Rank, Military, indicates a person’s authority and standing. The terms rank and grade are usually synonymous, but officers are said to hold rank, and enlisted men and women to hold ratings or grades. Grade also refers to the authorized level of pay. These terms indicate rights, powers, and duties fixed by law. In the United States, Congress creates ranks and grades and regulates appointments and promotions.
Under the U.S. Constitution, the President holds the rank of commander in chief of the armed forces. A commissioned officer holds a commission granted by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. A warrant officer, a specialist in a particular field, holds a warrant granted by the secretary of the Army, Navy, or Air Force. Noncommissioned officers are enlisted personnel who hold their grades based on skill and long service.
A person is appointed to, or commissioned in, a rank or grade. Among people who hold the same grade, length of service and date of appointment to the grade determine who ranks higher. One colonel outranks another if he or she has been in grade one day longer. If a group without a designated commander faces a situation that requires command decisions, the highest ranking person takes command. This person may later have to prove the right to command others.
Rank is a right granted to an officer by law. It cannot be withdrawn except through legal processes. An officer’s rank is not a guarantee of the right to exercise command or hold employment, but it normally indicates that the officer will do so. The President or a military superior in the chain of command may relieve an officer of command.
During the 1800’s, the Army used an honorary title called brevet in order to recognize superior service by officers. The brevet, a temporary rank, gave an officer a rank higher than his regular one. Brevet rank sometimes allowed officers to command other officers of higher regular rank. During and after World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945), army officers held both temporary and permanent ranks. The permanent rank was normally two or three grades lower than the temporary one.
Promotion
to the next higher rank for officers is usually based on length of service in the grade they hold, satisfactory performance of their duties, and a vacancy in the next higher grade. Promotion boards consider officers for promotion. Boards usually consider officers within a certain zone (based on their time in grade), but outstanding officers below the zone may be promoted. A person “passed over” for promotion twice while in the zone may be discharged or retired. In wartime, promotions may be given “on the battlefield.”
Enlisted men and women must spend some time in a grade before they can be considered for advancement. All the services use both written tests and performance evaluations to determine fitness for promotion.
Rank and pay.
Officers and enlisted personnel are paid according to their rank and length of service. Increases are added to minimum basic pay after certain years of service are completed. These increases are called longevity pay. Most personnel begin to receive such pay after two years of service. Officers above the rank of major general or rear admiral receive a personal allowance. The armed services also grant proficiency pay to people with much needed skills.
