Shelbyville Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol

Rank Abbreviations

There seems to be a massive amount of confusion about how to abbreviate rank, especially for CAP members. It is imperative that proper abbreviations be used.

Below are the official abbreviations for all CAP and Air Force Ranks. Use of any other rank abbreviation is not authorized by USAF and CAP regulations.

United States Air Force

ENLISTED
Rate	Rank	Abbrev.
E-1	Airman Basic	AB
E-2	Airman	Amn
E-3	Airman First Class	A1C
E-4	Senior Airman	SrA
E-5	Staff Sergeant	SSgt
E-6	Technical Sergeant	TSgt
E-7	Master Sergeant	MSgt
E-7	First Sergeant	1stSgt
E-8	Senior Master Sergeant	SMSgt
E-8	First Sergeant	1stSgt
E-9	Chief Master Sergeant	CMSgt
	First Sergeant	1stSgt
	Command Chief Master Sergeant	CCMSgt
	Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force	CMSAF

OFFICER
Rate	Rank	Abbrev.
O-1	Second Lieutenant	2d Lt
O-2	First Lieutenant	1st Lt
O-3	Captain	Capt
O-4	Major	Maj
O-5	Lieutenant Colonel	Lt Col
O-6	Colonel	Col
O-7	Brigadier General	Brig Gen
O-8	Major General	Maj Gen
O-9	Lieutenant General	Lt Gen
O-10	General	Gen
O-10	General of the Air Force

Civil Air Patrol Ranks - Cadet

Cadet Enlisted
Rank	Abbrev.
Cadet Airman Basic	C/AB
Cadet Airman	C/Amn
Cadet Airman First Class	C/A1C
Cadet Senior Airman	C/SrA
Cadet Staff Sergeant	C/SSgt
Cadet Technical Sergeant	C/TSgt
Cadet Master Sergeant	C/MSgt
Cadet First Sergeant	C/1stSgt
Cadet Senior Master Sergeant	C/SMSgt
Cadet First Sergeant	C/1stSgt
Cadet Chief Master Sergeant	C/CMSgt
Cadet First Sergeant	C/1stSgt
Cadet Officer
Rank	Abbrev.
Second Lieutenant	C/2d Lt
First Lieutenant	C/1st Lt
Captain	C/Capt
Major	C/Maj
Lieutenant Colonel	C/LtCol
Colonel	C/Col

Civil Air Patrol Ranks - Senior

OFFICER
Rate	Rank	Abbrev.
	Flight Officer	FO
	Technical Flight Officer	TFO
	Senior Flight Officer	SFO
O-1	Second Lieutenant	2d Lt
O-2	First Lieutenant	1st Lt
O-3	Captain	Capt
O-4	Major	Maj
O-5	Lieutenant Colonel	Lt Col
O-6	Colonel	Col
O-7	Brigadier General	Brig Gen
O-8	Major General	Maj Gen

Included in this page are the ranks and abbreviations of the other services in the United States.

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UNITED STATES ARMY

Enlisted
Rate	Rank	Abbrev.
E-1	Private	PVT
E-2	Private	PV2
E-3	Private First Class	PFC
E-4	Specialist	SPC
E-4	Corporal	CPL
E-5	Sergeant	SGT
E-6	Staff Sergeant	SSG
E-7	Sergeant First Class	SFC
E-8	Master Sergeant	MSG
E-8	First Sergeant	1SGT
E-9	Sergeant Major	SGM
	Command Sergeant Major	CSM
	Sergeant Major of the Army	SMA
WARRANT OFFICER
Rate	Rank	Abbrev.
W-1	Warrant Officer	WO1
W-2	Chief Warrant Officer 2	WO2
W-3	Chief Warrant Officer 3	WO3
W-4	Chief Warrant Officer 4	WO4
W-5	Master Warrant Officer 5	WO5

OFFICER
Rate	Rank	Abbrev.
O-1	Second Lieutenant	2LT
O-2	First Lieutenant	1LT
O-3	Captain	CPT
O-4	Major	MAJ
O-5	Lieutenant Colonel	LTC
O-6	Colonel	COL
O-7	Brigadier General	BG
O-8	Major General	MG
O-9	Lieutenant General	LTG
O-10	General	GEN
O-10	General of the Army

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United States Coast Guard

ENLISTED
Rate	Rank	Abbrev.
E-1	Seaman Recruit	SR
E-2	Fireman/Seaman Apprentice	FA/SA
E-3	Fireman/Seaman Apprentice	FN/SN
E-4	Petty Officer Third Class	PO3
E-5	Petty Officer Second Class	PO2
E-6	Petty Officer First Class	PO1
E-7	Chief Petty Officer	CPO
E-8	Senior Chief Petty Officer	SCPO
E-9	Master Chief Petty Officer	MCPO
	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Command	MCPOC
	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard	MPCO-CG
Warrant Officer
Rate	Rank	Abbrev.
W-2	Chief Warrant Officer CWO-2	CWO-2
W-3	Chief Warrant Officer CWO-3	CWO-3
W-4	Chief Warrant Officer CWO-4	CWO-4

OFFICER
Rate	Rank	Abbrev
O-1	Ensign	ENS
O-2	Lieutenant Junior Grade	LTJG
O-3	Lieutenant	LT
O-4	Lieutenant Commander	LTC
O-5	Commander	CDR
O-6	Captain	CAPT
O-7	Commodore	COMO
O-8	Rear Admiral	RADM
O-9	Vice Admiral	VADM
O-10	Admiral	ADM

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united states Marine Corps

ENLISTED
Rate	Rank	Abbrev.
E-1	Private	Pvt
E-2	Private First Class	PFC
E-3	Lance Corporal	LCpl
E-4	Corporal	Cpl
E-5	Sergeant	Sgt
E-6	Staff Sergeant	SSgt
E-7	Gunnery Sergeant	GySgt
E-8	Master Sergeant	MSgt
E-8	First Sergeant	FSgt
E-9	Master Gunnery Sergeant	MGySgt
	Sergeant Major	SgtMaj
	Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps	SgtMajMC

Warrant Officer
Rate	Rank	Abbrev.
W-1	Warrant Officer	W1
W-2	Chief Warrant Officer 2	W2
W-3	Chief Warrant Officer 3	W3
W-4	Chief Warrant Officer 4	W4
W-5	Chief Warrant Officer 5	W5
OFFICER
Rate	Rank	Abbrev.
O-1	Second Lieutenant	2ndLt
O-2	First Lieutenant	1stLt
O-3	Captain	Capt
O-4	Major	Maj
O-5	Lieutenant Colonel	LtCol
O-6	Colonel	Col
O-7	Brigadier General	BGen
O-8	Major General	MajGen
O-9	Lieutenant General	LtGen
O-10	General	Gen

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United States Navy

ENLISTED
Pay Grade	Rate	Abbreviation	Upper Sleeve	Collar and Cap
E-1	Seaman Recruit	SR	none	none
E-2	Seaman Apprentice	SA		none
E-3	Seaman	SN		none
E-4	Petty Officer Third Class	PO3
E-5	Petty Officer Second Class	PO2
E-6	Petty Officer First Class	PO1
E-7	Chief Petty Officer	CPO
E-8	Senior Chief Petty Officer	SCPO
E-9	Master Chief Petty Officer	MCPO
E-9	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy	MCPON

Warrant Officer
Pay Grade	Rank	Abbreviation	Collar	Shoulder	Sleeve
W-1*	Warrant Officer	WO1
W-2	Chief Warrant Officer	CWO2
W-3	Chief Warrant Officer	CWO3
W-4	Chief Warrant Officer	CWO4
W-5*	Chief Warrant Officer	CWO5

OFFICER
Pay Grade	Rank	Abbreviation	Collar	Shoulder	Sleeve
O-1	Ensign	ENS
O-2	Lieutenant Junior Grade	LTJG
O-3	Lieutenant	LT
O-4	Lieutenant Commander	LCDR
O-5	Commander	CDR
O-6	Captain	CAPT
O-7	Rear Admiral (lower half)	RDML
O-8	Rear Admiral (upper half)	RADM
O-9	Vice Admiral	VADM
O-10	Admiral	ADM
O-11	Fleet Admiral*	FADM

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