what are the ranks in the military?

Question

i'm reading a book that has some parts about the people in the military (FullMetal Alchemist, to be exact!) and every time i think someone's a higher rank, they get dissed down by someone who claims a higher rank. it's confusing! what are the ranks in the military? and what is their main job? any help is appreciated! Thanx!

Answer 1

It depends on what branch you are asking about but here is a list


Marine Corps

E-1 Private
E-2 Private First Class
E-3 Lance Corporal
E-4 Corporal
E-5 Sergeant
E-6 Staff Sergeant
E-7 Gunnery Sergeant
E-8 First Sergeant
E-8 Master Sergeant
E-9 Sergeant Major
E-9 Master Gunnery Sergeant
E-9 Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps

W-1 Warrant Officer 1
W-2 Chief Warrant Officer 2
W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3
W-4 Chief Warrant Officer 4
W-5 Chief Warrant Officer 5

O-1 2nd Lieutenant
O-2 1st Lieutenant
O-3 Captain
O-4 Major
O-5 Lieutenant Colonel
O-6 Colonel
O-7 Brigadier General
O-8 Major General
O-9 Lieutenant General
O-10 General
O-10 Commandant of the Marine Corps


Army

E-1 Private
E-2 Private
E-3 Private First Class
E-4 Specialist
E-4 Corporal
E-5 Sergeant
E-6 Staff Sergeant
E-7 Sergeant First Class
E-8 First Sergeant
E-8 Master Sergeant
E-9 Sergeant Major
E-9 Command Sergeant Major
E-9 Sergeant Major of the Army

W-1 Warrant Officer 1
W-2 Warrant Officer 2
W-3 Warrant Officer 3
W-4 Warrant Officer 4
W-5 Master Warrant Officer 5

O-1 2nd Lieutenant
O-2 1st Lieutenant
O-3 Captain
O-4 Major
O-5 Lieutenant Colonel
O-6 Colonel
O-7 Brigadier General
O-8 Major General
O-9 Lieutenant General
O-10 General
O-10 Army Chief of Staff
General of the Army


Navy/Coast Guard

E-1 Seaman Recruit
E-2 Seaman Apprentice
E-3 Seaman
E-4 Petty Officer Third Class
E-5 Petty Officer Second Class
E-6 Petty Officer First Class
E-7 Chief Petty Officer
E-8 Senior Chief Petty Officer
E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer
E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

W-1 Warrant Officer 1
W-2 Warrant Officer 2
W-3 Warrant Officer 3
W-4 Warrant Officer 4
W-5 Master Warrant Officer

O-1 Ensign
O-2 Lieutenant, Junior Grade
O-3 Lieutenant
O-4 Lieutenant Commander
O-5 Commander
O-6 Captain
O-7 Rear Admiral (Commodore)
O-8 Rear Admiral (Upper Half)
O-9 Vice Admiral
O-10 Chief of Naval Operations /Commandant of the Coast Guard
O-10 Admiral
Fleet Admiral


Air Force

E-1 Airman Basic
E-2 Airman
E-3 Airman First Class
E-4 Senior Airman
E-5 Staff Sergeant
E-6 Technical Sergeant
E-7 First Sergeant
E-7 Master Sergeant
E-8 First Sergeant
E-8 Senior Master Sergeant
E-9 First Sergeant
E-9 Chief Master Sergeant
E-9 Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force

O-1 2nd Lieutenant
O-2 1st Lieutenant
O-3 Captain
O-4 Major
O-5 Lieutenant Colonel
O-6 Colonel
O-7 Brigadier General
O-8 Major General
O-9 Lieutenant General
O-10 General
O-10 Air Force Chief of Staff
General of the Air Force

Answer 2

There are four branches of the armed force, the coast guard and the police and fire squad....all have similar ranks it would take a while I can give you the USAF

E-1 Airman Basic
E-2 Airman
E-3 Airman First Class
E-4 Senior Airman
E-5 Staff Sergeant
E-6 Technical Sergeant
E-7 Master Sergeant
E-8 Senior Master Sergeant
E-9 Chief Master Sergeant

0-1 2nd Lieutenant
0-2 1st Lieutenant
0-3 Captain
0-4 Major
0-5 Lieutenant Colonel
0-6 Colonel
0-7 Brigadier General
0-8 Major General
0-9 Lieutenant General
0-9 General

E ranks are enlisted o ranks are officers

Answer 3

Well, here are the Army's ranks as I knew them to be, from highest to lowest.

Commisioned Ranks:
General of the Army (5-star general)
General (4-star general)
Lieutenant General
Major General
Brigadier General
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
1st Lieutenant
2nd Lieutenant

Warrant Officer Ranks:
Warrant Officer
Chief Warrant Officer 2
Chief Warrant Officer 3
Chief Warrant Officer 4
Chief Warrant Officer 5

Enlisted Ranks:
Sergeant Major of the Army
Command Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major
First Sergeant
Master Sergeant
Sergeant First Class
Staff Sergeant
Sergeant
Specialist (Corporal)
Private First Class
Private Second Class
Private

Now see, although the commissioned officer ranks are essentially the management ranks of the military and are given much higher distinguished attention, when you are high ranking in the enlisted ranks, you are somewhat up there too...the the lines of clarity become slightly more vague, however, commissioned are basically the highest.

Warrant officers are essentially your specialists. (aviators, tech, information systems, etc...)

Answer 4

It depends on what branch. Marines and the army have a different system than the Navy.

I could try and list them all here, but I don't think I'd be accurate. I'm not in the military myself, but I've read some books about it.

By the way in all of my readings, I've never encountered the rank that you have given. Is it a science fiction book, by chance? If so, you might have come across an invention of the author.

Answer 5

The ranking systems of the various militaries varies from one to the other. The rank of Ensign in the Navy is as I understand it basically the same as Private in the Army. Since, you are reading about Fullmetal Alchemist I suggest you go to http://wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Military_characters_of_Fullmetal_Alchemist it is updated as needed and has a list of the various ranks. I hope this helps.

Answer 6

There are four tiers of rank in the military. The top tier is the commissioned officers (general officers, colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, first lieutenant, second lieutenant). The second tier is the warrant officers, who are usually referred to as warrant officers. The third tier is the noncommissioned officers (sergeants and petty officers). The bottom tier is the soldier/seamen/airman ranks. The important thing to remember is that each branch of the service has its own rank structure, but three of the four have that commissioned officer structure listed above (the Navy has a different one). Officers are mostly leaders and managers. NCOs can be managers and supervisors at the higher ranks, but they also do the grunt-work. The bottom tier soldiers/seaman/airmen are basically grunts who do what they're told.

Answer 7

Each country and military service has a slightly different rank structure. Since a very large percentage of the people here are from the USA, I will point you to that rank structure.

I have found an interest web page which explains US and British rank structure

http://www.friesian.com/rank.htm

Answer 8

FullMetal Alchemist is fiction obviously, so some of the ranks could be made up. I know most of the army ones, and i'll list them.
General
Colonel
Lieutanant Colonel
Lieutanant
Captain
Major
Seargent
Corporal
Private

Answer 9

all military branches do not have the same rankings , army is e-1 e-2 e-3 e-4 e-5 e-6 e-7 e-8 e-9 lieutenant captain major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, lieutenant general, major general brigadier general 3 star general 4 star general 5 star commanding general ( The President )

Answer 10

Wow, I got kids who can's learn this in 2 months, no way I can explain it all here. You have to understand the difference between officer and enlisted first. Then realize that the different services have different rank structer. Are you looking at Army, Navy, Air Force? Good luck, you could google all day and still not know all you need to know.