Rank
The following are Army ranks. The other services have the same rank structure, but different names. For instance, the Marine Corps equivalent of a sergeant first class is a gunnery sergeant ("Gunny") and the Navy equivalent of a 2nd lieutenant is an ensign.
PVT: Private. The only soldiers who are privates are new recruits or convicts doing hard time in Leavenworth.
PV2: A private who has graduated from basic training and AIT. Being promoted to PV2 is referred to as "getting your mosquito wings" because of the way the inverted-V rank insignia appears.
PFC: Private First Class.
SP4/CPL: Specialist Fourth Class or Corporal. Both recieve the same pay, but a corporal is an junior NCO. At one time there were specialists all the way up to SP8, the same pay grade as a First Sergeant.
SGT: Sergeant. A junior NCO with 3-8 years of service. Sergeants are usually responsible for several privates and specialists.
SSG: Staff Sergeant. A junior NCO with 6-12 years of service. Staff sergeants are usually responsible for a squad or one armored vehicle.
SFC: Sergeant First Class. A senior NCO with 10 or more years of service. A sergeant first class is the top enlisted person in a platoon.
MSG/1SG: Master Sergeant or First Sergeant. Both are senior NCOs. The difference is that a first sergeant serves as the top-enlisted person in a company. A first sergeant is also referred as "Top" or the "First Shirt".
SGM/CSM: Sergeant Major or Command Sergeant Major. Both are senior NCOs. The difference is that a command sergeant major serves as the top-enlisted person at battalion level and higher units. To a private they appear older than the Earth.
2LT: Second Lieutenant. Also known as a "butter bar", a second lieutenant is a company-grade officer with 0-3 years of service. Usually a platoon leader. These poor souls are saddled with all the important extra duties in a company, like mess officer, morale officer, etc. A second lieutenant is never to be trusted with a compass.
1LT: First Lieutenant. A company-grade officer with 2-7 years of service. A first lieutenant may be a platoon leader or, in exceptional cases, be a company commander. All officers at or above this level may serve in staff positions.
CPT: Captain. A company-grade officer with 6-12 years of service. The lowest rank to be reffered to as "the Old Man".
MAJ: Major. A major is a field-grade officer who is condemned to staff positions until he gets promoted. The exception is special operations forces, where a major may be a company or detachment commander.
LTC: Lieutenant Colonel. A field-grade officer that commands a battalion. Also referred to as a "light colonel".
COL: Colonel. A field-grade officer that commands a brigade. Also referred to as a "full bird" or "full bull".
BG: Brigadier General. A general officer who is condemned to staff positions until he gets promoted. Also referred to as a "one star" general.
MG: Major General. Commands a division or a base. Also referred to as a "two star" general.
LTG: Lieutenant General. Commands a corps or a base. Also referred to as a "three star" general.
GEN: General. Commands an army, joint command, or one of the armed services. Also referred to as a "four star" general.
<< A General of the Army is a "five star" general. Only about a half dozen men have ever held this rank, all of World War II vintage. No one currently holds this rank. George Washington was posthumously given a sixth star about 150 years after he died. >>
I rest my case!!
See the nice lady on yer way out for some wonderful parting gifts.
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