Generally, the highest U.S. military rank is O-10, or a four-star general. A five-star rank, created during World War II, was meant to be reserved for wartime or exceptiona… See more

The best way to understand Army ranks in order is to see each pay grade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Army. You also can read m… See more

The best way to understand Air Force ranks in order is to see each paygrade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Air Force. Unlike the other s… See more

Both maritime services, the Navy and Coast Guard use a rank structure that mirrors each other. While the symbols for the ranks used on their uniforms are different sh… See more

The best way to understand Marine Corps ranks in order is to see each paygrade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Marine Corps. Yo… See more