Hey everyone, junior here. Although college is a path many are expecting me to take, I've been seriously considering the military. It offers a lot of benefits and I feel it might just be the right fit for me. One thing I don't understand, however, are the ranks in the different military branches. I've heard about privates, sergeants, generals, but how does one advance? And how does it vary between branches? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
In the military, rank refers to an individual's level of authority and responsibility. There are two primary rank structures in the U.S. military - that of enlisted personnel and that of officers.
For enlisted personnel, the rank structure typically progresses from Private (in the Army and Marine Corps) or Airman (Air Force) or Seaman (Navy) upwards through various forms of Sergeants, and in the highest ranks, through the different levels of Sergeant Major.
In the officer ranks, progress typically starts from Second Lieutenant (in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps) or Ensign (in the Navy), moving up through First Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, and then the various General or Admiral ranks.
Promotion in rank usually relies on a combination of factors - time in service, time in grade (current rank), performance evaluations, and sometimes passing certain tests or courses. Certain ranks also require a formal promotion board.
The rank structure does vary between branches. For example, in the Navy, the rank structure includes unique titles like Petty Officer and Chief Petty Officer for some enlisted ranks, and Lieutenant Junior Grade for an officer rank.
Also, it's worth mentioning that the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps separate their enlisted ranks into two categories: non-commissioned officers (NCOs), which typically begin at Corporal or Sergeant, and commissioned officers, which start at Second Lieutenant.
It can all seem perplexing, but once you join the branch, knowledge of the ranking system will be a key part of your training.
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