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SCARS Institute’s Encyclopedia of Scams™ Published Continuously for 25 Years
United States Military Ranks & Insignia
A SCARS Guide to help with recognizing fakes!
Updated to Include United States Space Force Ranks
THE UNITED STATES MILITARY RANK INSIGNIA
Updated with Space Force Ranks
Military rank is more than just who salutes whom. Military rank is a badge of leadership. Responsibility for personnel, equipment, and mission grows with each increase in rank.
Do not confuse rank with pay grades, such as E-1, W-2, and O-5. Pay grades are administrative classifications used primarily to standardize compensation across the military services. The “E” in E-1 stands for “enlisted” while the “1” indicates the pay grade for that position. The other pay categories are “W” for warrant officers and “O” for commissioned officers. Some enlisted pay grades have two ranks.
The Army, for example, has the ranks of corporal and specialist at the pay grade of E-4. A corporal is expected to fill a leadership role and has a higher rank than a specialist even though both receive the same amount of pay. In the Marine Corps, master gunnery sergeants and sergeant majors are E-9s, but the sergeant major has the higher rank.
TABLE OF U.S. MILITARY RANKS
| Pay Grade |
Army and Marine Corps | Navy and Coast Guard | Air Force | Space Force |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioned Officers |
||||
| 0-1 | Second Lieutenant | Ensign | Second Lieutenant | Second Lieutenant |
| 0-2 | First Lieutenant | Lieutenant Junior Grade | First Lieutenant | First Lieutenant |
| 0-3 | Captain | Lieutenant | Captain | Captain |
| 0-4 | Major | Lieutenant Commander | Major | Major |
| 0-5 | Lieutenant Colonel | Commander | Lieutenant Colonel | Lieutenant Colonel |
| 0-6 | Colonel | Captain | Colonel | Colonel |
| 0-7 | Brigadier General | Rear Admiral | Brigadier General | Brigadier General |
| 0-8 | Major General | Rear Admiral | Major General | Major General |
| 0-9 | Lieutenant General | Vice Admiral | Lieutenant General | Lieutenant General |
| 0-10 | General | Admiral | General | General |
| Special Grades |
||||
| (5 stars) | General of the Army | Fleet Admiral | General of the Air Force | General of the Space Force |
| Warrant Officers |
||||
| W-1 | Warrant Officer | — | — | — |
| W-2–W-5 | Chief Warrant Officer | Chief Warrant Officer | — | — |
| Enlisted Personnel |
||||
| E-1 | Private | Seaman Recruit | Recruit | Specialist 1 |
| E-2 | Army Private/ Marine Private First Class |
Seaman Apprentice | Airman | Specialist 2 |
| E-3 | Army Private First Class/ Marine Lance Corporal |
Seaman | Airman First Class | Specialist 3 |
| E-4 | Corporal | Petty Officer, Third Class | Senior Airman | Specialist 4 |
| E-5 | Sergeant | Petty Officer, Second Class | Staff Sergeant | Sergeant |
| E-6 | Staff Sergeant | Petty Officer, First Class | Technical Sergeant | Technical Sergeant |
| E-7 | Army Sergeant First Class Marine Gunnery Sergeant |
Chief Petty Officer | Master Sergeant | Master Sergeant |
| E-8 | Master Sergeant | Senior Chief Petty Officer | Senior Master Sergeant | Senior Master Sergeant |
| E-9 | Sergeant Major | Master Chief Petty Officer | Chief Master Sergeant | Chief Master Sergeant |
| Special Grades |
||||
| Sergeant Major | Master Chief Petty Officer | Chief Master Sergeant | Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force | |
United States Military Enlisted Ranks & Insignia
Enlisted Ranks
Service members in pay grades E-1 through E-3 are usually either in some kind of training status or on their initial assignment. The training includes the basic training phase where recruits are immersed in military culture and values and are taught the core skills required by their service component.
Basic training is followed by a specialized or advanced training phase that provides recruits with a specific area of expertise or concentration. In the Army and Marines, this area is called a military occupational specialty; in the Navy, it is known as a rate; and in the Air Force or Space Force, it is simply called an Air Force specialty.
Army: * For rank and precedence within the Army, specialist ranks immediately below corporal. Among the services, however, rank and precedence are determined by pay grade.
Navy / Coast Guard: * A specialty mark in the center of a rating badge indicates the wearer’s particular rating. ** Gold stripes indicate 12 or more years of good conduct. *** 1. Master chief petty officer of the Navy and fleet and force master chief petty officers. 2. Command master chief petty officers wear silver stars. 3. Master chief petty officers wear silver stars and silver specialty rating marks
The U.S. Coast Guard is a part of the Department of Homeland Security in peacetime and the Navy in times of war. Coast Guard rank insignia is the same as the Navy except for color and the seaman recruit rank, which has one stripe.
NOTE: Appearance of U.S. Space Force insignia is the same as the U.S. Air Force.
United States Military Rank Insignias – Enlisted Ranks – E1 – E4
United States Military Rank Insignias – Enlisted Ranks – E5 – E7
United States Military Rank Insignias – Enlisted Ranks – E8 – E9
United States Military Rank Insignias – Warrant Offier Ranks – W1 – W5
New U.S. Space Force Ranks
United States Space Force Enlisted Ranks
United States Space Force Enlisted Ranks
United States Officer Ranks & Insignia
Officer Ranks
Officer ranks in the United States military consist of commissioned officers and warrant officers. The commissioned ranks are the highest in the military. These officers hold presidential commissions and are confirmed at their ranks by the Senate. Army, Air Force, Space Force, and Marine Corps 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. The equivalent officer groupings in the Navy are called junior grade, mid-grade, and flag.
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, but they receive commissions from the president upon promotion to chief warrant officer 2. 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. There are no warrant officers in the Air Force.
Naval officers wear distinctively different rank devices depending upon the uniform they’re wearing. The three basic uniforms and rank devices used are: khakis, collar insignia pins; whites, stripes on shoulder boards; and blues, stripes sewn on the lower coat sleeves.
NOTE: Appearance of U.S. Space Force insignia is the same as the U.S. Air Force.
United States Military Rank Insignias – Officer Ranks – O1 – O10
To Learn More About The United States Military Click Here
TAGS: SCARS, Information About Scams, Anti-Scam, Scams, Scammers, Fraudsters, Cybercrime, Crybercriminals, Romance Scams, Scam Victims, Online Fraud, Online Crime Is Real Crime, Scam Avoidance, Military Ranks, Military Insignia, Rank Designs, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, Fake Soldiers, Military Impersonators
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ARTICLE META
Important Information for New Scam Victims
- Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims & Sextortion Victims
- Enroll in FREE SCARS Scam Survivor’s School now at www.SCARSeducation.org
- Please visit www.ScamPsychology.org – to more fully understand the psychological concepts involved in scams and scam victim recovery
If you are looking for local trauma counselors please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org or join SCARS for our counseling/therapy benefit: membership.AgainstScams.org
If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
A Note About Labeling!
We often use the term ‘scam victim’ in our articles, but this is a convenience to help those searching for information in search engines like Google. It is just a convenience and has no deeper meaning. If you have come through such an experience, YOU are a Survivor! It was not your fault. You are not alone! Axios!
A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish, Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors experience. You can do Google searches but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
Statement About Victim Blaming
SCARS Institute articles examine different aspects of the scam victim experience, as well as those who may have been secondary victims. This work focuses on understanding victimization through the science of victimology, including common psychological and behavioral responses. The purpose is to help victims and survivors understand why these crimes occurred, reduce shame and self-blame, strengthen recovery programs and victim opportunities, and lower the risk of future victimization.
At times, these discussions may sound uncomfortable, overwhelming, or may be mistaken for blame. They are not. Scam victims are never blamed. Our goal is to explain the mechanisms of deception and the human responses that scammers exploit, and the processes that occur after the scam ends, so victims can better understand what happened to them and why it felt convincing at the time, and what the path looks like going forward.
Articles that address the psychology, neurology, physiology, and other characteristics of scams and the victim experience recognize that all people share cognitive and emotional traits that can be manipulated under the right conditions. These characteristics are not flaws. They are normal human functions that criminals deliberately exploit. Victims typically have little awareness of these mechanisms while a scam is unfolding and a very limited ability to control them. Awareness often comes only after the harm has occurred.
By explaining these processes, these articles help victims make sense of their experiences, understand common post-scam reactions, and identify ways to protect themselves moving forward. This knowledge supports recovery by replacing confusion and self-blame with clarity, context, and self-compassion.
Additional educational material on these topics is available at ScamPsychology.org – ScamsNOW.com and other SCARS Institute websites.
Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this article is intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here to go to our ScamsNOW.com website.
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