Ranks of the U.S. Military

The U.S. military is divided into four sectors -- the Army, the Marine Corps, the Air Force and the Navy, which includes the Coast Guard. Each of these has a set of ranks to distinguish members and their positions within the organization.

Identification

• Army and Marine Corps ranks each begin with a lowest rank of private. The equivalent in the Air Force is the airman rank, and in the Navy it is called seaman. General is the highest rank in the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force. In the Navy, the highest rank is fleet admiral. During wartime, a special top rank is reserved in each section of the military, such as the Army's general of the army rank.

Insignias

• Each rank has its own insignia, which a person bears on his uniform. Enlisted ranks, which run from private to the highest sergeant rank or its equivalent (master chief petty officer in the Navy), have one set of insignias, while offer ranks have their own. The highest ranks in all sections of the military are denoted by a number of five-pointed stars.

Pay Grade

• Each U.S. military rank has its own pay grade, which increases in accordance with rank. E-1 is the lowest pay grade, given to privates, seamen and airmen. The highest pay grade, given to generals, is O-10. The exact pay varies on the number of years a person has been in the service.