All the U.S. Military Ranks, In Order
The U.S. military is divided into six branches: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force. Each has its own individual hierarchy, featuring the most accomplished and decorated officers at the very top and recent enlistees at the bottom. Along this chain of command you’ll find ranks such as captains, colonels, and sergeants, all of which are familiar terms. But unless you’ve served in the military, you may be wondering how those ranks stack up, and who answers to whom.
In the military, there’s no ambiguity about who your commanding officer is. There’s a firmly established chain of command so each rank knows where they stand, though the exact terminology varies among the different branches of the military. Let’s look at the ranks of the U.S. military in ascending order, from the lowest to highest positions.
Army
The U.S. Army is the oldest of the six military branches, established on June 14, 1775. It’s also the most heavily populated branch, containing more than 460,000 active service members and many thousands more in the National Guard and Army Reserves. At the very bottom of the chain of command is the rank of private — a title generally given to new soldiers in basic training. Over time, members of the Army may rise up the ranks to the role of sergeant, which is a leadership post that commands various platoons and sections.
Above sergeant is the rank of warrant officer. These officers are generally highly specialized technicians in areas such as intelligence or military policing. Above that is the highest grouping of ranks in the Army, the commissioned officers, who are confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The lowest commissioned officer rank is second lieutenant, and the highest is a special wartime rank called general of the Army. This role has been held by an exclusive group of people including Dwight D. Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur during World War II. There is, however, an even more prestigious rank known as general of the Armies. This role has been conferred only three times in history: to John J. Pershing after World War I, and posthumously to both George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant.
Here are the ranks of the U.S. Army in ascending order:
- Private
- Private second class
- Private first class
- Specialist
- Corporal
- Sergeant
- Staff sergeant
- Sergeant first class
- First sergeant
- Master sergeant
- Command sergeant major
- 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
- Second lieutenant
- First lieutenant
- Captain
- Major
- Lieutenant colonel
- Colonel
- Brigadier general
- Major general
- Lieutenant general
- General
- General of the Army
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Marines
The Marines were founded on November 10, 1775, and there are just under 200,000 active service members currently enlisted. While this branch has its own unique identity and history, many of its ranks are similar, if not identical, to those of the Army — with a few minor differences.
The lowest four ranks of the Marines are private, private first class, lance corporal, and corporal, in ascending order. The Marines also have roles not found in the Army, such as gunnery sergeant, instead of a sergeant first class, and master gunnery sergeant, equivalent to the Army’s sergeant major. The highest rank within the Marines is general, and there is no role reserved specifically for wartime.
Navy
Though America’s Continental Navy was established on October 13, 1775, it wasn’t until 1794 that the United States Navy was formally founded. As of 2023, the U.S. Navy has nearly 500,000 total personnel between the active service members and those in the Navy Reserve.
The Navy uses very different ranking terminology than the Army. At the bottom is the role of seaman recruit, equivalent in scope to private. Many of the commissioned naval officers are given unique titles as well, such as ensign — which is equivalent to second lieutenant in the other branches — commander, and captain. The highest role in the Navy is admiral, followed by a special wartime position called fleet admiral. This unique title was held by only four people during World War II: William Halsey Jr., Ernest J. King, William D. Leahy, and Chester W. Nimitz.
Here are the ranks of the U.S. Navy in ascending order:
- Seaman recruit
- Seaman apprentice
- Seaman
- Petty officer third class
- Petty officer second Class
- Petty officer first class
- Chief petty officer
- Senior chief petty officer
- Fleet/command master chief petty officer
- Master chief petty officer
- Master chief petty officer of the Navy
- USN warrant officer 1
- USN chief warrant officer 2
- USN chief warrant officer 3
- USN chief warrant officer 4
- USN chief warrant officer 5
- Ensign
- Lieutenant junior grade
- Lieutenant
- Lieutenant commander
- Commander
- Captain
- Rear admiral lower half
- Rear admiral upper half
- Vice admiral
- Admiral
- Fleet admiral
Coast Guard
The Coast Guard’s history dates back to 1790, when Congress authorized several vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws. It wasn’t until 1915 that this branch earned its current name, as Congress formally merged the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life-Saving Service that year. The chain of command for the Coast Guard is nearly identical to that of the Navy, the only difference being that the Coast Guard has fewer chief warrant officer ranks.
Air Force
The Air Force was established on September 18, 1947, under the National Security Act (which also established the Defense Department and CIA). The U.S. has the world’s largest Air Force, with more than 300,000 active duty members and hundreds of thousands more playing pivotal support roles. The lowest rank in the Air Force is airman basic. From there, many of the warrant officers and commissioned officer ranks are identical to the ranks used by the Army and Marines. There is also a special wartime rank at the very top — general of the Air Force. This was held by only one person in history, Henry H. Arnold, who oversaw U.S. air forces during World War II.
Here are the ranks of the U.S. Air Force in ascending order:
- Airman basic
- Airman
- Airman first class
- Senior airman
- Staff sergeant
- Technical sergeant
- First sergeant
- Master sergeant
- First sergeant
- Senior master sergeant
- Command chief master sergeant
- First sergeant
- Chief master sergeant
- Chief master sergeant of the Air Force
- Second lieutenant
- First lieutenant
- Captain
- Major
- Lieutenant colonel
- Colonel
- Brigadier general
- Major general
- Lieutenant general
- General
- General of the Air Force
Space Force
The Space Force is the most recent branch of the U.S. military, established on December 20, 2019. At the bottom of the chain of command are the roles of specialist 1, 2, 3, and 4, followed by sergeant. The role of specialist is akin to the lower ranks of other branches such as private, seaman, and airman. The rank of specialist 4, however, carries slightly more responsibility and is equivalent to the Army rank of corporal. As you rise through the ranks from there, many ranks within the Space Force are identical to those in the Air Force.
