Military ranks in the American army. US Army: strength, uniform, ranks, service life, history and interesting facts. The procedure for obtaining a US passport through the army

The state, which does not have a potential enemy near its borders, was able to build powerful armed forces with the most modern weapons. America's military consists of just over a million military personnel (whose training is considered a modern model for most armies on the planet), as well as almost seven hundred thousand civilian employees. IN ground forces There are up to five hundred thousand people serving, up to two hundred thousand in the reserve army and almost four hundred and fifty thousand in the National Guard.

The American army occupies a leading position on the planet in terms of the level of funds spent on it. Thus, the 2016 military budget provided for spending more than $607 billion on the needs of the army, which amounted to more than 34% of global military spending. According to independent sources, this is three times more than China's defense spending and seven times more than Russia's.

General structure of the US Army

The US Army was founded in June 1775 by an act of Congress, it was intended to defend the young independent state. Modern American armed forces include independent types of armed forces:

Ground troops;
Air Force;
Navy;
Marine Corps (MCC);
Coast Guard.

Moreover, everyone except the Coast Guard is directly subordinate to the Minister of Defense, the latter is subordinated to the National Security Agency in peacetime, but during martial law is also resubordinated to the Minister of Defense.

The US Constitution provides for the appointment of the President of the State by the Commander-in-Chief of the American Army. He, in turn, controls the national Armed Forces in peacetime, directing the civilian Minister of Defense, who reports to the heads of the sub-services of the Armed Forces. The heads of ministries deal with issues of recruiting, equipping, organizing and supplying the army, and also control the combat training of personnel. The highest military command of the branches of the Armed Forces are members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The chairman of this committee resolves issues of coordinating the activities of everything related to the military administration of the state.

The operational subordination of the US Armed Forces is currently reduced to nine unified commands, five of which are formed based on the geographical principle.

Five unified commands:

North American;
South and Central American;
European;
Middle Eastern and Asian;
Pacific.

All branches of the US Armed Forces located in their areas of responsibility are subordinate to the commanders of these unified commands. The remaining four joint commands do not have their own areas of responsibility.

The Unified Commands include:

Strategic Command. Deals with strategic planning issues, controls strategic nuclear weapons;
Special Operations Training Command;
Strategic Airlift Command;
Unified Forces Command. Engaged in combat training in all branches of the Armed Forces.

Recruiting the American Army

The American army is recruited voluntarily and is based on a contract basis. American citizens or permanent residents of the United States of America who have a residence permit and have at least a secondary education are accepted for service. The minimum candidate age for military service is 18 years. However, if you achieve parental approval, you can go to serve at the age of seventeen.

The age limit for active military service is determined for each branch of the US Army. For example, age limit May be:

Air Force and Coast Guard - 27 years;
Marine Corps - 28 years;
Navy - 34 years;
Ground forces - 42 years.

Each contract soldier signs a service contract for a period of four to eight years.

National and racial composition

The United States of America is a multinational state. National composition The country is represented, in addition to Europeans, by African Americans, Asians and Latin Americans. The same picture is reflected in the formation of the American army.

So, according to information from open sources, serving in the American Armed Forces:

European Americans - 63%;
African Americans - 15%;
Hispanics - 10%;
Asians - 4%;
Indians and Alaska Natives - 2%;
Others from different mixed marriages - 2%;
4% were undecided on their race or nationality.

It should be noted that the latter group includes those who do not have American citizenship, but have the right to permanent residence in the United States. Most of them join the military because it makes it much easier to obtain American citizenship.

Gender

American military personnel are divided by gender:

Men – 86%;
Women - 14%.

For many years, it was generally accepted that only officers could be professional soldiers in the American army. However, after the Vietnam War, during the period of army reform in the early seventies, non-commissioned officers and warrant officers received the status of professional military personnel.

Mobilization resources

The total American population is more than 325 million people. This provides the army with extremely large mobilization resources. According to some estimates, mobresources may amount to more than one hundred and ten million American citizens.

Every year, more than four million Americans and American women reach military age. In addition, the state has at its disposal approximately eight hundred and fifty thousand so-called “reservists” of all branches of the military. A separate branch of the military is the American National Guard, formed by reserve groups created by the Army and Air Force. The total number of National Guardsmen in the United States is approximately three hundred fifty thousand military personnel.

Features of service in the US National Guard

A special feature of service in the American National Guard is the combination of service and work in a civilian specialty. Every year, the National Guard accepts approximately sixty thousand American citizens into its ranks. All of them are required to undergo combat training in groups and individually. There are forty-eight programs of four hours each, running on weekends throughout the year.

In addition, National Guardsmen are sent to camp for two weeks to participate in command post and military exercises together with Army units. All employers are officially warned that if they try to prevent National Guard soldiers from carrying out the service and combat tasks assigned by the state, they may even face criminal liability.

In addition to patriotic feelings, Americans are motivated by various benefits provided to those serving in the US National Guard:

Increase to pay for accommodation;
Increase to pay for treatment;
Preferential sale of goods and products in military stores;
Refueling at military gas stations (at a price 50% cheaper than the market price);
Increase in pension;
Other.

Features of US military doctrine

IN Lately American military leadership involves the concentration of its resources in five important areas:

Elimination of terrorism and expansion of weapons of mass destruction;
Intelligence service;
Preparation for information wars, including the protection of one’s information and communications systems, as well as the elimination of similar enemy systems;
The struggle for military superiority in the airspace with an emphasis on the development of unmanned aircraft;
Development of military space technologies.

At the same time, American military doctrine pays attention to preparations for military clashes during unconventional and hybrid conflicts.

Armament of the US Army, Air Force and Navy

Infantry weapons:

Tanks - over eight thousand;
Armored combat vehicles - almost twenty-six thousand;
Self-propelled artillery guns - almost two thousand;
Towed artillery - almost one thousand eight hundred;
Missile systems - more than one thousand three hundred.

Aircraft - more than thirteen and a half thousand;
Fighters - more than two thousand two hundred and twenty;
Fixed-wing combat aircraft - more than two thousand six hundred;
Military transport aircraft - more than five thousand two hundred;
Training aircraft - more than two and a half thousand;
Helicopters - more than six thousand;
Combat helicopters - more than nine hundred.

Military units and formations

A squad consists of nine to ten military personnel, these are US Army soldiers commanded by a sergeant. The smallest structural element in the US Army;
Platoon (platoon) - sixteen to forty-four military personnel led by a lieutenant. A platoon consists of two to four squads;
Company (company) – sixty-two to one hundred and ninety military personnel. It consists of three to five platoons, the company is commanded by a captain;
US Army battalion - three hundred to thousand military personnel. Consisting of four to six companies, the battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel;
Brigade – three to five thousand military personnel. It consists of three to five battalions led by a colonel;
Division - ten to fifteen thousand military personnel. Its usual composition is three brigades, the division is headed by a major general;
Corps - two to forty-five thousand military personnel. It consists of two to five divisions, the corps is controlled by a lieutenant general;

Chevrons and stripes of the US Army are distinctive signs that are attached to clothing and reflect affiliation with certain structures, official position, type of troops, as well as service in a specific unit. In addition, chevrons with stripes may indicate length of service, terms of study at a military educational institution, military or special ranks in the US Army. They can complement shoulder straps and buttonholes or even replace them. It may also be a rating badge, or "US Army badge."

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Lieutenant Colonel S. Novikov

The assignment of military ranks to American military personnel predetermines their promotion and transition to a new category.

When assigning another military rank For US military personnel, the availability of vacancies in specific military occupations, the total length of military service, duration of service in the previous rank, educational and professional level, command recommendations, results of qualification tests, certification findings, availability of awards, incentives and other factors are taken into account.

Military ranks for military personnel of categories E-1 - E-4 (from private to corporal in the Army and MP, senior private in the Air Force and petty officer of the 3rd class in the Navy) have the right to be assigned by commanders (chiefs) who have a military rank of categories O- 3, O-4 (captain, major); for military personnel of categories E-5, E-6 (sergeant and staff sergeant in the Army and their corresponding ranks in other branches of the armed forces) - commanders (chiefs) with a military rank of categories O-5 (lieutenant colonel) and higher; military personnel of categories E-7 - E-9 (sergeant 1st class, master sergeant and chief sergeant in the Army and their corresponding ranks in other branches of the armed forces) - ministers of the armed forces. To obtain the next military rank for military personnel of categories E-1 - E-8, certain general terms of military service and terms of service in the previous military rank are established (see table).

General terms of military service and terms of service in rank for privates and sergeants
category	Ground troops		Air Force		Navy		Marines
category	General term military services	Service life would be in pre- previous rank	General term military services	Service life would be in pre- previous rank	General term military services	Service life would be in pre- previous rank	General term military services	Service life would be in pre- previous rank
E-1	6 months	-	6 months	-	6 months	-	6 months	-
E-2	1 year	4 months	1 year	6 months	1 year	9 months	9 months	8 months
E-3	2 years	6 months	1 year	8 months	-	1 year	1 year	8 months
E-4	3 years	8 months	3 years	6 months	-	3 years	2 years	1 year
E-5	7 years	10 months	5 years	18 months	-	3 years	4 years	27 months
E-6	-	-	8 years	24months	-	3 years	6 years	3 years
E-7	-	-	11 years	24 months	-	3 years	8 years	4 years
E-8	-	-	14 years	24 months	-	3 years	10 years	3 years
E-9	Up to age limit

Military ranks for military personnel of categories E-1 - E-4 are assigned almost automatically after established deadlines length of service (provided that they have proven themselves positively in service and discipline). Military ranks are assigned to military personnel of categories E-5 - E-9 based on the conclusions of specially created selection commissions, taking into account all the factors listed above.

Subsequent military ranks - first lieutenant - colonel (military personnel of categories O-2 - O-6) are assigned based on the conclusions of the selection commissions, taking into account the above factors.

The primary officer rank of warrant officer 1st class (category W-1) is assigned to sergeants (in the Navy - petty officers) who have served in the Armed Forces for 10 years or more, after completing the appropriate course of training. The military rank of senior warrant officer 4th class (category W-4) is assigned to warrant officers with at least 15 years of service.

Military ranks for military personnel in categories W-1 - W-5 are assigned by the secretaries of the branches of the US Armed Forces.

At the same time, the minimum terms of service in the previous military rank are: in the rank of second lieutenant - 18 months; first lieutenant - two years; in the ranks of captain, major, lieutenant colonel - three years; colonel and brigadier general - one year, major general and above - at least two years.

Military ranks are assigned to: military personnel of the O-1 category (second lieutenant) - ministers of the branches of the armed forces; categories O-2 and O-3 - President of the United States; categories O-4 and above - the president, followed by confirmation by the Senate.

The military rank for servicemen of the O-11 category (Army General in the Army, Air Force General in the Air Force, Fleet Admiral in the Navy) is assigned only in war time for particularly outstanding services to the country and the armed forces.

The selection of candidates for the assignment of senior officer ranks is carried out by certification commissions, convened once a year by branch of the armed forces separately to consider candidates for the assignment of the military ranks of brigadier general, major general and lieutenant general. The members of these commissions are officers holding military ranks at least one rank higher than those of the candidates being considered.

The main conditions for selecting candidates are professional competence and a conclusion about the prospects for use in general (admiral) positions, as well as a total length of service of at least 23 years. In addition, an officer cannot be nominated for the military rank of brigadier general (junior rear admiral) if he has not served in a staff position. Colonels (captains) selected as candidates for the rank of general (admiral) must complete the Capstone Course for Senior Officers at the National War College (Fort McNair, Washington, DC).

General ranks are awarded upon appointment to the following positions (using the example of the ground forces):
- brigadier general - brigade commander, deputy (assistant) division commander, deputy head of department, head of department at the joint headquarters of the Command Staff, headquarters of the US Army, joint and special commands;
- Major General - division commander, deputy corps commander, head of department at army headquarters
US, Joint and Special Commands;
- lieutenant general - corps commander, chief of staff of a joint or special command, deputy chief of staff of the US Army, chief of the joint staff of the Command Staff;
- general - chairman of the KNS or his deputy, commander of the joint command, chief of staff of the US Army or his first deputy.

The following documents are submitted for each candidate:
- private bussiness:
- report from the immediate superior:
- a questionnaire of 20 points, one of which reflects the opinion of subordinates about the candidate;
- certificate of trustworthiness.

After the decision is made by the certification commission, the lists of candidates approved by it are published in official publications of each type of aircraft. The decision of the certification commission is approved by the chief of staff of the armed forces and sent to the Minister of Defense, who presents it to the president of the country.

According to the law, until 18 months after the conferment of the military rank of brigadier general, the president can revoke the conferment. The law also allows for early dismissal of brigadier generals and major generals upon reaching their service period in this rank - four years. The President is also given the right to extend the terms of service of major generals, lieutenant generals and generals beyond the norms established by law.

A career in the U.S. Army is a true calling and a unique opportunity for Soldiers to defend the Constitution and the rights and interests of the American people. In addition to high wages and benefit systems, the army provides the opportunity for career growth, instills leadership skills, which are indispensable in Everyday life, and provides a wealth of knowledge. Regardless of rank in the US Army, every soldier plays significant role in achieving the common mission.

The essence of the US Army

The first thing to note is that the US Army refers primarily to ground forces. Yes, the Coast Guard, military police, Marines And air Force- These are separate branches of the US armed forces. Thus, the insignia of all officers and sergeants is different.

There are two main elements in the US Army - active and reserve troops; in addition to them, the ground forces also include the National Guard and They do not depend on each other in any way, but carry out one common mission - to defend their territory in all possible ways.

US Army ranks

The first composition of the US Army is ordinary soldiers and sergeants. They are the backbone of the Army because they have specialized knowledge and perform specific functions that ensure the success of the ongoing mission of other branches of the Army. Hierarchically, the ranks of ordinary soldiers follow in this order:

recruit (has no insignia);
private;
Private Soldier First Class;
specialist;
Cpl.

Sergeants by rank are divided into:

sergeant;
staff sergeant;
Sergeant First Class;
master;
first sergeant;
major;
command major;
US Army Sgt.

There are two types of officers in the Army: Warrant Officers and Commissioned Officers. The latter are essentially managers of the US Army, key figures and professional strategists. They are the ones who solve problems that arise, plan missions, give orders, lead the ground forces and may have the following ranks:

second lieutenant;
first lieutenant;
captain;
major;
lieutenant colonel;
colonel;
Major General;
Lieutenant General;
general;
US Army General.

Every person who devotes his life to defending the Motherland is an important figure for the army, regardless of rank.

US Army Subcomplexes

Organizational structure The ground forces are the driving force of the army, which makes it possible to unite soldiers and officers into a single whole. It consists of the following divisions:

detachment (operating under the command of a sergeant);
platoon (under the control of a lieutenant);
company (the captain oversees this unit);
battalion (commander is a lieutenant colonel);
brigade (the colonel controls this structure);
division (under the command of a major general);
corps (managed by a lieutenant general);
army (may also be commanded by a lieutenant general).

Leading a military subunit is a real honor for a soldier or officer.

American military uniform

Unlike the Russian army, where the uniform can be ceremonial, ceremonial-weekend, field, work and everyday, in the US army it is divided into three categories:

Utilitarian military uniform, or as the Americans call it, combat uniform. This category consists of all kinds of special clothing for various applications. For example, sports uniforms, equipment for operating combat vehicles, clothes for the hospital, kitchens, and even special uniforms for pregnant women.
Service uniform, which is intended for everyday wear.
Uniform for social events or ceremonial weekend. Clothes in this category range from white summer uniforms to uniforms for receptions, dinners and other events.

It is worth noting that the US Army uniform is made to order and tries to use the best materials to make soldiers and officers comfortable and practical both in battle and in everyday life.

Who are Warrant Officers?

According to the official US Army website, a non-commissioned officer is an adaptive technical expert, combat leader, trainer and advisor. Thanks to the progressive level of knowledge gained during training, this officer proficient in managing, maintaining and integrating systems and equipment across all spectrums of land operations. And if we talk in simple words, a warrant officer is a warrant officer, that is, not yet an officer, but not an ordinary sergeant either.

Of course, depending on the rank, the responsibilities of “warrant officers” may differ. For example, the first class of warrant officers acts as secretaries to their senior colleagues. They help with documentation and perform simple functions related to personnel management and technical support army. And the fifth class of chief warrant officers manages entire brigades, divisions and other classes of warrant officers, making final decisions and issuing orders.

Insignia of "warrant officers"

The first thing to note is that all warrant officer insignia are divided into “unmuted” and “muted.” The first ones are needed for various social events, so that the sign is more noticeable, and “muffled signs” are intended for combat and casual wear.

The unsubdued rank insignia of a Warrant Officer First Class is a matte black square centered on a silver metal plate. The muted sign is a dark green plate with a square of the same color.

As for the Warrant Officer Class 2 insignia: the unmuted insignia is two matte black squares on a silver metal plate. The subdued insignia is two dark green squares on a plate of the same color.

One black square is added to each insignia of warrant officers up to fourth grade. Thus, the unmuted insignia of a third class officer is three black squares on a silver plate. The muted sign is three dark green squares on a plate of the same color.

The unmuted and muted insignia of a fourth class warrant officer are absolutely identical, except that another black and dark green square are attached to their plate.

But the insignia of senior warrant officers of the fifth class are not similar to the others. The non-muted mark is a long thin strip of black on a silver plate, and the muted mark is a dark green stripe on a dark plate.

Regardless of class, records can be made of silver or any other metal. They also use strong, dark-colored threads to attach the sign to clothing. In general, like the clothing of the ground forces, insignia are made with high quality and accuracy. After all, the uniform is the face of every soldier and officer of the US Army.

"Foreign Military Review" No. 9. 2004 (Page 18-19)

ASSIGNMENT OF MILITARY RANKS IN THE US ARMED FORCES

Lieutenant colonel

S. NOVIKOV

When assigning the next military rank to members of the US Armed Forces, the availability of vacancies in specific military specialties, the total length of military service, duration of service in the previous rank, educational and professional level, recommendations of the command, results of qualification tests, certification conclusions, availability of awards, incentives and others are taken into account. factors.

Military ranks for military personnel of categories E-1 - E-4 (from private to corporal in the Army and MP, senior private in the Air Force and petty officer of the 3rd class in the Navy) have the right to be assigned by commanders (chiefs) who have a military rank of categories 0- 3, 0-4 (captain, major); for military personnel of categories E-5, E-6 (sergeant and staff sergeant in the Army and their corresponding ranks in other branches of the armed forces) - commanders (chiefs) with a military rank of categories 0-5 (lieutenant colonel) and above; military personnel of categories E-7 - E-9 (sergeant 1st class, master sergeant and chief sergeant in the Army and their corresponding ranks in other branches of the armed forces) - ministers of the armed forces. To obtain the next military rank for military personnel of categories E-1 - E-8, certain general terms of military service and terms of service in the previous military rank are established (see table).

Military ranks are assigned to military personnel of categories E-1 - E-4 almost automatically after the expiration of established periods of service (provided that they have proven themselves positively in service and discipline). Military ranks are assigned to military personnel of categories E-5 - E-9 based on the conclusions of specially created selection commissions, taking into account all the factors listed above.

The primary officer rank - second lieutenant (in the Navy - ensign, O-1) is assigned to graduates of military academies (schools), officer candidate schools (SV and Navy), officer training schools (Air Force), as well as graduates of non-military training courses at civilian higher educational institutions establishments. Subsequent military ranks - first lieutenant - colonel (military personnel of categories 0-2 - 0-6) are assigned based on the conclusions of the selection commissions, taking into account the above factors.

Military ranks for military personnel in categories W-1 - W-5 are assigned by the secretaries of the branches of the US Armed Forces.

To obtain the next military rank for officers in all branches of the US Armed Forces, certain general terms of military service (length of service) are established: when receiving a military rank of category 0-2 - 1.5-2 years; 0-3 - 3.5-4 years; 0-4 - 10 years; 0-5-15 years; 0-6 - 22 years old. At the same time, the minimum terms of service in the previous military rank are: in the rank of second lieutenant - 18 months; first lieutenant - two years; in the ranks of captain, major, lieutenant colonel - three years; colonel and brigadier general - one year, major general and above - at least two years.

Military ranks are assigned to: military personnel of the O-1 category (second lieutenant) - ministers of the branches of the armed forces; categories O-2 and 0-3 - President of the United States; categories O-4 and above - the president, followed by confirmation by the Senate. The military rank of military personnel of categories 0-11 (Army General in the Army, Air Force General in the Air Force, Fleet Admiral in the Navy) is awarded only in wartime for particularly outstanding services to the country and the armed forces.

officers with military ranks at least one rank higher than those of the candidates being considered.

General ranks are awarded upon appointment to the following positions (using the example of the ground forces):

Brigadier general - brigade commander, deputy (assistant) division commander, deputy head of department, head of department at the joint headquarters of the Command Staff, headquarters of the US Army, joint and special commands;

Major General - division commander, deputy corps commander, head of department at the headquarters of the US Army, joint and special commands;

Lieutenant General - Corps Commander,

Chief of Staff of a joint or special command, Deputy Chief of Staff of the US Army, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Joint Chief of Staff;

General - Chairman of the Chief of Staff or his deputy, commander of the unified command, chief of staff of the US Army or his first deputy.

The following documents are submitted for each candidate:

Private bussiness:

Report from the immediate superior:

A questionnaire of 20 points, one of which reflects the opinion of subordinates about the candidate;

Certificate of Trustworthiness. After the decision is made by the certification commission, the lists of candidates approved by it are published in official publications of each type of aircraft. The decision of the certification commission is approved by the chief of staff of the armed forces and sent to the Minister of Defense, who presents it to the president of the country.

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US Army uniforms and equipment may vary depending on rank and event. The easiest way to determine rank is to look at the insignia that each member of the army has on his uniform. Each rank will have its own unique insignia, and the insignia of a captain or officer will be clearly different from that of an enlisted or non-commissioned officer. Familiarize yourself with these differences to learn how to quickly identify military ranks.

Steps

Definition of privates and sergeants

You must know where to look for insignia. Enlisted and noncommissioned uniforms include field clothing (ACU), which is usually made of camouflage-patterned fabric, and a “green” uniform, which usually consists of a jacket and trousers or a skirt of rough fabric. Distinctive marks are located in different places, depending on the type of uniform:

Look at the field uniform cap. For privates and sergeants, the insignia is located in the center of the cap.
Badges with insignia will be located in the chest area of the field uniform.
On the “green” uniform of privates and sergeants, the insignia stripes are located on the upper part of the sleeves.
Privates and sergeants do not display their insignia on their berets. Instead, their unit is designated on the front of the beret.

Find out the distinctive insignia of private recruits. The lowest rank (E-1) for recruits undergoing basic combat training does not have insignia. For E-2 recruits, rank is determined by one yellow square patch (chevron). For Private First Class (PFC, E-3), the chevron symbol is rounded at the bottom, framing a green field.

Distinctive insignia of soldiers with the rank of E-4. Specialist Personnel (SPC) wear a green triangular insignia, rounded at the top and with a gold eagle in the middle. Corporals (CPL), however, have a rank insignia consisting of two chevrons.

Definition of insignia for sergeants. There are several types of sergeants in the US Army, both enlisted and non-enlisted. You can tell them apart by paying close attention to their insignia.
- The rank insignia of a sergeant (SGT, E-5) is very similar to a corporal's, but instead of two chevrons there are three.
- The Staff Sergeant (SSG, E-6) insignia consists of three connected chevrons with a curved end framing a green field.
- A Sergeant First Class (SFC, E-7) has the same insignia as a Staff Sergeant, but with two curves at the bottom.
- The Master Sergeant (MSG, E-8) has the insignia of a Sergeant First Class, but with three curves at the bottom.
- The First Sergeant (1-SG, E-8) has the insignia of a Master Sergeant, but with the addition of a small yellow diamond in the middle.
- A master sergeant (SGM, E-9) has the insignia of a first sergeant, but instead of a diamond in the middle there is a star.
- The command sergeant major (CSM, E-9) has the insignia of a first sergeant, but instead of a diamond, there is a star in the center surrounded by two ears of wheat.
- A sergeant major (E-9) has the insignia of a first sergeant, but instead of a robe, there is a gold eagle and two stars in the middle.
Definition of insignia for lieutenant and captain. Second Lieutenant (2LT, O-1), First Lieutenant (1LT, O-2) and Captain (CPT, O-3) wear rectangular insignia. For the Second Lieutenant it is one gold rectangle, and for the First Lieutenant it is one silver rectangle. Captain's insignia (CPT, O-3) is two silver rectangles.

Definition of the insignia of major and lieutenant colonel. Both of these ranks have leaf insignia. However, for a major (MAJ, O-4) it is a gold leaf, and for a lieutenant colonel (LTC, O-5) it is a silver leaf.

Studying the insignia of a colonel. Colonel (COL, O-6) is the last rank before general. His insignia is a silver eagle with outstretched wings.
Definition of the insignia of generals. There are 5 ranks of general in the US Army. The insignia of each rank consists of silver stars, but note the differences in them.
- A brigadier general (BG, O-7) has a single silver star insignia.
- A major general (MG, O-8) has the insignia of two silver stars located in the same row.
- The lieutenant general (LTG, O-9) has the insignia of three silver stars located in one row.
- The General (GEN, O-10) insignia consists of 4 silver stars located in one row.
- The General of the Army (GOA, O-11) rank insignia consists of 5 stars forming a pentagon. This rank is only used during certain military periods.