In the army, as in any military structure, there is a clear distinction between ranks. It is worth figuring out with what rank the officer corps begins and what it ends with. It is very important to know how to distinguish one rank from another in order to maintain subordination and clarity in relationships in the army team.

The history of the emergence of the first officers

The first officers appeared under Peter the Great. After the defeat near Narva, he issued a decree on compulsory military service for the nobility. Prior to this, the service consisted of hired military personnel from other states. Throughout the formation of the tsarist army, officer ranks underwent many changes.

But the basic task of Russian officers was to protect the interests of the country in various military operations, which throughout Russian history was enough. They participated in the battles from Poland to the Caucasus Range. After a long service, the officers ended their military career in St. Petersburg or Moscow. During the existence of the officer corps, certain traditions and attitudes towards military duty have developed.

All modern officer ranks in the Russian army can be attributed to different compositions:

• junior;
• senior;
• higher.

junior officers

Junior officers - this is the first step of an officer's career begins with the rank of junior lieutenant, which can be awarded:

1. A citizen who has a secondary special education and has completed courses for officers.
2. A soldier entering the service through the conclusion of a contract who does not have military ranks. But in this case, he must graduate from an educational institution with a military registration specialty. It is assigned upon admission to a position in which one is supposed to have such a title.
3. A serviceman in the reserve after passing the mandatory military training and successfully passing the relevant tests.
4. Graduates of civilian universities who were trained at the military department of an educational institution.

The maximum position at this rank is a platoon commander. Insignia, one small star on shoulder straps. Now in the ranks of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, a junior lieutenant is little assigned. This is due to the fact that every year the number of servicemen serving on a contract who have graduated from a higher educational institution is increasing, and in this case a rank is awarded, which is next in the army career.

Lieutenant is the most common rank in the army, which is assigned when entering the service on a contract basis. It is received by military personnel who graduated from a higher military institution.

Another option for obtaining this title is for ensigns who have received higher education. A young lieutenant who came after the university can be appointed to the position of head of any service. In the future, he may be promoted up the career ladder with another asterisk on shoulder straps. Lieutenants have two stars on their shoulders.

Military personnel who have served more than two years in their position can go to the next step, senior lieutenant. He may be entrusted with the position of deputy company commander or may be entrusted with work with personnel. The senior lieutenant wears three stars on his shoulder straps.

The captain is also a representative of junior officers. He is appointed to a position in command of a company or may be a deputy battalion commander. There are four small stars on the captain's shoulder straps.

Senior staff of officers

These officers include:

• major,
• lieutenant colonel,
• colonel.

Most often, majors are the heads of certain services, headquarters in a battalion or commandant's office. On the shoulder straps of the major is one big star.

The next step in the army hierarchy is Lieutenant Colonel. This rank is usually held by deputy regiment commanders or chiefs of staff, and it is also assigned to battalion commanders. This position can be reached already at a fairly mature age. In rare cases, they are dismissed from service in a more senior rank. The lieutenant colonel has epaulettes with two large stars.

The colonel is the last final step in the senior officer corps. A soldier with this rank most often holds the position of unit commander or division chief of staff. These are usually very balanced people, because in ordinary positions in the regiment this rank is the last step in a career. Higher officer ranks are extremely rare.

Senior officer corps

The composition of the highest officer ranks includes the following ranks:

• major general,
• lieutenant general,
• colonel general,
• army General.

The rank of major general is the junior among the generals. Such a soldier usually holds the position of division commander or deputy district commander. Major generals have one star of the largest size.

The district commander often holds the rank of lieutenant general. It is difficult to see such military personnel in the usual part. They serve at the headquarters of the district or come to the unit, then only with a check. There are two large stars on the shoulder straps of the lieutenant general.

The rank of colonel-general can only be obtained by a few; it is assigned to the deputy general of the army. The position involves the command of military districts and constant contact with higher army ranks. Only the general of the army and the commander-in-chief, who is the President of the country, are higher.

Many civilians have a question why the major general in the hierarchical ladder is lower than the lieutenant general. It's all about the meaning of titles. Initially, titles were assigned in accordance with the position held. The translation of the word "lieutenant" means "assistant". Therefore, this prefix is ​​suitable for a lieutenant general, who is essentially an assistant to his leader. The meaning of the word "major" sounds like "greater", he can command a district, but falls short of the next rank.

Interesting facts about officer ranks:

1. In the army of the Russian Federation, the commander-in-chief of the army has the rank of colonel. It is in this rank that V.V. Putin resigned from the FSB, but this does not prevent him from managing the highest army ranks.
2. In guards units, the word “guards” is added to the rank; this rule applies to all ranks, including privates.
3. By tradition, new stars on shoulder straps should be “washed”, this officer’s rite is still invariably adhered to in the Russian army.

Tasks and service of officers

The main task of the officers is to organize the functioning of the army in the area entrusted to his command. An officer of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation must effectively solve the tasks facing him. In addition to command, an officer must be able to resolve the personal issues of his subordinates. A good officer must perform highly qualified work in the position entrusted to him, and this may be a job of a narrow specialty where specific knowledge is required.

An officer can be a field officer and command personnel under general conditions for all, or serve at the headquarters. But any officer always has a certain number of people under his command. A good officer not only knows how to give orders, but also be responsible for his subordinates. It is these officers who are the backbone of the Russian army.

After graduating from a military educational institution, all graduates become officers. According to the contract concluded with the Ministry of Defense, they are sent to the mandatory distribution service.

If this does not happen, then such an officer is transferred to the reserve. Then only military training or mobilization awaits him. But such cases are rare, most of the former cadets join the ranks of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and begin to serve in accordance with the procedure stipulated by the military regulations. What kind of service will be depends on many factors, on the personality of the officer himself and on how relations with the higher leadership develop. But military ranks are awarded not only for years of service, but also for a responsible attitude to one's military duty.

Private

The military rank of "private" is established in the armed forces of many states. In the Russian army, the Table of Ranks (1722) was first introduced, according to which the privates were part of a group of soldiers. After the establishment of universal military service in Russia (1874), privates belonged to the category of “lower ranks”. In the Soviet Republic, with the creation of the Red Army in 1918, ordinary soldiers were called Red Army soldiers. The rank of "private" in the Armed Forces of the USSR was introduced in July 1946. It was also preserved in the Russian Army. Assigned to persons called up for active military service simultaneously with their enrollment in the lists of a military unit.

corporal

This military rank is awarded to the senior and best soldiers who replace them during the absence of squad commanders. In Russia, it was introduced under Peter I by the Military Charter of 1716 in the infantry, cavalry and engineering troops. In the artillery of the Russian army, the scorer corresponded to the corporal, in the Cossack troops - the clerk. In the Armed Forces of the USSR, the soldier's military rank "corporal" was introduced in November 1940. With the formation of the Russian Army, it retained its significance. In the Navy, he corresponds to the title of "senior sailor".

Awarded for exemplary performance of official duties and exemplary military discipline.

Sergeant

For the first time as a military rank appeared in the XV century. in the French, and then in the German and English armies. In the Russian regular army, this title existed from 1716 to 1798. It was introduced in the Soviet Army by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of November 2, 1940. It was also preserved in the Russian Army. Sergeant ranks include: junior sergeant, sergeant, senior sergeant and foreman. In the Navy, they correspond to: foreman of the 2nd article, foreman of the 1st article, chief foreman, chief ship foreman.

foreman

This word is Russian. Until the end of the XVII century. foremen were called persons who held positions (units) of the hetman, in regiments and hundreds. Hence - general, regimental, hundreds of foremen.

From the beginning of the 17th century so called officials, as well as people who ever occupied orders, received estates from the authorities. In the Russian Army, the word “foreman” has 2 meanings: an official in a company (battery) responsible for the proper performance of service by personnel, order in the unit; military rank, senior in relation to other sergeant ranks.

Ensign

It comes from the ancient Greek “ensign” - a banner. It was first established by Peter I when creating a regular army and was the first junior officer rank. Later, it was preserved only for reserve officers and was assigned to persons who graduated from ensign schools in wartime. Restored in the Soviet Army on January 1, 1972. It is also assigned in the Armed Forces of Russia. It has two degrees: warrant officer and senior warrant officer.

Midshipman

Introduced by Peter I at the dawn of the birth of the Russian fleet. The word "midshipman" in translation into Russian means a ship's man. In the Russian Navy, this was the first officer rank. It was assigned to midshipmen who successfully graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 18, 1971, the institute of midshipmen, like the institute of ensigns, was introduced in the Soviet Armed Forces from January 1, 1972. This title has been retained to this day. It is also two-degree: midshipman and senior midshipman.

Lieutenant

The term is of French origin. In the literal sense, this word means "an officer replacing his superior." Where do the double ranks come from: lieutenant commander, lieutenant general. The title "lieutenant" was first established in the 15th century. in France, first in the navy, then in the ground forces. Lieutenants were the closest deputies and assistants to company and squadron commanders. In the Russian army, this rank corresponded to the title of "lieutenant". In the Red Army in 1935 the ranks of "lieutenant" and "senior lieutenant" were introduced, in 1937 - "junior lieutenant". These ranks are also established in the Russian Army.

Captain

The military rank of officers in the armed forces of many states. For the first time the title of "captain" appeared in the Middle Ages in France, where the heads of individual military districts were called so. Since 1558, company commanders began to be called captains, and the heads of military districts - captain-generals. In Russia, the title of “captain” appeared in the 16th century. for foreign officers. In the 17th century established for company commanders in the regiments of the “new system”, and at the beginning of the 18th century. - for company commanders in the entire regular army.

In our Armed Forces, this rank was established by a resolution of the Central Executive Committee and the SNKSSSR of September 22, 1935 for the command staff of the Ground Forces, Air Force and coastal units of the Navy. The same decree introduced the ranks of “captain of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd ranks” and “captain-lieutenant” for the naval personnel of the Navy. The rank of “captain” and its equivalent for the Navy “captain-lieutenant” have been retained in the Armed Forces of Russia.

Major

A word of Latin origin meaning "big, older". As a military rank, it appeared more than 400 years ago in the Spanish army. In Russia - since 1711. In the Red Army they introduced September 22, 1935. It remains in the Russian Army. In the Navy, he is equal to the title of "captain of the 3rd rank."

Lieutenant colonel

At first, this was the name of the position of assistant regiment commander, and then this word began to denote a military rank. In our army, the rank of "lieutenant colonel" was established shortly before the Great Patriotic War - September 1, 1939.

Saved in the Russian Army. Equal to him in the Navy - "captain of the 2nd rank."

Colonel

This was the name of the person who commanded the regiment. He was either appointed or selected (among the Cossacks) to lead the regiment during a campaign or campaign. Over time, the title of the position turned into a military rank. In 1631, it replaced the titles of “voivode” and “regimental head”. At first, only hired officers who were appointed to the post of regiment commander were called colonels.

Since 1632, this rank was assigned to all commanders who led the regiments of the so-called "new order". In the Red Army, the rank of "colonel" was established by a decree of the Central Executive Committee and Council of People's Commissars of the USSR of September 22, 1935. It is also awarded in the Russian Army. In the Navy, he corresponds to "captain of the 1st rank."

General

The military rank or rank of the senior officers of the armed forces. The rank of general appeared in France in the 16th century. In Russia, it was first mentioned in 1657 under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. In our Armed Forces, general ranks were introduced by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 7, 1940. Saved in the Russian Army. There are several degrees: major general, lieutenant general, colonel general, army general. In the Navy, they correspond to: Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral, Admiral of the Fleet.

Admiral

Translated from Arabic means "ruler of the sea." In its modern sense, the term came into use in the 12th century. In Russia, the military rank of “admiral” in the meaning of general admiral, admiral, vice admiral, rear admiral was introduced by Peter I. On May 7, 1940, it was restored in the Navy. Admiral ranks are also awarded in the Russian Armed Forces.

Marshal

This term has been known in military history since time immemorial, although its meaning has not always been the same. In the Middle Ages in France and other countries, this was the name of the position. The one appointed to it was responsible for building troops for the campaign - march and battle, supervised the guard service, was in charge of the economic part of the army, and also commanded the avant-garde, chose a place for the camp, etc. governors. At first, marshals were appointed only for the duration of campaigns, but gradually the temporary position turned into a permanent rank, the highest in comparison with other ranks. During the French bourgeois revolution, the title of "marshal" was abolished, but Napoleon reintroduced it. In the USSR, the military rank "Marshal of the Soviet Union" was established in 1935.

The first Soviet marshals were K. Voroshilov, S. Budyonny, V. Blucher, A. Egorov and M. Tukhachevsky. The title "Marshal of the Russian Federation" was awarded to the Minister of Defense of Russia I. Sergeev.

Generalissimo

Generalissimo (from the Latin "most important") is the highest military rank in the armed forces of a number of countries. It was assigned to generals who commanded during the war several, more often allied, armies, and also sometimes to persons from families of reigning dynasties and statesmen as an honorary title.

In Russia, the first generalissimo was the governor A. Shein. This title was granted to him by Peter I at the end of the 17th century. for successful military operations near Azov. But officially the title of “Generalissimo” in Russia was introduced by the Military Charter in 1716. In the USSR, the title of “Generalissimo of the Soviet Union” was approved by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 26, 1945.

It was assigned to I. Stalin. The Russian Army is not provided.

Why is a lieutenant general older than a major general?

Previously, ranks denoted only duties that were assigned to commanders.

Major translated from Latin as big, he commanded a battalion. Lieutenant, translated as assistant, he helped the captain.

Now the generals. The highest rank was Field Marshal, who was supposed to be an assistant, that is, a lieutenant. Therefore, the rank was lieutenant general.

In the Russian army there was the position of brigade commander, which included from 2 to 4 regiments. Well, such a large army was supposed to be commanded by a major, namely a major general. But he was still younger than the general's assistant.

Overall rating of the material: 5

SIMILAR MATERIALS (BY MARKS):

Global counterattack - a quick and global response to US missile defense Americans and Turks will have to ask Moscow for permission to take off Will the Chinese be able to copy the export Su-35

Military ranks

Comparison of military ranks

Each army has its own system of military ranks. Moreover, rank systems are not something fixed, set once and for all. Some titles are canceled, others are introduced.

Those who are in any way seriously interested in the art of war, science, need to know not only the entire system of military ranks of a particular army, but also to know how the ranks of different armies correlate, which ranks of one army correspond to the ranks of another army. There is a lot of confusion, errors, and simply absurdities in the existing literature on these issues. Meanwhile, it is very difficult to compare ranks not only between different armies, but often also between different armed formations within the same country. If we take, for example, Germany in 1935-45, it is difficult to compare the ranks of the Ground Forces, the Luftwaffe and the SS troops.

Many authors approach this issue quite simply. For example, they take the table of ranks of army A and the table of ranks of army B, look for ranks in both tables that sound the same and that's it - there is a comparative table. Usually such points of comparison are the ranks of "private", "major" (a very convenient rank - it is written and read almost the same in many languages) and "major general" (this rank in almost all armies is the first in a series of general ranks). Moreover, from lieutenant to colonel, the number of ranks in most armies is the same.

But let's try to compile a comparative table of the ranks of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht. Let's not pay attention to the fact that in the German army there is no rank of "private". Anyway, he is a soldier. So, the Red Army is a Red Army soldier, the Wehrmacht is a soldier. But here we stumble further. In the Red Army - a corporal, In the Wehrmacht - an obersoldat, In the Red Army - a junior sergeant, in the Wehrmacht - a corporal, in the Red Army - a sergeant, in the Wehrmacht - an oberefreytor, in the Red Army - a senior sergeant, in the Wehrmacht - a staff sergeant, in the Red Army - a foreman, in the Wehrmacht - a non-commissioned officer, in Red Army junior lieutenant, in the Wehrmacht - unterfeldwebel. Stop! This will not work. How, then, to compare further, if both the Red Army and the Wehrmacht have the rank of lieutenant. Yes, here the Luftwaffe throws up a problem: there is the rank of hauptefreitor. Yes, it turns out that there are not three corporals in the SS troops, but only two (navigator and rotenführer).

If we look at the US Army, then it is difficult to compare here either. For example, in the Marine Corps there is a rank below the private - a recruit, and between the colonel and the major general the rank of brigadier general is wedged. And with whom in the American army can you compare the marshal of the armored forces, if they have the highest rank of general of the army?

You can, of course, do as Messrs. Yegers E.V. and Tereshchenko D.G. did. in the book "SA Soldiers" publishing house "Tornado" 1997. I can’t resist, and I give this example of a crazy comparison of titles:

Ranks of members of the SA

SA Sturmann	Private
SA Obersturmann	senior soldier
SA Rottenfuehrer	lance corporal
SA Shariuehrer	corporal
SA Oberscharfuehrer	sergeant
SA Truppfuehrer	staff sergeant
S.A. Obertruppfuehrer	staff Sergeant
S. A. Haupttmppfuehrer	ensign
SA Sturmfuehrer	lieutenant
SA Obersturmftiehrer	Oberleutnant
SA Sturmhauptfuehrer	captain
SA Stunnbannfuehrer	major
SAObersturmbannfuehrer	lieutenant colonel
SA Standardenfuehrer	colonel
SA Oberfuehrer	no match
SA Brigadefuehrer	Brigadier General
SA Gruppenfuehrer	major general
SA Obergmppenfuehre	colonel general
SA Stabschef	chief of staff

Curiously, with what army do the authors compare the ranks of SA members? Or is it a free translation into Russian of German titles? Well, even then it is necessary to translate the brigadeführer not as a brigadier general, but as a brigadier leader or brigade leader, and as a standard leader.

I want to propose to introduce into use such a thing as "rank encoding". If each rank has a code, then it is enough to compare ranks by looking at the rank code of one army and finding the same code in the rank table of another army. Everything will then become clear.

As a criterion for compiling a coding of ranks, I proceed from the principle that ranks are not titles, but are an abstract expression of quite specific positions. Simply put, each military rank corresponds to a certain command position.

First, consider the hierarchy of military units, units, formations.

The smallest unit with a full-time commander is department. That's what they call it in the infantry. In other branches of the military, it corresponds to the calculation of the gun (in artillery), the crew (in tank troops).

Two to four divisions make up platoon. Usually in all military branches this unit is called that. Two to four platoons make up company. Two to four (or more) mouths make up battalion. In artillery it is called division. Several battalions make up regiment. Several regiments make up division. Several divisions make up frame. Several buildings make up army(We will not go into details about the fact that an army can consist of divisions, bypassing the corps). Several armies make up county(front, army group). Thus, the following ladder is obtained:

Branch
- platoon
- company
- battalion
- regiment
- division
- frame
- army

Considering that in the US Army and some other armies, a squad in battle is usually divided into two groups (a maneuver group and a weapons group), and in many armies (including the Russian army) there is often an intermediate unit "brigades" between a regiment and a division (the formation is larger and stronger than the regiment, but clearly smaller and weaker than the division) we will make amendments to our hierarchy. Then the ladder will look like this:

Group
- branch
- platoon
- company
- battalion
- regiment
- brigade
- division
- frame
- army
- district (front, army group).

Based on this hierarchy of subdivisions, we will try to compile a hierarchy of military positions, immediately putting down the code. Consider the existence of a rank below the ordinary.

There is a rather strange category of servicemen, which I called "subofficers". In the Russian army, these include warrant officers and senior warrant officers. It is difficult to explain what caused the appearance of this category of military personnel. Usually warrant officers hold the positions of chiefs of warehouses, foremen of companies, commanders of rear platoons, i.e. partly the positions of sergeants, partly officers. But a fact is a fact. Moreover, in a number of armies there is a similar category. In the US Army they are called "warrant officers" (warrant officer), in the Romanian army "subofficers". So:

Rank coding system (according to Veremeev)

The code	Position
0	Recruit, untrained soldier
1	Trained soldier (shooter, driver, machine gunner, etc.)
2
3	Part-commander
4	Deputy Platoon Leader
5	Sergeant Major, Battalion
6	Subofficers (ensigns in the Russian Army)
7	Platoon commander
8	Deputy company commander, platoon commander
9	Company commander
10	Deputy battalion commander
11	Battalion Commander, Deputy regiment commander
12	Regiment Commander, Deputy brigade commander, deputy com. divisions
13	brigade commander
14	Division Commander, Deputy corps commander
15	Corps Commander, Deputy com. army
16	Army Commander, Deputy com. districts (army groups)
17	Commander of the district (front, army group)
18	Commander-in-Chief, Commander of the Armed Forces, honorary titles

Having such an encoding, it is enough to pick up the staffing tables of the units and subunits of the desired army and put down the codes for the positions. Then all ranks will be automatically distributed by codes. Each position corresponds to certain ranks.

Letters can be added to numeric codes if necessary. For example, let's take code 2. In the Russian army, the rank of corporal will correspond to it. And in the Wehrmacht, since there are several corporal ranks there, you can encode like this:

2a - corporal,
2b-oberfreitor,
2v-headquarters.

Of course, not everyone has access to the staffing tables of subunits, units and formations, especially foreign ones. For clarity, we give an approximate table of correspondence between positions and ranks of the Russian army:

Correspondence of positions and ranks in the Russian Army

Rank	Position
Private	All newly drafted into the army, all lower positions (gunner, driver, gun crew number, driver, sapper, scout, radio operator, etc.)
corporal	There are no full-time corporal posts. The title is awarded to high-skilled soldiers in lower positions.
junior sergeant, sergeant	Squad, tank, gun commander
Staff Sergeant	Deputy Platoon Leader
foreman	Company foreman
Ensign, senior ensign	The commander of a platoon of material support, the foreman of the company, the head of the warehouse, the head of the radio station and other non-commissioned officers positions that require high qualifications. Can occupy lower officer positions with a lack of officers
Ensign	Platoon commander. Usually this rank is awarded in conditions of an acute shortage of officers after passing an accelerated officer course.
Lieutenant, senior lieutenant	Platoon commander, deputy company commander.
Captain	Company commander, training platoon commander
Major	Deputy battalion commander. Training company commander
Lieutenant colonel	Battalion commander, deputy regiment commander
Colonel	Regiment commander, deputy brigade commander, brigade commander, deputy division commander
Major General	Division Commander, Deputy Corps Commander
Lieutenant General	Corps Commander, Deputy Army Commander
Colonel General	Army Commander, Deputy District (Front) Commander
Army General	Commander of the district (front), deputy minister of defense, minister of defense, chief of the general staff, other senior positions
Marshal of the Russian Federation	Honorary title given for special merits

I draw your attention to the fact that this is an approximate correspondence of positions and titles. It should be borne in mind that a soldier in this position cannot receive a rank higher than the corresponding one. But below can have. Thus, a division commander cannot be promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, but a division commander can be a colonel. Usually a colonel is appointed to the post of division commander, and when they are convinced that he is coping with the position, they are given the rank of major general. It should also be borne in mind that under certain conditions (small number of units, insignificance of tasks performed) for a particular position, the corresponding rank can be set higher or lower than usual. For example, the rank of captain is established for the position of company commander, but if the company is training, then the company commander can be a major; the post of division commander is a general, but if the division is reduced, then his position will be colonel.

Strict correspondence between rank and position is established only in the US Army. There, simultaneously with the appointment to a position, a corresponding title is also temporarily assigned. For example, a sergeant in a combat situation was appointed company commander and immediately he was temporarily assigned the rank of captain, and when he was returned to his previous position, he again became a sergeant.

Similarly, you can set the encoding of naval ranks:

Naval rank coding system (according to Kramnik)

The code	Position
0	Untrained sailor
1	Sailor specialist. (mechanic, helmsman-signalman, radio technician, etc.)
2	Team Leader, Assistant Squad Leader
3	Part-commander
4	Deputy commander of a platoon (combat post), boatswain on a ship of the 4th rank
5	Foreman of a combat unit (company) on a ship of 2-1 ranks, boatswain on a ship of 3-2 ranks
6	Commander of a combat post (platoon) (in wartime), chief boatswain on a ship of 2-1 rank
7	Commander of a combat post (platoon)
8	Deputy commander of a combat unit (company) on a ship of 2-1 ranks, senior assistant commander of a ship of 4 ranks
9	Commander of a combat unit (company) on a ship of the 2nd rank and above, commander of a ship of the 4th rank, senior assistant commander of a ship of the 3rd rank
10	Ship commander 3rd rank, senior assistant ship commander 2nd rank
11	Ship commander 2nd rank, senior assistant commander of a ship 1st rank, commander of a detachment of ships 4th rank
12	Commander of a ship of the 1st rank, commander of a detachment of ships of the 3rd rank, deputy commander of a brigade of ships of the 2nd-1st rank
13	Commander of a brigade of ships of the 2nd-1st rank, deputy commander of a squadron (division)
14	Commander of a squadron (division), deputy commander of a flotilla, operational squadron (army)
15	Commander of a flotilla, operational squadron (army), deputy commander of the fleet
16	Commander of the Fleet, Chief of the Main Staff of the Navy, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy
17	Commander-in-Chief of the Navy

1. The next military rank is assigned to a serviceman on the day of the expiration of his military service in the previous military rank, if he occupies a military position (position), for which the state provides for a military rank equal to or higher than the military rank assigned to the serviceman.
By Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 19, 2007 N 364, paragraph 2 of Article 22 of this Regulation is set out in a new edition, which comes into force on January 1, 2008.
2. For military service in the following military ranks, terms are established:
private, sailor - five months;
junior sergeant, foreman 2 articles - one year;
sergeant, foreman of the 1st article - two years;
senior sergeant, chief foreman - three years;
warrant officer, midshipman - three years;
junior lieutenant - two years;
lieutenant - three years;
senior lieutenant - three years;
captain, captain-lieutenant - four years;
major, captain of the 3rd rank - four years;
lieutenant colonel, captain 2nd rank - five years.
3. The military rank of a senior officer may be awarded to a serviceman after at least two years of his military service in the previous military rank and at least one year in the military position (position) held, subject to replacement by senior officers.
The terms of military service in the military rank of Colonel General (Admiral) and General of the Army (Admiral of the Fleet) are not established.
Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 364 of March 19, 2007 amended paragraph 4 of Article 22 of this Regulation, which shall enter into force on January 1, 2008.
4. The term of military service in the military rank of lieutenant for military servicemen undergoing military service under a contract who graduated from a military educational institution in full-time education with a five-year term and above is two years.
5. The term of military service of military personnel in the assigned military rank is calculated from the day the military rank was awarded.
6. The term of military service in the assigned military rank includes the time spent in military service.
In the specified period, the following is counted:
a) the time of a break in military service in the event of unreasonable prosecution of a serviceman, illegal dismissal of a serviceman from military service and his subsequent reinstatement in military service;
b) the time of suspension of military service;
c) holding time.
7. When a serviceman is appointed to the highest military position (position) at the same time, and if simultaneous registration is impossible - from the date of appointment to the highest military position (position), he is assigned the next military rank if his term of service in the previous military rank has expired, provided that that for this military position (position) the state provides for a military rank equal to or higher than the military rank assigned to a soldier.
In this case, the military rank of a senior officer is assigned subject to the requirements of paragraph 3 of this article.
8. A serviceman who has the military rank of an officer and is successfully studying full-time in a military educational institution, postgraduate course, military doctoral studies, the next military rank up to lieutenant colonel, captain of the 2nd rank, inclusive, is assigned on the day of the expiration of his military service in the assigned military rank, regardless of military position (position), which he held before entering the specified educational institution, postgraduate course, military doctoral studies.
9. A serviceman who has the military rank of an officer, who, before entering a military educational institution, postgraduate course, military doctoral studies, held a military position (position), for which the state provides for the military rank of colonel, captain of the 1st rank or higher officer, the next military rank up to colonel, captain Rank 1 inclusive is assigned in accordance with the military post (position) held before entering the specified educational institution, postgraduate course, military doctoral studies after the expiration of the length of service in the assigned military rank.
10. The next military rank to a soldier may be awarded ahead of schedule for special personal merits, but not higher than the military rank provided by the state for the military position (position) he occupies.
11. A serviceman whose term of military service in the assigned military rank has expired, for special personal merits, may be awarded a military rank one step higher than the military rank provided by the state for his military position (position), but not higher than the military rank of major, captain 3 rank.
12. The military rank of corporal (senior sailor) may be awarded as a reward for special personal merit to a soldier holding a military position for which the state provides for the military rank of private (sailor).
13. The military rank of junior sergeant (foreman of the 2nd article) is assigned to a private (sailor) who fills a military position for which the state provides for the military rank of junior sergeant (foreman of the 2nd article) and above, after the expiration of his military service in the previous military rank, as well as a serviceman who has successfully completed training in a training military unit under the training program for sergeants (foremen).
14. While serving a sentence in the form of restriction in military service or arrest, a military serviceman cannot be awarded the next military rank.
15. The time of serving a sentence in the form of restriction in military service or arrest is not included in the term of military service in the assigned military rank.

Perhaps, in your student years, a military training teacher told you about the various ranks that are used in our army, but it is unlikely that you absorbed this information with the same eagerness with which you furiously “neighed” in class, smoked in the school yard, or pulled pigtails of girls from their class.

Nevertheless, knowledge about this subject should be in the head of every man, so that he, without hesitation, understands who is the “real major”, and who is the “ensign Shmatko”, military ranks in the Russian army.

Categories of rank in the army of the Russian Federation

There are two main groups of ranks in the troops of the Russian Federation:

• ship (refer to those who serve at sea);
• military (go to representatives of the ground troops).

Ship ranks

1. Navy (both under water and over water). The marine uniform has always been to the face of men. No wonder girls like sailors so much!
2. military naval units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It sounds unusual, but there are police officers at sea.
3. protection of the coastal (Border) service of the Russian FSB.

They are not chasing unscrupulous fishermen who caught a couple of buckets of carp without permission. Their direct responsibility is the capture of illegal immigrants and other criminals on the water frontiers of the country.

Military ranks

It is not so easy to see sea captains in snow-white uniforms on the streets of cities, especially if there is no sea nearby. But this is no reason to be upset!

Ranks are also given in:

1. Armed Forces.
2. Ministry of Internal Affairs (servicemen from the category "policemen" or district police officers).
3. Ministry of Emergency Situations (dared men rescuing people in trouble).

Vadim, an EMERCOM worker from Khmelnitsky, says that many people imagine the EMERCOM workers as real rescue heroes who live all day long as if in a thriller. Unfortunately, this is not entirely true. The life of the Ministry of Emergency Situations consists of daily visits by some priests in order to carry out explanatory work, otherwise they will inadvertently burn the church and everyone who came there. Rescuers also remove cats from trees, teach old women how to heat the stove so as not to die from carbon monoxide. But employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations still positively assess their work. This is facilitated by titles, uniforms and social benefits.

• foreign intelligence service (Yes, yes! Imagine - new Stirlitz!);
• and other military units of our country.

Rank table

In order to make the description of the ranks not so boring, we decided to present information about them like a cheat sheet (military and ship ranks located on the same line are analogues):

Type	Military	ship
Non-officer	private, corporal, Lance Sergeant, sergeant, staff Sergeant, foreman, ensign, Senior Warrant Officer	sailor, senior sailor, foreman of the second article, foreman of the first article, chief sergeant, chief ship sergeant, midshipman, senior midshipman
junior officers	junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant, captain	junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant, lieutenant commander
Senior officers	major, lieutenant colonel, colonel	captain of the 1st rank, captain of the 2nd rank, captain of the 3rd rank
Senior officer corps	major general, lieutenant general, colonel general, army General, Marshal of the Russian Federation	rear admiral, vice admiral, admiral, fleet admiral

Shoulder straps

1. Soldiers and sailors. There are no insignia on shoulder straps.
2. Sergeants and foremen. Badges are used as insignia. Warriors have long called them "snot".
3. Ensigns and midshipmen. Cross-sewn stars are used as insignia. Shoulder straps are reminiscent of officer's, but without stripes. Also, there may be edges.
4. Junior officers. There is a vertical clearance and metal stars (13 mm).
5. Senior officers. Two stripes and large metal stars (20 mm).
6. Senior officer corps. Large embroidered stars (22 mm) located vertically; lack of stripes.
7. General of the Army, Admiral of the Navy. A large star with a diameter of 40 mm, not metal, but embroidered.
8. Marshal of the Russian Federation. One very large star (40 mm) is embroidered on the chase. Silver rays diverge in a circle - the shape of a pentagon is obtained. The pattern of the coat of arms of Russia is also noticeable.

Of course, when reading the text, many people find it difficult to imagine the appearance of shoulder straps. Therefore, especially for them, there is a picture in which all of the above is clearly shown.

Shoulder straps of non-officers

Shoulder straps of officers

1. Marshal of the Russian Federation is the highest rank in the ground forces, but there is also a person above him who can give him orders (even command him to take a prone emphasis). This person is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who is also the President of the Russian Federation. Remarkably, the title of Supreme Commander is classified as a position, not a military rank.
2. Vladimir Putin, who now works in this position, left the Federal Security Service as a colonel. Now, while in his position, he gives out commands to the military, who have ranks that he has never reached in his entire career.
3. Both naval and ground forces are subordinate to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. Therefore, admiral is the highest rank in the hierarchy of the Navy.
4. Capitalizing the names of officials of the RF Armed Forces in order to show respect to seasoned servicemen is a completely unnecessary thing. All ranks from private to admiral are capitalized.
5. The prefix "guard" adds a special prestige to how this or that rank sounds. Not everyone is destined to receive it, but only those. who serves in the guards regiments.
6. Servicemen who have retired from military affairs and calmly dig potatoes in their country house do not lose their rank, but continue to wear it with the prefix “in reserve” or “retired”.

Not holding back laughter, a military pensioner from Kharkov, Alexander, says that the colonel, whether he is retired or in reserve, will instill fear in any traffic cop who slows him down on the road for violating traffic rules. A hundred sweats will come down from the guy while he pretends to scold the violator, and then completely release the colonel without a fine. So, the title always helps in life.

1. Army doctors are also given special ranks. For example, "major of the medical service." Lawyers have a similar situation - "Captain of Justice".

George Clooney from ER, of course, is far away, but it still sounds decent!

1. Having just embarked on this path and entered the university, young guys become cadets. For now, they can only dream of how they will receive their first rank, and then one of the highest. There is another group of students. They are called listeners. These are those who have already received a military rank.
2. While there is a one-year military service, you can become a sergeant at most. Not higher.
3. Since 2012, the ranks of the chief ship foreman and foreman have been abolished. Formally, they exist, but in reality, servicemen receive the following ranks, bypassing these ranks.
4. We all know that a major is higher than a lieutenant, but for some reason this logic was not taken into account when ranking generals. A lieutenant general is higher in rank than a major general. Here is such a system in the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
5. To get a new rank in the Russian troops, you need to have a certain length of service and personal achievements. Before assigning the next rank to a candidate, the commanders judge the soldier's moral character and skills in combat and political training. The table below describes the length of service requirements required to advance from one rank to another:

Rank	Position
Private	All those who have just been called up for service, all lower positions (gunner, driver, gun crew number, driver, sapper, reconnaissance officer, radio operator, etc.)
corporal	There are no full-time corporal posts. The title is given to soldiers in the lowest positions, with a high level of training.
junior sergeant, sergeant	Squad, tank, gun commander
Staff Sergeant	Deputy Platoon Leader
foreman	Company foreman
Ensign, Art. ensign	The commander of a platoon of material support, the foreman of the company, the head of the warehouse, the head of the radio station and other non-commissioned officers positions that require a high level of training. Sometimes they work in lower officer positions when there is a shortage of officers
Ensign	Platoon commander. This rank is usually awarded when there is an acute shortage of officers after completing an accelerated officer training course.
Lieutenant, Art. lieutenant	Platoon commander, deputy company commander.
Captain	Company commander, training platoon commander
Major	Deputy battalion commander. Training company commander
Lieutenant colonel	Battalion commander, deputy regiment commander
Colonel	Regiment commander, deputy brigade commander, brigade commander, deputy division commander
Major General	Division Commander, Deputy Corps Commander
Lieutenant General	Corps Commander, Deputy Army Commander
Colonel General	Army Commander, Deputy District (Front) Commander
Army General	Commander of the district (front), deputy minister of defense, minister of defense, chief of the general staff, other senior positions
Marshal of the Russian Federation	Honorary title given for special merits