United States Marine Corps rank insignia

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File:IwoJima Homage Insignia Devices.jpg

Various Marine and Navy rank insignia (as well as other devices) left at the summit of Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima.

United States Marine Corps rank insignia are the devices worn by officers in the United States Marine Corps, in order to provide distinction from other ranks. Different styles of rank insignia are worn on different uniforms of the United States Marine Corps.

Commissioned officers, which are distinguished from other officers by their commission, or formal written authority, have ranks that are subdivided into general officers, field-grade officers, and company-grade officers. Warrant officers provide leadership and training in specialized fields and skills. Enlisted Marines with paygrades of E-4 and E-5 are non-commissioned officers (NCOs) while those at E-6 and higher are staff noncommissioned officers (SNCOs). The E-8 and E-9 levels each have two ranks per pay grade, each with different responsibilities. Gunnery sergeants (E-7) indicate on their annual evaluations (called "fitness reports") their preferred promotional track: master sergeant or first sergeant.

Commissioned officers

Commissioned officers are distinguished from other officers by their commission, which is the formal written authority issued in the name of the President of the United States, that confers the rank and authority of a Marine officer. Commissioned officers carry the "special trust and confidence" of the President of the United States.^[1] Commissioned officer ranks are further subdivided into general officers, field-grade officers, and company-grade officers. The highest billets in the Marine Corps, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps are, by statute, four-star ranks, as the Marine Corps is a separate naval service under the Department of the Navy.^[2] Template:USMC Officer

Warrant officers

Warrant officers provide leadership and training in specialized fields and skills. Unlike other nation's militaries (which rank warrant officers as SNCO equivalents), the United States Military confers warrants and commissions on its warrant officers and classifies them into a separate category senior to all enlisted grades of rank (including officer candidates), cadets, and midshipmen. Because warrant officers are officer-level technical specialists, they generally do not exercise command outside of their specialty. Warrant officers come primarily from the SNCO ranks.

A chief warrant officer, CWO2–CWO5, serving in the MOS 0306 "Infantry Weapons Officer" is often referred to as "Marine gunner," which does not replace his rank. A Marine gunner replaces the chief warrant officer insignia on the left collar with a bursting bomb insignia. Other warrant officers are sometimes incorrectly referred to as "gunner".

Template:USMC Warrant Officer

Timeline of warrant officer rank changes

Template:United States uniformed services pay grades/warrant officer/blank Template:Ranks and Insignia of NATO Navies/WO/United States (USMC)

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			Chief warrant officer	Warrant officer
Template:Marines^[3] (1943–1949)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".			File:USMC WW2 CWO Rank Insignia.svg	File:USMC WW2 WO Rank Insignia.svg
			Commissioned warrant officer	Warrant officer
Template:Marines (1949–1954)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	File:USMC CWO4.svg	File:USMC CWO3.svg	File:USMC CWO2.svg	File:USMC WO1.svg
	Commissioned warrant officer 4	Commissioned warrant officer 3	Commissioned warrant officer 2	Warrant officer 1
Template:Marines (1954–1992)Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	File:USMC CWO4.svg	File:USMC CWO3.svg	File:USMC CWO2.svg	File:USMC WO1.svg
	Chief warrant officer 4	Chief warrant officer 3	Chief warrant officer 2	Warrant officer 1

Enlisted

Enlisted Marines with paygrades of E-4 and E-5 are non-commissioned officers (NCOs) while those at E-6 and higher are staff non-commissioned officers (SNCOs).^[4] The E-8 and E-9 levels each have two ranks per pay grade, each with different responsibilities. Gunnery sergeants (E-7) indicate on their annual evaluations (called "fitness reports") their preferred promotional track: master sergeant or first sergeant. The first sergeant and sergeant major ranks are command-oriented senior enlisted advisors, with Marines of these ranks serving as the senior enlisted Marines in a unit, charged to assist the commanding officer in matters of discipline, administration, and the morale and welfare of the unit. Master sergeants and master gunnery sergeants provide technical leadership as occupational specialists in their specific MOS. First sergeants typically serve as the senior enlisted Marine in a company, battery, or other unit at a similar echelon, while sergeants major serve the same role in battalions, squadrons, or larger units.^[5]

The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps is a billet and with it carries a special rank insignia, conferred on the senior enlisted Marine of the entire Marine Corps, personally selected by the Commandant of the Marine Corps.^[6] It, the recently created position of the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman and the Marine gunner are the only billets which rate modified rank insignia in place of the traditional rank insignia.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Template:USMC Enlisted

Different styles of rank insignia are worn on different Marine uniforms:

File:USMC chevrons.png

L to R: Evening Dress coat, Dress Blue coat, Service Dress coat, Service Dress "B" and "C" shirt, and combat utility pin-on insignia for a Staff Sergeant

Gold stripes on a red flash are worn on the Dress Blue uniform coat. Green stripes on a red flash are worn on the Service uniform coat. Rank insignia are worn on the upper sleeve of both coats. Khaki uniform shirts use green stripes on a khaki flash and are worn on the upper sleeves of both long and short-sleeved shirts. Utility uniform rank insignia are black metal pins and are worn on the collars, or black embroidered insignia sewn into patches of material when wearing armor. Musicians in the United States Marine Band wear insignia with lyre in the center as opposed to the crossed rifles, to denote their lack of a combat mission; full-service Marines who are attached to the 10 field bands of the Operating Forces and Supporting Establishment continue to wear their normal rank insignia.^[7] The crossed M1 rifles insignia were added to E-3 through E-8 chevrons in 1959.

Pay grade / branch of service	Officer candidate	O-1	O-2	O-3	O-4	O-5	O-6	O-7	O-8	O-9	O-10	Wartime grade	Special grade
Insignia	^[1]	alt=alt=Second lieutenant / Ensign	alt=alt=First lieutenant / Lieutenant (junior grade)	alt=alt=alt=Captain / Lieutenant	alt=alt=Major / Lieutenant commander	alt=alt=Lieutenant colonel / Commander	alt=alt=Colonel / Captain	alt=alt=Brigadier general / Rear admiral (lower half)	alt=alt=Major General / Rear admiral	alt=alt=Lieutenant general / Vice admiral	alt=alt=General / Admiral	alt=alt=General of the Air Force / General of the Army / Fleet Admiral	^[2]
File:Flag of the United States Army.svg Army	CDT / OC	2LT	1LT	CPT	MAJ	LTC	COL	BG	MG	LTG	GEN	GA^[3]	GAS^[2]
File:Flag of the United States Marine Corps.svg Marine Corps	Midn / Cand	2ndLt	1stLt	Capt	Maj	LtCol	Col	BGen	MajGen	LtGen	Gen	^[5]	^[5]
File:Flag of the United States Navy (official).svg Navy	MIDN / OC	ENS	LTJG	LT	LCDR	CDR	CAPT	RDML	RADM	VADM	ADM	FADM^[3]	^[5]
File:Flag of the United States Air Force.svg Air Force	Cdt / OT	2d Lt	1st Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig Gen	Maj Gen	Lt Gen	Gen	GAF^[3]	^[5]
File:Flag of the United States Space Force.svg Space Force	Cdt / OT	2d Lt	1st Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig Gen	Maj Gen	Lt Gen	Gen	^[5]	^[5]
File:Flag of the United States Coast Guard.svg Coast Guard	CDT / OC	ENS	LTJG	LT	LCDR	CDR	CAPT	RDML	RADM	VADM	ADM	^[5]	^[5]
File:Flag of the United States Public Health Service.svg PHS Corps	OC	ENS	LTJG	LT	LCDR	CDR	CAPT	RDML	RADM	VADM	ADM	^[5]	^[5]
File:NOAA Flag.svg NOAA Corps	OC	ENS	LTJG	LT	LCDR	CDR	CAPT	RDML	RADM	VADM	^[4]	^[5]	^[5]
^[1] No universal insignia for officer candidate rank ^[2] No official insignia and not currently listed by the Army as an obtainable rank. John J. Pershing's GAS insignia: General of the Armies (collar) General of the Armies (epaulettes) ^[3] These ranks are reserved for wartime use only, and are still listed as ranks within their respective services ^[4] Grade is authorized by the U.S. Code for use but has not been created ^[5] Grade has never been created or authorized

Pay grade Branch of service	E-1	E-2	E-3	E-4	E-5	E-6	E-7	E-8	E-9	Special
Army File:Flag of the United States Army.svg	Private PVT	Private 2 PV2	Private first class PFC	Specialist Corporal SPC – CPL	Sergeant SGT	Staff Sergeant SSG	Sergeant first class SFC	Master Sergeant First Sergeant MSG – 1SG¹	Sergeant Major Command Sergeant Major SGM – CSM	Senior Enlisted Advisor for the National Guard Bureau Sergeant Major of the Army Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman SEANGB – SMA – SEAC
Marine Corps File:Flag of the United States Marine Corps.svg	Private Pvt	Private first class PFC	Lance Corporal LCpl	Corporal Cpl	Sergeant Sgt	Staff Sergeant SSgt	Gunnery Sergeant GySgt	Master Sergeant First sergeant MSgt – 1stSgt¹	Master Gunnery Sergeant Sergeant Major MGySgt – SgtMaj	Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman SMMC – SEAC
Navy File:Flag of the United States Navy (official).svg	Seaman recruit SR	Seaman apprentice SA	Seaman SN	Petty Officer Third Class PO3	Petty Officer Second Class PO2	Petty Officer first class PO1	File:BMC GC.svg CPO	Senior Chief Petty Officer Command Senior Chief Petty Officer SCPO – CMDCS	Master Chief Petty Officer Command Master Chief Petty Officer Fleet Master Chief Petty Officer / Force Master Chief Petty Officer MCPO – CMDCM – FORCM, FLTCM	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman MCPON – SEAC
Air Force File:Flag of the United States Air Force.svg	Airman basic AB	Airman Amn	Airman first class A1C	Senior Airman SrA	Staff Sergeant SSgt	Technical sergeant TSgt	Master Sergeant Master Sergeant MSgt – 1st Sgt¹	Senior Master Sergeant Senior Master Sergeant SMSgt – 1st Sgt¹	Chief Master Sergeant Chief Master Sergeant Command Chief Master Sergeant CMSgt – 1st Sgt¹ – CCM	Senior Enlisted Advisor for the National Guard Bureau Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman SEANGB – CMSAF – SEAC
Space Force File:Flag of the United States Space Force.svg	Specialist 1 Spc1	Specialist 2 Spc2	Specialist 3 Spc3	Specialist 4 Spc4	Sergeant Sgt	Technical sergeant TSgt	Master sergeant MSgt	Senior master sergeant SMSgt	Chief master sergeant CMSgt	Senior Enlisted Advisor of the Space Force Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman CMSSF – SEAC
Coast Guard File:Flag of the United States Coast Guard.svg	Seaman Recruit SR	border SA	border SN	Petty Officer Third Class PO3	Petty Officer Second Class PO2	Petty Officer first class PO1	Chief Petty Officer CPO	Senior Chief Petty Officer SCPO	Master Chief Petty Officer Command Master Chief Petty Officer Area Command Master Chief Petty Officer, CMC Reserve MCPO – CMC – DMCPOCG²	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard MCPOCG
For the Army and Air Force, first sergeants are temporary and lateral ranks and are senior to their non-diamond counterparts, while Marine Corps first sergeants have no lateral movement within paygrade and is a permanent rank. The rank insignia is used by other Coast Guard senior enlisted leaders.

United States Marine Corps rank insignia

Commissioned officers

Warrant officers

Timeline of warrant officer rank changes

Enlisted

Timeline of enlisted rank changes

See also

Citations

General sources

External links

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