Soldiers jump from an Army CH-47 Chinook during helocast training as part of the U.S. Military Academy Cadet Summer Training program in West Point, New York, June 19, 2023. US Army photo by Sgt. Rognie Ortiz Vega.
Catch-22, Joseph Heller’s classic novel published in 1961, is arguably the GOAT of war fiction. According to Harper Lee, “Catch-22 is the only war novel I've ever read that makes any sense.” The darkly humorous story employs a heavy dose of cynicism to help the reader cut through the confusion associated with the military experience.
Consider Major Major, a supporting character in the story, who was christened so by his father as some sort of joke on the world:
A lesser man might have wavered that day in the hospital corridor, a weaker man might have compromised on such excellent substitutes as Drum Major, Minor Major, Sergeant Major, or C. Sharp Major, but Major Major’s father has waited fourteen years for such an opportunity, and he was not a person to waste it.
Army basic trainees conduct chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear operations during training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Sept. 1, 2022. US Army photo by Alexandra Shea.
We soon discover that Major Major’s middle name is, yes, also Major. He is inevitably promoted to the rank of major, giving the poor man the rare distinction of becoming the first and only member of the US Armed Forces to be named “Major Major Major Major.” The unfortunate combination of name and rank creates a circle of supreme absurdity, manifesting itself in various correspondence, requisitions, and spools of red tape. Is Major Major a person or merely a higher rank of a single major? If the latter, is a double major rank higher than a general?
Heller’s preposterous character personifies confusion among the ranks and, ironically, the very rank structure itself. Indeed, when entering the military, even new soldiers –– who thought they had a grasp of this structure –– often find themselves lost in its hierarchical labyrinth. Whether you’re a prospective recruit, among our newly enlisted or commissioned personnel, or just a curious civilian, we’re here to give you a better understanding of military ranks for the various branches of service.
E, W, and O — It all Starts with the Pay Grade
In the civilian world, job titles are directly tied to levels of responsibility and monetary compensation. It should be no surprise that the same is true for ranks in the military. Where civilian jobs can loosely be placed into the categories of staff, managers, and executives, the armed forces utilizes a more precise, alphanumeric system that’s based upon the following prefixes:
A cadet completes the assault course during Basic Cadet Training at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on July 13, 2021. The training is a six-week indoctrination program for new cadets. US Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley.
- E - Enlisted Ranks: Responsible for completing missions and carrying out orders issued by officers.
- W - Warrant Officers: Highly trained enlisted personnel who rise to an officer-level position by virtue of a specialized skill (such as piloting an aircraft or overseeing the development of cybersecurity systems); warrant officers outrank non-commissioned officers (NCOs) but are subordinate to O-class officers.
- O - Officers (commissioned): Achieve their officer rank before actually assuming their role; officers who serve at this level are approved by Congress, but their commission is officially granted by the President of the United States.
Within each of these broad categories, ranks are organized numerically, smallest to largest. For example, E-1 is the entry-level rank for enlisted recruits and O-10 is the highest military rank for an officer (five-star general).
Similarities and Differences Across Branches
Coast Guard rescue swimmers from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City train off the coast Atlantic City, New Jersey, Sept. 18, 2006. US Coast Guard photo by PAC Tom Sperduto.
While the various branches of service can assign different names, abbreviations, and symbols to the ranks within the E-, W-, and O-class categories, the corresponding responsibilities and pay grades are similar. It’s worth noting that the only rank names consistent across all branches are those for warrant officers.
Enlisted rank nomenclature varies dramatically from branch to branch, but it’s similar for the Army and Marine Corps and virtually identical between the Navy and Coast Guard.
The Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps have plenty of overlap when it comes to officer rank names and symbols, whereas, again, the Coast Guard and Navy mirror each other.
Created in 2019, the US Space Force is the newest military branch and shows notable differences in the enlisted ranks but shares similarities with the Army, Air Force, and Marines at the officer levels.
Canine Ranks
US Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Byrd, dog handler, Provost Marshall’s Office, K9 Section, Marine Corps Base, Camp Smedley D. Butler, catches military working dog (MWD) Dak while decoying as an aggressor during training aboard Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan, Nov. 4, 2016. US Marine Corps photo by MCIPAC Combat Camera Cpl. Allison Lotz.
And let’s not forget about our canine military heroes. How do they fit in?
All branches of the US military use working dogs, specifically trained for jobs such as tracking, explosive detection, and search and rescue.
“Every military working dog is an NCO — in tradition at least,” Linda Crippen wrote in her 2017 article, “Military Working Dogs: Guardians of the Night,” posted at Army.mil. “Some say the custom was to prevent handlers from mistreating their dogs; hence, a dog is always one rank higher than its handler.”
A small terrier-mix mongrel holds the honor of the highest military rank achieved by a dog. Sgt. Stubby served with the 102nd Infantry in France during World War I. Per the Smithsonian, Stubby’s “first battle injury occurred from gas exposure; he was taken to a nearby field hospital and nursed back to health. The injury left him sensitive to the tiniest trace of gas. When the division was attacked in an early morning gas launch, most of the troops were asleep. Stubby recognized the gas and ran through the trench barking and biting at the soldiers, rousing them to sound the gas alarm, saving many from injury.”
Sgt. Stubby wearing his military uniform and decorations. Public domain photo via Wikipedia.
The mighty mutt even caught a German spy who was attempting to map the layout of Allied trenches. Corroborated accounts of the incident claim the spy tried to make friends with the barking dog, then began to run when that didn’t work. Stubby chased down the soldier and bit him on the legs, causing him to trip and fall. By the end of the war, Stubby served in 17 battles and returned home as the first and, to this day, most decorated military dog in history.
Canines have served an important role in the US military, and there are a number of private organizations today, such as Mission K9 Rescue, that advocate for the welfare of our retired military dogs.
Military Ranks in Order, by Branch
Army
US Army Pvt. 1st Class David Hedge from Bealeton, Virginia, front, and fellow soldiers from 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment are bathed in rotor wash moments after arriving by Black Hawk helicopter for an operation to disrupt weapons smuggling in Istaqlal, north of Baghdad, Iraq, Aug. 8, 2011. AP photo by Maya Alleruzzo.
Enlisted Ranks
E-1
E-2
E-3
E-4
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs)
E-4
E-5
E-6
E-7
E-8
E-8
E-9
E-9
E-9 (special)
Warrant Officers
W-1
W-2
W-3
W-4
W-5
Commissioned Officers
O-1
O-2
O-3
O-4
O-5
O-6
O-7
O-8
O-9
O-10
O-10
Private (recruit)
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
Warrant Officer 1
Chief Warrant Officer 2
Chief Warrant Officer 3
Chief Warrant Officer 4
Chief Warrant Officer 5
2nd Lieutenant
1st Lieutenant
Captain
Major
Lieutenant Colonel
Colonel
Brigadier General
Major General
Lieutenant General
Army Chief of Staff (special)
General
PVT
PV2
PFC
SPC
CPL
SGT
SSGT
SFC
MSG
1SG
SGM
CSM
SMA
WO1
CW2
CW3
CW4
CW5
2LT
1LT
CPT
MAJ
LTC
COL
BG
MG
LTG
GEN
GEN
Air Force
An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle departs after receiving fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker over Southwest Asia, Dec. 22, 2020. US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Trevor McBride.
Enlisted Ranks
E-1
E-2
E-3
E-4
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs)
E-5
E-6
E-7
E-8
E-9
E-9
E-9 (special)
Commissioned Officers
O-1
O-2
O-3
O-4
O-5
O-6
O-7
O-8
O-9
O-10
O-10
Airman Basic
Airman
Airman First Class
Senior Airman
Staff Sergeant
Technical Sergeant
Master Sergeant
Senior Master Sergeant
First Sergeant (Chief Master Sergeant)
Chief Master Sergeant
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
2nd Lieutenant
1st Lieutenant
Captain
Major
Lieutenant Colonel
Colonel
Brigadier General
Major General
Lieutenant General
Army Chief of Staff (special)
General
AB
Amn
A1C
SrA
SSgt
TSgt
MSgt
SMSgt
CMSgt
CMSgt
CMSAF
2d Lt
1st Lt
Capt
Maj
Lt Col
Col
Brig Gen
Maj Gen
Lt Gen
Gen
Gen
Coast Guard and Navy
Crew members line the rails during a commissioning ceremony for the USS Somerset (LPD 25) Saturday, March 1, 2014, in Philadelphia. AP photo by Joseph Kaczmarek.
Enlisted Ranks
E-1
E-2
E-3
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs)
E-4
E-5
E-6
E-7
E-8
E-9
Special (Navy)
Special (Coast Guard)
Warrant Officers
W-1
W-2
W-3
W-4
W-5
Commissioned Officers
O-1
O-2
O-3
O-4
O-5
O-6
O-7
O-8
O-9
O-10
O-10
O-10
Seaman Recruit
Seaman Apprentice
Seaman
Petty Officer Third Class
Petty Officer Second Class
Petty Officer First Class
Chief Petty Officer
Senior Chief Petty Officer
Master Chief Petty Officer
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
Warrant Officer 1
Chief Warrant Officer 2
Chief Warrant Officer 3
Chief Warrant Officer 4
Chief Warrant Officer
Ensign
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Commander
Commander
Captain
Rear Admiral (Lower Half)
Rear Admiral (Upper Half)
Vice Admiral
Chief of Naval Operations (special)
Commandant of the Coast Guard (special)
Admiral
SR
SA
SN
PO3
PO2
PO1
CPO
SCPO
MCPO
MCPON
MCPOCG
W01
CW02
CW03
CW04
CW05
ENS
LTJG
LT
LCDR
CDR
CAPT
RDML
RADM
VADM
ADM
ADM
ADM
Marine Corps
The US Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, led by Staff Sgt. Henry Trazy III, performs during the Joint Service Drill-Off at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. AP photo by Carolyn Kaster.
Enlisted Ranks
E-1
E-2
E-3
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs)
E-4
E-5
E-6
E-7
E-8
E-8
E-9
E-9
Special
Warrant Officers
W-1
W-2
W-3
W-4
W-5
Commissioned Officers
O-1
O-2
O-3
O-4
O-5
O-6
O-7
O-8
O-9
O-10
O-10
Private
Private First Class
Lance Corporal
Corporal
Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Gunnery Sergeant
Master Sergeant
First Sergeant
Master Gunnery Sergeant
Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
Warrant Officer
Chief Warrant Officer 2
Chief Warrant Officer 3
Chief Warrant Officer 4
Chief Warrant Officer 5
2nd Lieutenant
1st Lieutenant
Captain
Major
Lieutenant Colonel
Colonel
Brigadier General
Major General
Lieutenant General
Commandant of the Marine Corps
General
Pvt
PFC
LCpl
Cpl
Sgt
SSgt
GySgt
Mgst
1stSgt
MGySgt
SgtMaj
SgtMajMarCor
W01
CW2
CW3
CW4
CW5
2ndLt
1stLt
Capt
Maj
LtCol
Col
BGen
MajGen
LtGen
Gen
Gen
Space Force
In this photo released by the US Air Force, Capt. Ryan Vickers displays his new service tapes after taking his oath of office to transfer from the US Air Force to the US Space Force at Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kayla White via AP.
Enlisted Ranks
E-1
E-2
E-3
E-4
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs)
E-5
E-6
E-7
E-8
E-9
Special
Commissioned Officers
O-1
O-2
O-3
O-4
O-5
O-6
O-7
O-8
O-9
O-10
Special
Specialist 1
Specialist 2
Specialist 3
Specialist 4
Staff Sergeant
Technical Sergeant
Master Sergeant
Senior Master Sergeant
Chief Master Sergeant
Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force
2nd Lieutenant
1st Lieutenant
Captain
Major
Lieutenant Colonel
Colonel
Brigadier General
Major General
Lieutenant General
General
Chief of Space Operations
Spc1
Spc2
Spc3
Spc4
SSgt
TSgt
MSgt
SMSgt
CMSgt
CMSSF
2d Lt
1st Lt
Capt
Maj
Lt Col
Col
Brig Gen
Maj Gen
Lt Gen
Gen
CSO
Tim Cooper is a contributing writer for Coffee or Die and has been a freelance writer for more than 20 years. He is also a certified firearms instructor and soon-to-be-famous recording artist with Fat Chance Records. When Tim is not traveling the world on assignment, which is actually more often than not, you will probably find him at a nearby shooting range or sitting behind a drum kit, staring at his bandmates in bewilderment.
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