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(U) ConSIDer This: Military Rank Abbreviations
FROM: SIGINT Communications
Unknown
Run Date: 12/17/2003
(U) Civilians: do you know how to abbreviate U.S. military ranks? Each military service uses its
own abbreviation scheme. For example, the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps all use the rank of
lieutenant colonel, but they abbreviate this rank as LTC, Lt Col (with a blank space), and LtCol
(without a space), respectively. As you can see in the tables below, the Army and Navy use
upper case in its abbreviations, while the Air Force and Marine Corps generally use a
combination of upper and lower case. Note also that certain ranks are used by only one military
branch; this is especially true in the case of the Navy:
PAY GRADE
ARMY
AIR FORCE
NAVY
MARINE CORPS
Enlisted:
E-1
PV1
AB
SR
Pvt
E-2
PV2
Amn
SA
PFC
E-3
PFC
A1C
SN
LCpl
E-4
CPL/SPC
SrA
P03
Cpl
E-5
SGT
SSgt
P02
Sgt
E-6
SSG
TSgt
P01
SSgt
E-7
SFC
MSgt
CPO
GySgt
E-8
MSG/1SG
SMSgt
SCPO
MSgt/1stSgt
E-9
CSM/SGM
CMSgt
MCPO
SgtMaj/MGySgt
Warrant Officers:
W-1
WO1
none
(not used)
WO1
W-2
CW2
none
CWO2
CWO2
W-3
CW3
none
CWO3
CWO3
W-4
CW4
none
CWO4
CWO4
W-5
CW5
none
CWO5
CWO5
Officers:
O-1
2LT
2nd Lt
ENS
2ndLt
O-2
1LT
1st Lt
LTJG
1stLt
O-3
CPT
Capt
LT
Capt
O-4
MAJ
Maj
LCDR
Maj
O-5
LTC
Lt Col
CDR
LtCol
O-6
COL
Col
CAPT
Col
O-7
BG
Brig Gen
RADM(L)
BGen
O-8
MG
Maj Gen
RADM(U)
MajGen
O-9
LTG
Lt Gen
VADM
LtGen
O-10
GEN
Gen
ADM
Gen
(U) The Coast Guard ranks are the same as those of the Navy.
(U) If you'd like to see these listed in a different format (or to see what the abbreviations break
out to!), see this web page . The insignia associated with each rank are on this web page .
(U) Note: The rank of CWO5 in the Navy is new. Promotions to this rank are to take effect for
the first time during the FY04 selection board cycle.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108