USMC ranks

Some time ago I composed a web page comparing various military ranks. I have just added the WAAF ranks.

The page is http://www.foobar.co.uk/~elsham/ranks.html

Several correspondents have given me conflicting information about USMC ranks. Are these :-

(a) separately structured (b) part of / equal to the US Army or (c) part of / equal to the US Navy?

Would those responding please quote sources; thanks in advance.

Rob Davis MSc MIAP Anstey, Leicester UK. 0976 379489

Rob Davis MSc MIAP Anstey, Leicester UK. 0976 379489

Ornamentation for officers in all three US branches are identical, but go by different names, thus a gold bar is a second lieutenant in the USMC and USA, but an ensign in the Navy ('brown bar' to the enlisted, scatological association is intentional).

Two silver bars is a captain in the USA and USMC, but a captain in the Navy is three ranks up, with an eagle (the eagle in the USA and USMC is a colonel). And so on.

The enlisted Marine Corps ranks are similar in appearance to the USA, slight difference in titles, and the stripes carry crossed rifles underneath. They also have ranks, e.g., E-7 Gunnery Sergeant, E-9 Master Gunnery Sergeant, which I don't think the Army have. (I would have to check about E-7.)

Just check any Marine Corps manual, or any US military manual. Tht should provide you with a list of comparable ranks for the services, as well as drawings of the devices and stripes.

USMC ranks, World War II

Commissioned Officers: General Lieutenant General Major General Brigadier General Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major First Lieutenant Second Lieutenant

Warrant Officers: Chief Warrant Officer Warrant Officer

Enlisted personnel: Line: Staff: Sergeant Major/ ........Quartemaster Sergeant/ First Sergeant/ Paymaster Sergeant/ Master Gunnery Master Technical Sergeant Sergeant

Gunnery Sergeant........Technical Sergeant/ Supply Sergeant/ Drum Major

Platoon Sergeant........Staff Sergeant

Sergant

Corporal

Private First Class

Private

The Marine Corps of the time still had staff branches: Quartermaster's Department, Adjutant and Inspector's Department, and Paymaster's Department.

Sources: Sources: G. Rosignoli, _Badges and Insignia of WOrld War II_, New York, 1983 National Geographic, _Insignia and Decorations of the U.S. Armed Forces_, Washington DC, 1943 A. Mollo, _The Armed Forces of World War II_, London, 1981

The USMC has its own rank structure, it is part of the Navy but of course is 'military' rather than naval.

USMC enlisted ranks in ascending order

Private Private First Class Lance Corporal Corporal Sergeant Staff Sergeant Gunnery Sergeant First Sergeant, Master Sergeant Master Gunnery Sergeant Sergeant Major (of the Marine Corps; there is only one).

Commissioned ranks are the same as the Army.

Each service has its own rank structure independent of the others. Today an Army Sergeant First Class is equivalent to an USMC Gunnery Sergeant, a Navy Chief Petty Officer, and an Air Force Master Sergeant. All three are E-7 (Enlisted Grade 7). The best way to know how ranks stack up between services is to compare their associated Enlisted Grade (which runs from E-1 to E-9). Ranks of the same Enlisted Grade are equivalent in status.

During World War II the US Army's Enlisted Grades went from E-7 (Private) to E-1 (Master Sergeant). Since 1948 the Enlisted Grades have switched to E-1 (Private) to E-9 (Sergeant Major). All other services use the same Enlisted Grades today (E-1 is the lowest and E-9 the highest).

Jeff J.

: The page is http://www.foobar.co.uk/~elsham/ranks.html

: Several correspondents have given me conflicting information : about USMC ranks. Are these :-

: (a) separately structured : (b) part of / equal to the US Army : or : (c) part of / equal to the US Navy?

: Would those responding please quote sources; thanks in advance.

Marine ranks are similar but not identical to Army ranks. Most US manuals etc. would have this information, but might be hard to come by 'across the pond.' Medals of America, a company located in South Carolina, sells replicas of medals, rank insignia, etc., and also some books and charts. One of the books describes all USMC decorations, medals, ribbons, badges, and insignia from WW II to the present. The catalog itself pictures rank and grade insignia of all US services. I don't know what their policy is for doing business overseas. Their web site is www.usmedals.com All Marine rank and grade insignia are shown at <http://www.usmedals.com/m7.htm>; the printed catalog keys the names of each rank/grade to the illustrations. Merlin Dorfman

I mistakenly left out Captain here

The Marine Corps enlisted ranks during WW2 followed the same grades as mentioned above, but were somewhat more complicated than the army's, and muc different from today's. Marine NCOs were divided into line and staff, the line NCOs wearing the chevrons and rockers, the staff wearing the chevrons and ties. There were different titles for the same grades, depending on specialty. The first grade line, for example, could be either a first sergeant (the top NCO of his company), a Sergeant Major (whose duties were drills and administration) or a Master Gunnery Sergeant (whose specialty was a unit's ordnance). The staff specialties were: signals/radio, quartermaster, paymaster, aviation, music, and mess.

grade line staff

1st grade ((( >>> >>> First Sergeant Paymaster Sergeant Sergeant Major Quartermaster Sgt. Master Gunnery Sgt. Master Technical Sgt.

2nd grade (( >>> >>> Gunnery Sgt. Technical Sgt. Supply Sgt. Drum Major

3rd grade ( >>> >>> Platoon Sgt. Staff Sgt.

4th grade >>> Sergeant (same)

5th grade >> Corporal (same)

6th grade > Private 1st Class (same)

7th grade Private (same)

The army used to use ties and different badges in its chevrons, when enlisted grades were different in each branch, but had simplified everything in the early 1920s.

The crossed rifles in the USMC chevrons were not adopted until after the war (late '50s?).