U.S. Army Ranks and Insignias in Order

The U.S. Army is one of the world’s largest and most powerful, and in this article, we are looking at the ranks and insignias of the Army.

The U.S. Army was founded in the late 18th century and it’s the oldest branch of the country’s Armed Forces. It was founded in 1775, and over the centuries fought essential wars in the country’s history.

Generally, the U.S. Army ranks and insignias are organized into three categories, which include enlisted personnel, warrant officers, and commissioned officers.

Enlisted personnel are not on the same pay grade as warrant officers and commissioned officers. Every service member in the U.S. Army has a rank and insignia. Their ranks and insignias show their position in the Army, as well as their pay grade.

The U.S. Army Ranks and Pay Grade

For most people, serving in the U.S. Army is an honour and dream come true. They will do whatever it takes to defend the stars and stripes at any cost.

Enlisting in the Army requires more than just ambition. To earn your place in the Army, you must show a level of competence.

Military rank holds more value and respect. It’s a badge that depicts bravery, courage and a good sense of leadership. When personnel advance in rank, the responsibility and mission also advance.

The responsibilities of a private cannot be compared with that of a sergeant. Each rank has a specific mission and reasonability.

There is a difference between rank and pay grade, like the E-1, W-2, and O-5. Generally, pay grades are administrative classifications and it’s used to standardize compensation in military services.

Now, if you are wondering what the “E” in E-1 stands for, allow me to explain.

The “E” in E-1 simply stands for “enlisted” and the “1” is the pay grade for that position. Also, the “W” is for warrant officers, while the “O” is for commissioned officers.

In the Army, you will also find enlisted pay grades with two ranks. A corporal and a specialist are at the pay grade of E-4. Although the corporal and specialist both receive E-4 pay, the corporal has a higher rank than the specialist.

A similar situation can also be found in the Marine Corps. A sergeant major is superior to a master gunnery sergeant, but both the master gunnery sergeant and the sergeant major are E-9s.

Enlisted Personnel

The Army need its enlisted soldiers. Enlisted personnel undergo proper training to acquire specific skills and knowledge.

Generally, enlisted personnel are divided into three categories, which are junior enlisted, non-commissioned officers, and senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs).

Junior Enlisted Personnel

The U.S. Army ranks and insignias are classified into enlisted personnel, warrant officer, and commissioned officers. The first we are looking into is the enlisted personnel.

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Private (PVT/E-1)

The new enlisted service members in the Army are known as privates. Privates go through basic combat training or boot camps. They learn basic skills and acquire knowledge to adapt to the Army culture.

If this were to be the Navy, they will be called seaman recruits. In the Air Force, they are referred to as airman basic.

In the U.S. Army, privates do not wear insignia.

Private (PV2/E-2)

The Army promotes most soldiers to Private Second Class after just 6 months of time in service. Even after receiving the promotion, these service members will continue to develop their skills and what they have learned so far.

Private First Class (PFC/E-3)

Generally, enlisted service members receive their promotion to Private First Class within the first twelve months of enlistment. Private First Class will continue to acquire more knowledge and skills, while they complete training.

Specialist (SPC/E-4)

The specialist and corporal are both E-4s but the corporal is superior to the specialist. Specialists are junior enlisted personnel with fewer responsibilities.

Although they may have enlisted personnel in their command, the fact remains that they are ranked lower than a specialist.

Non-Commissioned Officers

The U.S. Army ranks and insignias are split into three categories and we will get to the rest in no time.

Corporal (CPL/E-4)

Both corporals and specials are E-4s. However, a corporal has a higher rank than a specialist.

Corporals and specialists are both classified as junior non-commissioned officers in the Army. They are considered junior non-commissioned officers because of their leadership responsibilities.

Sergeant (SGT/E-5)

Both privates and specialists are under the supervision of the sergeant. Sergeants are usually in charge of the daily task of their inferiors.

The primary duty of the sergeant involves mentoring and training lower-ranked service members. They ensure that lower-ranking service members are aware of their responsibilities in their unit.

Staff Sergeant (SSG/E-6)

Although the Staff Sergeant and Sergeant have similar jobs, Staff Sergeants command more soldiers in the Army. SSGs can command about 5 to 10 soldiers.

As superior to a sergeant, SSGs can also command one or more sergeants. SSG’s primary duties include mentoring and leading their soldiers.

Senior Non-Commissioned Officers

Commissioned officers are among the categories of the U.S. Army ranks and insignias.

Moving on to senior non-commissioned officers, where you have the master sergeant, sergeant first class, first sergeant, and more.

Sergeant First Class (SFC/E-7)

A newly enlisted personnel will have to gain years of service before being promoted to Sergeant First Class. It takes about 15 to 18 years to get that promotion in the Army.

Generally, the sergeant first class act as the platoon leader’s assistant as well as an advisor. They are sometimes referred to as platoon sergeants.

Master Sergeant (MSG/E-8)

The master sergeant and first sergeant are both E-8s. The master sergeant acts as an expert in their respective fields in higher-level units. This includes battalions or brigades.

Master sergeants are natural planners and they are useful when it comes to providing insight into properly carrying out unit operations as well as missions.

First Sergeants (1SG/E-8)

The main responsibility of First Sergeants is to mentor, train, and discipline enlisted personnel in their units. First Sergeants can command and conduct formations.

Their expertise also includes advancing unit commanders.

Sergeant Major (SGM/E-9)

The job of a sergeant major is more administrative. Now, one thing you must know about SGMs is that they may act as a chief administrative assistant.

Their position allows them to be the chief administrative assistant at Army headquarters. They can also be an important staff member at the battalion level or even higher.

The U.S. Army ranks and insignias are split into three categories and we have talked about non-commissioned officers.

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Command Sergeant Major(CSM/E-9)

The command sergeant major has more responsibilities to fulfil in the Army. With their experience and position in the military, they serve as the enlisted advisor to a commanding officer of a battalion-level unit.

Their expertise also includes mentoring and leading soldiers in the Army. Command sergeant majors play a major role in the decision-making and well-being of the soldiers.

Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA/E-9)

Generally, both the command sergeant major and the sergeant major of the Army are E-9s. In the U.S. Army, only one soldier is appointed to the rank of sergeant major of the Army.

The sergeant major of the Army plays the role of the chief advisor to the chief of staff of the Army.

Warrant Officers

We have come to another category of the U.S. Army ranks and insignias. Generally, warrant officers are technical experts whose main job is to train soldiers.

They are also experts in organizing and advising missions. They also serve as trusted counsel, as well as technical experts in the Army.

Warrant Officer One (WO1)

Warrant officers are also in the Navy. In the U.S. Army, Warrant Officer One is the technical expert in the field.

Their main job is to support their teams through battalion-level operations.

Chief Warrant Officer Two (CW2)

Warrant Officer One and Chief Warrant Officer Two both have similar jobs. Both Warrant Officer One and CW2 serve at the battalion level.

Chief Warrant Officer Three (CW3)

Chief Warrant Officer Three is an important service member in the Army. They are experts with technical and tactical skills, and can also serve at the brigade level.

Chief Warrant Officer Four (CW4)

Chief Warrant Officer Four is a tactical expert with strong leadership skills. Just like the CW3, the Chief Warrant Officer Four serve at the brigade level, even up to the echelon level.

Chief Warrant Officer Five (CW5)

Here is another set of service members with tactical skills. They are experts in mentoring and showing a good sense of leadership in the Army.

CW5s usually support higher-level operations up to the command level.

Commissioned Officers

Another category of the U.S. Army ranks and insignias is the Commissioned Officers. These personnel are the highest-ranking officers in the military.

So, what are the main jobs of commissioned officers in the military?

The main job of commissioned officers includes giving orders, assigning tasks, and planning missions. Becoming a commissioned officer in the military requires a bachelor’s degree.

A master’s degree guarantees promotion to commissioned officers.

Generally, commissioned officers are divided into three tiers: company grade, field grade, and general officer.

Company Grade Officers (O-1 to O-3)

First Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant, and Captain are all under Company Grade Officers.

Second Lieutenant (2LT/O-1)

Second Lieutenant is one of the highest-ranking positions in the military. They start their roles as staff officers before taking on the more advanced assignment of platoon leader.

First Lieutenant (1LT/O-2)

Once Second Lieutenant serves up to 18 to 24 months, they are promoted to First Lieutenant. And just like Second Lieutenants, they can serve as platoon leaders.

Captain (CPT/O-3)

Generally, a Captain in the Army commands a large unit of about 63 to 890 soldiers. Captains can also serve as battalions level staff officers.

Field Grade Officers

Still on commissioned officers which is one of the categories in the U.S. Army ranks and insignias.

Major (MAJ/O-4)

Majors usually serve as staff officers at higher level command, like the brigades or battalions.

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC/O-5)

Just like Majors, Lieutenant Colonels can serve as staff officers at the brigade level or even higher. A Lieutenant can command a battalion of up to 1,000 soldiers.

Colonel (COL/O-6)

Colonels may command brigades of over 4,000 soldiers. Command Sergeant Majors and other non-commissioned officers can all be under the command of a Colonel.

General Officers

This completes the tiers of Commissioned Officers, which is one of the categories of the U.S. Army ranks and insignias.

Brigadier General (BG/O-7)

A Brigadier General acts as the deputy commander to the commanding general. They serve below the Major General commanding a battalion.

Major General (MG/O-8)

A Major General is a two-star general who has the authority and is given the command of a division with over 14,000 soldiers.

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Lieutenant General (LTG/O-9)

As a three-star general, a Lieutenant General may command a large unit of up to 45,000 soldiers.

General (GEN/O-10)

This position requires more than three decades of military experience and it’s the most senior-level commissioned officer in the Army. It’s a four-star general and the highest rank in the military.

General of the Army (GOA)

Just like Fleet Admiral in the Navy, this rank is only conferred during wars. Since World War II ended, no one in the U.S. Army has received this rank.

Conclusion