1. General of the Air Force
   Senior Airman
2. Master Sergeant
   General

General of the Air Force is a position that is given to the commander of the entire U.S. Air Force and only during wartime. It has not been filled since World War II.

1. Able Seaman
   Rear Admiral (Lower Half)
2. Ensign
   Commander

The Rear Admiral (Lower Half) is a rank above captain but below Admiral in the United States Navy and Coast Guard. It is the equivalent of an Army Brigadier General.

1. Sergeant Major
   Private E2
2. Sergeant First Class
   Seaman Apprentice

A military veteran with 15 years experience, a Sergeant First Class is usually an adviser to a platoon leader. In Hollywood movies, they are always the grizzled veteran who looks after the greenhorns and generally always survives.

1. Marine Lance Corporal
   Chief Master Sergeant
2. Sergeant Major
   Navy Captain

For commissioned officers, this is the most senior rank one can attain before Admiral positions. Captains in the Navy are often in control of ships.

1. Lieutenant Commander
   Lieutenant Junior Grade
2. Second Lieutenant
   Recruit

This is the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard equivalent of an Army Major. The Lieutenant Commander ranks higher than a Lieutenant but lower than a Commander.

1. Lieutenant Junior Grade
   Airman First Class
2. Corporal
   Sergeant Major

A Lieutenant Junior Grade is the first ranking above Ensign but below full Lieutenant. It is used by both the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. It was the rank achieved by astronaut Neil Armstrong.

1. Able Seaman
   Warrant Officer 1 (Marine Corps)
2. Private
   Airman

Warrant Officer 1 (Marine Corps) is the first and lowest of the Warrant Officer ranks in the United States Marines. People appointed to this rank also have a specialty they perform within the corps. They are also expected to lead.

1. Technical Sergeant
   Seaman Apprentice
2. Staff Sergeant
   Army Sergeant First Class

After the Seaman Recruit rank (which carries no insignia), this is the lowest rank in the U.S. Navy. This rank was formerly known as Seaman (Second Class) and is found in the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard and Sea Cadet Corps.

1. Fleet Admiral
   Navy General
2. Rear Admiral
   Ensign

Fleet Admiral is a position given to the commander of the entire U.S. Navy and only during wartime. The last time it was filled was in 1946.

1. Chief Warrant Officer 4
   Recruit
2. Private E2
   Airman

This is the lowest rank in the United States Army and is assigned to all soldiers when they enter the force. A soldier may be promoted to Private First Class after wearing this rank for four months and with a year’s service behind them.

1. Airman First Class
   Major General
2. Chief Master Sergeant
   Master Chief Petty Officer

A Major General commands divisions of between 10,000 to 16,000 soldiers. In the U.S. Navy, the equivalent rank is a two-star Rear Admiral.

1. Able Seaman
   Marine Gunnery Sergeant
2. Army Sergeant First Class
   Chief Petty Officer

A rank for non-commissioned officers, the Chief Petty Officer rank was first used in the U.S. Navy in 1893 and later followed in the Coast Guard. Over and above criteria like years of service, to attain the rank of Chief Petty Officer, a peer review is also undertaken.

1. Brigadier General
   Private E2
2. Major
   Corporal

A Brigadier General serves as a deputy commander for Army divisions under the control of a General. They help to oversee staff and with mission planning.

1. Sergeant Major
   Corporal
2. Chief Master Sergeant
   Petty Officer, First Class

A team leader in small Army units, a Corporal is the base rank for non commissioned officers in the United States Army. A Corporal and a Specialist are on the same pay scale but a Specialist may not lead any soldiers.

1. Able Seaman
   General
2. Lieutenant Colonel
   Petty Officer First Class

A Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army leads battalions of between 300 to 1,000 soldiers. Noted by their silver oak leaf insignia, both the U.S Marine Corps and Air Force also have this officer position.

1. Warrant Officer 1
   Seaman Recruit
2. Private
   Technical Sergeant

This is the lowest of the officer ranks in the United States Army. They fill a number of roles, including as advisors, trainers, combat leaders and as experts in technical fields. They are appointed by the Secretary of the Army.

1. Chief Warrant Officer 3
   Lieutenant Colonel
2. Brigadier General
   Major General

A Chief Warrant Officer 3 is an advanced level expert commissioned officer. They perform a variety of roles through brigade level as per their field of specialty.

1. Senior Airman
   Seaman
2. Petty Officer
   Vice Admiral

This commissioned officer carries a three-star insignia and ranks above a Rear Admiral and below an Admiral. A Vice Admiral is the same rank as a Lieutenant General in the Army.

1. U.S. Navy Lieutenant
   Able Seaman
2. Naval Captain
   None of the above

The most senior position in junior officer ranks, a Lieutenant in the Navy is a higher rank than the Army position of the same name. A Navy Lieutenant is the equivalent rank of a Captain in the U.S. Army.

1. Ensign
   Army Private First Class
2. Corporal
   None of the above

This rank, which is found both in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, is the equivalent of a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. An Ensign will lead a group in a specialist position on a warship, such as a gunnery unit, for example.

1. Lieutenant Commander
   Colonel
2. Ensign
   Paratroop Captain

A Colonel in the U.S. Army leads brigades of between 1,500 to 3,200 soldiers. This is the most senior rank for field grade military officers. To become a Colonel an Army officer must have served for 22 years or more.

1. Recruit
   General of the Air Force
2. Rear Admiral
   Specialist

Soldiers with a four-year college degree are given the rank of Specialist when undertaking Basic Combat Training. They are able to manage enlisted soldiers of lower ranks, for example, privates. After 47 months in service and 11 months within the Specialist rank, they can be promoted to Sergeant.

1. Petty Officer, Third Class
   First Lieutenant
2. Technical Sergeant
   Airman First Class

First Lieutenants typically have 18 to 24 months of service and often lead platoons operating specialized weapons. This could include a heavy machine gun or mortar platoon.

1. Fleet Admiral
   Ensign
2. Flight Commander
   Warrant Officer

A Warrant Officer is a master level expert commissioned officer who performs a variety of roles at brigade, corps and division level as per their field of specialty.

1. Airman
   Seaman
2. Private First Class
   Sergeant

In the U.S. Army, a Sergeant is a team/section leader who commands a group of soldiers. They oversee a team's daily tasks and lead them in combat.

1. Lieutenant General
   U.S. Navy Warrant Officer 1
2. Chief Petty Officer
   Airman, First Class

A Lieutenant General commands corps of between 60,000 to 70,000 soldiers spread across three divisions. During the Middle Ages, the Lieutenant General was the second in command on the battlefield.

1. General - Army Chief of Staff
   Major General
2. Colonel
   Brigadier General

A General - Army Chief of Staff is the most senior level commissioned officer. This position is normally given to a General who has more than 30 years of Army experience.

1. Marine Gunnery Sergeant
   Senior Airman
2. Midshipman
   Sergeant Major

A Midshipman is a low-ranking officer in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. The position was first created in 1794 in the U.S. Navy. Midshipman is also a rank in the British Royal Navy.

1. Major General
   Rear Admiral (Upper Half)
2. Airman
   Army Sergeant First Class

The Rear Admiral (Upper Half) is a rank above Read Admiral (Lower Half) but below Vice Admiral. It is the equivalent of an Army Major General.

1. U.S. Navy Warrant Officer 1
   Staff Sergeant
2. Senior Airman
   Private

This is the lowest of the officer ranks in the United States Navy. People filling these positions are highly skilled in their field but are non-commissioned officers.

1. Chief Warrant Officer 5
   Staff Sergeant
2. Navy Captain
   Ensign

A Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army leads a squad of up to 16 soldiers and has one or two sergeants under their command.

1. Airman First Class
   Captain
2. Marine Private First Class
   Seaman Apprentice

Captains in the U.S. Army lead large company-size units of between 60 to 200 soldiers at a time. The U.S. Army uses the abbreviation CPT for the position while their Marine and Air Force counterparts use Capt.

1. Chief Warrant Officer 5
   Fleet Admiral
2. General of the Army
   Rear Admiral

A Chief Warrant Officer 5 is a senior-level expert commissioned officer who performs a variety of roles at brigade, corps and division level as per their field of specialty. They also mentor Warrant Officers of a lower rank.

1. Petty Officer, Second Class
   Master Sergeant
2. Recruit
   Seaman

Seaman is the third lowest rank an enlisted person will receive in both the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. It is designated by three angled stripes.

1. Captain
   Major
2. Second Lieutenant
   Corporal

Second Lieutenant is the entry-level rank for commissioned officers. Typically, a Second Lieutenant will lead between 16 to 44 soldiers in the U.S. Army.

1. Airman
   Brigadier General
2. Admiral
   Major

When not at war, this is the highest post in the United States Navy. In 1866, President Andrew Johnson appointed the first Admiral to lead the U.S. Navy.

1. Second Lieutenant
   Major
2. General of the Air Force
   Fleet Admiral

A Major controls a U.S. Army brigade and is responsible for personnel, logistics and operations. This rank is given to commissioned officers. The rank is signified by the gold oak leaf.

1. Colonel
   Ensign
2. Able Seaman
   Private First Class

This is the next rank up from Private E2. This rank is given to any soldier who starts Basic Combat Training with prior military experience.

1. Major
   Lieutenant Commander
2. Chief Warrant Officer 2
   Major General

A Chief Warrant Officer 2 is an intermediate level expert commissioned officer. They perform a variety of roles through battalion level as per their field of specialty.

1. Sergeant Major
   Master Chief Petty Officer
2. General of the Army
   Private First Class

The General of the Army is the Supreme Commander of the U.S. Army when the country is at war. This is a war-time position held by the likes of General Douglas MacArthur and President Dwight D. Eisenhower.