NCO ranks. The history of the appearance of military ranks. Hierarchy, positions, titles. Rank and file

In order to know exactly how, according to the regulations, you are supposed to address a military personnel, you need to understand the ranks. Ranks in the Russian Army and shoulder straps provide clarity in relationships and allow you to understand the chain of command. IN Russian Federation There is both a horizontal structure - military and naval ranks, and a vertical hierarchy - from the rank and file to the highest officers.

Rank and file

Private is the lowest military rank in the Russian Army. Moreover, the soldiers received this title in 1946, before that they were addressed exclusively as fighters or Red Army soldiers.

If the service is carried out in a guards military unit or on a guards ship, then when addressing a private, it is worth adding the same word "guard". If you want to contact a military personnel who is in the reserve and has a higher legal diploma, or medical education, then you should contact - "Private Justice", or "private medical service". Accordingly, it is worth adding the appropriate words to someone who is in reserve or retired.

In a ship, the rank of private corresponds to sailor.

Only senior soldiers who perform the best military service are given the rank Corporal. Such soldiers can act as commanders during the latter's absence.

All additional words that were applicable for a private remain relevant for a corporal. Only in the Navy, this rank corresponds to Senior sailor.

The one who commands a squad or combat vehicle receives the rank Lance Sergeant. In some cases, this rank is assigned to the most disciplined corporals upon transfer to the reserve, if such a staff unit was not provided for during service. In the ship's composition it is "sergeant major of the second article"

Since November 1940, the Soviet army received a rank for junior command personnel - sergeant. It is assigned to cadets who have successfully completed training in the sergeant training program and graduated with honors. It is also assigned to sergeant Lance Sergeant, who has proven himself worthy to be awarded the next rank, or upon transfer to the reserve.

In the Navy, Sergeant ground forces corresponds to rank foreman.

Next comes the Senior Sergeant, and in the Navy - chief petty officer.

After this rank, there is some overlap between land and sea forces. Because after the senior sergeant, in the ranks Russian army appears Sergeant Major. This title came into use in 1935. Only the best military personnel who served excellently in sergeant positions for six months deserve it, or upon transfer to the reserve, the rank of sergeant major is awarded to senior sergeants certified with excellent results. On the ship it is - chief petty officer.

Next come warrant officers And midshipmen. This is a special category of military personnel, close to junior officers. Complete the rank and file, senior warrant officer and midshipman.

Junior officers

A number of junior officer ranks in the Russian Army begin with the rank Ensign. This title is awarded to final year students and graduates of higher military educational institutions. However, in the event of a shortage of officers, a graduate of a civilian university can also receive the rank of junior lieutenant.

Lieutenant Only a junior lieutenant can become a junior lieutenant who has served a certain amount of time and received a positive educational certificate. Further - senior lieutenant.

And he closes the group of junior officers - Captain. This title sounds the same for both ground and naval forces.

Senior officers

Senior officers begin with rank Major. All additional words that were applicable for a private remain relevant for a major. In the navy, this rank corresponds to Captain 3rd rank. The following Navy ranks will only increase the rank of captain, that is, the rank of land Lieutenant Colonel will correspond Captain 2nd rank, and the rank Colonel – Captain 1st rank.

Senior officers

And the highest officer corps completes the hierarchy of military ranks in the Russian army.

Major General or Rear Admiral(in the navy) - such a proud title is worn by military personnel who command a division of over 150 thousand people.

Above the Major General is Lieutenant General. (The lieutenant general is higher than the major general because the lieutenant general has two stars on his shoulder straps and the major general has one).

Initially, in the Soviet army, it was more likely not a rank, but a position, because the Lieutenant General was an assistant to the general and took on part of his functions, in contrast to Colonel General, who can personally fill senior positions, both in the General Staff and in the Ministry of Defense. In addition, in the Russian armed forces, a Colonel General may be the deputy commander of a military district.

And finally, the most important serviceman who has the highest military rank in the Russian army is Army General. All previous links must obey him.

4 comments on ““Understanding Military Ranks””

I wonder who wrote this article???
After college they graduate with the rank of lieutenant, not junior lieutenant.
A major general commands a maximum division of 15 thousand people and not 150, this is already a district

Instructions

Recruits come to serve in the army as ordinary privates. But over time, subject to impeccable performance of service, the military receives new ranks. So that during service in army Receive sergeant's shoulder straps as soon as possible, try to serve with dignity and follow the regulations. When assigning military ranks, attention is paid not only to the soldier’s personal qualities, but also to impeccable knowledge of the regulations of the Russian Armed Forces. A potential sergeant must know how to handle military weapons, have strong leadership qualities, and be able to lead other soldiers. In addition, the physical as well as tactical training of the serviceman is assessed. The sergeant must be able to quickly navigate difficult conditions and find a way out of unusual situations.

To obtain the rank of sergeant, a number of conditions must be met: experience military service conscripted, complete secondary education, no criminal record, good health. In addition, the potential sergeant must have leadership qualities and be aware of the degree of responsibility that is assigned to him.

To obtain rank Sergeant, first undergo training in the training unit. Cadets who graduate from special program training of sergeants “excellent”, they receive rank Sgt. It is also assigned to those who are recognized as worthy of receiving the next title and are appointed to those positions where it is provided rank Staff Sgt.

Sergeant's rank assigned to those military personnel who have already served for a certain period in the ranks of the Russian army. In some cases, you can become a sergeant early as a reward for certain merits. To do this, you need to have an impressive track record and be noted for special actions.

If you have been teaching at a university or department for a long time Russian Academy sciences, wrote a textbook, replaced the rector or vice-rector for some time, then you can apply for a scientist rank associate professor by department or associate professor by specialty.

You will need

• - personal sheet for personnel records;
• - an extract from the work record book about scientific and pedagogical experience;
• - extracts from orders on the conduct of teaching activities;
• - an extract with the voting results of the Academic Council;
• - list of published scientific works.

Instructions

Check if you meet the requirements for applicants for rank associate professor by department: whether you are a doctor or candidate of science, teaching at a high professional level at a university, whether you have scientific and educational works, whether you are the author or co-author of a textbook. Candidate for rank associate professor must have worked in the department for at least a year as a substitute professor, dean of the faculty, vice-rector, rector, etc. If he has teaching experience, a laureate of international and regional festivals, exhibitions, competitions, a holder of an honorary title of the Russian Federation or other republics can become an associate professor ( folk artist, National artist, Honored Artist, etc.).
To obtain rank associate professor specialty, it is necessary, in addition to scientific work experience, to perform employment contract functions of a senior, leading or chief researcher, deputy director of a scientific organization or university department. The applicant for this scientific rank At least 10 scientific papers or inventions must be published.

The decision to nominate an academic title is made by secret ballot at the Academic Council. If the council makes such a decision, prepare the necessary documents. In addition, bring notarized copies of documents on higher education and a document of a candidate or doctor of science, a copy of the certificate of state accreditation of the educational institution.
Specify full list all necessary documents at the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

Submit your documents to the Higher Attestation Commission of the Ministry of Education and wait for a decision. Your documents will be reviewed within 6 months. You will be informed about the result of the examination of certification documents. If the decision is positive, you will be issued a certificate associate professor.

Sources:

• Institute of applicant for academic degree and academic title

The armies of many countries are similar in structure and the procedure for recruiting young men. This is especially true for countries former USSR, however, some states abandoned the generally accepted service period of 2 years, and a number even drafted girls into the ranks of the armed forces.

Most states of the once Soviet space abandoned the two-year conscription. Not only Russia, but also Belarus have reduced the length of service in the armed forces to 1 year or one and a half years. Today in the Republic of Belarus, young conscripts must serve from six months to one and a half years, depending on the availability of higher education.

For young men who have successfully completed their studies at one of the higher educational institutions, a service period of 12 months is provided, and citizens who have not received a diploma of higher education are required to serve in the army for a period of 18 months.

For conscripts with higher education who have graduated from universities with a military department, the period of service in the army of Belarus will be only 6 months.

Graduates in the ranks of the troops

However, some people of military age are trying with all their might to avoid the army. On this moment In the entire Republic of Belarus there are only 65 thousand personnel, which is a rather small number. The government of the country is trying its best possible ways attract graduates to your ranks.

At the beginning of 2014, the head of state Alexander Lukashenko introduced an amendment to the law on the passage of military service in Belarus. It states that citizens with three or more children will be excluded from military duty in Peaceful time, but are also subject to conscription into the military. The amendment came into force on January 21, 2014.

Alternative military service

In addition, in 2013, the Law “On Alternative Service” was agreed upon and adopted. It gives the right to those people who shirk military duties to work in unpopular positions, thereby also trying to serve their homeland in a similar way.

Citizens of military age are offered work in the form of helping the elderly, children in shelters, organizing humanitarian aid for victims of disasters and other work in a variety of fields.

The term of alternative service is slightly longer than that of fixed-term service: conscripts with higher education will have to “work out” 20 months instead of one year; citizens without a higher education diploma will need to work in a similar position for all 30 months.

The period of alternative service does not take into account:
- leave of citizens in connection with the acquisition of higher education,
- time of arrest of a conscript serving in alternative service,
- the period during which a person liable for military service in alternative service did not fulfill the tasks assigned to him in connection with administrative penalties against him,
- calendar days during which young men were absent from their work for more than three hours without indicating valid reasons.

Next comes the corporal. This title is given either for excellence in studies, combat, special training, or in connection with the position held. Corporals are senior drivers, gunners of armored personnel carriers, clerks at headquarters and other military personnel. In some military units they can command entire squads. The most famous corporal was Hitler.

Next comes the rank of junior sergeant. You can receive this title only after completing a special training school. Junior sergeants command squads, but can even become deputy platoon commanders. The next level is the rank of sergeant. This is already a full-fledged commander of a squad, crew, tank, gun or crew. It is the sergeants who lead the formation, conduct training, and supervise the work.

Staff Sergeant. This rank is usually assigned to the deputy platoon commander. This is the most responsible position among soldiers. And the rank of foreman completes the hierarchical ladder of junior command. However, rank and position should not be confused. A senior sergeant may also be a warrant officer.

Warrant officer and senior warrant officer. This is the platoon commander. He can be a company sergeant major, a warehouse manager, or a radio station manager. That is, to occupy a position where high qualifications are not required and higher education, however, leadership over the soldiers is required. You can become a warrant officer only after special training.

A person automatically becomes a junior lieutenant after graduating from the military department of a civilian university. He has a platoon under his command - that is, about thirty people. By the way, a warrant officer can also receive the rank of junior lieutenant if he also acquires a higher education. Typically, officers serve in this rank for only one year, after which they become lieutenants.

The rank of lieutenant is found in many armies of the world. It is assigned to those military personnel who graduated from a higher military educational institution. The lieutenant also commands a platoon, but sometimes they may be given command of a company. This was the case, for example, during the Great Patriotic War.

The rank of senior lieutenant is awarded to those officers who are deputy company commanders, deputy commanders for work with personnel, deputy commanders for equipment, and for combat. Senior lieutenants can also become company commanders. Their responsibilities include many powers.

The next rank is captain. They command companies, may be deputy battalion commanders, and hold other positions. This rank also exists in many armies of the world, but it should not be confused with a naval rank. Next comes the major. This is already the first rank of senior officers. A major is the head of a service, battalion headquarters, commandant of a military commandant's office, and much more.

Lieutenant colonel. This title is not available everywhere. Usually, these are deputy regiment commanders, regimental chief of staff or battalion commanders. The next step is colonel. This rank exists in almost all armies of the world. Usually, these are unit commanders, regiment chiefs of staff, and you can also meet them at division headquarters or district headquarters.

Major General. Oddly enough, this is the lowest general rank. Next comes the lieutenant general, and then the colonel general. They command divisions, districts and even entire branches of the military. The next rank is army general. This is the highest general rank. Not everyone can reach it.

The penultimate level is the rank of marshal. This title is found in almost all armies of the world, but it is very difficult to earn it in peacetime. By the way, the legendary musketeer D’Artagnan once received the marshal’s baton, but he worked towards this all his life. Even earlier there was the title of Generalissimo. It was received by Suvorov, Stalin, Kim Il Sung, Alfredo Stroessner and many others. Now in many armies of the world it has been abolished, and the hierarchy of military ranks is completed by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who is the president of the country. It is noteworthy that a person who has not served in the army at all can become president, but it is he who will decide the fate of his country.

In ancient times there were no military ranks, and commanders were usually simply named by the number of soldiers under their command. With the development of military affairs, ranks familiar to our time appeared and became established in various armies - sergeants, lieutenants, captains, generals and generalissimos.

Military rank - the rank of a military serviceman or a person liable for military service in the reserve (retired), which determines the position (rights and obligations) of military personnel in relation to other military personnel, is personally assigned to each citizen undergoing military service (who studied for military service in military educational institutions and equivalent ones ) in the armed forces in accordance with his official position, military or special training, belonging to a branch of the Armed Forces, a branch of the armed forces of a branch of the Armed Forces or a type (branch) of service, as well as personal state (service) merits.

The procedure for assigning military ranks in each state is determined by the legal system of that state.

To distinguish military personnel by military rank in the armed forces of different states, insignia of military ranks are used, these include: shoulder straps, sleeves, breastplates (emblems, braid, chevrons), less often - cockade, buttons, other elements on military uniform clothing and, sometimes, elements of clothing (for example: a cap, cap, hat, braid, stripes and piping, style and type of fabric of clothing items, etc.).

Some military ranks have the same names in many states.

The appearance of military ranks in the Russian Empire

Military ranks as positions (ranks) in Russia first appeared in the period of the 16th-17th centuries. In the middle of the 16th century, the Streltsy army had the following military ranks - positions:

Streltsy, foreman, pentecostal, centurion, polugolova (five hundred head, later semi-colonel and lieutenant colonel), head of the order (later regiment commander, colonel), voivode (chief of a streltsy detachment), streltsy head (chief of all streltsy units (regiments) of a city or county ).

Military ranks were retained only during service in the Streltsy army. In other troops, before the formation of regiments of the new system, military ranks coincided with the ranks of the sovereign (civil) service (Duma clerk, clerk, steward, and so on).

In the period of the 17th - 18th centuries, in the regiments of the new system, military ranks and command (leadership) personnel were named in the Russian and Western European manner:

ensign, lieutenant, captain (cavalry captain), major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general, general.

At the end of the XVII - early XVIII centuries, Peter the Great introduced a unified system of ranks (military ranks and other ranks), and consolidated it in the Table of Ranks (which included only officer ranks) in accordance with court and civil ranks. The lowest officer rank was ensign, the highest was field marshal general (the rank (title) of generalissimo, which was awarded several times in the 18th century, did not have its own rank). By the end of the imperial period, not all 14 ranks of the Table corresponded to real ranks: for example, under Paul I the rank of “brigadier” was excluded, and under Alexander III the rank of “major” was excluded.

Military ranks in the USSR

After October revolution by decree of the Soviet government of December 16, 1917, ranks, titles and titles Russian Empire were abolished. The Bolsheviks in the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army they created, abolishing ranks, ranks and titles, replaced them with a combination of command positions with “service categories”.

During Civil War in the armed formations of the White movement and abroad, and then in the collaborationist formations of the Second World War, military ranks were preserved, at first continuing the traditional pre-revolutionary hierarchy and names, subsequently changing under German and, in part, even Soviet influence.

For the first time in the Armed Forces of the USSR, military ranks were introduced by a resolution of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, dated September 22, 1935. Later, on May 21, 1942, guards military ranks were introduced for military personnel of guards units and formations.

In the USSR, military service was characterized by the presence of the institution of personal military ranks assigned in the prescribed manner, according to which military personnel and those liable for military service were divided into superiors and subordinates, senior and junior.

In the USSR in 1935, new military ranks were introduced and certain military ranks of the Russian Army and Navy were restored, the highest military rank of “Marshal” was introduced Soviet Union" Until 1940, the ranks of senior command personnel, in order to avoid the word “general” associated with the White Army, were based on abbreviated names of command positions (brigade commander, division commander, commander, fleet flagship); in 1940, general and admiral ranks were introduced instead.

In the USSR, military and naval military ranks corresponding to each other were considered equal and were assigned to military personnel personally.

Hierarchy of military units, units, formations

The smallest unit with a full-time commander is a squad. That's what they call it in the infantry. It consists of approximately ten soldiers. In other branches of the military, a squad corresponds to a gun crew (in artillery) and a crew (in tank forces).

Two to four sections make up a platoon. Usually in all branches of the military this unit is called that way. Two to four platoons make up a company. Two to four (or more) companies make up a battalion. In artillery this is called a division. Several battalions make up a regiment. Several regiments make up a division. Several divisions make up a corps. Several corps make up an army (we will not go into detail about the fact that an army can consist of divisions, bypassing corps). Several armies make up a district (front, army group).

Positions, titles

Army rank coding system (according to Veremeev)

Correspondence of positions and ranks in the Soviet Army and the armies of post-Soviet states

Private

Private - the lowest, first military (special) rank in the Armed Forces (security forces) of most different countries.

In the Armed Forces of the Russian Empire, the first military rank is private in infantry (infantry) and cavalry, gunner in artillery, Cossack in irregular forces.

In the Armed Forces of the USSR, the rank of private was introduced in 1946 (before that there were the ranks of fighter and Red Army soldier).

The title comes from the medieval term "private soldiers" (a term still used in the United Kingdom), referring to soldiers who were employed by the private military units of the nobility that appeared in Europe from the 18th century.

Corporal

Corporal (from German Gefreiter - “exempt (from some orders)”) is a military rank assigned to senior privates. If necessary, the corporal can temporarily act as squad commander.

The title "corporal" appeared in Germany in the 16th century, and was then awarded in Austria and Switzerland. They were selected from experienced and reliable soldiers to relieve guards, escort prisoners, and perform other duties that required trusted people.

In the Russian Empire, the rank of corporal was introduced under Peter I, by the military regulations of 1716 in the infantry, cavalry and engineering troops. However, the title did not catch on and has not been used since 1722.

During the reign of Paul I, a roughly similar rank of private with senior salary was introduced, which after the accession of Alexander I was retained only for the guard, as an element of encouragement.

The rank was reintroduced during the military reform of 1826. In the artillery of the Russian army, the corporal corresponded to the bombardier, in the irregular troops (Cossack troops) - the orderly.

Since February 1918, Lenin’s Bolshevik regime abandoned all “old regime” ranks, including corporal, as well as the very word “soldier” as “counter-revolutionary”.

The rank of corporal was restored in the Red Army of the USSR in 1940. Awarded for exemplary performance of official duties and exemplary military discipline.

Wikipedia materials were used.

In the Charter internal service The RF Armed Forces do not provide an explanation of the purpose of the individual military rank of a serviceman. It is necessary to draw the attention of students to this fact.

Each serviceman has a personal military rank and position.

The serviceman's position is determined by most range of his official duties. Each job category corresponds to the maximum military rank for a given position. The reference is a list of typical command positions corresponding to the hierarchy of levels of military formations: from the commander of a group of troops to the squad commander.

Non-command positions in the Armed Forces include soldier positions. Other positions are considered command positions. Among command positions, typical positions and the maximum military ranks corresponding to them by category are summarized in Table 2.

The scale of non-standard military positions is determined by compliance with the standard job category (the maximum military rank for a given position).

The appearance of military ranks dates back to the 15th – 16th centuries and is associated with the origin and development of standing armies. In Russia, military ranks were first introduced in 1550 in the Streltsy army. These titles were:

foreman;

Pentecostal;

half-head (five hundred head, half-colonel);

head of the order (regiment commander, later colonel);

voivode (chief of a streltsy detachment);

Streltsy head (chief of all Streltsy parts of a city or county).

In 1632, “regiments of the new system” began to form in Russia according to the Western European model. They existed along with the regiments of the Streltsy army, but the military ranks of their command personnel (Russians and foreigners) were of the type generally accepted in Europe:

ensign;

captain (cavalry captain);

lieutenant colonel;

colonel;

Brigadier General;

Major General;

lieutenant general;

In 1722, Peter I introduced the Table of Ranks, which defined a strict hierarchy of military (land and naval) ranks, civilian and court ranks. This system, with minor changes, lasted until 1917. The system of military ranks introduced by the Table of Ranks brought the Russian military organization into line with the generally accepted Western European system. From now on, by the military rank of a Russian serviceman, it was possible to unambiguously determine the scale of his activities as a military leader.

Typical command military positions and the corresponding maximum military ranks for the teacher are summarized in Table 2. Students, as a rule, poorly grasp the concept of “the maximum military rank for the position held.” It is necessary to give a detailed explanation and use a sample survey to ensure that students understand this correctly.

Table 2. Typical military command positions

In 1917, the Soviet government abolished the military ranks of military personnel, retaining only the concept of a military position. In 1935, the Decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR established personal military ranks for military personnel. In the institutes of soldiers, sergeants and senior officers until 1940, job titles were retained as ranks. In 1940, soldier, sergeant and general ranks. All ranks were displayed on stripes and buttonholes. In 1943, shoulder straps were also restored in the Soviet Army. In 1972, the military rank of ensign returned to the Soviet Army, creating a new category and institution in the rank system.

The system of military ranks adopted in the modern Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is presented in Table 3. It is necessary to hang a poster with the table and give appropriate explanations. In this case, it is necessary to focus on the relationships between the following concepts:

The institute (composition) of military personnel is the required level of military education.

Table 3. System of military ranks in the RF Armed Forces

An officer rank, like any other military rank, is not a title, not honorary title(such as “People’s Artist”, “Honored Master of Sports”, “Honored Teacher”, “Laureate”), which is given for real or imaginary merit. The essence of a military rank is that it is, if you like, the same qualification tariff category as a 4th category welder, a 6th category turner, a 2nd class driver, a 1st category teacher, etc. That is, if we see a person with the shoulder straps of a colonel, this means that this serviceman has qualifications, education and service experience, knowledge that allows him to command a regiment (we will not go into the details and features of other positions and branches of the military. Naturally, for example, a medical colonel cannot command a regiment, but he is capable of holding relevant positions in medicine). Moreover, he will receive the rank of colonel only after he has commanded a regiment for a certain time and has proven his ability to perform these duties. Each position corresponds to a specific military rank. For example, the position of company commander corresponds to the rank of captain. Consequently, an officer of the rank of captain or lower may be appointed to this position. When the command is convinced that the officer copes with the responsibilities of a company commander, he will be awarded the rank of captain, but on the condition that he served in the previous rank for at least three years. But the company commander will no longer be able to receive the rank of major. To become a major, he must first obtain the position of deputy battalion commander. But there are 3-4 company commanders in the battalion, and there is only one deputy battalion commander! Consequently, there is constant competition in the army, and only one out of three or four officers will receive the next rank. In other words, the most capable and best make their way to the top (let’s not talk about perversions, “furry paws”, “sons” and other methods of promoting unworthy people, which ruins any army).

However, the concepts of “position” and “rank” were not always separate. If we turn to the army of the time of Peter I, it is easy to see that military ranks as such did not exist at all. What we are accustomed to understand as ranks - “colonel”, “captain”, “sergeant”, “lieutenant” - in those days existed as specific military positions. This is how a serviceman in command of a corporal (a unit of 20-25 people) was called a corporal; the sergeant controlled the execution of the captain’s orders. The captain commanded a unit of about 100 people. He was assisted by two or three lieutenants (an officer for assignments). Such concepts as “regiment commander”, “company commander”, etc. there wasn't at all. An ensign was a soldier who carried a banner (ensign) in battle. The major (translated from Dutch as “senior”) was the senior officer in the regiment and monitored the service of the other officers. There were also positions that never became ranks - captain, fiscal, provision master, auditor, Leibschitz, quartermaster...

If you look at the personnel lists of regiments of the Peter the Great era, you will not see such titles as “platoon commander”, “company commander”, “battalion commander”. It is written there - Colonel-1, Lieutenant Colonel-1, Major-1, Quartermaster-1, Adjutant-1, Auditor-1.

Accordingly, little attention is paid to insignia, although even Peter I introduced neck insignia (gorgets) for officers, on which the ranks of officers could be distinguished by the number of gilded and silver parts. There was no urgent need for this. Every soldier knew his commanders by sight, and gorgets were worn only on official occasions in the ranks. Generals did not have any insignia at all until 1827 (before Emperor Nicholas I introduced stars on epaulettes, it was impossible to distinguish a field marshal general from a major general).

This continues until the beginning of the 19th century, and only in the staff lists of the regiments of 1802 do we finally see: “Regimental commander Colonel-1, battalion commanders Lieutenant Colonel-1, Majors-4,... Here we already see that enough the concepts of "position" and "rank" were clearly separated. In the staff of the army infantry regiment dated April 30, 1802, we see that the regiment has 5 battalions and, accordingly, five battalion commanders, and one of them may have the rank of lieutenant colonel, and the other four only the rank of major .

Thus, only by the beginning of the 19th century was it finally determined:

Rank- job qualifications, the officer’s ability to command, lead a company, battalion, regiment..., the right to occupy certain positions;

Job title- the responsibilities assigned to the officer to command a specific unit.

This division of concepts, which has developed historically, is very convenient. By the rank of an officer it is easy to determine his knowledge, abilities, service experience and quite accurately place him in a certain position. The assignment of an officer to another rank tells everyone that his superiors recognize his ability to perform certain positions.

Rank insignia for officers and generals actually appeared only in 1827 (stars on epaulettes), and for soldiers and non-commissioned officers only in 1843 ("straps" on shoulder straps).

Repeatedly in various countries, government leaders who were not very knowledgeable in military affairs tried to abandon the system of military ranks and abolish rank insignia. This was the case in China for years cultural revolution(sixties-seventies of our XX century). After the revolution of 1917, when creating the Red Army, the Bolsheviks demonstratively abandoned titles “as symbols of the inequality of the exploiting classes and the working people,” and abolished all insignia. But by January 1919, insignia (for now according to positions held) returned to the sleeves. In January 1922, not wanting to admit the need to return to the system of military ranks, but understanding its urgent need, the country's leadership introduced the concept of “category”; since May 1924, there has already been a clear system of “service categories”. Military personnel are divided into 14 service categories. And in 1935 there was a full and open return to the system of personal military ranks. However, at first this was done only for middle and senior command and command personnel (the word “officer,” hated by the Bolsheviks, would return to use only in 1942-43). The ranks of the junior command staff before November 1940 will be disguised under the names “platoon commander”, “detached commander”, etc., and the ranks of the senior command staff until July 1940 sound like this: “divisional commander”, “brigade commander”, “corps commander” ...

By the way, in other armies of the world, the process of separating the concept of “rank” from the concept of “position” was long and complex. So, for example, in the Wehrmacht (1935-1945) in relation to ordinary soldiers this process never ended. Not everyone knows that in the Wehrmacht there was no such rank as “private”. The word "Der Soldat" was a collective word for all military personnel, and ordinary soldiers were called by their positions. For example, in the infantry they were called “musketeer”, “fusilier”, “grenadier”, in motorized infantry “panzergrenadier”, in artillery “gunner”, in reconnaissance “jaeger”, in the medical service “sanitetzoldat”, in the veterinary service “veterinersoldat”, in cavalry "reitar", etc. However, even in relation to non-commissioned officers, confusion between the concepts of “rank” and “position” existed in the form of the fact that literally every branch of the military, every service had its own special rank names. For example, the rank in the infantry “sergeant major” corresponded to the following ranks: in the artillery - “wachtmeister”, in the communications troops “funkmeister”, in medicine “sanitetfeldwebel”, in the artillery supply service “fireworker”, in the rear services “beschlagmeister”, in justice “heerustitswachtmeister” , in the orchestra "musikmeister" (until 1938).

CONCLUSION

To successfully jointly solve problems and organize command and control, the Armed Forces are divided into military formations. A military formation should be understood as a combination of military personnel with weapons and military equipment, controlled by a single control center and solving a common tactical, operational-tactical or strategic task.

The Battle Banner is: a sign that unites a military unit; sign indicating that a part belongs to armed forces of this state; symbol of military honor; a symbol of expressing the unity of the idea of ​​armed struggle; personification of the historical path of the part; a carrier of information about the military merits and victories of the unit.

Military ranks in the modern Russian army contribute to the establishment of correct relationships of subordination and seniority between military personnel, the correct placement of personnel, and the determination of rights, benefits and allowances of all types.

LITERATURE

1. General military regulations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. – M..: Eksmo, 2006.

2. Timofeev F.D. Basic requirements of general military regulations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: Textbook. allowance. – St. Petersburg: GUAP, 2003.

3. Fundamentals of military service, A.T. Smirnov, B.I. Mishin, V.A. Vasnev, - M.: “Mastery - Academia”, 2000.

4. Big encyclopedic Dictionary, - M.: Scientific publishing house "BRE", St. Petersburg, "Norint", 1998.

5. Soviet military encyclopedia, (in 8 volumes). - M.: Military Publishing House, 1980

6. History of the Russian Army (in 4 volumes) / A.A. Kersnovsky.- M.: “Voice”, 1992.

A military rank is assigned to a serviceman in accordance with his official position and membership in a particular branch of the armed forces.

The history of military ranks

In Rus', the emergence of permanent military formations was associated with the beginning of the use of firearms. Indeed, in order to learn how to use this type of weapon, frequent and regular classes, as well as specific knowledge. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, Streltsy hundreds appeared in Russia, and military ranks appeared in them. The first military ranks of the Russian army were: archer, foreman, centurion. However, they were an amalgamation of military rank and position held in a military formation. Later, under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, two more titles appeared - Pentecostal and Head. After this, the hierarchy of military ranks began to look like this:

1. Sagittarius.

2. Foreman.

3. Pentecostal.

4. Centurion.

5. Head.

By modern standards, a foreman can be equated to the rank of sergeant or foreman, a pentecostal to a lieutenant, a centurion, respectively, to a captain, but a head is the same as a colonel. By the way, under Boris Godunov, foreign military units - companies - already had the ranks of “captain” - captain and “lieutenant” - lieutenant, but these ranks were not used in Russian units. And to end of XVII century, during the reign of Peter the Great, the military ranks of the Russian army were replenished with the rank of half-head and colonel, the latter is still used to this day. During the same period, regiments of a foreign system were formed. Both Russians and foreign mercenaries served in them. The system of these units almost corresponded to the European ones, and the hierarchy of ranks was formed from the following ranks:

I. Soldier.

II. Cpl.

III. Ensign.

IV. Lieutenant (lieutenant).

V. Captain (captain).

VI. Quartermaster.

VII. Major.

VIII. Lieutenant colonel.

IX. Colonel.

Until 1654, the military ranks of the Tsarist Russian Army did not include the rank of general. This title was first awarded to Avram Leslie by Peter the Great for the return of the city of Smolensk. It was this king who introduced this title as an addition to the highest ranks of the state. This is how ranks appeared, etc.

Hierarchy of ranks in the early twentieth century

General (the highest military ranks of the Russian army):

General - (field marshal; lieutenant; major);

General of infantry, cavalry, etc.

Staff officers (highest military ranks of the Russian army):

Colonel;

Lieutenant colonel;

Chief officers (middle officer ranks):

Captain (captain);

Staff Captain;

Lieutenant;

Second lieutenant (cornet).

Ensigns (lower officer ranks):

Ensign, sub-ensign and ordinary ensign.

Non-commissioned officers:

Feldwebel;

Non-commissioned officer (senior, junior).

• corporal;
• private.

Military ranks in the modern Russian army (ground forces)

After the October Revolution, the establishment of Soviet power on the territory of the Russian Empire and the birth of the Soviet Army, the military regulations underwent some changes. A new hierarchy of ranks was created, which, in principle, is no different from the modern one. Below is a list including military ranks of the Russian army.

• Private and Corporal.

Junior command staff:

• Sergeant (junior, senior).
• Sergeant major.
• Ensign (senior).

Officers:

• Lieutenant (junior, senior).
• Captain.
• Major.

Officer commanding staff:

• Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel.
• General- (-major, -lieutenant, -colonel, army).

Here is a complete list, including all military ranks corresponding to each rank; these are shoulder insignia, by which you can determine the rank of a particular serviceman.