US Army Ranks

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Enlisted Soldiers and Non-Commissioned Officers[edit | edit source]

The chart below represents the current enlisted rank insignia of the United States Army.

US DoD Pay grade E-1 E-2 E-3 E-4 E-5 E-6 E-7 E-8 E-9
Insignia No Insignia
Title Private Private Private First Class Specialist Corporal Sergeant Staff Sergeant Sergeant First Class Master Sergeant First Sergeant Sergeant Major Command Sergeant Major Sergeant Major of the Army
Abbreviation PV1 PV2 PFC SPC1 CPL SGT SSG SFC MSG 1SG SGM CSM SMA
NATO Code OR-1 OR-2 OR-3 OR-4 OR-4 OR-5 OR-6 OR-7 OR-8 OR-8 OR-9 OR-9 OR-9
1 SP4 is no longer an acceptable abbreviation for Specialist.

All enlisted ranks of corporal and higher are considered non-commissioned officers (NCOs).

Privates (E1 and E2) and privates first class (E3) are addressed as 'Private (last name)', specialists as 'Specialist (last name)', corporals as 'Corporal (last name)', and sergeants, staff sergeants, sergeants first class, and master sergeants all as 'Sergeant (last name).' First sergeants are addressed as 'First Sergeant (last name)', and sergeants major and command sergeants major are addressed as 'Sergeant Major (last name)'.

Warrant Officers[edit | edit source]

The chart below represents the current Warrant Officer rank insignia of the United States Army.

US DoD pay grade W-1 W-2 W-3 W-4 W-5
Insignia
Title Warrant Officer 1 Chief Warrant Officer 2 Chief Warrant Officer 3 Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chief Warrant Officer 5
Abbreviation WO1 CW2 CW3 CW4 CW5
NATO Code WO-1 WO-2 WO-3 WO-4 WO-5

Warrant officers are single track, specialty officers with subject matter expertise in a particular area. They are initially appointed as warrant officers (in the rank of WO1) by the Secretary of the Army, but receive their commission upon promotion to chief warrant officer two (CW2).

By regulation, a Warrant Officer 1 is addressed as 'Mr. (last name)' or 'Ms. (last name) or sir/ma'am. Upon promotion to Chief Warrant Officer 2, 'Mr. or Ms. (last name)' the term "Chief" is introduced as an additional term of address although this is an unofficial title.

Commissioned Officers[edit | edit source]

The chart below represents the current officer rank insignia of the United States Army.

US DoD Pay Grade O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6 O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10
Insignia
Army Service Uniform Insignia
Title Second
lieutenant
First
lieutenant
Captain Major Lieutenant
colonel
Colonel Brigadier
general
Major
general
Lieutenant
general
General
Abbreviation 2LT 1LT CPT MAJ LTC COL BG MG LTG GEN
NATO Code OF-1 OF-2 OF-3 OF-4 OF-5 OF-6 OF-7 OF-8 OF-9

Army regulations call for addressing all personnel with the rank of general as 'General (last name)' regardless of the number of stars. Likewise, both colonels and lieutenant colonels are addressed as 'Colonel (last name)' and first and second lieutenants as 'Lieutenant (last name).'