Common anglophone military ranks
NaviesArmiesAir forces
Officers
Admiral of the fleetMarshal /
field marshalMarshal of
the Air Force
AdmiralGeneralAir marshal
CommodoreBrigadierAir commodore
CaptainColonelGroup captain
CommanderLieutenant colonelWing commander
Lieutenant
commanderMajor /
commandantSquadron
leader
LieutenantCaptainFlight lieutenant
Sub-lieutenantLieutenantFlying officer
Ensign2nd lieutenantPilot officer
MidshipmanOfficer cadetOfficer cadet
Seamen, soldiers and airmen
Warrant officerSergeant major /
Warrant officerWarrant officer
Petty officerSergeantSergeant
Leading seamanCorporalCorporal
SeamanPrivateAircraftman

Contents

1 Insignia

1.1 Army insignia

1.2 Air Force insignia


2 Brigadier general ranks by country

2.1 Argentina

2.2 Australia

2.3 Bangladesh

2.4 Belgium

2.5 Brazil

2.6 Canada

2.7 China

2.8 Colombia

2.9 Denmark

2.10 Estonia

2.11 France

2.12 Germany

2.13 Greece

2.14 Hungary

2.15 Indonesia

2.16 Iran

2.17 Ireland

2.18 Israel

2.19 Jordan

2.20 South Korea

2.21 Burma (Myanmar)

2.22 Mexico

2.23 Pakistan

2.24 Poland

2.25 Portugal

2.26 Spain

2.27 Sweden

2.28 Turkey

2.29 United Kingdom

2.30 United States


3 See also

4 References and notes

Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000 troops (four battalions). In some countries a brigadier general is informally designated as a one-star general.

In some countries, this rank is given the name of brigadier, which is often considered to not be a general-officer rank, but is usually equivalent to brigadier general in the armies of nations that use the rank.

The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general, or simply a brigadier, would command a brigade in the field. An alternative rank of "brigade general" was first used in the French revolutionary armies.

In the first quarter of the 20th century, British and Commonwealth armies used the rank of brigadier general as a temporary appointment, or as an honorary appointment on retirement; in the 1920s this practice changed to the use of brigadier, which is not classed as a general officer.

Brazil and a few countries uses major general as the equivalent of brigadier general. Some of these countries then generally use a rank of colonel general to make four general-officer ranks.[citation needed]

The naval equivalent is usually commodore.[1]

Insignia
Army insignia

Australian Army:
(until 1922)
Brigadier general

Belgium:
General de brigade /