Ranks in the French Army explained

Rank insignia in the French Army are worn on the sleeve or on shoulder marks of uniforms, and range up to the highest rank of Marshal of France, a state honour denoted with a seven-star insignia that was last conferred posthumously on Marie Pierre Koenig in 1984.

Infantry arms and cavalry arms

Rank insignia in the French army depend on whether the soldier belongs to an infantry or cavalry unit. The infantry arms (French: armes à pied) include normal infantry, naval troops, the Foreign Legion and engineers; cavalry arms (French: armes à cheval) include armoured cavalry, artillery, maintenance and logistics. Sleeves are emblazoned with marks denoting either gold insignia for the infantry or silver/white for the cavalry. However, the artillery uses gold as the main colour, despite being a cavalry branch, and spahis use gold as the main colour despite being part of the cavalry, a distinction representing the armoured cavalry.

Marshal

The title of "marshal of France" (French: maréchal de France) is awarded as a distinction, rather than a rank. The marshals wear seven stars and carry a baton.

As a distinction rather than a rank, the title of Marshal is granted through a special law voted by the French Parliament. For this reason, it is impossible to demote a Marshal. The most famous example is Philippe Pétain, who became famous as French: Maréchal Pétain, chief of state of the Vichy France regime. When he was tried for high treason, the judges were empowered to demote his other ranks and titles, but due to the principle of separation of powers, the judges had no authority to cancel the law that had made Pétain a Marshal and it remained the only title he kept after being sentenced.

Six marshals of France have been given the even more exalted rank of "Marshal General of France" (French: Maréchal général de France): Duke de Biron, Duke de Lesdiguières, Viscount de Turenne, de Villars, Count de Saxe and Jean-de-Dieu Soult.

Officers

Although they all wear the same insignia and titles, officers are divided into:

French: Officiers généraux - general officers

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rank
Rank insigniaNameDescription
Shoulder[1] SleeveCamouflageFrenchEnglish translation
OF-9French: Général d'arméeArmy generalIn command of an army.
OF-8French: Général de corps d'arméeArmy corps generalIn command of an army corps.
OF-7French: Général de divisionDivisional generalIn command of a division.
OF-6French: Général de brigadeBrigade generalIn command of a brigade, or of a French: région in the Gendarmerie.

There is no distinction between infantry and cavalry generals, since they are all supposed to be able to command any type of unit. The rank was formerly designated as Lieutenant-General of the Armies until 1791. The official historic succession of the "Lieutenant-General of France" corresponded to Général de division for the French Army, and Vice-Amiral (Vice-Admiral) for the French Navy. The rank of Général de corps d'armée wasn't officially adopted until 1939, along with five other French Armed Forces ranks. It must also be noted that Army corps general and Army general are not really ranks, but styles and positions (Rang et appellation in french) bestowed upon a Divisional general, which is the highest substantive rank in the French Army.

French: Officiers supérieurs - senior officers

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rank
Rank insigniaNameNotes
ShoulderCamouflageFrenchEnglish translation
OF-5French: ColonelColonelA colonel commands a regiment of the army or a French: groupement of the Gendarmerie. During the French Revolution, they were called French: chef de brigade. Cavalry arms wear silver. The origin of the difference in metal colour is that infantry officers once wore silver epaulettes, while those of the cavalry and other arms wore gold, and the colour of the rank badge had to differ from these metals in each case.
OF-4French: Lieutenant-colonelLieutenant colonelThe French: lieutenant-colonel has the same responsibilities as a colonel. They were called French: major during the First French Empire.
OF-3French: CommandantCommandantAlso called French: chef de bataillon in the infantry, French: chef d'escadrons in the cavalry and French: chef d'escadron in the artillery and in the army light aviation) is equivalent to a major in most English-speaking countries.

French: Officiers subalternes - junior officers

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rank
Rank insigniaNameNotes
ShoulderCamouflageFrenchEnglish translation
OF-2French: CapitaineCaptainIn command of a company (French: compagnie) of infantry, a squadron (French: escadron) of cavalry or a battery (French: batterie) of artillery.
OF-1French: LieutenantLieutenantCommands a platoon (French: section) of infantry, a troop (French: peloton) of cavalry, or a French: brigade of the Gendarmerie.
French: Sous-lieutenantSub-lieutenantCommands at the same level as a French: lieutenant, but is a more junior officer rank.
French: AspirantAspirantAn Officer Designate rank. Technically it is not a commissioned rank but it is still treated in all respects as one. Aspirants are either officers in training in military academies or voluntaries, serving as temporary officers. The aspirant must have been previously French: élève officier (Officer Cadet). They can afterwards be commissioned as a French: sous-lieutenant. The insignia is a single curl of gold lace, disrupted by "flashes" of wool. It was widely used during both World Wars for providing young educated people with an officer's authority.
French: Élève officierOfficer cadetA rank held during the first years at the officer academies (École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr, École militaire interarmes or École des officiers de la gendarmerie nationale)

French: Sous-officiers - sub-officers, i.e. non-commissioned officers

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rank
Rank insigniaNameNotes
ShoulderCamouflageFrenchEnglish translation
OR-9French: MajorMajorSenior sub-officer rank since 1 January 2009 this grade is attached to the French: sous-officiers. Prior to this date it was an independent French: corps between the French: sous-officiers and the French: officiers. There is typically at least one French: Major per regiment and several in a brigade.
French: Adjudant-chefChief AdjutantOften same responsibilities as the lieutenant.
OR-8French: AdjudantAdjutantOften same responsibilities as an adjudant-chef.
OR-7French: Sergent-chef brevet militaire de 2e niveau French: Maréchal-des-logis-chef de 1<sup>ere</sup> classe Brevet chief sergeant 2nd levelChief marshal of lodgings first classIntroduced in September 2022, as part of a reform to the NCO ranks.[2]
OR-6French: Sergent-Chef French: Maréchal des logis-chef Chief sergeantChief marshal of lodgingsAddressed as "chef". Typically a platoon second-in-command.
OR-5French: Sergent French: [[Maréchal des logis]] SergeantMarshal of lodgingsTypically in command of a "group" (i.e. squad).
French: Élève sous-officierNCO studentNCO candidates at the ENSOA.

French: Aspirants are cadet officers still in training. French: Sous-lieutenants are junior officers and are often aided by French: adjudants or French: adjudants-chefs, who are experienced NCOs/warrant officers.

Full French: lieutenants are experienced junior officers, served by sergeants when commanding their unit.

A four chevron French: sergent-chef-major rank existed until 1947. It was a ceremonial rank usually given to the most senior or experienced NCO in a unit. It was discontinued in the post-war army due to its redundancy.

French: Militaires du rang - Troop ranks

Junior enlisted grades have different cloth stripe and beret colour depending on the service they are assigned to. French: Troupes métropolitaines ("from the French mainland") units wear blue, French: Troupes de marine (the former French: troupes coloniales') wear red, and the French: Légion Étrangère (Foreign Legion) units wear green.

A red beret indicates a paratrooper, whether from the "troupes de marine" or not. A legionnaire paratrooper wears a green beret with the general parachutist badge on it, the same badge used by all French Army paratroopers who completed their training.

Senior grades' lace stripe metal depends on their arm of service, just like the officiers. Infantry and support units wear gold stripes and cavalry and technical services units wear silver stripes.

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rank
Rank insigniaNameNotes
ShoulderCamouflageFrenchEnglish translation
OR-4French: Caporal-chef de première classeChief corporal first classDistinction created in 1999. French: Caporal-chef after at least 11 years of service and appropriate degree.
French: Caporal-chef French: Brigadier-chef Chief corporalChief brigadier Often same responsibilities as a sergent.
OR-3French: Caporal French: Brigadier CorporalBrigadierIn command of an French: équipe - literally a team (fireteam). Presently this size unit is a French: trinôme in the army.
OR-2French: Soldat de première classeSoldier first classThis is a distinction rather than a rank.

There are also distinctions to distinguish volunteers and conscripts, and bars for experience (one for five years, up to four can be obtained).

Engineer officer ranks

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rank
Rank insigniaNameNotes
French: Ingénieurs de l'armementFrench: Ingénieurs des études et<br>techniques de l'armementFrenchEnglish translation
OF-9French: Ingénieur général de classe exceptionnelleEngineer general exceptional class
OF-8French: Ingénieur général hors classeEngineer general special class
OF-7French: Ingénieur général de première classeEngineer general first class
OF-6French: Ingénieur général de deuxième classeEngineer general second class
OF-5French: Ingénieur en chef de première classeChief engineer first class
OF-4French: Ingénieur en chef de deuxième classeChief engineer second class
OF-3French: Ingénieur principalPrincipal engineer
OF-2French: Ingénieur de première classeEngineer first class
OF-1French: Ingénieur de deuxième classeEngineer second class
French: Ingénieur de troisième classeEngineer third class
French: AspirantAspirant

Army Commissariat Service officer ranks

These ranks apply the word French: commissaire in light of their participation and role in the Commissariat Service of the army.

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rank
Rank insigniaNameNotes
ShoulderFrenchEnglish translation
OF-8French: Commissaire général de corps d'arméeCommissary army corps general
OF-7French: Commissaire général de divisionCommissary divisional general
OF-6French: Commissaire général de brigadeCommissary brigade general
OF-5French: Commissaire colonelCommissary Colonel
OF-4French: Commissaire lieutenant-colonelCommissary Lieutenant colonel
OF-3French: Commissaire commandantCommissary Commandant
OF-2French: Commissaire capitaineCommissary Captain
OF-1French: Commissaire lieutenantCommissary Lieutenant
French: Commissaire sous-lieutenantCommissary Sub-lieutenant
French: Élève commissaireCommissary Officer cadet

Ranks formerly used in the Army

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Instruction N° 10300/DEF/EMAT/LOG/ASH . 13 June 2005 . Staff of the French Army . 30 May 2021 . fr.
  2. Web site: Première remise du nouveau galon de SCH BM2 par le CEMAT . rh-terre.defense.gouv.fr . 12 September 2022 . fr . 7 September 2022.