The Italian Army ranks are the ranks used by the Italian Army, the insignia for which are worn on epaulettes of shirts. Ranks in the Italian Army indicate both their officers' status and seniority, as dedicated members of the Italian militia. As of 2024, the lowest rank is "soldato semplice" and the highest rank is "generale". There are a total of 32 ranks in seven categories. These categories include: temporary service volunteers, permanent service volunteers, sergeants, marshals (NCOs), junior officers, senior officers, and generals.[1]
In order to clearly show an officer's rank as a form of identification and authority, insignia patches are worn by all members of the Italian army. In each ranking category of officer, there is a trend in the symbols shown on their insignia patches. As soldiers gain ranks, the symbols on their insignia become more detailed and recognizable, such as adding an additional star or stripe per higher rank achieved.[2]
The chart below represents the Italian Army rank insignia used on the slip-on of winter service uniforms. The color of the uniforms is khaki.[3]
Officers who are assigned to an acting position corresponding to a higher rank than their own wear the insignia of the higher rank, but with the highest star of the insignia trimmed in red enamel. Similarly, an officer temporarily assigned to a position of higher rank in the absence of the incumbent officer displays the highest star in the colour bronze.
The Italian rank system has a large number of junior NCO ranks. Several ranks (which are variations on corporal) have a "chosen" version of the rank, "chosen" having the same sense of "leading", as in the historic British Army appointment of "chosen man" (now called lance-corporal).
| Officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Generals | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Translation | General | Corps General with special tasks | Lieutenant general | Major general | Brigadier general | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | First captain | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-officers | Volunteer ratings | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marshals | Sergeants | Permanent service volunteers | Temporary service volunteers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Translation | First sub-lieutenant | Sub-lieutenant | First marshal |
| Chief sergeant major adjutant | Chief sergeant major | Sergeant major | Sergeant |
| Corporal-major | Corporal | Private | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Enlisted insignia saw no significant changes until 1973 when the chevrons were moved from the sleeve to the shoulder board. In 1997 the new ranks from 1°CM to CMCS were created for permanent service enlisted personnel, and the new insignia were created. in the same year, the rank of C.le Sc. was created as top rank for conscript personnel with corresponing shoulder board insignia.
The rank of Italian: caporale is not a command grade and only results in a higher paygrade, and may be attained by conscript personnel. The ranks up to Italian: caporal maggiore may be attained by temporary service personnel. Higher ranks may only be attained by permanent service personnel. Sergeants generally have team command tasks, and are appointed in the rank only after several months in a training course.
The rank of Italian: soldato is used only for recruits and is substituted by the following, depending on the branch or service of their assignment
Italian Army officers used to wear the ranks on the sleeve, like naval officers. Since 1946, insignia were changed in order to align with NATO regulations. In 1973 the system had the following slight change: the "bastion wall" was added to the stars for general officers, instead of the silver shoulder board; the civic crown was added to the stars for field officers, instead of a gold band on the edge of the epaulette or shoulder strap; the stars began to be placed near the edge of the epaulette instead of in the center. These changes were mostly intended to make insignia more easily recognizable on the field uniform.
See also: Military ranks of the Kingdom of Italy and Military ranks of the Italian Social Republic.
| Other rank insignia | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATO Code | OR-9 | OR-7 | OR-4 | ||||||
| Shoulder board | |||||||||
| Italian[5] | Italian: Primo luogotenente q.s.[6] | Italian: Sergente maggiore capo q.s. | Italian: Caporale maggiore capo scelto q.s. | ||||||
| English | Sub-lieutenant (special class) | Chief Sergeant Major (special class) | Senior Chief Corporal-Major (special class) | ||||||
On 5 August 2022 the Italian: Caporale maggiore ranks in OR-4 were retitled as Italian: Graduato.[7] Italian: Primo luogotenente q.s. and Italian: Sergente maggiore capo q.s. were also renamed.[7]
| NATO code | OR-9 | OR-7 | OR-4 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia | ||||||||
| Italian: Caporale maggiore capo scelto | Italian: Caporale maggiore capo | Italian: Caporale maggiore scelto | Italian: Primo caporale maggiore | |||||
| Italian: Primo luogotenente q.s. | Italian: Sergente maggiore capo q.s. | Italian: Caporale maggiore capo scelto q.s. | Italian: Caporale maggiore capo scelto | Italian: Caporale maggiore capo | Italian: Caporale maggiore scelto | Italian: Primo caporale maggiore | ||
| Italian: Primo luogotenente | Italian: Sergente maggiore aiutante | Italian: Gradutato aiutante | Italian: Primo graduato | Italian: Graduato capo | Italian: Graduato scelto | Italian: Graduato | ||