Los rangos militares son un sistema de relaciones jerárquicas en las fuerzas armadas , [1] policía , [2] agencias de inteligencia u otras instituciones organizadas a lo largo de líneas militares. El sistema de rango militar define el dominio, la autoridad y la responsabilidad en una jerarquía militar. Incorpora los principios del ejercicio del poder y la autoridad en la cadena de mando militar : la sucesión de comandantes superiores a los subordinados a través de los cuales se ejerce el mando. La cadena de mando militar constituye un componente importante para la acción colectiva organizada. [3]
Por lo general, los uniformes denotan el rango del portador mediante insignias particulares adheridas a los uniformes. Durante la mayor parte de la historia militar, se sabe que los sistemas de clasificación son ventajosos para las operaciones militares, en particular en lo que respecta a la logística, el mando y la coordinación; a medida que pasaba el tiempo y las operaciones militares se volvían más grandes y complejas, los rangos militares aumentaban y los propios sistemas de clasificación se volvían más complejos.
El rango no solo se usa para designar liderazgo, sino también para establecer el grado de pago. A medida que aumenta el rango, sigue el grado de pago, pero también la cantidad de responsabilidad. [4]
Dentro de las fuerzas armadas modernas, el uso de rangos es casi universal. Estados comunistas veces han abolido filas (por ejemplo, el Soviet Ejército Rojo 1918-1935, [5] el chino Ejército Popular de Liberación 1965-1988, [6] y el Ejército de Albania 1966-1991 [7] ), pero tuvo que volver establecerlos después de encontrar dificultades operativas de mando y control .
Etimología
El término rango proviene del francés antiguo ranc que significa "fila, línea", tomado de un dialecto germánico y afín al anillo inglés . [8]
Antiguo
griego
Desde el 501 a. C., los atenienses elegían anualmente diez individuos para el rango de estrategas , uno por cada una de las diez "tribus" que se habían creado con la fundación de la democracia . Strategos significa literalmente "líder del ejército", por lo que generalmente se traduce como " general ". Originalmente, estos generales trabajaban junto con el antiguo polemarchos ("señor de la guerra"), pero con el tiempo esta última figura fue absorbida por la generalidad: cada uno de los diez generales rotaría como polemarch por un día, y durante este día su voto serviría como empate. disyuntor si es necesario.
Los diez generales eran iguales entre sí. No había jerarquía entre ellos, sin embargo, una forma básica de democracia estaba en efecto: por ejemplo, en la Batalla de Maratón en 490 AC, los generales determinaron el plan de batalla por mayoría de votos. Sin embargo, podrían haberse dado asignaciones particulares a generales individuales; inevitablemente, hubo una división regular de responsabilidades.
El rango que estaba subordinado a un general superior era el de taxiarchos o taxiarhos , algo parecido al general de brigada moderno . En Esparta , sin embargo, el título era " polemarchos ". Debajo de esto estaba el syntagmatarchis , que puede traducirse como "líder de un regimiento " ( syntagma ) y, por lo tanto, era como un coronel moderno . Debajo de él estaba el tagmatarches , un oficial al mando de un tagma (cerca del batallón moderno ). El rango era aproximadamente equivalente al legatus de una legión romana . Luego estaban los lokhagos , un oficial que dirigía una unidad de infantería llamada lokhos que constaba de aproximadamente un centenar de hombres, lo mismo que en una compañía moderna dirigida por un capitán .
Un regimiento de caballería griego ( hippikon ) se llamaba hipparchia y estaba comandado por un epihipparch . La unidad estaba dividida en dos y dirigida por dos hipparchos o hipparch , pero la caballería espartana estaba dirigida por un hipparmostes . Un hippotoxotès era un arquero montado. Una compañía de caballería griega estaba dirigida por un tetrarchès o tetrarca .
La base de las fuerzas armadas en la mayoría de las ciudades-estado griegas estaba compuesta por ciudadanos comunes. Los soldados de infantería fuertemente armados se llamaban hoplitès u hoplitas y un hoplomachos era un instructor de ejercicios o armas.
Una vez que Atenas se convirtió en una potencia naval , los principales generales de los ejércitos terrestres también tenían autoridad sobre las flotas navales. Debajo de ellos, cada buque de guerra estaba comandado por un trièrarchos o trierarca , una palabra que originalmente significaba " oficial trirreme " pero que persistió cuando se utilizaron otros tipos de buques. Además, como en las armadas modernas, las diferentes tareas asociadas con la gestión de un barco se delegaban en diferentes subordinados. Específicamente, el kybernètès era el timonel, los keleustēs controlaban la velocidad del remo y el trièraulès era el flautista que mantenía la velocidad de ataque de los remeros. Después de una mayor especialización, los estrategas navales fueron reemplazados por un nauarchos , un oficial de mar que equivale a un almirante .
Con el ascenso de Macedonia bajo Filipo II de Macedonia y Alejandro Magno , el ejército griego se volvió profesional, las tácticas se volvieron más sofisticadas y se desarrollaron niveles adicionales de clasificación. Los soldados de infantería se organizaron en falanges de infantería pesadas llamadas falangitas . Estas fueron las primeras tropas en ser ejercitadas, y lucharon en una formación rectangular cerrada, típicamente ocho hombres de profundidad, con un líder a la cabeza de cada columna (o fila) y un líder secundario en el medio para que la parte de atrás las filas podían moverse hacia los lados si se necesitaba más fachada.
Un tetrarchia era una unidad de cuatro archivos y un tetrarchès o tetrarch era un comandante de cuatro archivos; una dilochia era un doble fila y un dilochitès era un líder de doble fila; un lochos era un solo archivo y un lochagos era un líder de archivo; un dimoiria era una mitad de fila y un dimoirites era un líder de mitad de fila. Otro nombre para la mitad de la fila era un hèmilochion con un hèmilochitès como líder de la mitad de la fila.
Sin embargo, los diferentes tipos de unidades se dividieron de manera diferente y, por lo tanto, sus líderes tenían títulos diferentes. Por ejemplo, bajo un sistema de numeración por decenas, una dekas o dekania era una unidad de diez dirigida por un dekarchos , una hekatontarchia era una unidad de cien dirigida por un hekatontarchos y una khiliostys o khiliarchia era una unidad de mil dirigida por un hekatontarchia. khiliarchos .
La caballería, por la que Alejandro se hizo más famoso (en un sentido militar), se hizo más variada. Había unidades de caballería pesada y caballería de ala ( ilè ), esta última comandada por un ilarco .
romano
El uso de filas formalizadas se generalizó entre las legiones romanas después de las reformas de Marius . Las comparaciones con las filas modernas, sin embargo, solo pueden ser vagas porque la estructura de mando del ejército romano era muy diferente de la estructura organizativa de sus contrapartes modernas, que surgieron de las compañías mercenarias medievales, más que de los escritos del escritor romano del siglo IV, Vegetius y Comentarios de César sobre su conquista de la Galia y la guerra civil.
El mando militar propiamente dicho era un cargo político en Roma. Un comandante necesitaba estar equipado con imperium , un concepto político-religioso. El rey que lo poseía (el rex sacrorum ) tenía estrictamente prohibido tenerlo para evitar el regreso a la monarquía. En la república, el mando se limitaba a los cónsules o (rara vez) a los pretores , o en casos de necesidad a un dictador . Se utilizaron procónsules , después del establecimiento de la oficina. En la época imperial, cada legión estaba al mando del emperador, que técnicamente era cónsul o procónsul.
El comandante podría nombrar a un diputado, un supuesto legado ( legatus ). La asociación de " legatus " con "legión" es una etimología popular , ya que el significado de legatus es "proxy" o "enviado". Por lo general, los legados provenían del Senado romano por períodos de tres años. La naturaleza política del alto mando militar incluso se reflejó aquí, en el sentido de que las legiones siempre estaban subordinadas al gobernador , y solo la segunda y las siguientes legiones estacionadas en una provincia tenían su propio legatus legionis . Los verdaderos comandantes y los legados juntos eran, en términos modernos, los oficiales generales . [ cita requerida ]
Inmediatamente debajo del comandante (o su legado) había seis tribunos militares ( tribuni militum ), cinco de los cuales eran jóvenes de rango ecuestre y uno de los cuales era un noble que se dirigía al senado. Este último se llama tribuno laticlaviano ( tribunus laticlavius ) y era el segundo al mando. Si en las divisiones modernas el subcomandante es un general de brigada , el tribuno laticlaviano tal vez pueda traducirse con este rango, aunque no comandó ninguna formación propia. Los otros tribunos se denominan tribuni angusticlavii y equivalen a oficiales de estado mayor en ambos sentidos del término: de rango mayor , teniente coronel , coronel y con funciones administrativas. No comandaron una formación propia. El término tribuno militar se traduce incluso a veces al inglés como "coronel" —sobre todo por el difunto clasicista Robert Graves en sus novelas de Claudio y su traducción de los Doce Césares de Suetonio— para evitar confusiones con los políticos " tribunos del pueblo"; además, tampoco deben confundirse con los "tribunos militares con autoridad consular", que en los primeros tiempos republicanos pudieron reemplazar a los cónsules.
El tercer oficial más alto de una legión, por encima de las tribunas angustiavas , era el praefectus castrorum . Él también tendría el rango de coronel en los ejércitos modernos, sin embargo, se diferenciaba mucho de los tribunos en que su cargo no formaba parte del cursus más bien administrativo , sino que normalmente lo ocupaban antiguos centuriones. (Los ejércitos modernos tienen una distinción similar en una escala menor, es decir, entre oficiales comisionados y suboficiales).
Los combatientes de la legión se formaron en "filas", filas de hombres que lucharon como una unidad. Bajo el nuevo sistema de Marius, las legiones se dividieron en diez cohortes ( cohortes ) (aproximadamente equivalentes a batallones e inmediatamente sujetas a la legión), cada una de las cuales constaba de tres manipula , cada una de ellas de dos siglos (una compañía bastante pequeña en términos modernos), cada una compuesto por entre 60 y 160 hombres. Cada siglo estaba dirigido por un centurión ( centurio , tradicionalmente traducido como capitán ), que contaba con la ayuda de varios oficiales subalternos, como un optio . Los siglos se dividieron en diez contubernias de ocho soldados cada una. Los manipula fueron comandados por uno de sus dos centuriones, las cohortes por uno de sus tres centuriones de manipulum ; los centuriones de mayor rango al mando de la cohorte se llamaban primus pilus . Los rangos de centuriones en las cohortes individuales fueron, en orden descendente, pilus anterior , pilus posterior , princeps anterior , princeps posterior , hastatus anterior y hastatus posterior . [9] Los soldados individuales fueron referidos como soldados ( milites ) o legionarios ( legionarii ).
La disciplina romana era severa, con todos los rangos sujetos a pena corporal y capital a discreción del comandante. Por ejemplo, si una cohorte se rebelaba en la batalla, el castigo típico era la aniquilación , en la que uno de cada diez soldados, seleccionados por sorteo, era asesinado. La aniquilación no era un lugar común ya que la falta de hombres reduciría la efectividad del combate, lo que eventualmente superaría el "beneficio" psicológico de mantener a las tropas en línea.
mongol
Ver organización y tácticas militares mongolas .
turco
No había rangos en el sentido moderno de una jerarquía de títulos, aunque el ejército estaba organizado en un mando jerárquico. La organización del ejército se basó en el sistema decimal, empleado por Oghuz Khagan . El ejército estaba formado por un escuadrón de diez ( aravt ) dirigido por un jefe designado. Diez de ellos compondrían entonces una compañía de cien ( zuut ), también dirigida por un jefe designado. La siguiente unidad era un regimiento de mil ( myangat ) dirigido por un noyan designado . La unidad orgánica más grande era una unidad de diez mil hombres ( tumen ) también dirigida por un noyan designado . [10]
persa
El ejército de la antigua Persia estaba formado por grupos militares manejables bajo los comandos individuales. Comenzando en la parte inferior, una unidad de 10 se llamaba dathabam y estaba dirigida por dathapatis . Una unidad de 100 hombres era un satabam dirigido por un satapatis . Una unidad de 1.000 era un hazarabam y estaba comandada por un hazarapatis . Una unidad de 10,000 era un baivarabam y estaba comandada por un baivarapatis . Los griegos llamaron a esas masas de tropas miríadas o miríadas . Entre las tropas montadas, un asabam era una unidad de caballería dirigida por un asapatis .
Historians have discovered the existence of the following ranks in Parthian and Sassanian armies:
- Commander-in-chief: Eran spahbod (to be replaced with four spahbods, one for each frontier of the empire during the reign of Khosrau I)
- Commander of the cavalry: Aspwargan salar (Parthian) or aswaran salar (Sassanian)
- Commander of the archers: Tirbodh
- Commander of the infantry: paygan salar
- Castellan: Argbadh or argbod
- Commander of a frontier march: Marzpawn (Parthian) or marzban (Sassanian)
- Marzban of Central Asian marches was called kanarang
Posclásico
Post-classical militaries did not have a unified rank structure; while the feudal lords were in some ways equivalent to modern officers, they didn't have a strict hierarchy—a king was conceived of as first among equals, not a monarch as later or ancient societies understood the concept, and all nobles were theoretically equals (hence "peers").[citation needed] A nobleman was obligated to bring a set number of troops when asked by his liege-lord, a king or merely a higher-ranked noble who had obtained his service by the gift of land. The troops' lord retained at least nominal control over them—many post-classical military planning sessions involved negotiating each lord's role in the coming battle—and each lord was allowed to leave after a predetermined amount of time had passed.
High command in post-classical armies
The command structure of armies was generally loose and varied considerably. Typically, the king and high-ranking lords would call out for all lords to gather their troops for a campaign. They would appoint a renowned noble to organize the assembling forces, the marshal. The term field marshal came from the marshal then leading the army on the march, and being in charge of organizing camps and logistics. Tactics for an upcoming battle were often decided by councils of war among the nobles leading the largest forces. Outside of campaigns, the high constable had authority over the local constables, and commanders of the garrisons of major castles. The high constable might have authority in the army due to his role of head of the regular cavalry.
Origins of modern ranks
As the European and Asian Middle Ages came to an end, the rank structure of post-classical armies became more formalized. The top officers were known as commissioned officers because their rank came from a royal commission. Army commissions were usually reserved for those of high stature—the aristocracy of mainland Europe and the aristocracy and gentry of Great Britain.
The basic unit of the post-classical army was the company, a band of soldiers assigned (or raised) by a vassal lord on behalf of his lord (in later times the king himself). The vassal lord in command of the company was a commissioned officer with the rank of captain. Captain was derived from the Late Latin word capitaneus (meaning "head man" or chief).
The commissioned officer assisting the captain with command of the company was the lieutenant. Lieutenant was derived from the French language; the lieu meaning "place" as in a position; and tenant meaning "holding" as in "holding a position"; thus a "lieutenant" is somebody who holds a position in the absence of their superior. When he was not assisting the captain, the lieutenant commanded a unit called a platoon, particularly a more specialized platoon. The word is derived from the 17th-century French peloton, meaning a small ball or small detachment of men, which came from pelote, a ball.
The commissioned officer carrying the (infantry) company's flag was the ensign. The word ensign was derived from the Latin word insignia. In cavalry companies the equivalent rank was cornet. In English usage, these ranks were merged into the single rank of second lieutenant in the 19th century.
Not all officers received a commission from the king. Certain specialists were granted a warrant, certifying their expertise as craftsmen. These warrant officers assisted the commissioned officers but ranked above the non-commissioned officers (NCOs). They received their authority from superior officers rather than the king. The first NCOs were the armed servants (men-at-arms) of the aristocracy, assigned to command, organize and train the militia units raised for battle. After years of commanding a squad, an NCO could be promoted to sergeant, the highest NCO rank. While a sergeant might have commanded a squad upon promotion, he usually became a staff officer. While commissioned staff officers assisted their commander with personnel, intelligence, operations and logistics, the sergeant was a jack of all trades, concerning himself with all aspects of administration to maintain the enlisted men serving under his commander. Over time, sergeants were differentiated into many ranks as various levels of sergeants were used by the commanders of various levels of units.
A corporal commanded a squad. Squad derived from the Italian word for a "square" or "block" of soldiers. In fact, corporal was derived from the Italian caporal de squadra (head of the squad). Corporals were assisted by lancepesades. Lancepesades were veteran soldiers; lancepesade was derived from the Italian lancia spezzata meaning broken spear—the broken spear being a metaphor for combat experience, where such an occurrence was likely. The first lancepesades were simply experienced privates; who either assisted their corporal or performed the duties of a corporal themselves. It was this second function that made armies increasingly regard their lancepesades as a grade of corporal rather than a grade of private. As a result, the rank of lance corporal was derived from combining lancepesade and corporal.
As the post-classical came to an end, kings increasingly relied on professional soldiers to fill the bottom ranks of their armies instead of militiamen. Each of these professionals began their careers as a private. The private was a man who signed a private contract with the company commander, offering his services in return for pay. The money was raised through taxation; those yeomen (smallholding peasants) who did not fulfill their annual 40-day militia service paid a tax that funded professional soldiers recruited from the yeomanry. This money was handed to the company commanders from the royal treasury, with the company commanders using the money to recruit the troops.
Origins of higher ranks
As armies grew larger, composed of multiple companies, one captain was granted general (overall) authority over the field armies by the king. (National armies were the armies of the kings. Field armies were armies raised by the king to enter the battle field in preparation for major battles.) In French history, lieutenant du roi was a title borne by the officer sent with military powers to represent the king in certain provinces. A lieutenant du roi was sometimes known as a lieutenant général to distinguish him from lieutenants subordinate to mere captains. The sergeant acting as staff officer to the captain general was known as the sergeant major general. This was eventually shortened to major general, while captain general began to be addressed, depending on the military branch, as general of the infantry, general of the cavalry or general of the artillery, and these ones, over time, were shortened to simply general. This is the reason a major outranks a lieutenant, but a lieutenant general outranks a major general.
In modern times recruits attending basic training, also referred to as boot camp by some branches, are instructed in the hierarchical structure of military rank. Many new enlisted civilians find it difficult to understand the structure of general staff ranks as stated before, it becomes somewhat complicated to understand when applying basic rationale.
As armies grew bigger, heraldry and unit identification remained primarily a matter of the regiment. Brigades headed by brigadier generals were the units invented as a tactical unit by the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus II ("Gustav II Adolf", who was killed at the battle of Lützen 1632). It was introduced to overcome the normal army structure, consisting of regiments. The so-called "brigada" was a mixed unit, comprising infantry, cavalry and normally artillery, designated for a special task. The size of such brigada was a reinforced company up to two regiments. The brigada was a 17th-century form of the modern "task force". In some armies "brigadier general" has been shortened to "brigadier".
Around the end of the 16th century, companies were grouped into regiments. The officers commissioned to lead these regiments were called "colonels" (column officers). They were first appointed in Spain by King Ferdinand II of Aragon where they were also known as "coronellos" (crown officers) since they were appointed by the Crown. Thus the English pronunciation of the word colonel.[citation needed]
The first colonels were captains granted command of their regiments by commission of the king. The lieutenants of the colonel were the lieutenant colonels. In the 17th century, the sergeant of the colonel was the sergeant major. These were field officers, third in command of their regiments (after their colonels and lieutenant colonels), with a role similar to the older, army-level sergeants major (although on a smaller scale). The older position became known as sergeant major general to distinguish it. Over time, the sergeant was dropped from both titles since both ranks were used for commissioned officers. This gave rise to the modern ranks of major and major general.
The full title of sergeant major fell out of use until the latter part of the 18th century, when it began to be applied to the senior non-commissioned officer of an infantry battalion or cavalry regiment.
Regiments were later split into battalions with a lieutenant colonel as a commanding officer and a major as an executive officer.
Moderno
Modern military services recognize three broad categories of personnel. These are codified in the Geneva Conventions, which distinguish officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted men.
Apart from conscripted personnel one can distinguish:
Commissioned officers
Officers are distinguished from other military members (or an officer in training) by holding a commission; they are trained or training as leaders and hold command positions.
Officers are further generally separated into four levels:
- General, flag, or air officers
- Field or senior officers
- Company grade or junior officers
- Subordinate officer (naval cadet or officer cadet in the Canadian Forces, for example)
General, flag, and air officers
Officers who typically command units or formations that are expected to operate independently for extended periods of time (i.e., brigades and larger, or flotillas or squadrons of ships), are referred to variously as general officers (in armies, marines, and some air forces), flag officers (in navies and coast guards), or air officers (in some Commonwealth air forces).
General-officer ranks typically include (from the most senior) general, lieutenant general, major general, and brigadier general, although there are many variations like division general or (air-, ground-) force general.
Flag-officer ranks, named after the traditional practice of showing the presence of such an officer with a flag on a ship and often land, typically include (from the most senior) admiral, vice admiral and rear admiral. In some navies, such as Canada's, the rank of commodore is a flag rank.
In the United Kingdom and most other Commonwealth air forces, air-officer ranks usually include air chief marshal, air marshal, air vice-marshal and air commodore. For some air forces, however, such as those of Canada, United States and many other air forces, general officer rank titles are used. In the case of the United States Air Force, that service was once part of the U.S. Army and evolved as a separate service in 1947, carrying over its extant officer rank structure. Brazil and Argentina use a system of general officer ranks based on the term brigadier.
In some forces, there may be one or more superior ranks to the common examples, above, that are given distinguishing titles, such as field marshal (most armies of the world, notably excluding the United States) or general of the army (mainly the United States because "marshal" is used as a peace officer's designation), fleet admiral (U.S. Navy), Marshal of the Royal Air Force, or other national air force. These ranks have often been discontinued, such as in Germany and Canada, or limited to wartime or honorific promotion, such as in the United Kingdom and the United States.
In various countries, particularly the United States, these may be referred to as "star ranks" for the number of stars worn on some rank insignia: typically one-star for brigadier general or equivalent with the addition of a star for each subsequent rank. In the United States, five stars has been the highest rank regularly attainable (excluding the marines and coast guard, which have traditionally served as branches of the navy in times of war and thus under the command of a fleet admiral). There also exists the specialty ranks of General of the Armies of the United States and Admiral of the Navy which at their inception were considered senior four star officers but came to be considered six-star rank after the creation of five star officers. To date only one officer has held a six star rank in his lifetime, John J. Pershing. George Washington was posthumously promoted to the post in 1976. Additionally, Admiral George Dewey was promoted to admiral of the navy but died well before statute made it senior to an admiral of the fleet upon the latter's inception.
Some titles are not genuine ranks, but either functions assumed by generals or honorific titles. For instance, in the French Army général de corps d'armée is a function assumed by some généraux de division, and maréchal de France, which is a distinction denoting the most superior military office, but one that has often neutered the practical command powers of those on whom it is conferred. In the United States Navy, a commodore currently is a senior captain commanding a squadron, air group, or air wing that is too small for a rear admiral to command, although that name has historically been used as a rank. The title (not rank) of commodore can also indicate an officer who is senior to a ship's captain (since only the ship's commanding officer is addressed as captain while under way). Marine captains are sometimes referred to as major to distinguish themselves while shipboard, although this reference is not employed in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps.
Field or senior officers
Field officers, also called "field-grade officers" or "senior officers", are officers who typically command units that can be expected to operate independently for short periods of time (i.e., infantry battalions, cavalry or artillery regiments, warships, air squadrons). Field officers also commonly fill staff positions of superior commands.
The term field(-grade) officer is primarily used by armies and marines; air forces, navies and coast guards generally prefer the term "senior officer." The two terms are not necessarily synonymous because the former is frequently used to describe any officer who holds a command position from a platoon to a theater.
Typical army and marine field officer ranks include colonel, lieutenant colonel, major and, in the British army, captains holding an adjutant's or operations officer appointment. In many Commonwealth countries the field rank of brigadier is used, although it fills the position held by brigadier general in other countries. In the United States Army, warrant officers who hold the rank of CW3-CW4 are field grade officers; CW5s are senior field grade officers.
Naval and coast guard senior officer ranks include captain and commander. In some countries, the more senior rank of commodore is also included. In others lieutenant-commanders, as equivalents to army and marine majors, are considered senior officers.
Commonwealth air force senior officer ranks include group captain, wing commander, and squadron leader, where such ranks are still used.
Company grade or junior officers
The ranks of junior officers are the three or four lowest ranks of officers. Units under their command are generally not expected to operate independently for any significant length of time. Company grade officers also fill staff roles in some units. In some militaries, however, a captain may act as the permanent commanding officer of an independent company-sized army unit, for example a signal or field engineer squadron, or a field artillery battery.
Typical army company officer ranks include captain and various grades of lieutenant. Typical naval and coast guard junior officer ranks include grades of lieutenant commander, lieutenant, lieutenant junior grade, sub-lieutenant and ensign. Commonwealth (excluding Canada) air force junior officer ranks usually include flight lieutenant, flying officer, and pilot officer.
"The [U.S.] commissioned officer corps is divided into 10 pay grades (O-1 through O-10). Officers in pay grades O-1 through O-3 are considered company grade officers. In the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, these pay grades correspond to the ranks of second lieutenant (O-1), first lieutenant (O-2), and captain (O-3), and in the Navy, ensign, lieutenant junior grade, and lieutenant. Officers in the next three pay grades (O-4 through O-6) are considered field grade officers. In the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, these pay grades correspond to the ranks of major (O-4), lieutenant colonel (O-5), and colonel (O-6), and in the Navy, lieutenant commander, commander, and captain. The highest four pay grades are reserved for general officers in the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, and flag officers in the Navy. The ranks associated with each pay grade are as follows: in the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, brigadier general (O-7), major general (O-8), lieutenant general (O-9), and general (O-10); in the Navy, rear admiral-lower half, rear admiral-upper half, vice admiral, and admiral."[11][12]
Subordinate or student officer
Officers in training in the Canadian Armed Forces are either naval cadet for naval training or officer cadet for army or air force training.
In the US and several other western forces, officers in training are referred to as student officers, and carry the rank of cadet (army and air force) or midshipman (navy, and in some countries, marines). These officers may be serving at a military academy, or, as common in the United States, as members of a military training unit attached to a civilian college or university, such as an ROTC unit. This is due to a requirement that commissioned officers have at least a four-year collegiate undergraduate degree.
The British Army refers to its trainee officers as officer cadets, who rank as private soldiers at the start of their training, with no authority over other ranks (except when appointed to carry out a role as part of training). Officer cadets are addressed to as "Mister" or "Miss" until the completion of the early stages of their training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (at which point cadets "pass out" and formally gain their commissions), thereafter other ranks (non-officers) will address them as "Sir" or "Ma'am".
While cadet has always been a rank of limited authority and prestige (cadets and US Navy midshipmen have no authority over commissioned personnel, warrants, or officers, only subordinate cadets), midshipman has historically been a rank with limited leadership responsibility, particularly in the Royal Navy (where cadets are commissioned at the start of their training, unlike their army counterparts). This tradition was continued by the US Navy after its original adoption of the rank, but now US Navy midshipmen are limited in the same manner as cadets in the other US services. Additionally, US Marine officers in training are also midshipmen, trained and educated alongside their naval counterparts, and wear distinctive insignia to indicate their branch of service.
US Coast Guard Academy students are referred to as "cadets", while those attending the military branch's officer candidate school are "officer candidates".
In the US an alternative to spending four years as a cadet or midshipmen is for college graduates with a four-year degree to attend officer candidate school, an intensive twelve-week training course designed to convert college graduates into military officers. Each service has at least one, and usually several, officer candidate school facilities. Students at these programs are called officer candidates.
Warrant officers
Warrant officers (as receiving authority by virtue of a warrant) are a hybrid rank treated slightly differently in each country or service. Warrant officers may either be effectively senior non-commissioned officers or an entirely separate grade between commissioned and non-commissioned officers, usually held by specialist personnel.
In the United States, warrant officers are appointed by warrant then commissioned by the President of the United States at the rank of chief warrant officer. Warrant officers range from WO1-CW5. A warrant officer is not a chief warrant officer until they reach W2. CW3-CW4 are field grade officers. Warrant officers in the rank or grade of CW5 are senior field grade officers.
Enlisted personnel
Enlisted personnel are personnel below commissioned rank and make up the vast majority of military personnel. They are known by different names in different countries, such as other ranks (ORs) in the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries, and non-commissioned members (NCMs) in Canada.
Non-commissioned officers
Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) are enlisted personnel, under the command of an officer, granted delegated authority to supervise other military members or assigned significant administrative responsibilities. They are responsible for the care and direct control of junior military members, often functioning in the smaller field units as executive officers.
Even the most senior NCO officially ranks beneath the most junior commissioned officer or warrant officer. However, most senior NCOs have more experience, possibly including combat, than junior officers. In many armies, because junior officers have a great amount of responsibility and authority but little operational experience, they are paired with senior NCO advisers. In some organizations, senior NCOs may have formal responsibility and informal respect beyond that of junior officers, but less than that of warrant officers. Many warrant officers come from the ranks of mid-career NCOs. In some countries warrant ranks replace senior enlisted ranks.
NCO ranks typically include a varying number of grades of sergeant and corporal (air force, army and marines), or chief petty officer and petty officer (navy and coast guard). In many navies the term 'rating' is used to designate specialty, while rank denotes pay grade.
In some countries warrant officers come under the non-commissioned officer branch (senior non-commissioned officiers).
Other enlisted
Personnel with no command authority usually bear titles such as private, airman or aircraftman, or seaman (starting with seaman recruit in the United States Navy and Coast Guard). In the United States Marine Corps individuals of all ranks regardless of command status may be referred to as "marine". In the United States Air Force individuals of all ranks regardless of command status may be referred to as "airman". Shortly after the Sailor's Creed was formally instituted, Secretary of the Navy John Dalton directed that the word sailor should be capitalized when referring to any uniformed member of the Navy. In some countries and services, personnel in different branches have different titles. These may have a variety of grades, such as private first class, but these usually only reflect variations in pay, not increased authority. These may or may not technically be ranks, depending on the country or service. Each rank gives the individual an indication of how long and how well they have served in combat and training.
Cita
Appointment is the instrument by virtue of which the person exercises his or her authority. Officers are appointed by a royal commission in most monarchies or a presidential commission in many other countries. In the Commonwealth, warrant officers hold a royal or presidential warrant. In the United States, officers are appointed by the president, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. Most officers are approved en bloc by voice vote, but flag officers are usually required to appear before the Armed Services Committee and answer questions to the satisfaction of its members, prior to a vote on their commission.
NCOs are appointed by an instrument of appointment, a written document, often a certificate, usually from the service head. Entry into service is often referred to as enlistment throughout the English-speaking world, even in countries where soldiers do not technically enlist.
Sometimes personnel serve in an appointment which is higher than their actual rank. For instance, commodore used to be an appointment of captain in the Royal Navy and lance corporal used to be an appointment of private in the British Army.
Tipos
There are a number of different forms of rank; from highest to lowest degree, they are:
- Substantive or permanent: the fully paid and confirmed rank, with eligibility for the corresponding pension/benefits
- Retired or retained: usually granted to those officers of the rank of lieutenant in the navy, or captain in the army, or above, and enlisted, who have reached the end of their service obligation and have not been dishonorably discharged or dismissed from the service. A retired rank is usually kept for life, if the officer concerned so wishes. In the Commonwealth of Nations, such an officer will also hold the style of Esquire, if they do not hold a higher title.
- Veterans rank is different in each country. Members of the United States military maintain their highest rank after discharge or retirement. 10 U.S. Code § 772(e) states: A person not on active duty who served honorably in time of war in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps may bear the title and wear the uniform of the highest grade held by him during that war. After a war, regular serving members of the military holding war substantive or temporary rank often revert to their former, substantive rank and all others often end their service. However, the holder may be granted permission to permanently retain the rank they held when the conflict ended.
- Temporary: usually granted for a specific task or mission. The holder holds the rank while occupying that position. Despite the name, temporary rank may be held for a considerable period of time, perhaps even years. In wartime, temporary ranks are often common. In the United Kingdom, the rank of brigadier was long considered a temporary rank; while its holder was addressed as "brigadier," he would retain the substantive rank of colonel or lieutenant-colonel if not selected for promotion to general officer rank. Sub-classes of temporary rank (from highest to lowest) include:
- War substantive: a temporarily confirmed rank only held for the duration of that war, though war substantive rank may be treated as substantive when considering the holder's eligibility for subsequent promotions and appointments.
- Acting is where the holder assumes the pay and allowances appropriate to the acting rank, but a higher commanding officer may revert the holder to previous rank held. This is normally for a short period of time while the permanent occupant of the office is absent. During wartime, acting ranks are frequently held on an emergency basis, while peacetime holders of acting ranks are often those who must hold their permanent rank for a sufficient period before being confirmed in their new higher rank.
- Brevet: an honorary promoted rank, without the full official authority or pay appropriate to the rank.
- Local or theater: a form of temporary rank restricted to a specific location instead of a specific duty.
- Honorary: Often granted on retirement, or in certain special cases to honour a deserving civilian. Generally, honorary rank is treated as if it were substantive, but usually does not grant a corresponding wage or pension (increase).
Tamaño del comando
Rank and unit size
To get a sense of the practical meaning of these ranks—and thus to be able to compare them across the different armed services, different nations, and the variations of titles and insignia—an understanding of the relative levels and sizes of each command is helpful. The ranking and command system used by U.S. Marine ground forces or U.S. Army infantry units can serve as a template for this purpose. Different countries will often use their own systems that do not match the presentation here.
Under this system, starting from the bottom and working up, a corporal leads a fireteam consisting of three other individuals. A sergeant leads a squad consisting of three fireteams. As a result, a full squad numbers 13 individuals. Squads usually have numbered designations (e.g., 1st Squad).
Generally, in most armies and marine units, a lieutenant or equivalent rank leads a platoon, which can consist of three or four squads. For example, in U.S. Marine infantry units, rifle platoons usually consist of three rifle squads of 13 men each, with a Navy corpsman, the platoon leader, and a platoon sergeant (i.e., a staff sergeant who serves as second-in-command). An infantry platoon can number from 42 to 55 individuals, depending on the service. Platoons are usually numbered (e.g., 1st Platoon) or named after their primary function (e.g., service platoon).
A captain or equivalent rank commands a company, usually consisting of four platoons (three line platoons and one heavy weapons platoon). His headquarters can include a first sergeant and as many as seven others. As such, a company can comprise from roughly 175 to 225 individuals. Equivalent units also commanded by captains are batteries (for field artillery units) and detachments. In English speaking countries, a company (or troop in the cavalry, and battery in the artillery) is usually designated by a letter (e.g., "A Company"). In non-English speaking countries, they are usually numbered. In most Commonwealth armies a company is commanded by a major, assisted by a captain.
A lieutenant colonel or equivalent rank commands a battalion or a squadron, often consisting of four companies, plus the various members of his headquarters. A battalion is around 500–1,500 men and usually consists of between two and six companies.
A colonel or equivalent commands a regiment or group, often consisting of four battalions (for an infantry unit) or five to six air groups (for a wing). Battalions and regiments are usually numbered, either as a separate battalion or as part of a regimental structure (e.g., 1-501st Infantry in the US Army).
In these later examples, abstractions cease to be helpful and it becomes necessary to turn to an actual unit. The 1st Battalion of the 1st Marine Regiment of the 1st Marine Division of the I Marine Expeditionary Force consists of three infantry companies, one weapons company, and one headquarters and service company. Above that, the 1st Marine Regiment (also known as "First Marines") consists of four such battalions and one headquarters company. Marine Air Control Group 18 of 1st Marine Air Wing of the III Marine Expeditionary Force consists of four squadrons, one battery, and one detachment, a mix of different-sized units under a regimental equivalent-sized unit.
The next level has traditionally been a brigade, commanded by a brigadier general, and containing two or more regiments. But this structure is considered obsolete today. At the present time, in the U.S. Army, a brigade is roughly equal to or a little larger than a regiment, consisting of three to seven battalions. Strength typically ranges from 1,500 to 3,500 personnel. In the U.S. Marines, brigades are only formed for certain missions. In size and nature they are larger and more varied collections of battalions than is common for a regiment, fitting them for their traditional role as the smallest formation able to operate independently on a battlefield without external logistical tactical support. Brigades are usually numbered (e.g., 2nd Brigade).
The level above regiment and brigade is the division, commanded by a major general and consisting of from 10,000 to 20,000 persons. The 1st Marine Division, for example, is made up of four marine regiments (of the type described above), one assault amphibian battalion, one reconnaissance battalion, two light armored reconnaissance battalions, one combat engineer battalion, one tank battalion, and one headquarters battalion—totalling more than 19,000 marines. (Within the headquarters battalion are one headquarters company, one service company, one military police company, one communications company, and one truck company.) An equivalent elsewhere within the same marine expeditionary force (MEF) might be a MEF logistics group (MLG), which is not a regimental-sized unit (as the word "group" implies), but rather a large support unit consisting of several battalions of support personnel. Divisions are normally numbered, but can be named after a function or personage.
Considering such a variety of units, the command sizes for any given rank will vary widely. Not all units are as troop intensive as infantry forces need to be. Tank and artillery crews, for example, involve far fewer personnel. Numbers also differ for non-combat units such as quartermasters, cooks, and hospital staff. Beyond this, in any real situation, not all units will be at full strength and there will be various attachments and detachments of assorted specialists woven throughout the system.
The 1st Marine Division is part of the I Marine Expeditionary Force, which also includes the 3rd Marine Air Wing, 1st Marine Logistics Group, 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (as required), three marine expeditionary units (featuring helicopter groups), and a battalion-sized marine air ground task force. In the U.S. Marine Corps there are three marine expeditionary forces.
In the U.S. Army, the level above division is called a corps instead of an expeditionary force. It is commanded by a lieutenant general. In many armies, a corps numbers around 60,000, usually divided into three divisions. Corps (and similar organizations) are normally designated with Roman numerals and their nationality when operating in a combined (international) force—e.g., V (US) Corps, VIII (ROK) Corps, II MEF, I Canadian Corps.
During World War II, due to the large scale of combat, multiple corps were combined into armies commanded in theory by a general (four stars), but often by a lieutenant general (three stars), and comprising as many as 240,000 troops. Armies are numbered by spelled-out numerals or functional titles, using their nationality in "combined" forces (e.g., Eighth US Army, Third ROK Army, British Army of the Rhine). These were in their turn formed into army groups, these being the largest field organization handled by a single commander in modern warfare. Army groups included between 400,000 and 1,500,000 troops. Army groups received Arabic numeral designations and national designations when combined.
These examples illustrate a standard that holds true all over the world and throughout military history, namely that higher rank generally implies command of larger units in a nested system of ranks and commands. The specific size of a command for any given rank will, however, depend on the task the unit performs, the nature of weapons used, and the strategies of warfare.
Military ranks and insignia of various nations
- Algeria
- Argentina
- Bangladesh (Army, Navy, Air Force)
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Canada
- China (Ground Force, Navy, Air Force)
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France (Army, Navy)
- Germany
- India (Army, Navy, Air Force)
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Iran
- Japan
- Korea
- Norway
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Portugal
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- Egypt
- United Kingdom (Army officers, enlisted; Navy and Marines officers, ratings; Air Force officers, enlisted)
- Republic of China (Taiwan)
- United States (Army officers, enlisted, Marine Corps officers and enlisted, Navy officers, enlisted, Air Force officers, enlisted, Space Force officers and enlisted, Coast Guard officers, enlisted)
Ver también
- Ranks of nobility and peerage
- UK and US military ranks compared
Referencias
Citations
- ^ "Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
- ^ Cowper, Thomas J. (September 2000). "The Myth of the "Military Model" of Leadership in Law Enforcement" (PDF). Police Quarterly. 3 (3): 228–246. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.184.9816. doi:10.1177/1098611100003003001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
- ^ Meanings of military ranks; Jukka Mattila, Sampo Tukiainen & Sami Kajalo, Defence Studies Vol. 17, Iss. 4, 2017.
- ^ "Ranks". GoArmy. July 10, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ^ Rosignoli, Guido (1984). World Army Badges and Insignia Since 1939. Dorset: Blandford Press.
- ^ CCC - China's Upcoming Leadership Changes and the PLA
- ^ Zickel, Raymond E.; Iwaskiw, Walter R., eds. (1994). Albania: A Country Study (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. ISBN 0-8444-0792-5. OCLC 29360048. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.CS1 maint: postscript (link)
- ^ http://www.dictionary.com/browse/rank
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-06-02. Retrieved 2010-09-07.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ unknown; translated by Urgunge Onon; revised by Sue Bradbury (1993). "Chapter Nine: Chinggis Khan's military and civil administration". Chinggis Khan: The Golden History of the Mongols (hardback). London: The Folio Society. p. 116.
Within the units of a thousand men he [Chinggis Khan] appointed commanders over groups of a hundred, and within those over groups of ten. The main units he made part of larger contingents of ten thousand, appointing commanders to rule over them.
- ^ http://www.defenselink.mil/prhome/poprep2000/html/chapter4/chapter4_2.htm
- ^ http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/insignias/officers.html
Sources
- Oxford Classical Dictionary, 2nd edition, 1996: "strategoi."
- Warry, John Gibson (1980). Warfare in the classical world: an illustrated encyclopedia of weapons, warriors, and warfare in the ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome. New York, St. Martin's Press.
enlaces externos
- United States Military Rank Insignia, Background, & Description
- Glossary of Ancient Greek Military Terms
- US Military Ranks, Ratings, and Grades by Branch (with insignia)
- Military rank
- US Military ranks and rank insignia
- British Army ranks and responsibilities
- Military ranks