Military Ranks | Military Structure (2024)

FAQs

What is military rank lowest to highest? ›

The U.S. Army has 13 enlisted ranks: private, private second class, private first class, specialist, corporal, sergeant, staff sergeant, sergeant first class, master sergeant, first sergeant, sergeant major, command sergeant major and sergeant major of the Army.

There are three structures: enlisted, warrant officer, and commissioned officer. Enlisted is the lowest; commissioned the highest.

A lieutenant is a higher rank than a sergeant. What the ranks' responsibilities are will vary from department to department. In the sheriff's office I work for, a sergeant is either a shift supervisor [Jail/Patrol] or a basic detective. A lieutenant is in charge of a team or division.

General Commissioned Officers

General officers have the most military powers in the United States Army. They operate on a star rank structure— the higher number of stars, the higher the rank. Under general officers are brigadier general, major general, lieutenant colonel, general, and General of the Army.

The military chain of command flows from the President of the United States to the secretary of defense (for services under the Defense Department) or secretary of homeland security (for services under the Department of Homeland Security), ensuring civilian control of the military.

The military branch with the toughest basic training is the Marine Corps.

The United States Armed Forces have proposed and used two six-star ranks: General of the Armies and Admiral of the Navy. These are ranked directly above their five-star counterparts, General of the Army and Fleet Admiral.

The typical SEAL platoon has an OIC (Officer in Charge, usually an O-3), an AOIC (Assistant Officer in Charge, usually an O-2), a platoon chief (E-7), an LPO (Leading Petty Officer, E-6) and others ranging from E-6 to E-4 (most are E-5). Occasionally there is a "third O".

The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard are the armed forces of the United States. The Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under state authority.

How many men are in a platoon? ›

A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 20–50 troops, although specific platoons may range from 10 to 100 people.

All officers, commissioned and warrant, outrank all enlisted personnel. Almost invariably, officers are college graduates either from a civilian college or from one of the service academies.

Yes. But it would be the very definition of “a career limiting decision”. While rank is (obviously) important in the military, so is the idea of the chain of command. And the Sergeant Major of the Army is not within a light year of some Lt.'s chain of command.

General of the Armies of the United States, more commonly referred to as General of the Armies, is the highest military rank in the United States.

The highest rank is Generalissimo, which is a 'six-star' rank, superior to the 'five star' General or Field Marshal. It is sometimes given other names: General of the Armies (USA)

In the late 1940s when the grades of General of the Army and Fleet Admiral in the Navy were made permanent the annual salary was $20,000 in pay and allowances, equivalent to $290,000 in 2019. Today a General of the Army with over 20 years of service would receive $16,441.80 / mo for $197,301.60 / yr.