Army Ranks--thanks M.C.

[Tonguez]

Ranks in a Medieval Mercenary Company

Captain
lieutenant
Ensign (standard bearer).
Corporal (aka Sargeant)

The Captain of a large company (a column) was a Colonel (from italian for Captain of the Column) often wealthy (sometimes nobility) they emplyed Majors (ie a Cohort) to assist them

The Captain appointed to head the whole Army was the Captain-General aka Feild Marshall when he acted in place of the Monarch

so
Feild Marshall (Sovereign or his Agent)
Captain-General
Captain-Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Ensign
Sargeant
Corporal

 

[Agback]

Re: Warrant Officers

"Can someone explain to me what the duties and responsibilities of Warrant Officers are, please?"

In Commonwealth armies, warrant officers hold senior NCO appointments such as company sergeant-major, regimental quartermaster sergeant (for WO2s) and regimental sergeant-major (for WO1s). These postings make them variously responsible for administrative tasks (such as organising the forward supply of ammunition from battalion reserves to units in combat), discipline, and training. They also provide an alternative channel to the battalion commander for soldiers and junior NCOs who develop issues with their officers. But God help you if you use it.

Now, Commonwealth army units are organised differently from US Army units. In the Australian Army (and the British Army) each infantry section is led by a corporal with a lance-corporal for his assistant. I'm not sure, but I think that the nearest equivalent in the US forces is a squad led by a sergeant. So it's hard to draw comparisons, but I think a Commonwealth WO1 is roughly equivalent to a US sergeant major or command sergeant major, and a WO2 to a US First Sergeant. Perhaps someone with experience of combine operations or combined exercises can tell us.

Originally, NCOs held their appointments at the whim of the CO of their unit. Warrant officers were appointed by Royal warrant to put them in a position to stand up to tyrannical officers. That has become much less of an issue as the armies have got more professional, but the tradition survives.

Since someone has mentioned navies and air forces I'll alert you to the fact that the Commonwealth systems of rank in the navies and air forces are respectively different and very different from the US system. Check out the tables on the following very ugly website <http://pachome2.pacific.net.sg/~vinol/angloranks.htm>, but be aware that 'marshal' is in fact spelled with only one 'l'.

Regards,


Agback

 

[Agback]

Double post

deleted

 

[med stud]

Posted by Tyris Harmon:
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (Only one person can hold this rank)

What does it mean to hold that title? Is it only that you are able to command all non officers, or is it some kind of "medal" for good service?

 

[Krieg]

If you want the Marine Corps ranks, the enlisted ranks are a little different. Officer ranks stay the same.

E-1 Private
E-2 Private first class
E-3 Lance Corporal
E-4 Corporal
E-5 Sergeant
E-6 Staff Sergeant
E-7 Gunnery Sergeant
E-8 Master Sergeant or First Sergeant (depends on MOS)
E-9 Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (Only one person can hold this rank)

There is also another E-9 rank, Master Gunnery Sergeant.

The difference between a Master Sergeant & First Sergeant or a Sergeant Major & Master Gunnery Sergeant depends on the billet that the individual holds NOT their MOS.

Posted by Tyris Harmon:
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (Only one person can hold this rank)

What does it mean to hold that title? Is it only that you are able to command all non officers, or is it some kind of "medal" for good service?

The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (currently SgtMaj John Estrada) is the highest ranking enlisted memember of the Marine Corps. His primary responsibility is the assist the Commandant of the Marine Corps in his duties & advise him on manners pertaining to enlisted Marines.

 

[Olive]

The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (currently SgtMaj John Estrada) is the highest ranking enlisted memember of the Marine Corps. His primary responsibility is the assist the Commandant of the Marine Corps in his duties & advise him on manners pertaining to enlisted Marines.

Ok, I need an explanation of the difference between enlisted and officer. I always assumed that if you joined as a private, theoretically you could become an oficer. Is this not true? I also assumed that you either joined as a private or as a lieutenant, depending on whether or not you were qualified for officer training straight out.

 

[Olive]

That system is more sophisticated than the Romans (for example) found necessary.

So what was the roman system?

 

[Xeriar]

So what was the roman system?

~4,800 Soldiers, ~59 Centurions, 6 Tribunes, 1 Legatus Legionis = 1 legion.

But there were a lot of 'junior officers' - standard bearers, image bearers, recordkeeping offices, etc. as well as Optio (second in command to the centurion), praefectus castorum and primus pilus (overseeing various duties of the legion).

 

[scarhead]

Not sure how to do that quote stuff

___________________________________
Originally posted by Olive

Ok, I need an explanation of the difference between enlisted and officer. I always assumed that if you joined as a private, theoretically you could become an oficer. Is this not true? I also assumed that you either joined as a private or as a lieutenant, depending on whether or not you were qualified for officer training straight out.
___________________________________________
You can join the army as either enlisted or officer. To join as an officer requires a bachelor's degree. If you go enlisted you can start anywhere from E-1 to E-4, depending on certain criteria including education level, physical fitness level, and ability to sign other people up.

Enlisted soldiers can apply to OCS (officer candidate school) to become officers. I believe a 4 year degree is not needed, but some minimum ammount of college is required, and you are required to complete your degree within a certain period of time.

Any enlisted soldier who becomes an officer starts off as an 0-1, 2nd Lt., regardless of whether they are an E-4 or E-7 or how much time-in-service they have.

Hope this helps.

 

[Crass]

So what was the roman system?

Sorry, but this may turn into a long reply...

Firstly, the Roman army changed a heck of a lot over more than a thousand years. The example I will describe is fairly accurate for the late "Republican" era (actually, the beginning of the Roman empire). This is about the time of Caius Julius Caesar, mid-first century BCE.

Miles Gregarius - common soldier
Tesserarius - commands c. 10 MGs
Optio - second in command of a "century" (which, ironically, contains about 80 men at this stage)
Centurion - commands the standard unit, a "century"
6 "centuries" make a cohort. Senior centurion (ie the longest-serving centurion) commands the cohort
The six "centuries" (and their centurions) were named after where they were placed in the order of battle. They were called, from front to rear:
- Pilus Prior
- Pilus Posterior
- Princeps Prior
- Princeps Posterior
- Hastatus Prior
- Hastatus Posterior

This organisation holds true for cohorts 2-10. Cohort 1 is double-sized, containing c.160 men. Cohort 1's centurions are all called the "primi ordines". The centurions of Cohort 1 also hold seniority over the other 9 cohorts' centurions.

To complicate things a little, the first cohort has different ranks for their centurions. Again, from front to rear:
- Primus Pilus
- Princeps
- Hastatus
- Princeps Posterior
- Hastatus Posterior

The centurions were the NCOs of the Roman army, and at this stage really did most of the commanding of the men. Primus Pilus was the highest rank a normal soldier could attain - command ranks were restricted to the various "upper classes"...

The third in command of the legion was the camp prefect - the Praefectus Castrorum.
Above the Praefectus Castrorum were the various tribunes. There were six of these - five Tribuni Angusticlavius ("TA") (equestrians) and one Tribuni Laticlavius ("TL") (senatorial). The TAs had formerly commanded two cohorts each, but by this stage held staff appointments and left the centurions to command the men in battle. The TL was, in essence, an "apprentice" legion commander, and was the second-in-command of the legion.

Above the TL was the Legatus Legionis. He was a mature senator, typically in his 30's, and commanded the entire legion.

In addition there was a support staff, which included an adjutant (or cornicularis), the various clerks (librarii) and orderlies (beneficiarii). Not to mention the various "extras" - engineers, surveyors, medics, etc, etc, who were exempt from fatigues and other duties.