Other ranks (UK)

Other ranks (ORs) in the British Army, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force and in the armies and air forces of many other Commonwealth countries are those personnel who are not commissioned officers, usually including non-commissioned officers (NCOs).^[1][2] In the Royal Navy, these personnel are called "ratings".^[3] Non-commissioned member is the equivalent term for the Canadian Armed Forces. Colloquially, members of the other ranks are known as "rankers".

The term is sometimes considered to exclude warrant officers, and occasionally also excludes NCOs.^[4]

In the United States military, and in the military forces of many non-Commonwealth countries, the equivalent term is enlisted rank, which generally includes non-commissioned officers (unless specifying junior enlisted), but always excludes the American type of warrant officer.

In the "standard rank scale" maintained by NATO, "other ranks" are coded from OR1 (lowest) to OR9.

British India

In British India, a distinction was made between British other ranks (BORs) and Indian other ranks (IORs).

Comparative ranks

NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4		OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
United Kingdom (Edit)																	No equivalent										No insignia
	Warrant Officer Class 1						Warrant Officer Class 2		Staff/Colour Sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal		Lance Corporal		Private (or equivalent)
NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5		OR-4				OR-3		OR-2		OR-1
United Kingdom (Edit)							No equivalent										No equivalent						No equivalent				No equivalent
	Warrant Officer								Chief Petty Officer		Petty Officer								Leading Rate						Able Seaman
United Kingdom (Royal Marines) (Edit)																	No equivalent								No equivalent		No insignia
	Warrant Officer Class 1						Warrant Officer Class 2		Colour Sergeant		Sergeant								Corporal				Lance Corporal				Marine
NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6		OR-5		OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
United Kingdom (Edit)							No equivalent																				No insignia
	Warrant officer								Flight sergeant	Chief technician	Sergeant				Corporal				Lance corporal RAF Regiment only		Senior aircraftman/ woman technician		Senior aircraftman/ woman		Leading aircraftman/ woman		Aircraftman/ woman
United Kingdom (Aircrew) (Edit)							No equivalent						No equivalent
	Master aircrew								Flight sergeant aircrew		Sergeant aircrew

See also

• Enlisted rank

References