[DL] Army Ranks (modern) (was: Question on Army Rank)

["Heivilin, Jim" <banzai@missouri.edu>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Phalen, Pat [mailto:Pat.Phalen@infores.com]
> Subject: RE: [DL] Question on Army Rank
> 
<snip>
> Enlisted men and commissioned officers are on different 
> promotion "tracks"
> 
> Enlisted men can become Corporals, Specialists, and Sergeants 
> (1st, Staff, Master, SGT MAJ, etc.), but never receive a 
> commissioned rank (LT, CPT, MAJ, COL, GEN) unless they attend OCS.
> 
For those who don't have access or haven't ever had any exposure to the
military, here is a rank table.  I'm sure Christopher can adjust it for
Civil War era ranks.

U.S. Army

Commissioned Officers
2nd Lieutenant			2LT	one gold bar (USN - Ensign)
1st Lieutenant			1LT	one silver bar (USN - Lieutenant,
Junior Grade)
Captain				CPT	two silver bars (USN - Lieutenant)
Major					MAJ	one gold leaf (USN -
Lieutenant Commander)
Lieutenant Colonel		LTC	one silver leaf (USN - Commander)
Colonel				COL	one silver eagle (USN - Captain)
Brigadier General			BG	one silver star (USN - Rear
Admiral, Lower Half, used to be Commodore)
Major General			MG	two silver stars (USN - Rear
Admiral)
Lieutenant General		LG	three silver stars (USN - Vice
Admiral, USMC Commandant of the Marine 	Corp)
General				Gen	four silver stars (USN - Admiral, no
USMC)
General of the Army 		??	five silver stars in a circle (last
one I know of was Douglas MacArthur)

Warrant Officers
Warrant Officer 1			WO1	one silver bar with one
black stripe
Chief Warrant Officer 2		CW2	one silver bar with two black
stripes
Chief Warrant Officer 3		CW3	one silver bar with three black
stripes
Master Chief Warrant Officer 	CW4	one silver bar with four black
stripes

Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) (I left out the USN ranks, I can dig up
something if someone needs it)

Corporal				CPL	two chevrons (stripes) 
Sergeant				SGT	three chevrons
Staff Sergeant			SSG	three chevrons with one rocker
(rocker is the one on the bottom)
Sergeant First Class		SFC	three chevrons with two rockers
(USMC calls this Gunnery Sergeant, 	Gunny for short)
Master Sergeant			MSG	three chevrons with three rockers
First Sergeant			1SG	three chevrons with three rockers
and a diamond in between
Sergeant Major			SGM	three chevrons with three rockers
with a star in between
Sergeant Major of the Army	??	same as SGM with a wreath around the
star (only one)

Enlisted 

Private				PV1	no insignia (while in basic training
all recruits are PV1)
Private				PV2	one stripe (upon graduation from
basic training all recruits are promoted to PV2)
Specialist, Fourth Class	SP4	insignia looks like the interior of
the chevrons & rockers (with no actual stripes) with a wreath type pattern -
okay, it's difficult to describe and it's been awhile. (USMC has Lance
Corporal)

For other services the names change somewhat and the insignia changes.  

Hope this clarifies things. 

Jim