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RGHQ-51

4. Rank Comparison Tables

1. Rank & Insignia 2. Rank & Insignia Tables 3. Commissions, Decommissions & Transfers 4. Rank Comparison Tables
5. Rank Abbreviations Tables Handout #03: Rank Recognition Chart Active & Reserve Duty Roster Awards Granted

Listed below are six tables, giving comparisons between the British and the US military's command and technical ranks, together with those of the UNMC.

For those unfamiliar with these structures foot notes have been provided for clarification at the bottom of this document. The note number is shown in brackets.

Each table should be read top left to bottom right in Western fashion, that is in descending order of command authority. Note that UK forces give precedence to the Royal Navy over the Army and other services, but to meet standardisation requirements, and ease of comparison, the data is laid out to match the US order, Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force. Note that the US Coast Guard use naval ranks and so no separate entry is provided.

Each entry consists of a block of text with the UNMC rank at the left, with two rows of comparisons to the right. The upper row of each pair, are ranks for US forces, while the lower row is for those of the UK. The collums are aranged left to right, army, navy, marines and air force.

At the far right alongside the US entries is the US Pay Grade for each set of US ranks, below which is the NATO code number for comparing these ranks with those of foreign forces employing ranks of non-US/British origin.

Table 1: Staff Officers
Table 2: Senior Field Officers
Table 3: Junior Field Officers
Table 4: Senior Non-Commissioned Officers
Table 5: Junior Non-Commissioned Officers
Table 6: Other Ranks
Foot Notes

Table 1: Staff Officers

UNMC US Army US Navy
& Coast Guard 		US Marine Corps US Air Force US Pay Grade
(9)
British Army Royal Navy Royal Marines Royal Air Force NATO Code
Number
(13)
GENERAL
OF THE
MARINE CORPS
(1)(2) 		General
of the
Army
(1) 		Fleet
Admiral
(1) 		N/A General
of the
Air Force
(1) 		Sp.
(10)
Field
Marshal 		Admiral
of the
Fleet 		N/A Marshall
of the
Royal
Air Force 		OF-10
GENERAL General Admiral General General O-10
General Admiral General Air
Chief
Marshall 		OF-9
LIEUTENANT
GENERAL
(8) 		Lieutenant
General 		Vice
Admiral 		Lieutenant
General 		Lieutenant
General 		O-9
Lieutenant
General 		Vice
Admiral 		Lieutenant
General 		Air
Marshall 		OF-8
MAJOR
GENERAL
(8) 		Major
General 		Rear
Admiral
(Upper Half) 		Major
General 		Major
General 		O-8
Major
General 		Rear
Admiral 		Major
General 		Air
Vice
Marshall 		OF-7
BRIGADIER
GENERAL
(8) 		Brigadier
General 		Rear Admiral
(Lower Half) 		Brigadier
General 		Brigadier
General 		O-7
Brigadier Commodore Brigadier Air
Commodore 		OF-6

Table 2: Senior Field Officers

UNMC US Army US Navy
& Coast Guard 		US Marine Corps US Air Force US Pay Grade
(9)
British Army Royal Navy Royal Marines Royal Air Force NATO Code
Number
(13)
COLONEL Colonel Captain Colonel Colonel O-6
Colonel Captain Colonel Group
Captain 		OF-5
LIEUTENANT
COLONEL 		Lieutenant
Colonel

Master
Warrent
Officer 5
(3)

Commander Lieutenant
Colonel

Chief
Warrant
Officer 5
(3)

Lieutenant
Colonel 		O-5
Lieutenant
Colonel 		Commander Lieutenant
Colonel 		Wing
Commander 		OF-4
MAJOR Major

Chief
Warrant
Officer 4
(3)

Lieutenant
Commander

Chief
Warrant
Officer 4
(3)

Major

Chief
Warrant
Officer 4
(3)

Major O-4
Major Lieutenant
Commander 		Major Squadron
Leader 		OF-3

Table 3: Junior Field Officers

UNMC US Army US Navy
& Coast Guard 		US Marine Corps US Air Force US Pay Grade
(9)
British Army Royal Navy Royal Marines Royal Air Force NATO Code
Number
(13)
CAPTAIN Captain

Chief
Warrant
Officer 3
(3)

Lieutenant

Chief
Warrant
Officer 3
(3)

Captain

Chief
Warrant
Officer 3
(3)

Captain O-3
Captain Lieutenant Captain Flight
Lieutenant 		OF-2
FIRST
LIEUTENANT 		First
Lieutenant

Chief
Warrant
Officer 2
(3)

Lieutenant
Junior
Grade

Chief
Warrant
Officer 2
(3)

First
Lieutenant

Chief
Warrant
Officer 2
(3)

First
Lieutenant 		O-2
Lieutenant - Lieutenant Flying
Officer 		OF-1
- Sub
Lieutenant 		- -
SECOND
LIEUTENANT 		Second
Lieutenant

Warrant
Officer 1
(3)

Ensign

Warrant
Officer
(3)

Second
Lieutenant

Warrant
Officer
(3)

Second
Lieutenant 		O-1
Second
Lieutenant 		- Second
Lieutenant 		Pilot
Officer 		OF-1
- Midshipman - Acting
Pilot
Officer

Enlisted Ranks (4)

Table 4: Senior Non-Commissioned Officers

UNMC US Army US Navy
& Coast Guard 		US Marine Corps US Air Force US Pay Grade
(9)
British Army Royal Navy Royal Marines Royal Air Force NATO Code
Number
(13)
NONE Command
Sergeant
Major
of the
Army
(2) 		Master
Chief
Petty
Officer
of the
Navy
(2) 		Sergeant
Major
of the
Marine
Corps
(2) 		Chief
Master
Sergeant
of the
Air Force
(2) 		Sp.
(10)
No British equivalents OR-9
COMMAND
SERGEANT
MAJOR

(11)

SERGEANT
MAJOR

(11)

Command
Sergeant
Major
(staff)
(5)

Sergeant
Major
(line)
(5)

Master
Chief
Petty
Officer 		Sergeant
Major
(staff)
(5)

Master
Gunnery
Sergeant
(line)
(5)

Command
Chief
Master
Sergeant
(staff)
(5)

First
Sergeant
(Chief
Master
Sergeant)
(staff)
(5)

Chief
Master
Sergeant
(line)
(5)

E-9
Warrant
Officer
Class 1
(14) 		Warrant
Officer
Class 1
(14) 		Warrant
Officer
Class 1
(14) 		Warrant
Officer
(14) 		OR-9
FIRST
SERGEANT

(12)

MASTER
SERGEANT

(11)

First
Sergeant
(staff)
(5)

Master
Sergeant
(line)
(5)

Senior
Chief
Petty
Officer 		First
Sergeant
(staff)
(5)

Master
Sergeant
(line)
(5)

First
Sergeant
(Senior
Master
Sergeant)
(staff)
(5)

Senior
Master
Sergeant
(line)
(5)

E-8
Warrant
Officer
Class 2
(14) 		Warrant
Officer
Class 2
(14) 		Warrant
Officer
Class 2
(14) 		- OR-8
SERGEANT
FIRST
CLASS 		Platoon
Sergeant
(8)

Sergeant
First
Class
(5)

Chief
Petty
Officer 		Gunnery
Sergeant 		First
Sergeant
(Master
Sergeant )
(staff)
(5)

Master
Sergeant
(line)
(5)

E-7
See Note 14 OR-7

Table 5: Junior Non-Commissioned Officers

UNMC US Army US Navy
& Coast Guard 		US Marine Corps US Air Force US Pay Grade
(9)
British Army Royal Navy Royal Marines Royal Air Force NATO Code
Number
(13)
STAFF
SERGEANT 		Staff
Sergeant 		Petty
Officer
First
Class 		Staff
Sergeant 		Technical
Sergeant 		E-6
Staff
Sergeant
(14) 		Chief
Petty
Officer
(14) 		Colour
Sergeant
(14) 		Flight
Sergeant
(14)

Chief
Technician
(14)

OR-6
SERGEANT Sergeant Petty
Officer
Second
Class 		Sergeant Staff
Sergeant 		E-5
Sergeant
(14) 		Petty Officer
(14) 		Sergeant
(14) 		Sergeant
(14) 		OR-5
CORPORAL Corporal

Specialist
(3)

Petty
Officer
Third
Class 		Corporal Senior
Airman 		E-4
Corporal
(14) 		Leading Seaman
(14) 		Corporal
(14) 		Corporal
(14) 		OR-4

Table 6: Other Ranks

UNMC US Army US Navy
& Coast Guard 		US Marine Corps US Air Force US Pay Grade
(9)
British Army Royal Navy Royal Marines Royal Air Force NATO Code
Number
(13)
PRIVATE
FIRST
CLASS 		Private
First
Class 		Seaman Lance
Corporal 		Airman First Class E-3
Lance Corporal - Lance
Corporal 		- OR-3
PRIVATE
PV2

(7)

Private
(PV2)
(7) 		Seaman
Apprentice 		Private
First
Class 		Airman E-2
Private
Class 1-3 		Able
Seaman 		Marine
Class 1-3 		Junior
Technician

Senior
Aircraftman/
Senior
Aircraftwoman

Leading
Aircraftman/
Leading
Aircraftwoman

OR-2
PRIVATE
PV1

(6)(7)

Private
(PV1)
(7) 		Seaman
Recruit
(6) 		Private Airman
Basic 		E-1
Private
Class 4 		Ordinary
Seaman 		Marine
Class 4 		Aircraftman 2/
Aircraftwoman 2

Aircraftman 1/
Aircraftwoman 1

OR-1

Foot Notes

  • 1. This is a wartime appointment only. In the event of a formal/public declaration of hostilities, the duly appointed overall national commanders will automatically have command authority over any and all UNMC personnel, unless, a resolution is passed by the UN General Assembly, and ratified by the member governments.

  • 2. In the UNMC as a whole and in each of the US forces, there is only one person holding this rank at any one time. In the UNMC this post is restricted to US personnel ONLY.

  • 3. US Warrant Officers and US Army Specialists are technical non-tactical leaders ONLY. They specialise throughout their entire career in a specific technical area, for example as an aircraft pilot. Usually they have no command authority except within their speciality. UNMC Specialists are similar in role, serving for example as a scientific, medical or other technical officer, however they are not strictly "military" personnel, see Rank & Insignia .

  • 4. The word "Enlisted" is the catch-all term that covers all "Non-Commissioned Officers" (Corporal, Sergeants and Warrent Officers) and "Other Ranks" (Privates and Specialists), that is anyone who is not a "Commissioned Officer" (2nd Lieutenant - General).

  • 5. In the NCO ranks of the US Army, Marines and Air Force, there are alternative titles, some labelled either "staff" or "line". In this context "Staff" indicates an administrative grade, while "line" indicates a field command rank. However, similar to British Army practise the US Army title "Platoon" Sergeant is only found in infantry units, "line" NCO's elsewhere are also called "Sergeant First Class". In the British Army the post of "Sergeant" has various titles depending upon the nature and history of the Regiment/Corps, e.g. "Corporal of Horse" and "Colour Sergeant" for cavalry and infantry units respectively. Staff ranks have seniority over Line ranks.

  • 6. With the exception of the US Navy and Coast Guard, the lowest level enlisted rank personnel of all services including the UNMC, do not wear any rank insignia of any sort, because these are the positions normally occupied by recruits.

  • 7. The lowest two enlisted ranks of both the US Army and the UNMC are both called "Private", being distinguished by their initial pay grade numbers, and by the fact that Private PV2 wears insignia. Private PV1 is normally a recruit.

  • 8. These UNMC ranks are normally only held by individuals in the post of Commanding Officer of a Sub-Command/Regiment (a principal base or significant unit/formation).

  • 9. This is the US forces notation for calculating and comparing rates of pay for all officers and enlisted personnel, common to all services. Therefore its presence in these tables will enable those from other US services to use this number to make comparisons with their own organisation.

  • 10. "Sp." denotes these positions as recieving "special" pay grades. Sometimes these "Sp." grades are notated as O-10 or as E-9 respectively in some US documents.

  • 11. Unlike their US and British equivalents, the titles of Command Sergeant Major, Sergeant Major and Master Sergeant are distinct ranks within the UNMC, with associated command authority, and different pay grades.

  • 12. The administrative rank of "First Sergeant" of the UNMC is due to the Corps' comparatively small size, unlike that of US forces in that it is limited to one appointment per regiment, with officially no command authority outside of the posts remit of regimental administration.

  • 13. This is the NATO rank code number enabling personnel to make international comparisons with their own forces ranking structure. Which is included here for those of you with non-US and non-British origins (see your nations own reference works for details).

  • 14. British forces have fewer distinctive NCO rank titles than those of the US, but they do have a similar number of task related appointments and sub-grades within a given rank. To cover these roles, NCO ranks from OR-4 through to OR-6, can be raised one level, so for example a British Army Sergeant can have either the NATO Code numbers OR-5 or OR-6 according to appointment. Warrant Officers too can be further divided by appointments, such as the British Army's Warrant Officer Class 1, which can be appointed as and referred to as a Regimental Sergeant Major, but in these cases their NATO Code number remains the same. This can lead to situations that may cause a great deal of confusion for non-British forces personnel when trying to make direct comparisons.

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