In the U.S. Army, a major is a field-grade officer, ranking above a captain and below a lieutenant colonel. The rank of major is typically considered to be at the mid-level of the officer ranks, usually with several years of service and experience. In terms of hierarchy, the ranks above major are:
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Colonel
- Brigadier General (and so on)
Majors often serve in roles that involve significant leadership responsibilities, such as staff positions or command of smaller units.
Let us be realistic to inform the readers that how the successive Governments have played around with the rank structure of defence forces. . Prior to December 2004, Major rank in army was definitely a higher rank since a commissioned officer was promoted to the rank of Major after 13 years of service .Subsequently, the Govt has reduced the No of years to 12 years and further 11 years of service.
Let us be realistic to inform the readers that how the successive Governments have played around with the rank structure of defence forces. . Prior to December 2004, Major rank in army was definitely a higher rank since a commissioned officer was promoted to the rank of Major after 13 years of service .Subsequently, the Govt has reduced the No of years to 12 years and further 11 years of service. So prior to December 2004, all officers who were in the army were promoted to the rank of Major after they have served for 11 years . But after implementation of AVSC committee in 04 Dec 2004, in the name of restructuring of officer cadre and for various other reasons like luring young men to join army, to make armed forces career more lucrative etc, the duration of service of the time scale rank of Major was reduced from 11 years to 6 years. And all officers irrespective of rank who were in service as on 04 Dec 2004 (cut off date) and till date have been hugely benefited by the implementation of AVSC recommendations.
Why I have explained the issue in detail because, our defence aspirants should know that 5 CPC had abolished 2/Lt rank from armed forces . Just think an officer who was commissioned prior to 1997, starts his career in the army as a 2/Lt, and after being promoted as a Lt in 2 years time, he finishes his probation period. Then he was promoted as a Captain after 5 years and a Major with 13/12/11 years as I have already explained. Why I am writing all these details because, I was also a victim of the circumstances , an unfortunate fellow who carried the rank of 2/Lt in his shoulders for good two years before being promoted as a Lt.
Sadly enough, one have to think of the plight of erstwhile Majors with more than 20 years of commissioned service w...
Where do I start?
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That would be an O- 4 rank, being above all of the enlisted ranks, ( E- 1 , E-2, etc.) ( there are also “ specialist” ranks) and above both second and first lieutenants and captain, but trailing Lt. Colonel, Brigadier, Major and Lieutenant General, and General and General of the Army.
I certainly feel it is a high rank, and from my sources, it seems that Major is the rank that most acquire prior to retirement. My friends brother had perfect test scores in high school, he was accepted at West Point, and retired from the service as a Major.
Yes, a major is a very senior rank in the Army.
He commands a body of soldiers comprising of 150–250 men, and a few officers of the rank of Capt and Lt. These numbers can vary depending on the role and responsibilities given to him.
This is a very important rank in the chain of command at the execution level.
I'm not entirely sure where I got this from, so I can't give credit. I've had it for years.
Either way, here is all ranks within the US Armed Forces.
(The original was too blurry to read the ranks) hopefully this is better)
I'm not entirely sure where I got this from, so I can't give credit. I've had it for years.
Either way, here is all ranks within the US Armed Forces.
(The original was too blurry to read the ranks) hopefully this is better)
Two points: Perspective and Officer Ranks.
Officer Ranks: There are three type of commissioned officers (Army/Marine Corps/Air Farce):
Company Grade: Second/First Lieutenant and Captain
Field Grade: Major, the Lt Colonel, and Colonel (Colonel is a senior rank)
General or Flag Officer: One Star up to Four Stars (Yes they have flags!)
So, Major is at the bottom end of senior in ranks and you can retire a
Two points: Perspective and Officer Ranks.
Officer Ranks: There are three type of commissioned officers (Army/Marine Corps/Air Farce):
Company Grade: Second/First Lieutenant and Captain
Field Grade: Major, the Lt Colonel, and Colonel (Colonel is a senior rank)
General or Flag Officer: One Star up to Four Stars (Yes they have flags!)
So, Major is at the bottom end of senior in ranks and you can retire as a Major.
Perspective: In an Infantry Battalion of 800–1000 soldiers there are two Majors and a Lt Colonel, so from everyones perspective? Pretty Senior.
At a Three Star HQs or the Pentago...
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Mos
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In order from bottom up you have
2nd lieutenant
1st lieutenant
Captain
Major
Lieutenant colonel
Colonel
Brigadier general
Major general
Lieutenant general
General
General of the army
In the U.S. Army, the lowest rank for a commissioned officer is Second Lieutenant, also known as O-1. Next is First Lieutenant (O-2), then Captain, and then Major.
Next is Lieutenant Colonel, then Colonel, then Brigadier General (1 star), then Major General (2 stars), then Lieutenant General, then General, then General of the Army (5 stars).
In the US military, a major (or the naval equivalent of lieutenant commander), is considered a senior officer. US military officer ranks are broken into four groups. Warrant officers are the lowest followed by company grade officers (lieutenants and captains). Those two groups are considered junior officers.
The next group are field grade officers which consist of majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels. These are the senior officers with the major as the lowest ranking senior officer.
The fourth group are general officers, sometimes referred to as flag officers. These are your one star to four
In the US military, a major (or the naval equivalent of lieutenant commander), is considered a senior officer. US military officer ranks are broken into four groups. Warrant officers are the lowest followed by company grade officers (lieutenants and captains). Those two groups are considered junior officers.
The next group are field grade officers which consist of majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels. These are the senior officers with the major as the lowest ranking senior officer.
The fourth group are general officers, sometimes referred to as flag officers. These are your one star to four star generals which are brigadier generals (1-star), major generals (2-star), lieutenant generals (3-star) and generals (4-star). The naval equivalent are the various forms of admirals.
A Major is the O-4 grade and the first of the field grade ranks; equivalent rank in the Navy and Coast Guard is Lt Commander. They are a step above Captain and one below LTC. It's primarily a staff position in various levels of headquarters starting at the battalion. The rank insignia is a gold oak leaf.
It is the lowest field rank. Second lieutenants, lieutenants and captains are subalterns, although the exception is that the post of adjutant is held by a captain, but is considered to grant him (or her) field rank.
Field ranks above majors are lieutenant colonel, colonel, and brigadier. Above them sit all the general officer ranks.
So major is a fairly middle rank, but still one that many officers leave the army without reaching.
Officer promotions are a lot different than enlisted promotions.
so promotion to captain (O-3), is automatic. it takes approximately 3 years, 18 months as a 2nd lt, and 18 months as a 1st lt.
At the captain level you have to do at least two things one is a company level command, and the second is a staff rotation on the BN staff.
You must also promote within 2 promotion cycles or be rifed (forced ret
Officer promotions are a lot different than enlisted promotions.
so promotion to captain (O-3), is automatic. it takes approximately 3 years, 18 months as a 2nd lt, and 18 months as a 1st lt.
At the captain level you have to do at least two things one is a company level command, and the second is a staff rotation on the BN staff.
You must also promote within 2 promotion cycles or be rifed (forced retirement).
I am not sure how long each of these rotations are supposed to last.
I am also not sure how they determine if you are supposed to be reviewed for promotion.
However, i think the average time in service for Major is around 7–10 years depending on Career field (doctor’s and other staff officers have longer time in grade, and combat arms promote faster at first).
about 5 years as major gets you to about 15 years or so, and then another 5 as a lt Col.
Most colonels have 20 years under there belts.
A Major is an O-4 out of 10, so he is the low “middle rank” and is the first rank of “field grade officers”.
HOWEVER, when we include the enlisted side of things, we have approximately 19 ranks (not including warrant officers), and he would be 13th in line out of 19, which makes him pretty far up the food chain.
The army starts officers off as platoon leaders, leading approximately 30 men. this is the 2nd lt position, and there are 3–4 platoons in a company.
At the capt...
That sort of depends on which army you mean. In the US Army a major is the junior field grade. There are few command slots for a major, but battalion XO and S-3 are major slots. In the British Army, the battery commander is a major, but in the US, a captain. It’s considered that an officer retiring as a lieutenant colonel has had a successful career, but a major who went to OCS as a real Sergeant or Staff Sergeant would be successful as well. One way to put it, lieutenants don’t like to be around majors.
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This should answer it for you:
RANK RECOGNITION MADE EASY
General
Faster than a speeding bullet.
More powerful than a locomotive.
Leaps tall buildings in a single bound.
Walks on water.
Lunches with God, but must pick up tab.
Colonel
Almost as fast as a speeding bullet.
More powerful than a shunting engine on a steep incline.
Leaps short buildings with a single bound.
Walks on water if sea is calm.
Talks to God.
Lieutenant-Colonel
Faster than an energetically thrown rock.
Almost as powerful as a speeding bullet.
Leaps short buildings with a running start in favorable winds.
Walks on water of indoor s
This should answer it for you:
RANK RECOGNITION MADE EASY
General
Faster than a speeding bullet.
More powerful than a locomotive.
Leaps tall buildings in a single bound.
Walks on water.
Lunches with God, but must pick up tab.
Colonel
Almost as fast as a speeding bullet.
More powerful than a shunting engine on a steep incline.
Leaps short buildings with a single bound.
Walks on water if sea is calm.
Talks to God.
Lieutenant-Colonel
Faster than an energetically thrown rock.
Almost as powerful as a speeding bullet.
Leaps short buildings with a running start in favorable winds.
Walks on water of indoor swimming pools if lifeguard is present.
May be granted audience with God if special request is approved at least three working days in advance.
Major
Can fire a speeding bullet with tolerable accuracy.
Loses tug-of-war against anything mechanical.
Makes impressively high marks when trying to leap tall buildings.
Swims well.
Is occasionally addressed by God, in passing.
Captain
Can sometimes handle firearm without shooting self.
Is run over by trains.
Barely clears outhouse.
Dog paddles.
Mumbles to self.
Lieutenant
Is dangerous to self and comrades if armed and unsupervised.
Recognizes trains two out of three times.
Runs into tall buildings.
Can stay afloat if properly instructed in the use of life jacket and water wings.
Talks to walls.
2nd Lieutenant
Can be trusted with either gun or ammunition but never both.
Must have train ticket pinned to jacket and mittens tied to sleeves.
Falls over doorsteps while trying to enter tall buildings.
Plays in Mud puddles.
Stutters.
Officer Cadet
Under no circumstances to be issued with gun or ammunition, and must even be closely supervised when handling sharp pieces of paper - staples are right out.
Says: "Look at choo choo!"
Not allowed inside buildings of any size.
Makes good boat anchor.
Mere existence makes God shudder.
Sergeant-Major
Catches hyper sonic armor piercing fin stabilized discarding sabot depleted uranium long rod penetrators in his teeth and eats them.
Kicks bullet trains off their tracks.
Uproots tall buildings and walk under them.
Freezes water with a single glance; parts it with trifling gesture.
Is God.
WHen you make Major, you enter into what is called field grade rank. THe field grade ranks are Major through Colonel which are higher and entail more responsibility than Company grade ranks (Lieutenant and Captain) The next step up is flag officer rank (BRigadier GEneral through General) So Major is about halfway up the rank sgructure in the officer grades
For US Army, Marines, and Air Force…. YES.
Lieutenant Colonel is the next higher rank after Major. Lieutenant Colonels are paygrade O-5, Majors are O-4.
From lowest to highest is:
- 2nd Lieutenant
- 1st Lieutenant
- Captain
- Major
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Colonel
- Brigadier General
- Major General
- Lieutenant General
- General
- General of the Army or General of the Air Force
For US Army, Marines, and Air Force…. YES.
Lieutenant Colonel is the next higher rank after Major. Lieutenant Colonels are paygrade O-5, Majors are O-4.
From lowest to highest is:
- 2nd Lieutenant
- 1st Lieutenant
- Captain
- Major
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Colonel
- Brigadier General
- Major General
- Lieutenant General
- General
- General of the Army or General of the Air Force
I am by no means an expert, but certain jobs are the end of a career, not a stop on your move to the end of it.
I had a friend (I say friend loosely, as we went to basic training and MP school together, and got along well then, buy never crossed paths after, as I did 3 years and went the civilian route, he stayed in for 30 plus).
My friend worked his way up through the lower enlisted rapidly, E5/6/7 quickly as well, and towards the end of his career, was the CSM of gitmo (I probably should say “AT” gitmo. ) then was assigned as the Provost Command Sgt Major, and after several years at that post,
I am by no means an expert, but certain jobs are the end of a career, not a stop on your move to the end of it.
I had a friend (I say friend loosely, as we went to basic training and MP school together, and got along well then, buy never crossed paths after, as I did 3 years and went the civilian route, he stayed in for 30 plus).
My friend worked his way up through the lower enlisted rapidly, E5/6/7 quickly as well, and towards the end of his career, was the CSM of gitmo (I probably should say “AT” gitmo. ) then was assigned as the Provost Command Sgt Major, and after several years at that post, there really is only 1 “Promotion “ for him. That would be SMA. There may not be many guys at that level, but those that are, walk on water.
I disagree with the colonel. I was a career Regular Army officer.
Majors are staff officers. Before going to VN I was an Aide-de-Camp to two Major Generals. As such I spend nearly two years working with field grade staff officers.
As a Captain, I had an isolated combat command in I Corp, VN. As a line officer in a combat zone the decisions you make are often determined to be right or wrong in the very near term. You build a respect, comradery and brotherhood with your men unmatched even in marriage. I only lasted six months before being medevacked to Letterman General Hospital In San Francisco w
I disagree with the colonel. I was a career Regular Army officer.
Majors are staff officers. Before going to VN I was an Aide-de-Camp to two Major Generals. As such I spend nearly two years working with field grade staff officers.
As a Captain, I had an isolated combat command in I Corp, VN. As a line officer in a combat zone the decisions you make are often determined to be right or wrong in the very near term. You build a respect, comradery and brotherhood with your men unmatched even in marriage. I only lasted six months before being medevacked to Letterman General Hospital In San Francisco where I was for more than a year. I was then medically retired as 90% disabled and later increase to 100%.
I would not trade one day of my command as a Captain for a moment as a staff officer of any rank.
Major (Army/Air Force/Marine Corps/) and Lt. Commander (Naval equivalent) are ranked at O-4. O-6 (Full Colonel)/Captain (Naval Equivalent)(but a Captain in the Army/Air Force/Marines is only an O-3) so yes, Major is a mid level ranking
A major is the term used for an officer at the pay grade of O-4 in the US Air Force, Marines and Army. In the Navy, an O-4 is Lieutenant Commander. There are 10 officer paygrades. Someone can retire from the military after 20 years.
Each rank requires you to get spend X amount of time at the previous rank, so it would be possible to make an O-4 rank is as little as 6 years and 6 months. Typically it takes about 10 years.
After World War II the US military started an up or out and while it is possible to retire as a major
Is it a high rank? you better believe it, an SGM is a E-9 the highest enlisted rank in the army and Marines. A person who reaches SGM/SgtMa has been in the army/Marines over 10 years (most of the time looking at 20 years)
They are senior NCO’s who know their stuff. If they give you advice your best bet is to take it even if you’re an officer (it’s a real good bet a SGM is going to know a hell of a
Is it a high rank? you better believe it, an SGM is a E-9 the highest enlisted rank in the army and Marines. A person who reaches SGM/SgtMa has been in the army/Marines over 10 years (most of the time looking at 20 years)
They are senior NCO’s who know their stuff. If they give you advice your best bet is to take it even if you’re an officer (it’s a real good bet a SGM is going to know a hell of a lot more than any of the junior officer ranks)
As a former USN officer the equivalent to an SGM I worked with is called a Master Chief and let me tell you any time a SNCO like a Master Chief had advice for me I took it. It’s one of the reasons I made it as far as I did in the service.
The most senior enlisted member in the army is called Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) and is given the same level of respect as a Lt General is given (tho...
A major is oay grade O-4, one up from captain and one gown from lieutenant colonel. The Navy equivalent is lieutenant commander.
It is entirely possible that any and every rank can "see active combat." On a regular and normal basis, a Captain would be the highest-rankin...
Believe it or not, there is one position higher.
In 2005, the government decided that if the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force all deserved sergeants major the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff deserved one too and created the position of Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman. There have been four: CSM William Gainey (US Army), SgtMaj Bryan Battaglia (USMC), SEAC John Troxell (US Army) and SEAC Ramon Colon-Lopez (USAF). On November 3, 2023, current Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Troy E.
Believe it or not, there is one position higher.
In 2005, the government decided that if the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force all deserved sergeants major the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff deserved one too and created the position of Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman. There have been four: CSM William Gainey (US Army), SgtMaj Bryan Battaglia (USMC), SEAC John Troxell (US Army) and SEAC Ramon Colon-Lopez (USAF). On November 3, 2023, current Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Troy E. Black will become SEAC Troy E. Black. The new Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps will be SgtMaj Carlos Ruiz, who looks like way too nice of a guy for that job but they wouldn’t have selected him if he wasn’t awesome.
In 2019 the government decided the SEAC would have his or her own rank insignia. It looks like the normal E-9 insignia for your branch, but they remove the stars or whatever else is between the stripes and rockers and replace it with a Colonel’s eagle gripping three arrows, surrounded by four stars. The Army and Air Force revealed their SEAC insignias in 2019, the Marines in 2020, the Navy in 2022 and the Space Force in 2023. The Navy insignia has the eagle-and-arrows device in the arch above the star, and the four stars above the eagle.
Given that, if you are lucky enough to be chosen as Sergeant Major of the Army you will retire after serving in the role.
Today a Major in the US Army will have served from 12 to 20 years. They many times will have already commanded a company of 150 soldiers as a Captain and their next promotion, if a command, would be to lead 500 to 600 soldiers as a LTC and Battalion Commander. Officer Promotions are almost automatic up to the O-3 or Captain level but somewhere between 30% - 50% of officers will not make the promotion to Major or O-4. If the military is downsizing (post Gulf War) it is hard to make Major. If the military is growing it is much easier
Officer ranks are generally classified in three groups: Company Grade (O-1 through O-3), Field Grade (O-4 through O-6), and General Officers (O-7 and up). Majors are O-4s… the entry level being of being a Field Grade officer. Majors more often than not function as staff officers at Battalion or Brigade level or Executive Officers (the second in command) at battalion level . You will occasionally find a Major commanding a Battalion, but that slot is usually an LTC (Lieutenant Colonel) slot, and if a major is in it, he or she usually has a promotion to light colonel pending.
The vast majority of
Officer ranks are generally classified in three groups: Company Grade (O-1 through O-3), Field Grade (O-4 through O-6), and General Officers (O-7 and up). Majors are O-4s… the entry level being of being a Field Grade officer. Majors more often than not function as staff officers at Battalion or Brigade level or Executive Officers (the second in command) at battalion level . You will occasionally find a Major commanding a Battalion, but that slot is usually an LTC (Lieutenant Colonel) slot, and if a major is in it, he or she usually has a promotion to light colonel pending.
The vast majority of officers who retire from Army service do so at Field Grade.
This is the salary of Major who has completed 8 years of service in Indian Army
This is the salary of Major who has completed 8 years of service in Indian Army
We, generally, break down rank in the military as such:
Generals and Admirals, because they get to put a flag on the vehicle stars on them, are called “Flag Officers” they are the highest rank you can get.
Field officers are O-4 (Major) to O-6 (Colonel).
Company grade officers and staff NCO’s over lap at this level. Officers in the grades of O-1 to O–3 are company grade officers as they lead company
We, generally, break down rank in the military as such:
Generals and Admirals, because they get to put a flag on the vehicle stars on them, are called “Flag Officers” they are the highest rank you can get.
Field officers are O-4 (Major) to O-6 (Colonel).
Company grade officers and staff NCO’s over lap at this level. Officers in the grades of O-1 to O–3 are company grade officers as they lead company elements, and the staff NCO Ranks of E-7-E-9 also manage company affairs.
Then you have the NCO grades of E-4 to E-6.
And finally you have the lower enlisted grades of E-4 to E-1.
Per current Army Poli...
A Major General, or (MGEN), is designated an O-8, and this rank is shown as two stars. It is above a one star general, called a Brigadier General, (BGEN), designated an O-7, shown as 1star, and below a Lieutenant General, (LGEN), designated an O-9, this rank shown as 3 stars. I might as well mention that there is one above that, called a “Full General”, which is designated an 0–10, shown by 4 stars rank on their uniform. The Army, Navy, Marines and Space Force is called this.
The Navy and Coast Guard has a Rear Admiral, lower half designated as a one star admiral, which in the olden days past w
A Major General, or (MGEN), is designated an O-8, and this rank is shown as two stars. It is above a one star general, called a Brigadier General, (BGEN), designated an O-7, shown as 1star, and below a Lieutenant General, (LGEN), designated an O-9, this rank shown as 3 stars. I might as well mention that there is one above that, called a “Full General”, which is designated an 0–10, shown by 4 stars rank on their uniform. The Army, Navy, Marines and Space Force is called this.
The Navy and Coast Guard has a Rear Admiral, lower half designated as a one star admiral, which in the olden days past was called a “Commodore”. A Rear Admiral, higher half is a two star admiral, followed by a Vice Admiral, with three stars, finally the 4 start Admiral is called a full Admiral.
In all services, people call all admiral officers as simply “Admiral”, and all General Officers as simply “General” but don’t forget that there are 4 levels of these top tier officers. There are approximately 450 or so slots and only the President can nominate a promising Colonel or Captain for a promotion to a Brigadier General or Rear Admiral, lower half. Then the Congress has to ratify the President’s recommendation because the POTUS is in fact Commander in Chief of all the Armed Forces. Actually, the respective Cabinet member, be it the Secretary of the Air Force, Army, and Navy, which the Marines and Coast Guard is part of the Navy. And I am not 100 percent sure but I think the Space Force is still part of the US Air Force. These secretaries usually get vetted these names by the top generals of the respective services, and they are passed up to the president then to Congress. In other words, Congressional approval has to be made before one is promoted to General or Admiral rank.
Also an Addendum: The highest rank is Full General or Admiral, (4stars). In the past, during World War 2, there was a need of a 5 star rank, which were called General of the Army, or Admiral of the Navy and in 1947, Hap Arnold was made the General of the Air Force, when it separated into a separate branch from the Army. I think this was the last 0–11 promoted. The 5 star rank was shown as 5 start made into a larger star.
Also a bit of Trivia: Did you know that General Pershing was designated as The General of the Armed Forces, technically even though not called a 6 star rank. Some even went to the trouble of showing that it would be five stars into a larger star with another star in the center!
In the peacetime between The Great War and World War 2, there were no peacetime designate Lieutenant (3 star) Generals. You made Major General which was the top rank unless you were designated “Chief of Staff”, which you became a 4 star full General, ( Temporary rank), or admiral and there was only one in peacetime then. They served for a term usually commensurate with the President’s 4 year term and at the end of that term, they were reverted back to their permanent rank of Major General or Rear Admiral. Also a five star Admiral was called a “Fleet Admiral”.
It's all about perspective. A Sergeant Major (SGM) is an E-9. It is the high enlisted rank, although responsibility can be higher due to the CSM vs SGM designation. They are both sergeant's major, but the command sergeant major (CSM) was latterly promoted to higher responsibility, so technically, he outranks the SGM. Now, every officer and warrant officer from O-1 and W-01 to O-10 and CWO surpasses all enlisted ranks. So yes, a 21-year-old college graduate who enters the army and ain't done shit is technically a higher rank than the SGM/CSM who has been in the military for 30 years and has mor
It's all about perspective. A Sergeant Major (SGM) is an E-9. It is the high enlisted rank, although responsibility can be higher due to the CSM vs SGM designation. They are both sergeant's major, but the command sergeant major (CSM) was latterly promoted to higher responsibility, so technically, he outranks the SGM. Now, every officer and warrant officer from O-1 and W-01 to O-10 and CWO surpasses all enlisted ranks. So yes, a 21-year-old college graduate who enters the army and ain't done shit is technically a higher rank than the SGM/CSM who has been in the military for 30 years and has more than likely seen combat… a few times. However, he would be remiss if he pulled that rank or did not respect the hell out of all his senior NCOs. NCOs will help him to become the commander he wants to be. LTs need to shut up, listen, learn, and, god damn it, do what you're told. (sorry, I was flashing back there to an NTC rotation for a second.)
To give a better idea of what a major does, they are often the executive officer (2nd in command) of a battalion or the S-3 , the operations and training officer of the battalion. Majors are also found in the staffs of brigades and divisions and many administrate assignments. They are sort of an “in between” rank as they seldom have a command assignment. That’s for lieutenant colonels.
There are three basic jobs for an Army major: executive officer of a battalion, head of a staff section at battalion or brigade, or company commander in an aviation company. If you’re in a non-aviation battalion you’ll generally have two majors in the unit: one is the battalion XO and the other the battalion S-3. Aviation companies are commanded by majors because there are so many officers in one.
There are three basic jobs for an Army major: executive officer of a battalion, head of a staff section at battalion or brigade, or company commander in an aviation company. If you’re in a non-aviation battalion you’ll generally have two majors in the unit: one is the battalion XO and the other the battalion S-3. Aviation companies are commanded by majors because there are so many officers in one.
Interestingly, the biggest company in the entire Army, Headquarters Company US Army, i...
A Lieutenant Colonel will first salute a Colonel, Brigadier, Maj Gen, Lt Gen and a Gen. (Keeping the civilian heirarchy out). That is 5 ranks above him
Lieutenant Colonel will be first saluted by a Major, Capt, Lt, SM, Subedar, Naib Subedar, Hav, Nk, LNk and a Sepoy. That is 10 ranks below him.
It makes him very high in the pecking order. Nearly 90 percent people of our Armed Forces will have to salute him… it will be close to one million plus. Isn't it good enough?
Of these one million plus, if he could take only a 100 plus every where he has to go, it aught to make him happier.
Personally, when I made Major I felt like I had finally made it in the Army! 2LT through CPT are considered junior officers, while Major through Colonel are called senior officers. Above that, it’s Flag or General officer. When I finally made Colonel, it felt great and I was finally “distinguished” and eligible for the same living and visitor quarters as general officers, but just never as proud as promotion to Major.
The order of officer ranks in the Army is as follows:
O-1 - 2nd Lieutenant - 2LT - one gold bar
O-2 - 1st Lieutenant - 1LT - one silver bar
O-3 - Captain - CPT - two silver bars (railroad tracks)
O-4 - Major - MAJ - gold oakleaf
O-5 - Lieutenant Colonel - LTC - silver oakleaf
O-6 - Colonel - COL - eagle
O-7 - Brigadier General - BG - one star
O-8 - Major General - MG - two star
O-9 - Lieutenant General - L
The order of officer ranks in the Army is as follows:
O-1 - 2nd Lieutenant - 2LT - one gold bar
O-2 - 1st Lieutenant - 1LT - one silver bar
O-3 - Captain - CPT - two silver bars (railroad tracks)
O-4 - Major - MAJ - gold oakleaf
O-5 - Lieutenant Colonel - LTC - silver oakleaf
O-6 - Colonel - COL - eagle
O-7 - Brigadier General - BG - one star
O-8 - Major General - MG - two star
O-9 - Lieutenant General - LTG - three star
O-10 - General - GEN - four star
There have been five - five star generals - called General of the Army (GA): George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley (last one) and Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, who later became the only five-star general in the Air Force.
and three generals promoted to General of the Armies: Gen John J. Pershing, Gen George Washington, and Gen Ulysses S. Grant (as of Dec 23, 2022). Only Pershing held this rank while alive, the others were posthumous and on anniversary dates, Washington on the...
Within the U.S. Army itself, purely on the enlisted side, there is no position that comes after Sergeant Major of the Army. There is an enlisted position at the Department of Defense level, however, that supercedes the SMA, and that is the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC). The SEAC directly reports to and advises the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The SEAC is senior to the SMA, the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SMMC), the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force/Space Force (CMSAF), and the Master Chief Petty Officer
Within the U.S. Army itself, purely on the enlisted side, there is no position that comes after Sergeant Major of the Army. There is an enlisted position at the Department of Defense level, however, that supercedes the SMA, and that is the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC). The SEAC directly reports to and advises the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The SEAC is senior to the SMA, the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SMMC), the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force/Space Force (CMSAF), and the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCOCG). The SEAC is also a rotating position among the different branches of service, the same way the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is.
Every Field Command has a Command Sergeant Major so the number of slots for Command Sergeant Major is fixed to number of Field Commands with the Army Chief of Staff’s Command Sergeant Major having the title Sergeant Major of The Army.
Every Battalion has a Battalion Command Sergeant Major, as does every Brigade, every Division, every Corps, and every Army Group. So every Brigade has 4, each Division has roughly 17, each Corps has 52. Then you add in the Separate Commands which have one Command Sergeant Major. So the number is just over 200 of them Army Wide.
And all of them have a fallback rank
Every Field Command has a Command Sergeant Major so the number of slots for Command Sergeant Major is fixed to number of Field Commands with the Army Chief of Staff’s Command Sergeant Major having the title Sergeant Major of The Army.
Every Battalion has a Battalion Command Sergeant Major, as does every Brigade, every Division, every Corps, and every Army Group. So every Brigade has 4, each Division has roughly 17, each Corps has 52. Then you add in the Separate Commands which have one Command Sergeant Major. So the number is just over 200 of them Army Wide.
And all of them have a fallback rank of Sergeant Major when they not working for a Commander.
Yes, in the United States Army, Air Force and Marines, a major is a field grade officer. The rank is above nine different enlisted ranks, five warrant officer ranks and above three company grade officer ranks.
There are only six officer ranks above the rank of major with four of those ranks being general officers.
The naval equivalent of the rank of major is lieutenant commander.
It all depends upon perspective…. If a colonel finds himself in a conference room with a bevy of generals—no (he may be the “coffee boy”), but in the “field,” viz., out in the various operating units, such as battalions, brigades, etc.—then yes.
At the Pentagon, a colonel is just another senior field grade officer among a “cast” of hundreds, but in the “field” a colonel (in the U.S. Army) is the commanding officer of a 4,500-man Brigade Combat Team and the chief of staff of the general staff in a combat division headquarters (that also has one major general and two brigadier generals). In the U
It all depends upon perspective…. If a colonel finds himself in a conference room with a bevy of generals—no (he may be the “coffee boy”), but in the “field,” viz., out in the various operating units, such as battalions, brigades, etc.—then yes.
At the Pentagon, a colonel is just another senior field grade officer among a “cast” of hundreds, but in the “field” a colonel (in the U.S. Army) is the commanding officer of a 4,500-man Brigade Combat Team and the chief of staff of the general staff in a combat division headquarters (that also has one major general and two brigadier generals). In the U.S. uniformed services grade system there are a total of 24 grades of rank (nine enlisted, five warrant officer, and ten officer), with colonel as the sixth highest (O-6) in the officer grades, or number “20,” in the hierarchy, overall.
So, yes, in general, “colonel” is a “high” rank, but it is all relative, especially when one is around a veritable “galaxy of stars” whenever several general officers are in one place.
Col. Mike Freeman, USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General (Paygrade O-9) Abbreviated LTG/LtGen
Lieutenant General is a commissioned officer and a general officer in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps who ranks above a Major General (O-8), below a General (O-10) and whose rank insignia is three stars. The Naval and Coast Guard rank equivalent to Lieutenant General is Vice Admiral.
Lieutenant General (Paygrade O-9) Abbreviated LTG/LtGen
Lieutenant General is a commissioned officer and a general officer in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps who ranks above a Major General (O-8), below a General (O-10) and whose rank insignia is three stars. The Naval and Coast Guard rank equivalent to Lieutenant General is Vice Admiral.
Well, as a Major in the Army today, I can definitely speak of current conditions - yay :)
Right now, and it has been lately, you are promoted to Major at the 10th year of commissioned service. My commission date was middle of September, I was promoted to Major 1 October 10 years later.
This is for “regular” (Army Competitive) promotions - the specialized branches (Medical, JAG, etc.) may have different timelines.
In terms of ability, competence, effectiveness, combat skills, military thinking and preparedness, in the British, French, German, armed forces the equivalent would be a Private with about two years experience. American military doctrine is somewhat flawed, the reliance on technology is overwhelming, the endless shiny ribbons on their uniforms, medals for turning up, even for getting wounded! In the British Army if you got shot, survived, you’d get told to keep your bloody head down you idiot, with a few more expletives thrown in, not a bloody medal. Apart from the occasional medal for some ev
In terms of ability, competence, effectiveness, combat skills, military thinking and preparedness, in the British, French, German, armed forces the equivalent would be a Private with about two years experience. American military doctrine is somewhat flawed, the reliance on technology is overwhelming, the endless shiny ribbons on their uniforms, medals for turning up, even for getting wounded! In the British Army if you got shot, survived, you’d get told to keep your bloody head down you idiot, with a few more expletives thrown in, not a bloody medal. Apart from the occasional medal for some event linked to Royalty, or a campaign, medals on British uniformms are for gallantry on the battlefield in war. As we tend to win a lot few people want to fight us, so they’re pretty rare. Whereas in America it wouldn’t surprise me if you got a medal for using a druve thru at McDonalds once a week for a month in uniform, or for every 100 9thank you for your service” you got a bar to go with your thanks for your service medal.