American rank and shoulder straps in the army. Warrant officer: insignia. Ranks in the US Army. Officer military ranks of the American army: officers

We, for the most part, know the US Army from Hollywood films. These are almost always brave warriors who know neither fear nor reproach. Personally, however, I was always surprised by some "discrepancy" in the weight of some military ranks in the American army and, for example, in the Russian one. Their sergeant is a very big man, and the captain is something beyond the clouds. With us, a sergeant is almost a disenfranchised soldier, and a captain, in the general case, is a rather minor officer rank.

To clarify the American army hierarchy, I bring to your attention a table of military ranks in the US Army and their translation into Russian. I draw your attention to the existing system of military branches in the American army - ground forces (Army), Air Force (Air Force), Navy (Navy) and Marine Corps (Marines):

Army Ground troops	air force BBC	Navy BMC	Marines Marines
General of the Army army General	General of the Air Force air force general	Fleet Admiral fleet admiral	-
General general	General general	Admiral admiral	General general
Lieutenant General lieutenant general	Lieutenant General lieutenant general	Vice Admiral vice admiral	Lieutenant General lieutenant general
Major General major general	Major General major general	Rear Admiral rear admiral	Major General major general
Brigadier General Brigadier General	Brigadier General Brigadier General	Commodore commodore	Brigadier General Brigadier General
colonel colonel	colonel colonel	Captain captain	colonel colonel
Lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel	Lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel	Commander commander	Lieutenant colonel lieutenant colonel
Major major	Major major	Lieutenant Commander lieutenant commander	Major major
Captain captain	Captain captain	Lieutenant fleet lieutenant	Captain captain
First Lieutenant first lieutenant	First Lieutenant first lieutenant	Lieutenant, Junior Grade junior lieutenant of the fleet	First Lieutenant first lieutenant
Second Lieutenant second lieutenant	Second Lieutenant second lieutenant	Ensign ensign	Second Lieutenant second lieutenant
Chief Warrant Officer-4 chief warrant officer 4th class	Chief Warrant Officer-4	Chief Warrant Officer-4 Chief Warrant Officer 4th Class	Chief Warrant Officer-4 Chief Warrant Officer 4th Class
Chief Warrant Officer-3	Chief Warrant Officer-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3rd Class	Chief Warrant Officer-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3rd Class	Chief Warrant Officer-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3rd Class
Chief Warrant Officer-2	Chief Warrant Officer-2 Chief Warrant Officer 2nd Class	Chief Warrant Officer-2 Chief Warrant Officer 2nd Class	Chief Warrant Officer-2 Chief Warrant Officer 2nd Class
Warrant Officer-1 Warrant Officer 1st Class	Warrant Officer-1 Warrant Officer 1st Class	Warrant Officer-1 Warrant Officer 1st Class	Warrant Officer-1 Warrant Officer 1st Class
Sergeant Major of the Army Sergeant Major SV	Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy	Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps sergeant major MP
Staff Sergeant Major/Command Sergeant Major Staff Sergeant Major / Command Sergeant Major	Chief Master Sergeant chief master sergeant	Master Chief Petty Officer master chief foreman	Sergeant Major/Master Gunnery Sergeant sergeant major/master gunnery sergeant
	Senior Master Sergeant senior master sergeant	Senior Chief Petty Officer first chief petty officer	First Sergeant/Master Sergeant First Sergeant/Master Sergeant
Platoon Sergeant/Sergeant, First Class platoon sergeant/sergeant 1st class	Master Sergeant master sergeant	Chief Petty Officer chief foreman	Gunnery Sergeant gunnery sergeant
Staff Sergeant staff sergeant	Technical Sergeant technician sergeant	Petty Officer, First Class foreman 1st class	Staff Sergeant staff sergeant
Sergeant sergeant	Staff Sergeant staff sergeant	Petty Officer, Second Class foreman 2nd class	Sergeant sergeant
Corporal corporal	Sergeant sergeant	Petty Officer, Third Class foreman of the 3rd class	Corporal corporal
Private, First Class private 1st class	Airman First Class airman 1st class	Seaman sailor	Lance Corporal lance corporal
Private (E-2) Private	Airman private aviation	Seaman Apprentice junior sailor	Private, First Class private 1st class
Private (E-1) private-recruit	Airman Basic Air Force Recruit	Seaman Recruit recruit sailor	Private private-recruit

Lieutenant Colonel S. Novikov

The assignment of military ranks to American servicemen determines their promotion and transition to a new category.

When assigning the next military rank to a member of the US Armed Forces, the availability of vacancies in specific military specialties is taken into account, the total period military service, length of service in the previous rank, educational and professional level, recommendations of the command, the results of qualification tests, attestation conclusions, the availability of awards, incentives and other factors.

Military ranks for servicemen of categories E-1 - E-4 (from private to corporal in the Army and Marine Corps, senior private in the Air Force and petty officer of the 3rd class in the Navy) have the right to assign commanders (chiefs) with a military rank of categories O- 3, O-4 (captain, major); military personnel of categories E-5, E-6 (sergeant and staff sergeant in the army and their corresponding ranks in other branches of the armed forces) - commanders (chiefs) with a military rank of categories O-5 (lieutenant colonel) and above; military personnel of categories E-7 - E-9 (sergeant 1st class, master sergeant and chief sergeant in the army and their corresponding ranks in other branches of the armed forces) - ministers of types of the armed forces. To obtain the next military rank, military personnel of categories E-1 - E-8 established certain general terms military service and terms of service in the previous military rank (see table).

General terms of military service and terms of service in rank for privates and non-commissioned officers
category	Ground troops		air force		Navy		Marines
	General term military services	Service life would in pre- the previous rank	General term military services	Service life would in pre- the previous rank	General term military services	Service life would in pre- the previous rank	General term military services	Service life would in pre- the previous rank
E-1	6 months	-	6 months	-	6 months	-	6 months	-
E-2	1 year	4 months	1 year	6 months	1 year	9 months	9 months	8 months
E-3	2 years	6 months	1 year	8 months	-	1 year	1 year	8 months
E-4	3 years	8 months	3 years	6 months	-	3 years	2 years	1 year
E-5	7 years	10 months	5 years	18 months	-	3 years	4 years	27 months
E-6	-	-	8 years	24 months	-	3 years	6 years	3 years
E-7	-	-	11 years	24 months	-	3 years	8 years	4 years
E-8	-	-	14 years	24 months	-	3 years	10 years	3 years
E-9	Up to age limit

Military ranks to servicemen of categories E-1 - E-4 are assigned almost automatically after the expiration of the established terms of service (provided that they have proven themselves on the positive side in service and discipline). Military ranks for servicemen of categories E-5 - E-9 are assigned on the basis of the conclusions of specially created selection commissions, taking into account all the factors listed above.

The primary officer rank - second lieutenant (in the Navy - ensign, O-1) is assigned to graduates of military academies (schools), officer candidate schools (SV and Navy), officer training schools (Air Force), as well as graduates of non-military training courses at civilian higher educational establishments.

Subsequent military ranks- first lieutenant - colonel (servicemen of categories O-2 - O-6) are assigned on the basis of the conclusions of the selection committees, taking into account the above factors.

The primary officer rank of warrant officer 1st class (category W-1) is assigned to sergeants (in the Navy - petty officers) who have served in the Armed Forces for 10 years or more, after they complete the appropriate training course. The military rank of Senior Warrant Officer 4th Class (category W-4) is awarded to Warrant Officers with at least 15 years of service.

Military ranks for servicemen of categories W-1 - W-5 are assigned by the ministers of the branches of the US armed forces.

To obtain the next military rank, officers in all branches of the US Armed Forces have established certain general terms of military service (length of service): upon receipt of a military rank of category O-2 - 1.5-2 years; O-3 - 3.5-4 years; O-4 - 10 years; O-5 - 15 years; O-6 - 22 years old.

At the same time, the minimum terms of service in the previous military rank are: in the rank of second lieutenant - 18 months; first lieutenant - two years; in the ranks of captain, major, lieutenant colonel - three years; colonel and brigadier general - a year, major general and above - at least two years.

Military ranks are assigned to: servicemen of category O-1 (second lieutenant) - ministers of the branches of the armed forces; categories O-2 and O-3 - the President of the United States; categories O-4 and above - the president with subsequent confirmation by the Senate.

The military rank of servicemen of the O-11 category (General of the Army in the Army, General of the Air Force in the Air Force, Admiral of the Fleet in the Navy) is awarded only in wartime for particularly outstanding services to the country and the armed forces.

The selection of candidates for the assignment of higher officer ranks is carried out by attestation commissions convened once a year for the types of armed forces separately to consider candidates for the assignment of military ranks of brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general. The members of these commissions are officers who have a military rank at least one rank higher than that of the candidates in question.

The main conditions for the selection of candidates are professional competence and a conclusion about the prospects for use in general (admiral) positions, as well as a total length of service of at least 23 years. In addition, an officer cannot be nominated for the military rank of brigadier general (rear admiral junior) if he did not serve in a staff position. Colonels (captains) selected as candidates for the general (admiral) rank must take the Capstone Senior Officer Course at the National Military College (Fort McNair, Washington, DC).

General ranks are assigned upon appointment to the following positions (on the example of the ground forces):
- brigadier general - brigade commander, deputy (assistant) division commander, deputy head of department, head of department in the joint headquarters of the KNSh, headquarters of the US Army, joint and special commands;
- Major General - division commander, deputy corps commander, head of department at army headquarters
US, Joint and Special Commands;
- lieutenant general - corps commander, chief of staff of the joint or special command, deputy chief of staff of the US Army, chief of the joint headquarters of the KNSh;
- General - Chairman of the KNSh or his deputy, commander of the joint command, chief of staff of the US Army or his first deputy.

The following documents are submitted for each candidate:
- private bussiness:
- report from immediate supervisor:
- a questionnaire of 20 points, one of which reflects the opinion of subordinates about the candidate;
- certificate of trustworthiness.

After the decision is made by the attestation commission, the lists of candidates approved by it are published in the official publications of each type of aircraft. Solution attestation commission is approved by the chief of staff of the armed forces and sent to the minister of defense, who presents it to the president of the country.

In accordance with the law, before the expiration of 18 months after the assignment of the military rank of Brigadier General, the President may cancel this assignment. The law also allows for early dismissal of brigadier generals and major generals upon reaching their term of service in this rank - four years. The President is also given the right to extend the terms of service of major generals, lieutenant generals and generals in excess of the norms established by law.

Part 1 Rank insignia

Part 2 Wearing rank insignia

Part 3 Indirect signs of titles

From the author. The only sources for this article were US Army Manual AR 670-1 ( Appearance and wearing uniforms and insignia) of the 1992 edition with changes as of June 1999 and the official website of the US Army "Tagd On Line. The Adjutant General Directorate", where all changes occurring in the uniform and insignia (and not only this is). Changes in insignia since 1999, unless specified in AR 670-1, are taken from this site by the author.
In addition, the author consulted with USMC Lance Corporal Ilya Lagunov, US Army Major William Snack, and US Army General Dennis Reimer.

Before you start reading information about the insignia of US Army officers, you need to remember that:
First. All the material described below applies only to officers of the army, but does not apply to officers of the Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, although, in general, the appearance of the rank insignia themselves in all branches of the US Armed Forces (US Armed Forces) is the same, including some types of uniforms for naval officers. And the differences are more in the order and placement of these signs. So, with a certain degree of caution, one can also navigate in the insignia of officers (excluding warrant officers!) Not only army ones.

Second. The US Army consists of the Active and Reserve Components of the Army, the Army National Guard (ARNG), and the Army Reserve (USAR). There is also, albeit not very significant, but still a difference in insignia (mainly other emblems of the military branches and the order of wearing the uniform itself).

Third. The US Army has a category of warrant officers. which can be equated with Russian ensigns. Those. they are not officers, but they are no longer sergeants either. But since their uniform completely coincides with the uniform of officers and the wearing of rank insignia is subject to the same rules as for officers, the author considered it possible to describe in this article not only the insignia of officers, but also warrant officers.

Fourth. The officers of the US Army are divided into three main categories:
1. Officers of the company category (Company grade officers). These are officers in ranks from second lutenant to captain inclusive. This corresponds to the Russian category of junior officers.
2. Field grade officers. These are officers in ranks from major to kenel inclusive. This corresponds to the Russian category of senior officers.
3. General officers. These are, in fact, all American generals. This category corresponds to the Russian category of senior officers (i.e. generals).

For simplicity of presentation of the material, the author in the article will adhere to the following terminology:
*officers - refers to both warrant officers and officers of the first and second categories;
*warrant officers - only warrant officers are meant;
*junior officers - refers to officers of the company category (1);
*senior officers - refers to officers of the field category (2);
*generals - only generals are meant (3).

Fifth. If there is a difference in the uniform of male officers and female officers, their rank insignia are the same. The difference can only be in where and how they are placed.

Sixth. AT Russian army the only place for wearing rank insignia since 1943 is epaulettes. In the US Army, officer rank insignia, depending on the specific type of uniform, can be worn on shoulder straps (there are three types of shoulder straps), on muffs worn on shoulder straps, on sleeves, on one side of the collar, and on some headgear.

Seventh. In the US Army, rank insignia is not divided into dress, casual, and field insignia. They are divided into "non-muted" (Nonsubdued) and "muffled" (Subdued).
The former are metal products of silver or golden color, attached to clothing with the help of metal antennae or images embroidered on fabric with gold or silver thread.
The latter are matte green, matte black or matte brown metal products attached to clothing with metal tendrils or images embroidered on fabric with green, black or brown thread.
For each type of uniform, the wearing of unmuted or subdued insignia is prescribed.
The size of unmuted and subdued rank insignia is the same.

Eighth. Quote from chapter 1-7 of AR 670-1:

Simply put, any unauthorized wearing of a uniform or insignia by the US military is a criminal offense. Both U.S. citizens and aliens found to be illegally wearing these marks, entering the U.S., or otherwise subject to U.S. jurisdiction, are subject to arrest and trial.

From the author. Gentlemen, Russian artists who played the role of American officers in Soviet and Russian films, you risk ending up in an American prison. The American Themis does not like to joke, she has no sense of humor. Think before you go to America to present you with an Oscar, discuss this with the persons inviting you.

The uniform of the US Army is not divided, as in Russia, into dress, dress-out, everyday, field and work. It is divided into three main groups:
1. Utility and separate military uniforms (Utility and Selected Organizational Uniforms). This group includes various kinds of special uniforms (flight, for crews of combat vehicles, hospital, kitchen, sports, for pregnant women) and what we call the field, and the Americans call the combat uniform (BDU).
2. Service uniforms (Service Uniforms). These are the types of form that we call everyday.
3. Uniform (Dress Uniform). Perhaps this group of forms can be called front and front-output. The most numerous group of forms. Here are white uniforms (something like a day off for a hot summer), and a blue uniform (something like a front, front-out), and a uniform for dinners, receiving guests, evening and other high-society receptions and receptions.

The rank insignia for officers is described in AR 670-1 chapter 27-6 (figs.27-40 --figs.27-52), generals chapter 27-5 (figs.27-30--27-37)

Reference: 1 inch=2.54 cm.

So.

Warrant officer rank insignia ( Warrant officer s).

Warrant Office 1 (Warrant Officer 1(WO1)).Unmuffled badge is a silver colored metal plate 1 1/8" long and 3/8" wide with a black enamel square in the center. It can be made of silver or other silver-colored metal. Fastening to clothing with two metal antennae soldered to the reverse side of the badge. A subdued badge is a metal plate of the same size in dull olive color with a black matte square in the center (can be embroidered on a cloth flap in the color of the corresponding uniform with dull olive and black threads). Fig. 27-50.

Note. The last time this title was awarded was in 1968. So this rank exists now only nominally.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2)).Unmuted badge - a silver colored metal plate 1 1/8" long and 3/8" wide with two black enamel squares in the center. It can be made of silver or other silver-colored metal. Fastening to clothing with two metal antennae soldered to the reverse side of the badge. Subdued badge metal plate of the same size in dull olive color with two black matte squares in the center (may be embroidered on the fabric flap of the color corresponding to the uniform with dull olive and black threads). Fig. 27-49.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3)).Unmuffled badge - silver colored metal plate 1 1/8" long and 3/8" wide with three black enamel squares in the center. It can be made of silver or other silver-colored metal. Fastening to clothing with two metal antennae soldered to the reverse side of the badge. Subdued badge metal plate of the same size in dull olive color with three black matte squares in the center (may be embroidered on the fabric flap of the color corresponding to the uniform with dull olive and black threads). Fig. 27-48.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4)).Unmuffled badge - silver colored metal plate 1 1/8" long and 3/8" wide with four black enamel squares in the center. It can be made of silver or other silver-colored metal. Fastening to clothing with two metal antennae soldered to the reverse side of the badge. Subdued Badge A metal plate of the same size in dull olive color with four black matte squares in the center (may be embroidered on a cloth flap in the color of the uniform with dull olive and black threads). Fig. 27-47.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5)) and

Master Warrant Officer 4 (MW4))

The unmuted badge is a 1 1/8" long, 3/8" wide, silver colored metal plate with four silver squares edged with black enamel lines. It can be made of silver or other silver-colored metal. Fastening to clothing with two metal antennae soldered to the reverse side of the badge. The subdued badge is a metal plate of the same size in a dull olive color with four squares in a dull olive color bordered by black lines. (may be embroidered on a cloth flap in the color of the uniform with threads of dull olive and black). Fig. 27-46.

Note. Actually, these two ranks have the same Pay grade - W5, the rank insignia are the same, but the title "Master Warrant Office Fo" is awarded to the most experienced and longest serving in the rank of "Chief Warrant Office Fo", but to whom their lower position does not allow you to get the title of "Chief Warrant Office Fif".

The insignia of the ranks of junior officers (Company Grade Officers).

Second Lieutenant.Unmuffled badge - 1 inch long, 3/8 inch wide, beveled metal plate, gold colored, May be made of gold or other gold colored metal. Fastening to clothing with two metal antennae soldered to the reverse side of the badge. A subdued sign is a brown metal plate of the same size (may be embroidered on a fabric flap in the color corresponding to the uniform with brown threads). Fig. 27-45.

Note. The plate is thicker than that of the Warrant Officers, shorter by 1/8 inch and the edges are beveled.

First Lieutenant.Unmuffled badge - 1" long, 3/8" wide beveled metal plate, silver-coloured, can be made of silver or other silver-coloured metal. Fastening to clothing with two metal antennae soldered to the reverse side of the badge. A muted badge is a metal plate of the same size in black (can be embroidered on a fabric valve in the color corresponding to the uniform with black threads). Fig. 27-44.

Captain.Unmuffled sign - two silver-colored metal plates 1 inch long and 3/8 inch wide each, with bevelled edges, located in parallel with a 3/4 inch gap between them and connected by two bridges. It can be made of silver or other silver-colored metal. Fastening to clothing with four metal antennae soldered to the reverse side of the badge. The muted badge is also metal and of the same size, but in black matte color (it can be embroidered on the fabric flap of the color corresponding to the uniform with black threads). Fig. 27-43.

The insignia of the ranks of senior officers (Field Grade Officers).

Major (Major).Unmuffled sign - metal embossed image of an oak leaf (oak leaf) of gold-colored metal 1 1/8 inches high and 1 inch wide. It can be made of gold or other golden-colored metal. Fastening to clothing with two metal antennae soldered to the reverse side of the badge. A subdued sign is a brown metal plate of the same size (may be embroidered on a fabric flap in the color corresponding to the uniform with brown threads). Fig. 27-42.

Note. According to the author, this is still a maple leaf, but in the text of AR 670-1 it is written oak leaf, i.e. oak leaf. Maybe in America oak leaves look like this? But in the opinion of a Russian, it is rather a leaf of a maple or horse chestnut.

Lieutenant Colonel.Unmuffled badge - metal embossed image of an oak leaf (oak leaf) of silver-colored metal 1 1/8 inches high and 1 inch wide. It can be made of silver or other silver-colored metal. Fastening to clothing with two metal antennae soldered to the reverse side of the badge. A muted badge is a metal plate of the same size in black (can be embroidered on a fabric valve in the color corresponding to the uniform with black threads). Fig. 27-41.

Note. Not everyone understands this title, although its essence is clear from the name - assistant to the colonel, i.e. according to our lieutenant colonel. However, the significance of this title in the US Army is much higher than in the Russian one. The fact is that in the US army there are very few regiments and officers with the rank of colonel are quite few. The battalions are commanded by lieutenant colonels, and the next largest unit, the brigade, is already commanded by a brigadier general. So, in terms of importance, a lieutenant colonel in the US Army is sort of like our colonel.
One more thing. We used to think that gold is higher than silver (an Olympic gold medal is higher than a silver one, a gold ring is more expensive than a silver one). However, in terms of rank distinctions, silver is higher than gold among Americans (second lieutenant is gold, first lieutenant is silver, major is gold, lieutenant colonel is silver; and general stars are all silver).

Könel (Colonel).Unmuted badge - a metallic silver eagle with outstretched or lowered wings measuring 3/4" in height and 1 1/2" between the ends of the wings. The head is turned to the right (left) side or looks straight. It can be made of silver or other silver-colored metal. Fastening to clothing with two metal antennae soldered to the reverse side of the badge. The muted insignia is the same, only the color is black. (may be embroidered on the fabric flap of the color corresponding to the uniform with black threads). The only rank insignia that has a direction. Colonel's eagles must be placed so that the eagle is always facing forward. Fig. 27-40.

The insignia of the ranks of generals (General Officers).

General ranks are distinguished by the number of stars placed in the corresponding places on the uniform. The five-pointed stars are silvery (muted black) embossed and can be metal (attached with two metal tendrils) or embroidered with silver (black for muted) thread, one ray looks straight up. You can wear stars in one of two sizes:
*first - the star fits into a circle with a diameter of 1 inch;
* the second - the star fits into a circle with a diameter of 7/8 inches.

The general chooses the size of the stars based on the convenience and expediency of placing the stars. Number of stars:
* Brigadier General- 1 star;
*Major General- 2 stars;
*Lieutenant General- 3 stars;
*General- 4 stars.
The distance between the stars is determined depending on the location of the stars, but in all cases the stars are located in a straight line. In some cases, the stars can be interconnected by jumpers.

The rank of "General" is the highest in the US Army. True, there is another, higher rank "General of the ze ami" (General of the Army), but this rank is assigned only during the war to the commander-in-chief of the American Armed Forces and only as a temporary one. He wears five stars placed in a circle, with rays touching each other. Each star is 3/8" in diameter. Above is the gilded coat of arms of the United States. However, in some cases, the coat of arms is not worn (on a cap, helmet, hat, combat uniform, secular uniform).

From the author. The author cannot recall a single case where a woman received this title, and there are few men. So for women, these signs are provided more nominally than really. And the rest of the general ranks, except for the brigadier general, are inaccessible for women. The fact is that Americans don’t scatter general ranks and don’t assign them for nothing. For some reason, I did not see any conductors of military bands, or house managers, or plant directors in general ranks among them. The general, as a rule, in the US Army occupies a responsible command position, and those holding auxiliary positions usually get by with officer ranks, or even without them at all (just civil servants). And nothing, obey them. By God, and we should not turn an officer's or general's rank into something similar to a title of nobility and distribute them left and right to people who have nothing to do with the army (figure skater Irina Rodnina, hockey goalkeeper Vladislav Tretyak, deputy Vladimir Zhirinovsky, swindler Yakubovsky, Secretary General Brezhnev etc. etc. and others like them). And in modern times, in order to appease the journalists who kick the army on their dirty pages, our military leaders, frightened to death, assign high ranks at once to a hundred or two chohom hack writers.

The military ranks of the US armed forces are quite different from the Russian, and indeed the armies of other countries. For example, usually a sergeant in the army is a soldier with a little more power than a private, and a captain belongs to the middle rank of officer ranks.

And the same ranks in the US Army look completely different: the sergeant is a fairly large and powerful figure, and the captain, on the contrary, is something distant, almost sky-high.

General Structure of the US Army

The US Army was officially founded in June 1775 by a corresponding decision of Congress. Its tasks included, first of all, the defense of a young state that had just gained its independence.

Much has changed since then, and today the US Army is more focused on solving international problems with military conflicts on the territory of other countries. This was largely reflected in the change in the composition of the modern US armed forces, which includes many independent types of armed forces:

• ground troops;
• Marine Corps (MCC);
• air Force;
• naval forces;
• Coast security.

Except for the Coast Guard, all military units report directly to the US Secretary of Defense. The Ministry of Defense itself is subordinate to the National Security Agency during times of peace, however, during the declaration of martial law in the country, it is again reassigned to the Minister of Defense.

The American army has adopted a contact system for recruiting military personnel, recruiting takes place on a voluntary basis. Citizens who have American citizenship or live in the country on a permanent basis or have a residence permit and have at least a secondary education are accepted for military service.

The minimum age for enlisting in the US Army is set at 18. However, with parental consent, you can enter the service at the age of 17.

A feature of the US Army is the unusual officer status of military personnel for some ranks. For two hundred years, only officer cadres could be professional soldiers in the American army.

However, the participation of the US Army in the Vietnam War revealed many shortcomings in this system. Taking into account the reasons for their defeat, the country's leadership in the early seventies of the last century reformed all the armed forces. As a result, the status of professional military personnel was given to all non-commissioned officers and warrant officers.

The enlisted personnel of the US Army is as follows:

• corporal;
• specialist;
• private 1st class;
• private;
• private recruit.

Sergeant ranks in the US Army and warrant officers

The ranks of officers in the US Army are not very different from those adopted in the Russian army, sergeant ranks are a completely different matter. First of all, they amaze with their quantity. The reason for this is that in the US Army, after the reform, they began to pay close attention to sergeants as potential officers.

Sergeant military ranks in the US Army have a fairly large composition:

• US Army Sergeant Major;
• command sergeant major;
• sergeant major;
• 1st sergeant;
• master sergeant;
• sergeant 1st class;
• staff sergeant;
• sergeant.

Warrant officers in the US Army can be 5 ranks: from 1st junior to 5th grade.

Officer military ranks of the American army: generals

General of the Armies is the highest military rank in the American military. Higher in rank than army general, corresponds to the Russian rank of generalissimo.

General of the Army is the highest military rank in the United States. Analogue in other countries are marshal and field marshal. As a rule, the rank is awarded during the war for military merit.

General - the highest military rank of senior officers in the armed forces in peacetime. Corresponds to the rank of admiral in the US Navy.

Lieutenant General - a general rank of senior officers (three stars), above major general and below the rank of general, equivalent to the rank of vice admiral in the US Navy and Coast Guard.

Major General - the general rank of senior officers (two stars), above the rank of brigadier general and below the lieutenant general. The rank of major general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral and is the highest permanent rank in the United States. A senior officer with this rank may hold the position of division commander.

Brigadier General - the lowest general rank, occupies a position between a colonel and a major general, in rare cases similar to a major general. The equivalent naval rank is commodore.

Officer military ranks of the American army: officers

Colonel (in the American army colloner) - position, military military rank of the officer commanding staff of the country's armed forces. The insignia of an American colonel is a silver eagle facing to the right. In addition, the eagle holds arrows in its right paw, and a branch in its left.

Lieutenant colonel - in the US Army, this rank corresponds to the rank of "colonel-lieutenant", he stands between the ranks of major and colonel. The title originated during the Revolutionary War and was borrowed from the British armed forces. American lieutenant colonels are more likely to become commanders of combat units of battalions with the number of military personnel from 300 to 1,000 people. A silver oak leaf is used as the insignia.

Major - the first military rank of senior officers of the American army. On the shoulder straps of an officer of this rank, you can see two golden eight-pointed stars on a blue background.

Captain - in the US Army, this rank is higher than first lieutenant, but lower than major. The captain is appointed to command company-scale units, numbering from 75 to 200 military personnel, often the captain becomes a battalion headquarters officer. The title was borrowed during the Revolutionary War from the military rank system of the British Army. A symbol was chosen as the captain's insignia: two parallel silver rectangles connected by a pair of lines.

First lieutenant is the second rank of junior officer in the US armed forces, equivalent to the Russian senior lieutenant. The chin is used by the US Marine Corps, Army and Air Force. The military rank is between second lieutenant and captain, the differences between the two lieutenant ranks are primarily in the experience of a junior officer.

A second lieutenant is the most junior officer rank in the US military. A second lieutenant is usually promoted to first lieutenant after 18 months as an officer in the Army, and after 24 months in the Air Force and Marine Corps.

The promotion system for officers of the US armed forces is built on the cultivation of the spirit of competition according to the principle: the higher the military rank and position, the more stringent the selection criteria should be. Military personnel twice recognized by the commissions in accordance with the personnel program "up or out" (top or out) in the certifications as not worthy of promotion are subject to dismissal. Similar measures can be applied to persons who have not passed the standards for physical training more than 2 times.

Certification of officers is carried out annually. The command of the US armed forces requires commanders and superiors to take an informal approach to writing appraisals, a careful and objective assessment of the business and human qualities of an officer. For these purposes, lists of words and phrases are specially prepared that can be used in certification, for example: general impression - good manners, energetic, polite, rude, shy, balanced, attractive, trustworthy, does not stand out, eccentric, etc.; character - bold, firm, (un) selfish, tolerant, superstitious, envious, stubborn, cowardly, shy, simple, impatient, etc .; mentality - rich imagination, analytical mind, sensitive, quick (slow) grasping, witty, (in) flexible, etc.

A change in the military-service relationship involves a change in the official position of a serviceman (appointment, dismissal and removal from office), assignment, deprivation and restoration of a military rank. The expiration of the length of service in a military rank is a universal condition for conferring the next military rank in the armed forces of almost all states.

To obtain the next military rank, the officers of the US armed forces must have the following length of service: first lieutenant - 1.5-2 years; captain - 3.5-4 years; major - 10 years; lieutenant colonel - 16 years; colonel - at least 22 years old. The ranks of generals are assigned by special decision.

The title "warrant officer 1st class" is awarded to sergeants after 10 years of service in the armed forces and more and the successful completion of the corresponding course of study in schools of military branches and services. Assignment of the next ranks to warrant officers is carried out upon reaching the following terms of service in the previous rank: warrant officer 1st class - 3 years; senior warrant officer 2nd class - 6 years; senior warrant officer 3rd class - 6 years; Chief Warrant Officer 4th Class - After 15 years of service as Chief Warrant Officer.

To obtain the next rank, privates and sergeants of the US Army must have the following minimum length of service in the previous rank and total length of service (in brackets - for the Air Force): private - 6 months; private 1st class - respectively 4 months and 1 year (6 months and 6 months); corporal - 6 months and 2 years (8 months and 1 year); sergeant - 8 months and 3 years (6 months and 3 years); staff sergeant - 10 months and 7 years (18 months and 5 years). At the same time, the minimum terms for conferring the next military ranks to privates and petty officers in the US armed forces are different for the ground forces, the Air Force, the Navy and the Marine Corps and depend on length of service, length of service, characteristics of the soldier, the results of various tests, awards, availability of vacancies and from the decision of the selection committee.

In the US military, the question of assignment of military ranks to officers and senior sergeants is decided by special rank commissions, which are formed anew every year from officers whose ranks are higher than those of the candidates under discussion. The task of the commissions is to select and evaluate candidates based on their attestations, characteristics and impressions from a personal meeting with an officer, his answers to questions from members of the commission in the specialty, from the field of military and general training. Up to the rank of "captain" inclusive, military ranks are assigned to almost everyone who is certified with the conclusion "fully ready for promotion." When assigning higher ranks, the principle of "prepared best of all" is applied. The possibility of implementing this principle is created by the excess of the number of candidates over the number of vacancies.

Characteristically, the system for selecting candidates for obtaining the next military rank or filling vacancies is also preserved when appointing top military leaders (2-4 or more candidates are considered, which are discussed among senior officers, articles about this are published in the American military press). Promotion in the rank of junior and middle sergeants is based on the competitive-testing principle.

The procedural rules of US military law governing promotion in military rank guarantee:

The right of military officers and senior sergeants to make written statements, providing facts to refute negative characteristics;

The possibility for military officers and senior sergeants to submit written statements to the "rank commission" considering the issue of their promotion;

The presence in the service record considered by the “ranking commission” of only official characteristics (records of inappropriate behavior are not included in the service list, except in cases where inappropriate behavior is established at a judicial or out-of-court hearing);

Holding meetings of the “ranking commission” behind closed doors (remarks made when making a decision are not made public);

The principle of matching the military rank to the military position held is most consistently implemented in the armed forces of a number of foreign states, which provide for a system of temporary ranks. Thus, in the United States, the system for conferring military ranks requires that they must be in line with the positions they hold. Therefore, the ranks of officers and generals are divided into temporary and permanent. Permanent ranks are assigned in accordance with performance appraisal, length of service and if there is a vacancy. Temporary ranks are assigned upon appointment to positions that, according to the state, are subject to replacement by officers in more high rank. By their legal status, those with temporary ranks are equated with officers, generals and admirals with the corresponding permanent ranks, and wear the same uniform and insignia.

Dismissal from the US military is a voluntary act, requiring compliance with a very small number of procedural rules. Forced layoffs, on the other hand, require compliance with procedural norms more high level depending on the reason and circumstances of the dismissal, position and rank of the serviceman. The Administrative Dismissal Commission has the right to hear the serviceman, but this right is not unconditional and depends on the length of service and the type of dismissal in question. The age limit for U.S. military personnel is determined by length of military service. Dismissal from the armed forces on the basis of length of service is carried out in the event that a serviceman has served in the army for the period established by law. Formally, the upper limit of military service, after reaching which a serviceman is subject to mandatory dismissal, is 30 years, but exceptions are allowed for certain categories of generals and senior officers. The age limit for officers is set at 62. Officers holding senior positions in the central office, as well as representatives of higher military educational institutions, by decision of Congress on an individual basis, the service may be extended up to 64 years. The maximum term of military service for a brigadier general and colonel is 30 years, for a lieutenant colonel - 28 years, for a major - 21 years. But these periods in some cases can be extended by 5 years. Therefore, the difference in the age limits for US military personnel does not exceed 10 years.