Military Ranks List

Not many people out there would find it easy to differentiate between a Lieutenant Colonel and Lieutenant Commander... or any of the various other ranks in the United States military ranks list. The exuberance shown by the youth of this country when it comes to getting into a military school depicts how respectable a career in military forces is regarded to be. While we do have utmost respect for the military forces of our nation, we seldom take any interest in understanding the various aspects of this powerful organization.

U.S. Military Ranks List

The United States Armed Forces (USAF) is an umbrella term used to refer to the military forces of the United States. The President of the United States is the head of the Armed Forces, while the Department of Defense (DoD) works as the executive authority for the same. The different branches of the military in the United States are:

• U.S. Army
• U.S. Marine Corps
• U.S. Navy
• U.S. Air Force
• U.S. Coast Guard

While the first four branches come directly under the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard is a neutral agency which is handed over to the Naval branch in times of emergency. In terms of active personnel, the United States Armed Forces ranks 2nd in the world. These personnel are categorized into three groups - commissioned officers, warrant officers and non-commissioned officers. The list of military ranks in order of superiority helps in defining the services of these personnel and ensuring discipline in the organization.

U.S. Army
The U.S. Army is in charge of the land-based military operations of the United States Armed Forces. The head of the U.S. Army is the General of the Army who is a five-star general officer. This rank is only used during a war situation. There does exist a rank known as the General of the Armies which is superior to the General of the Army, but it has been only conferred twice in American history.

Rank	Abbreviation
General of the Army	GA
General	GEN
Lieutenant General	LTG
Major General	MG
Brigadier General	BG
Colonel	COL
Lieutenant Colonel	LTC
Major	MAJ
Captain	CPT
First Lieutenant	1LT
Second Lieutenant	2LT
Chief Warrant Officer 5	CW5
Chief Warrant Officer 4	CW4
Chief Warrant Officer 3	CW3
Chief Warrant Officer 2	CW2
Warrant Officer	WO1
Sergeant Major of the Army	SMA
Command Sergeant Major	CSM
Sergeant Major	SGM
First Sergeant	1SG
Master Sergeant	MSG
Sergeant First Class	SFC
Staff Sergeant	SSG
Sergeant	SGT
Corporal	CPL
Specialist	SPC
Private First Class	PFC
Private 2	PV2
Private	PVT

U.S. Marine Corps
Even though the U.S. Marines is a component of the United States Department of the Navy, it is considered to be a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces.

Rank	Abbreviation
General	Gen
Lieutenant General	LtGen
Major General	MajGen
Brigadier General	BGen
Colonel	Col
Lieutenant Colonel	LtCol
Major	Maj
Captain	Capt
First Lieutenant	1stLt
Second Lieutenant	2ndLt
Chief Warrant Officer 5	CW5
Chief Warrant Officer 4	CW4
Chief Warrant Officer 3	CW3
Chief Warrant Officer 2	CW2
Warrant Officer 1	WO1
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps	SgtMajMarCor
Sergeant Major	SgtMaj
Master Gunnery Sergeant	MGySgt
First Sergeant	1stSgt
Master Sergeant	MSgt
Gunnery Sergeant	GySgt
Staff Sergeant	SSgt
Sergeant	Sgt
Corporal	Cpl
Lance Corporal	LCpl
Private First Class	PFC
Private	Pvt

U.S. Navy
The largest naval force in the world, the United States Navy has a total strength which easily outweighs the combined strength of the next ten largest naval organizations in the world. It is headed by the Fleet Admiral of the United States Navy.

Rank	Abbreviation
Fleet Admiral	FADM
Admiral Chief of Naval Operations (Commandant of the Coast Guard)	ADM
Vice Admiral	VADM
Rear Admiral (upper half)	RADM
Rear Admiral (lower half)	RDML
Captain	CAPT
Commander	CDR
Lieutenant Commander	LCDR
Lieutenant	LT
Lieutenant, Junior Grade	LTJG
Ensign	ENS
Chief Warrant Officer 5	CWO5
Chief Warrant Officer 4	CWO4
Chief Warrant Officer 3	CWO3
Chief Warrant Officer 2	CWO2
Warrant Officer	WO1
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy	MCPON
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard	MPCOCG
Force Master Chief Petty Officer	FORCM
Fleet Master Chief Petty Officer	FLTCM
Command Master Chief Petty Officer	MCPOC
Master Chief Petty Officer	MCPO
Senior Chief Petty Officer	SCPO
Chief Petty Officer	CPO
Petty Officer 1st Class	PO1
Petty Officer 2nd Class	PO2
Petty Officer 3rd Class	PO3
Seaman	SN
Seaman Apprentice	SA
Seaman Recruit	SR

U.S. Air Force
The U.S. Air Force is a branch of the USAF which is in charge of aerial and space warfare. A five-star officer referred to as the General of the Air Force heads the operations of this branch of the US Armed Forces.

Rank	Abbreviation
General of the Air Force	GOAF
General Air Force Chief of Staff	Gen
Lieutenant General	Lt Gen
Major General	Maj Gen
Brigadier General	Brig Gen
Colonel	Col
Lieutenant Colonel	Lt Col
Major	Maj
Captain	Capt
First Lieutenant	1st Lt
Second Lieutenant	2d Lt
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force	CMSAF
Command Chief Master Sergeant	CCM
Chief Master Sergeant	CMSgt
Senior Master Sergeant	SMSgt
Senior Master Sergeant	SMSgt
Master Sergeant	MSgt
Technical Sergeant	TSgt
Staff Sergeant	SSgt
Senior Airman or Sergeant	SrA
Airman First Class	A1C
Airman	Amn
Airman Basic	AB

In order to have such a large army, the nation has to spend a significant amount of its GDP on its defense. The United States spends as much as $692 billion on its military forces, which roughly accounts for 43 percent of the world military expenditure.