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Shoulder straps and titles of countries of the world. The ratio of Russian and American ranks

The state, which does not have a potential enemy near its borders, was able to build powerful armed forces with the most modern weapons. America's military consists of just over a million military personnel (whose training is considered a modern model for most armies on the planet), as well as almost seven hundred thousand civilian employees. Up to five hundred thousand people serve in the ground forces, up to two hundred thousand in the reserve army, and almost four hundred and fifty thousand in the National Guard.

The American army occupies a leading position on the planet in terms of the level of funds spent on it. Thus, the 2016 military budget provided for spending more than $607 billion on the needs of the army, which amounted to more than 34% of global military spending. According to independent sources, this is three times more than China's defense spending and seven times more than Russia's.

General structure of the US Army

The US Army was founded in June 1775 by an act of Congress, it was intended to defend the young independent state. Modern American armed forces include independent types of armed forces:

  • Ground Forces;
  • Air Force;
  • Navy;
  • Marine Corps (MCC);
  • Coast Guard.

Moreover, everyone except the Coast Guard is directly subordinate to the Minister of Defense, the latter is subordinated to the National Security Agency in peacetime, but during martial law is also resubordinated to the Minister of Defense.

The US Constitution provides for the appointment of the President of the State by the Commander-in-Chief of the American Army. He, in turn, controls the national Armed Forces in peacetime, directing the civilian Minister of Defense, who reports to the heads of the sub-services of the Armed Forces. The heads of ministries deal with issues of recruiting, equipping, organizing and supplying the army, and also control the combat training of personnel. The highest military command of the branches of the Armed Forces are members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The chairman of this committee resolves issues of coordinating the activities of everything related to the military administration of the state.

The operational subordination of the US Armed Forces is currently reduced to nine unified commands, five of which are formed based on the geographical principle.

Five unified commands:

  • North American;
  • South and Central American;
  • European;
  • Middle Eastern and Asian;
  • Pacific.

All branches of the US Armed Forces located in their areas of responsibility are subordinate to the commanders of these unified commands. The remaining four joint commands do not have their own areas of responsibility.

The Unified Commands include:

  • Strategic Command. Deals with strategic planning issues, controls strategic nuclear weapons;
  • Special Operations Training Command;
  • Strategic Airlift Command;
  • Unified Forces Command. Engaged in combat training in all branches of the Armed Forces.

Recruiting the American Army

The American army is recruited voluntarily and is based on a contract basis. American citizens or permanent residents of the United States of America who have a residence permit and have at least a secondary education are accepted for service. The minimum candidate age for military service is 18 years. However, if you achieve parental approval, you can go to serve at the age of seventeen.

The age limit for active military service is determined for each branch of the US Army. So, for example, the age limit could be:

  • Air Force and Coast Guard - 27 years;
  • Marine Corps - 28 years;
  • Navy - 34 years;
  • Ground forces - 42 years.

Each contract soldier signs a service contract for a period of four to eight years.

National and racial composition

The United States of America is a multinational state. The national composition of the country is represented, in addition to Europeans, by African Americans, Asians and Latin Americans. The same picture is reflected in the formation of the American army.

Thus, according to information from open sources, the following serve in the American Armed Forces:

  • European Americans - 63%;
  • African Americans - 15%;
  • Hispanics - 10%;
  • Asians - 4%;
  • Indians and Alaska Natives – 2%;
  • Others from different mixed marriages - 2%;
  • 4% were undecided on their race or nationality.

It should be noted that the latter group includes those who do not have American citizenship, but have the right to permanent residence in the United States. Most of them join the military because it makes it much easier to obtain American citizenship.

Gender

American military personnel are divided by gender:

  • Men – 86%;
  • Women - 14%.

For many years, it was generally accepted that only officers could be professional soldiers in the American army. However, after the Vietnam War, during the period of army reform in the early seventies, non-commissioned officers and warrant officers received the status of professional military personnel.

Mobilization resources

The total American population is more than 325 million people. This provides the army with extremely large mobilization resources. According to some estimates, mobresources may amount to more than one hundred and ten million American citizens.

Every year, more than four million Americans and American women reach military age. In addition, the state has at its disposal approximately eight hundred and fifty thousand so-called “reservists” of all branches of the military. A separate branch of the military is the American National Guard, formed by reserve groups created by the Army and Air Force. The total number of National Guardsmen in the United States is approximately three hundred fifty thousand military personnel.

Features of service in the US National Guard

A special feature of service in the American National Guard is the combination of service and work in a civilian specialty. Every year, the National Guard accepts approximately sixty thousand American citizens into its ranks. All of them are required to undergo combat training in groups and individually. There are forty-eight programs of four hours each, running on weekends throughout the year.

In addition, National Guardsmen are sent to camp for two weeks to participate in command post and military exercises together with Army units. All employers are officially warned that if they try to prevent National Guard soldiers from carrying out the service and combat tasks assigned by the state, they may even face criminal liability.

In addition to patriotic feelings, Americans are motivated by various benefits provided to those serving in the US National Guard:

  • Increase to pay for accommodation;
  • Increase to pay for treatment;
  • Preferential sale of goods and products in military stores;
  • Refueling at military gas stations (at a price 50% cheaper than the market price);
  • Increase in pension;
  • Other.

Features of US military doctrine

Recently, the American military leadership has proposed concentrating its resources in five important areas:

  • Elimination of terrorism and expansion of weapons of mass destruction;
  • Intelligence;
  • Preparation for information wars, including the protection of one’s information and communications systems, as well as the elimination of similar enemy systems;
  • The struggle for military superiority in the airspace with an emphasis on the development of unmanned aircraft;
  • Development of military space technologies.

At the same time, American military doctrine pays attention to preparations for military clashes during unconventional and hybrid conflicts.

Armament of the US Army, Air Force and Navy

Infantry weapons:

  • Tanks - over eight thousand;
  • Armored combat vehicles - almost twenty-six thousand;
  • Self-propelled artillery guns - almost two thousand;
  • Towed artillery - almost one thousand eight hundred;
  • Missile systems - more than one thousand three hundred.
  • Aircraft - more than thirteen and a half thousand;
  • Fighters - more than two thousand two hundred and twenty;
  • Fixed-wing combat aircraft - more than two thousand six hundred;
  • Military transport aircraft - more than five thousand two hundred;
  • Training aircraft - more than two and a half thousand;
  • Helicopters - more than six thousand;
  • Combat helicopters - more than nine hundred.

Military units and formations

  • A squad consists of nine to ten military personnel, these are US Army soldiers commanded by a sergeant. The smallest structural element in the US Army;
  • Platoon (platoon) - sixteen to forty-four soldiers led by a lieutenant. A platoon consists of two to four squads;
  • Company (company) – sixty-two to one hundred and ninety military personnel. It consists of three to five platoons, the company is commanded by a captain;
  • US Army battalion - three hundred to thousand military personnel. Consisting of four to six companies, the battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel;
  • Brigade – three to five thousand military personnel. It consists of three to five battalions led by a colonel;
  • Division - ten to fifteen thousand military personnel. Its usual composition is three brigades, the division is headed by a major general;
  • Corps - two to forty-five thousand military personnel. It consists of two to five divisions, the corps is controlled by a lieutenant general;

    • Chevrons and stripes of the US Army are distinctive signs that are attached to clothing and reflect affiliation with certain structures, official position, type of troops, as well as service in a particular unit. In addition, chevrons with stripes may indicate length of service, terms of study at a military educational institution, military or special ranks in the US Army. They can complement shoulder straps and buttonholes or even replace them. It may also be a rating badge, or "US Army badge."

    If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them

US Army uniforms and equipment may vary depending on rank and event. The easiest way to determine rank is to look at the insignia that each member of the army has on his uniform. Each rank will have its own unique insignia, and the insignia of a captain or officer will be clearly different from that of an enlisted or non-commissioned officer. Familiarize yourself with these differences to learn how to quickly identify military ranks.

Steps

Definition of privates and sergeants

    You must know where to look for insignia. Enlisted and noncommissioned uniforms include field clothing (ACU), which is usually made of camouflage-patterned fabric, and a “green” uniform, which usually consists of a jacket and trousers or a skirt of rough fabric. Distinctive marks are located in different places, depending on the type of uniform:

    • Look at the field uniform cap. For privates and sergeants, the insignia is located in the center of the cap.
    • Badges with insignia will be located in the chest area of ​​the field uniform.
    • On the “green” uniform of privates and sergeants, the insignia stripes are located on the upper part of the sleeves.
    • Privates and sergeants do not display their insignia on their berets. Instead, their unit is designated on the front of the beret.

  1. Find out the distinctive insignia of private recruits. The lowest rank (E-1) for recruits undergoing basic combat training does not have insignia. For E-2 recruits, rank is determined by one yellow square patch (chevron). For Private First Class (PFC, E-3), the chevron symbol is rounded at the bottom, framing a green field.

    Distinctive insignia of soldiers with the rank of E-4. Specialist Personnel (SPC) wear a green triangular insignia, rounded at the top and with a gold eagle in the middle. Corporals (CPL), however, have a rank insignia consisting of two chevrons.

    Definition of insignia for sergeants. There are several types of sergeants in the US Army, both enlisted and non-enlisted. You can tell them apart by paying close attention to their insignia.

    • The rank insignia of a sergeant (SGT, E-5) is very similar to a corporal's, but instead of two chevrons, there are three.
    • The Staff Sergeant (SSG, E-6) insignia consists of three connected chevrons with a curved end framing a green field.
    • A Sergeant First Class (SFC, E-7) has the same insignia as a Staff Sergeant, but with two curves at the bottom.
    • The Master Sergeant (MSG, E-8) has the insignia of a Sergeant First Class, but with three curves at the bottom.
    • The First Sergeant (1-SG, E-8) has the insignia of a Master Sergeant, but with the addition of a small yellow diamond in the middle.
    • A master sergeant (SGM, E-9) has the insignia of a first sergeant, but instead of a diamond in the middle there is a star.
    • The command sergeant major (CSM, E-9) has the insignia of a first sergeant, but instead of a diamond, there is a star in the center surrounded by two ears of wheat.
    • A sergeant major (E-9) has the insignia of a first sergeant, but instead of a robe, there is a gold eagle and two stars in the middle.

  2. Definition of insignia for lieutenant and captain. Second Lieutenant (2LT, O-1), First Lieutenant (1LT, O-2) and Captain (CPT, O-3) wear rectangular insignia. For the Second Lieutenant it is one gold rectangle, and for the First Lieutenant it is one silver rectangle. Captain's insignia (CPT, O-3) is two silver rectangles.

    Definition of the insignia of major and lieutenant colonel. Both of these ranks have leaf insignia. However, for a major (MAJ, O-4) it is a gold leaf, and for a lieutenant colonel (LTC, O-5) it is a silver leaf.

    Studying the insignia of a colonel. Colonel (COL, O-6) is the last rank before general. His insignia is a silver eagle with outstretched wings.

  3. Definition of the insignia of generals. There are 5 ranks of general in the US Army. The insignia of each rank consists of silver stars, but note the differences in them.

    • A brigadier general (BG, O-7) has a single silver star insignia.
    • A major general (MG, O-8) has the insignia of two silver stars located in the same row.
    • The lieutenant general (LTG, O-9) has the insignia of three silver stars located in one row.
    • The General (GEN, O-10) insignia consists of 4 silver stars located in one row.
    • The General of the Army (GOA, O-11) rank insignia consists of 5 stars forming a pentagon. This rank is only used during certain military periods.

In the American army, the gradation of ranks differs from the Soviet/Russian system and instead of the usual sergeants and petty officers, junior and senior officers with generals, there is the following:

Commissioned Officers, certified superiors. Actually officers in the Russian analogy. They in turn are divided into:

General Officers, chief superiors. In the USSR/RF this is the generals
- Field Grade Officers, superiors of the field category. In the USSR/RF these are senior officers
- Сompany Grade Officers, company category commanders. In the USSR/RF these are junior officers

Warrant Officers. The translation is quite tricky - the authorities of the warrant. In the USSR/RF these are warrant officers. The US Air Force does not have this category at all.

Non-Commissioned Officers, not certified superiors. In the USSR/RF these are sergeants and foremen.

Enlisted, conscript, serving in general. In the USSR/RF these are privates.

From left to right.

1 row

Major General - Brigadier General*
Lieutenant General - Major General
Colonel General - Lieutenant General
General - General
Marshal of the Russian Federation - General of the Army**

* Of course, this is a purely conditional comparison, since there is no brigadier general in the RF Armed Forces. A brigade within a division is commanded by a colonel, and a separate brigade by a major general.
** Marshal of the Russian Federation - an honorary title, General of the Army - reserved.

2nd row

major - major
Lieutenant Colonel - Lieutenant Colonel
Colonel - Colonel

3rd row

ml. lieutenant - there is no analogue
lieutenant - Second Lieutenant*
Art. Lieutenant - First Lieutenant
captain

* In general, the word Lieutenant and the Russian lieutenant derived from it are translated as deputy, assistant. So the lieutenant is much more Russian.



Art. ensign - Chief Warrant Officer 5
Ensign - Chief Warrant Officer 2
Stashina - first sergeant
Art. sergeant - sergeant first class
Sergeant
Jr. sergeant - corporal*
Corporal - private first class
Private - private**

* in the US Army this rank does not refer to NCOs, but to Enlisted
** In the US Army there is also the concept of “recruit”. This is the same private, but passing through, in the Russian language of the KMB. It has no insignia, so you won’t see it outside the United States.

In addition, in the US Army there are three more sergeant ranks above 1st sergeant: Sergeant Major, Command Sergeant Major and Sergeant Major of the United States Army. But these are positions rather than titles.

Sergeant Major is considered the chief of all non-commissioned officers of one specific unit: a separate battalion or regiment, as well as a brigade or division. In fact, he is the foreman of a battalion or regiment most often.
Command Sergeant Major performs similar duties but at the level of the Command, which can be conditionally equated to our military district.
Well, the Sergeant Major of the United States Army performs the same duties at the level of all ground forces. There is only one person in this rank in the ground forces.