RANK INSIGNIAS - WO and OFFICERS

WARRANT OFFICERS

WO1	CW2	CW3	CW4	CW5
Officer ranks in the United States military consist of commissioned officers and warrant officers. Warrant officers hold warrants from their service secretary and are specialists and experts in certain military technologies or capabilities. The lowest ranking warrant officers serve under a warrant (WO), but they receive commissions from the president upon promotion to chief warrant officer 2 (CW2). These commissioned warrant officers are direct representatives of the president of the United States. They derive their authority from the same source as commissioned officers but remain specialists, in contrast to commissioned officers, who are generalists. The increasingly joint nature of operations with the Department of Defense and the expanded use of the most senior warrant officers in joint operations validated the need to standardize CW5 rank insignia among all the services that employ them. The effective date for wear of the new CW5 insignia and branch-specific insignia and colors was 9 July 2004 to coincide with the 86th anniversary of the Warrant Officer Corps.

OFFICERS
ARMY	AIR FORCE	NAVY	MARINES

SECOND LIEUTENANT	SECOND LIEUTENANT	ENSIGN	SECOND LIEUTENANT
Potporučnik	Potporučnik	Potporučnik	Potporučnik
SECOND LIEUTENANT(2LT) (Addressed as "Lieutenant") Typically the entry-level rank for most Commissioned Officers. Leads platoon-size elements consisting of the platoon SGT and two or more squads (16 to 44 Soldiers).

FIRST LIEUTENANT	FIRST LIEUTENANT	LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE	FIRST LIEUTENANT
Poručnik	Poručnik	Poručnik korvete	Poručnik
FIRST LIEUTENANT (1LT) (Addressed as "Lieutenant") A seasoned lieutenant with 18 to 24 months service. Leads more specialized weapons platoons and indirect fire computation centers. As a senior Lieutenant, they are often selected to be the Executive Officer of a company-sized unit (110 to 140 personnel).

CAPTAIN	CAPTAIN	LIEUTENANT	CAPTAIN
Kapetan	Kapetan	Poručnik fregate	Kapetan
CAPTAIN (CPT) (Addressed as "Captain") Commands and controls company-sized units (62 to 190 Soldiers), together with a principal NCO assistant. Instructs skills at service schools and combat training centers and is often a Staff Officer at the battalion level.

MAJOR	MAJOR	LIEUTENANT COMMANDER	MAJOR
Major	Major	Poručnik bojnog broda	Major
MAJOR (MAJ) (Addressed as "Major") Serves as primary Staff Officer for brigade and task force command regarding personnel, logistical and operational missions.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL	LIEUTENANT COLONEL	COMMANDER	LIEUTENANT COLONEL
Potpukovnik	Potpukovnik	Kapetan korvete	Potpukovnik
LIEUTENANT COLONEL (LTC) (Addressed as "Lieutenant Colonel " or "Colonel") Typically commands battalion-sized units (300 to 1,000 Soldiers), with a CSM as principal NCO assistant. May also be selected for brigade and task force Executive Officer.

COLONEL	COLONEL	CAPTAIN	COLONEL
Pukovnik	Pukovnik	Kapetan fregate	Pukovnik
COLONEL (COL) (Addressed as "Colonel") Typically commands brigade-sized units (3,000 to 5,000 Soldiers), with a CSM as principal NCO assistant. Also found as the chief of divisional-level staff agencies.

BRIGADIER GENERAL	BRIGADIER GENERAL	REAR ADMIRAL, LOWER HALF	BRIGADIER GENERAL
Brigadir	Brigadir	Kapetan bojnog broda	Brigadir
BRIGADIER GENERAL (BG) (Addressed as "General") Serves as Deputy Commander to the commanding general for Army divisions. Assists in overseeing the staff's planning and coordination of a mission.

MAJOR GENERAL	MAJOR GENERAL	REAR ADMIRAL, UPPER HALF	MAJOR GENERAL
General major	General major	Kontraadmiral	General major
MAJOR GENERAL (MG) (Addressed as "General") Typically commands division-sized units (10,000 to 15,000 Soldiers).

LIEUTENANT GENERAL	LIEUTENANT GENERAL	VICE ADMIRAL	LIEUTENANT GENERAL
General pukovnik	General pukovnik	Viceadmiral	General pukovnik
LIEUTENANT GENERAL (LTG) (Addressed as "General") Typically commands corps-sized units (20,000 to 45,000 Soldiers).

GENERAL	GENERAL	ADMIRAL	GENERAL
General	General	Admiral	General
GENERAL (GEN) (Addressed as "General") The senior level of Commissioned Officer typically has over 30 years of experience and service. Commands all operations that fall within their geographical area. The Chief of Staff of the Army is a four-star General.
GENERAL OF THE ARMY (GOA) This is only used in time of War where the Commanding Officer must be equal or of higher rank than those commanding armies from other nations. The last officers to hold this rank served during and immediately following WWII.
The commissioned ranks are the highest in the military. These officers hold presidential commissions and are confirmed at their ranks by the Senate. Army officers are called company grade officers in the pay grades of O-1 to O-3, field grade officers in pay grades O-4 to O-6 and general officers in pay grades O-7 and higher. Stars were first used to identify general officers on June 18, 1780 when it was prescribed that Major Generals would wear two stars and Brigadier Generals one star on each epaulette. Three stars were established in 1798 for the rank of Lieutenant General and were worn by the Commander-in-Chief, General Washington. Four stars were authorized for the rank of General when the rank was established by Act of Congress on July 25, 1866. Grant was the first officer of the Army to hold the rank of General and to wear the insignia of four silver stars. General of the Army was established by Congress on December 14, 1944 and provided that no more than four officers could be appointed. President Roosevelt appointed Generals George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Henry H. Arnold. Act of Congress, approved September 15, 1950, authorized the President to appoint General Omar N. Bradley to the grade of General of the Army. The insignia of grade for General of the Army is prescribed as five silver stars set in a circle with the coat of arms of the United States, in gold, above the circle of stars.