DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS
TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL
(U) Military Rank Abbreviations (repost)
FROM: (U//FOUO)
the SIDtoday Editor
Run Date: 02/08/2005
(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.
(U) As you can see in the tables below, the Army and Navy use upper case in their
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
Navy
Air Force
Marine Corps
E-1
PV1
SR
AB
Pvt
E-2
PV2
SA
Amn
PFC
E-3
PFC
SN
A1C
LCpl
E-4
CPL/SPC
PO3
SrA
Cpl
E-5
SGT
PO2
SSgt
Sgt
E-6
SSG
PO1
TSgt
SSgt
E-7
SFC
CPO
MSgt
GySgt
E-8
MSG/1SG
SCPO
SMSgt
MSgt/1stSgt
E-9
CSM/SGM
MCPO
CMSgt
SgtMaj/MGySgt
W-1
WO1
(not used)
none
WO1
W-2
CW2
CWO2
none
CWO2
W-3
CW3
CWO3
none
CWO3
W-4
CW4
CWO4
none
CWO4
W-5
CW5
CWO5
none
CWO5
O-1
2LT
ENS
2nd Lt
2ndLt
O-2
1LT
LTJG
1st Lt
1stLt
O-3
CPT
LT
Capt
Capt
O-4
MAJ
LCDR
Maj
Maj
O-5
LTC
CDR
Lt Col
LtCol
O-6
COL
CAPT
Col
Col
O-7
BG
RDML
Brig Gen
BGen
O-8
MG
RADM
Maj Gen
MajGen
O-9
LTG
VADM
Lt Gen
LtGen
O-10
GEN
ADM
Gen
Gen
Enlisted:
Warrant Officers:
Officers:
(U) The Coast Guard ranks are the same as those of the Navy.
(U) Don't know what the abbreviations break out to? That info, plus the insignia associated with
each rank, are on the following web pages:
enlisted ranks and
officer ranks .
(U) Note: The rank of CWO5 in the Navy is relatively new. Promotions to this rank took 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)."
DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS
TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL
DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108