United States Air Force Officer Ranks (Ordered By Seniority)
| O-1 | Second Lieutenant | 2d Lt | Commissioned Officer |
| O-2 | First Lieutenant | 1st L | Commissioned Officer |
| O-3 | Captain | Capt | Commissioned Officer |
| O-4 | Major | Maj | Field Officer |
| O-5 | Lieutenant Colonel | Lt Co | Field Officer |
Who is the highest ranking officer in the Air Force?
Commissioned Ranks
- Pilot Officer
- Flight Lieutenant
- Wing Commander
- Air Commodore
- Air Marshal
- Marshal of the Royal Air Force
What is the highest rank in Air Force?
- Grade. Insg. Abbrv. Title.
- O-1. 2d Lt. Second Lieutenant.
- O-2. 1st Lt. First Lieutenant.
- O-3. Capt. Captain.
- O-4. Maj. Major.
- O-5. Lt Col. Lieutenant Colonel.
- O-6. Col. Colonel.
- O-7. Brig Gen. Brigadier General.
What are Air Force ranks in order?
- Afghan National Air Corps
- Argentine Air Force
- Belgian Air Component
- Eritrean Air Force
- Finnish Air Force
- Swedish Air Force (sometimes the English translation of the Swedish Air Force officer rank titles follows the RAF pattern)
- Royal Malaysian Air Force
- Peruvian Air Force
- Royal Netherlands Air Force
- Royal Danish Air Force
What is the Air Force rank structure?
¹ The U.S. Air Force does not have a separate First Sergeant rank; it is instead a duty denoted by a diamond within the upper field. While all Air Force military personnel are referred to as Airmen, it can specifically refer to the pay grades of E-1 through E-4 which are below the level of non-commissioned officers (NCOs).
What rank do officers start at Air Force?
Company-Grade Officers (O-1 to O-3) Newly commissioned officers begin as second lieutenants.
What are the ranks in the Air Force in order?
Air Force Ranks: Airman (E-1 through E-4)Airman (E-2) ... Airman First Class (E-3) ... Senior Airman (E-4) ... Staff Sergeant (E-5) ... Technical Sergeant (E-6) ... Master Sergeant (E-7) ... Senior Master Sergeant (E-8) ... Chief Master Sergeant (E-9)More items...
What does officer mean in the Air Force?
Officer careers typically involve leadership roles like planning and directing military operations, strategically working with enlisted service members or serving in specialized medical or legal roles. Officer careers require a college degree.
What rank is officer?
Officers generally reach the rank of first lieutenant after 18 to 24 months of service. Soldiers at this rank may lead more specialized weapons platoons and indirect fire computation centers. The captain commands and controls company-sized units (62 to 190 Soldiers).
Who is the lowest ranked Air Force officer?
Answer. Air Force officer ranks are divided into three sections: company grade, field grade, and general officers. Company grade officers are those officers in grades O-1 to O-3, field grade officers are grades O-4 to O-6, and general officers are O-7 and above.
What is highest rank in Air Force?
General of the Air ForceGeneral of the Air Force (GAF) is a five-star general officer rank and is the highest possible rank in the United States Air Force.
How hard is it to become an officer in the Air Force?
The Air Force also likes their officers to have a very high college GPA (3.2 or above is considered competitive). For pilots, while a technical degree is not required, one still needs a very high GPA, and a high score on the Pilot/Navigator sections of the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) to be selected.
Do officers outrank enlisted?
Warrant Officers outrank all enlisted members, but are not required to have a college degree. Commissioned Officers outrank Warrant Officers and enlisted service members, and must have a minimum of a four-year bachelor's degree.
Is it better to be enlisted or an officer?
Officers will start out at a higher pay grade than enlisted personnel, though enlisted service members are eligible for a variety of bonuses that can be quite substantial. Officers will also receive higher benefits such as monthly Basic Allowance for Housing.
What is difference between enlisted and officer?
In a nutshell, enlisted soldiers are the backbone of the military, comprising about 83% of the armed forces. Enlisted service members are responsible for completing military missions and carrying out orders. Officers act as managers for those soldiers, planning missions, giving orders, and assigning soldiers to tasks.
Is a sergeant an officer?
The term sergeant refers to a non-commissioned officer placed above the rank of a corporal, and a police officer immediately below a lieutenant in the US, and below an inspector in the UK. In most armies, the rank of sergeant corresponds to command of a squad (or section).
What is the lowest rank in military?
For example, the lowest military enlisted rank is "E-1," while the highest military officer rank in use is "O-10." While each service may call them something different, they all can be boiled down to "E" and "O." The only rank names and abbreviations that are exactly the same across all services who use them are those ...
What is a 7 level in the Air Force?
The fourth character (7) is the airman's skill level. In this case, the skill level is “craftsman.” Upon promotion to E-5, airmen begin training for the “7” (craftsman) skill level. This level of training includes correspondence courses, more on-the-job training, and for some jobs, a seven-level technical school.
What's After Lieutenant Colonel?
Air Force RanksPay GradeTitleAbbreviationO-5Lieutenant ColonelLt ColO-6ColonelColO-7Brigadier GeneralBrig GenO-8Major GeneralMaj Gen19 more rows•Apr 6, 2012
What is a 5 level in the Air Force?
Airmen are normally awarded the "5" (journeyman) skill level after a period of on-the-job training and correspondence courses, or CDCs. Depending on the job, this process can last anywhere between 12 and 18 months.
What is the salary of a lieutenant in the Air Force?
The average salary of a Honorary Flight Lieutenant at Indian Air Force is ₹ 12.2 Lakhs per year which is 13% less than average salary of a Honorary Flight Lieutenant in India which receives a salary of ₹ 14 Lakhs per year.
What is an Air Force officer?
Officers in the United States Air Force are highly trained airmen responsible for leading groups of airmen in the field and serving as the utmost example of Air Force service and ideals.
What companies offer discounts to military?
In addition to basic pay and allowances, active-duty airmen, veterans, and even their families are eligible for hundreds of discounts and additional benefits offered by organizations and private companies like JetBlue , United Airlines , Verizon , and hundreds more.
What are the United States Air Force officer ranks?
The United States Air Force officer ranks are used to differentiate officers from enlisted personnel and can help individuals determine the appropriate officer to contact in various situations.
What is the difference between officer ranks and pay grades?
While professionals often associate the ranks of officers with their pay grade, their ranks are used to signify different responsibilities of their position. An officer's rank reflects their level of responsibility while an officer's pay grade is an administrative classification to standardize compensation across the military services.
Types of Air Force office ranks
There are ten different Air Force officer ranks that have varying levels of responsibilities and expectations. Each officer starts as a second or first lieutenant and earns promotions as they achieve certain times in the military and in each rank. Here is a list of each Air Force officer rank:
What is the rank of a general officer?
General Officers, or Flag Officers. General officers, also known as Flag Officers, are those in the ranks of O-7 and above. The General of the Air Force, O-11, is a special appointment that is only made in time of war. General officers are usually base or Wing Commanders, or serve as Staff at Higher Headquarters level or joint billets.
What is a company grade officer?
Company grade Officers are those officers of grades Second Lieutenant (O-1) to Captain (O-3). Officers are generally commissioned as Second Lieutenants and promote through the ranks. However, some Commissioned Airmen may skip some ranks or receive accelerated promotion through the ranks based on their Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) and civilian world experience. This is usually limited to members in the professions, such as medical, legal, and chaplain career fields. Your recruiter can help you understand whether or not you will be eligible for accelerated rank or promotions.
What is the O-7 in the Air Force?
Brigadier General (O-7) : Command large operational Wings, serve as Senior Staff Officers of a Numbered Air Force or higher level staff, serve as a Commandant or Dean of the USAFA or other educational institution.
What is above the zone promotion?
Above-the-Zone promotions occur after and officer has initially been passed over for promotion more than once. Above-the-Zone promotions are rare, and most officers passed up for promotion more than once are required to separate from active duty or retire.
Is the Air Force the same as the Navy?
The United States Air Force officer rank structure is similar to that of the other military branches with some notable exceptions: there are no warrant officers, as are found in each of the other military branches, and the US Navy has a unique officer rank structure. Officer ranks are the same in the USAF, US Army, and US Marines.
What rank do officers start at?
Officers generally reach the rank of first lieutenant after 18 to 24 months of service. Soldiers at this rank may lead more specialized weapons platoons and indirect fire computation centers. The captain commands and controls company-sized units (62 to 190 Soldiers).
What do officers in the Air Force do?
Air force officers specialise in flying or ground duties, and supervise a team of air force personnel. They coordinate their team’s training and welfare, and perform duties specific to their area of specialisation.
How many officers are in the Air Force?
About 62,000 active-duty Air Force officers serve in more than 100 career fields.
Which is an officer rank?
Army officer ranks are in three tiers: company grade, field grade and general. Army officers in the ranks of O-1 to O-3 are called company grade officers; those in the pay grades O-4 to O-6 are known as field grade officers, and those in pay grades O-7 and above are known as general officers.
What is the highest ranking officer in the Air Force?
General (Gen/O-10) Gen is the highest-ranked officer in the USAF and holds four stars. They are the principal leaders of NAF or assigned other duties such as treaty organizations such as NATO, and as the Chief of Staff.
What is an officer in the military?
Officers are the managers of the Military, acting in leadership roles that require planning, directing operations and making critical decisions. Officer positions also include careers that require advanced degrees, such as law and medicine.
How long can officers stay in the military?
By policy, Reserve Officers are limited to 20 years of military service; this may be extended as needed to meet specific service requirements. Regular Officers may not be involuntarily released from active duty because of a reduction in the size of the officer force.
What is the highest rank in the Air Force?
The rank of chief master sergeant is the highest Air Force enlisted rank, with the exception of the chief master sergeant of the Air Force. The CMSAF is a distinctive rank with special basic and retired pay rates set by law.
What is the rank of an airman?
The rank of airman brings with it the responsibility of adjusting to the Air Force way of military life and becoming proficient in an Air Force occupational specialty. Upon leaving basic training, all airmen enter training at Air Force schools in their specialties ("jobs"), depending on their aptitudes and interests, and the needs of the Air Force.
What is the role of an Airman First Class?
An Airman first class is expected to comply with Air Force standards and serve as a role model for subordinates. In addition, they are expected to start mastering their job and leadership skills.
What is an Airman Basic?
An airman basic is an apprentice who is acquiring and demonstrating knowledge of military customs, courtesies, traditions and Air Force standards while learning military and technical skills. Under normal conditions, promotions to E-2 are automatic as long as the Air Force's standards for performance and behavior are met.
What is a command chief?
Command chiefs are the functional managers for all SNCOs in their entire command/organization. Moving up the Air Force Ranks: Only 1% of the Air Force enlisted personnel can hold the grade of E9 at any one time. This makes the competition for CMSgt promotions extremely tight.
What is a command chief master sergeant?
Command chief master sergeants serve as senior advisers to unit and base commanders. CMCs advise the commander on all enlisted matters, including all issues affecting the command's mission and operations, and the readiness, training, utilization, morale, technical and professional development and quality of life of all enlisted members in the organization. Command chiefs are the functional managers for all SNCOs in their entire command/organization.
What is the first class of Airmen?
Airmen first class are considered to be fully adjusted to Air Force and military life, and their duties focus on carrying out their assignments efficiently and effectively while honing their job skills.
What is the highest rank in the Air Force?
The highest rank achievable in the Air Force is General of the Air Force.
How many Air Force personnel are involved in aviation?
While the Air Force has many different types of aircraft, less than 25% of Air Force personnel are involved with Aviation. The rest ensure our military has the most advanced capabilities with Space Systems and Cyber Warfare. Unlike other branches, personnel may spend their entire careers in Business Acquisition.
What companies offer discounts to military?
In addition to basic pay and allowances, active-duty airmen, veterans, and even their families are eligible for hundreds of discounts and additional benefits offered by organizations and private companies like JetBlue , United Airlines , Verizon , and hundreds more.
Which branch of the military is the most technologically advanced?
The Air Force is the most technological of the branches, as well as the "most business-like" (least strict). There is a general concensus in the military that quality of life for servicemembers in the Air Force is highest.
Is the Air Force a land or sea war?
Just as the Army fights land wars and the Navy fights sea wars, the Air Force was originally envisioned to fight air wars. While wars in the past 70 years couldn't be fought with aircraft alone, the age of Drones and Artificial Intelligence may cause a paradigm shift where air-only wars are possible.
