnantKorvettenleutnantUnterleutnant

Enlisted

NATO CodeOR-9OR-8OR-7OR-6OR-5OR-4OR-3OR-2OR-1

River Flotilla
No insignia
Serbian titleЗаставник I класеЗаставникСтарији Водник I класеСтарији ВодникВодникМлађи водникДесетарРазводникМорнар
English equivalentEnsign, 1st classEnsignSenior Chief Petty OfficerChief Petty OfficerPetty OfficerMaster SeamanLeading SeamanAble SeamanSeaman Recruit

Historical ranks

Structure of the Military ranks of Kingdom of Serbia (until 1918)
King of Yugoslavia special Field Marshal insignia with dynasty coat of arms and royal monogram

Generals

There were only three ranks in pre-WWI Serbia: General (from 1872), Army General (from 1900 to 1901) and Field Marshal (Serbian: Бојни Bojвода / Bojni Vojvoda) (from 1901). Four ranks were introduced in Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovens in 1923, and lasted until 1945. There were only two types of shoulder cords: with doubleheaded eagle and coat of arms of Kingdom of SHS or Kingdom of Yugoslavia for Field Marshal and without for all other General ranks. The different general grades were indicated by 6-pointed stars on the cuffs. Also the backing cloth for the shoulder cords was light blue for army general (was honorary rank in period from 1900-1901) and divisional generals and in a colour of service for brigadier general. During the Middle Ages, the Vojvoda was a military commander rank and a noble titule. In the Balkan Wars and World War I this title was used to designate the highest military rank in Serbian Army and later Royal Yugoslav Army (above the General - as equalent of Field Marshal in other armies). This rank was introduced by the law on the Organization of the Army Kingdom of Serbia in 1901. It has been awarded only during the war for: special merits of top generals. The first Field Marshal was promoted by the Great military decree of the Kingdom of Serbia on 20 October 1912. Only four people ever officially held that military rank: Radomir Putnik (got it in 1912), Stepa Stepanović (1914), Živojin Mišić (1914) and Petar Bojović (1918). Honorary title but not military rank held Montenegrin General Janko Vukotić (1915) and the French General Louis Franchet d'Espérey (1921). After unification of Kingdom of Serbia in to Kingdom SHS (later Kingdom Yugoslavia) no further officers where promoted to rank of Field Marshal. King of Yugoslavia held the rank of Supreme Commander and wear special Field Marshal uniform.

In SHS and Yugoslavia

Ranks Field MarshalArmy GeneralDivisional GeneralBrigadier General
Ranks in Serbian Бојни Војвода
Bojni Vojvoda
Армијски ђенерал
Armijski đeneral
Дивизијски ђенерал
Divizijski đeneral
Бригадни ђенерал
Brigadni đeneral

Officers

Ranks ColonelLieutenant ColonelMajorCaptain, 1st classCaptain, 2nd classLieutenantSub-Lieutenant
Ranks in Serbian Пуковник
Pukovnik
Потпуковник
Potpukovnik
Мајор
Major
Капетан I класе
Kapetan I klase
Капетан II класе
Kapetan II klase
Поручник
Poručnik
Потпоручник
Potporučnik

NCOs (Only in SHS and Yugoslavia)

Ranks Sergeant-Major, 1st classSergeant-Major, 2nd classSergeant-Major, 3rd class
Ranks in Serbian Наредник-Водник I класе
Narednik-Vodnik I klase
Наредник-Водник II класе
Narednik-Vodnik II klase
Наредник-Водник III класе
Narednik-Vodnik III klase

Soldiers

Ranks Sergeant Junior SergeantCorporalPrivate
Ranks in Serbian Наредник
Narednik
Поднаредник
Podnarednik
Каплар
Kaplar
Редов
Redov

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Military rank insignia of Serbia.