Military ranks and insignia of Chile

The military ranks and insignia of Chile are the military insignia used by the Chilean Armed Forces.

Comparative tables Officers

Student officer ranks Rank group Student officer

Enlisted

Army An aspiring non-commissioned officer or officer in the Chilean Army undergoes studies at these two schools, both located in the Santiago Metropolitan Region: Gen. Bernardo O'Higgins Military School (for officers) Sgt. Daniel Rebolledo Sepúlveda Army NCO School (for non-commissioned personnel)

Upon graduation, they become a commissioned officer (Ensign) or non-commissioned officer (Corporal), and then move on to the branch of their choice, except for newly recruited soldiers, whose primary rank is Soldado Dragonante or Soldier Dragonite, and are immediately enrolled as part of the Army NCO School in Maipú.

Military ranks (just as is the case in Ecuador) are similar to those in the Prussian and later German armies, including the Prussian rank for officers. The "Captain General" rank, first used by Bernardo O'Higgins and later by presidents Ramón Freire and Augusto Pinochet, is now inactive.

The ranks used in the Army today are from the 2002 reorganization. It keeps the old enlisted ranks (Privates, Corporals, Sergeants and Sub-Officers) but a new General Officer rank scheme is used, with three General ranks instead of four.

Officers Officer ranks are mostly derived from those in the German army, with some remnants from other influences. While field grade and senior grade officer rank insignia show German influence, general officer rank insignia are inspired by those used in the French Army, but in red shoulder straps with two to four white stars. However, during the Pinochet government, golden stars were used, which was changed in December 2005 during the command in chief of Juan Emilio Cheyre for return to the original design of the generals ranks.

Shirt Raincoat Parka and office Battle Duty Uniform (Center and South) Battle Duty Uniform (North) Abbreviation CJE GDD GDB BGR CRL TCL MAY CAP TTE STE ALF -

Former rank insignia of Capitán general created by Augusto Pinochet in 1982Full dress uniform GradeCaptain GeneralAbbreviationCGENATO pay grade codeOF-10

Rank English translation Years of service US Army Equivalent rank/British Army Equivalent rank Captain General now inactive General of the Army/Field Marshal/Marshal Army General General Divisional General Lieutenant General Brigade General 31–32 years Major General Brigadier, Colonel Commandant Brigadier General, Brigadier/ Colonel Commandant (honorary rank for senior Colonels) Colonel 26–30 years Colonel Lieutenant Colonel 21–25 years Lieutenant Colonel Major 16–20 years Major Captain 10–15 years Captain Lieutenant 5–9 years First lieutenant/Lieutenant Sublieutenant 2–4 years Second lieutenant Alférez Ensign 1 year of service after graduation Acting Lieutenant/3rd Lieutenant/Ensign Junior Ensign, Sub-ensign (student) 3–4 years of study Officer Cadet/Student Officer 1 Cadet Officer (student) 1–2 years of stud Officer Candidate/Student Officer 2

Enlisted ranks All Privates and Student NCOs studying in the Army NCO School wear no rank insignia.

Battle Duty Uniform Abbreviation SOM SOF SG1 SG2 CB1 CB2 CBO

Rank English translation Years of service US Army Equivalent rank/British Army Equivalent rank Senior Sub-Officer 30 years Command Sergeant Major/Warrant Officer Class 1 Sub-Officer 27–29 years Sergeant Major/ Warrant Officer Class 2 First Sergeant 24–26 years Master Sergeant/Staff Sergeant Second Sergeant 19–23 years Sergeant First Class/Sergeant First Corporal 11–18 years Staff Sergeant/Lance Sergeant, Master Corporal Second Corporal 4–10 years Sergeant/Corporal Corporal 2–3 years after graduation Corporal/Lance Corporal Soldier 1–5 years after recruitment, one year after graduation Private First Class (student) Corporal Dragonite (student) 2 years of study Private (student) Soldier Dragonite (student) 1 year of study (save when recruited into the Army) Private Basic/NCO Candidate

Navy Ranks and rates are shown on the sleeves of all Chilean Navy summer uniforms (and on the shoulder boards on winter or summer service uniforms as well for officers and WOs only). Shoulder and sleeve ranks are inspired by those in the British Royal Navy, the French Navy and the German Navy. Officers, WOs and NCOs of the Marines add the (Marine Soldier) title to their ranks from Seaman onward, as the Marines are part of the Navy.

All officers, active or reserve, study at the Arturo Prat Naval Academy and later in the Naval Polytechnic Academy and the Naval War Academy receive improved training and education to be promoted as well as training in his/her specialty field while all active and reserve NCOs (known in the Navy through the general term Men of the Sea) study at the Seamen's School of the Navy "Alejandro Navarette Cisnerna" and later in the Naval Polytechnic Academy and its attached and independent colleges for later specialty training.

Officers Shoulder boards Abbreviations A VA CA CM CN CF CC T1 T2 ST GAMA -

Enlisted Sleeve insignia Abbreviation SOM SO S1 S2 C1 C2 MRO1 MRO2

Air force Ranks and insignia, similar to the Royal Air Force but adapted to suit the origins of the Chilean Air Force, are worn on shoulder collars and cuffs. General officers have the Condor eagle in their shoulder collars while officer cadets have a unique symbol, that of the Air Force Academy "Captain Manuel Ávalos Prado", on their shoulder collars. On the NCOs and enlistees, only Subofficer Majors and Subofficers wear both shoulder and cuff insignia, while NCO cadets wear a double capital letter E (for the Air Force Specialties School "Flight Sergeant Adolfo Menandier Rojas") on their shoulder collars alongside their unique cuff marking.

Officer ranks (SS.OO.) The officer ranking system and insignia are similar to the RAF pattern of ranks, save for the General officer ranks, modified to suit the British style ranks, and the Colonel rank. Other ranks with foreign influences are that of Air Brigade General, a general officer rank in the French Air Force, and Air General, a general officer rank in the Spanish Air Force and the Bolivian and Colombian air forces.

Service Cap Shoulder Gala Cap Sleeve (full dress) Camouflage ranks Abbreviation C.J. G.D.A. G.B.A. COM. C.D.A. C.D.G. C.D.E. C.D.B. TTE. STE. ALF. -

Noncommissioned and enlisted ranks Shoulder – – – – Abbreviation SOM SOF SG1 SG2 CBO1 CBO2 CBO - -

Officer badges Line CorpsBadgeArm of serviceAviationEngineeringAir DefenseTelecommunications and Information TechnologyAdministrationAir BaseAbbreviation(A)(I)(DA)(TI)(AD)(BA)SpecialtyAviators (Fighter, Helicopter) and Air transport officersAviation engineersAir defenseInformation and telecommunications engineersEngineers assigned to administrative dutiesLogistics Services/Staff CorpsBadgeArm of serviceJusticeMedical CorpsDental CorpsChaplainancyBands ServiceGeneral Services CorpsAbbreviation(J)(S) y (SD)(SR)(B)(SG)SpecialtyAttorneys and JudgesDoctors, Nurses and Dentists of various specialtiesChaplainsMusiciansProfessional workers and civilian employees

Noncommissioned and enlisted badges Line CorpsServices CorpsBadge-Arm of serviceWeaponsTechnical supportAdministrationCombat medicine and surgerySpeciallyAir DefenseIntelligence personnelAircrewsMaintenance and armamentsCommunications, information technology and electronicsAir Operations SupportAdministrative staffCombat medics and surgeons

Carabineros Commissioned officers Officers of the Carabineros, native born or foreign officers having scholarships, start out as officer aspirants at the Carabinier Officers School "Pres. Gen. Carlos Ibanez del Campo" in Santiago, and after graduating become sublieutenants either in Chile or in their home countries. Later training is provided by the Police Sciences Academy also in Santiago, and in the aforementioned specialty schools of the force. ShirtRaincoatParka Cape Smock Operational shirt Abbreviation GNRL DIR GNRL INS GNRL CRNL TTE CRNL MAY CAP TTE SUB TTE

Enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers Chilean and foreign NCOs enter the service through enrollment at the Carabineros Formation School and receive further training as corporals at the Carabineros NCO Academy, both located in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, and some of them have later training at the various service schools of the Carabineros specializing in frontier defense, horsemanship and K-9 training and handling skills.

RaincoatParka Smock Operational shirt Abbreviation (SOM) (SuboF) (SG1) (SG2) (CBO1) (CBO2) (Carab)

Gendarmerie Commissioned officers ShirtRaincoatParka Inside Abbreviation DIREC NAC SDO CRNL TTE CRNL MAY CAP TTE 1° TTE 2° SUB TTE A.A.O.O

Enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers ShirtRaincoatParka No insigniaInside

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References