Military ranks of Ethiopia

The military ranks of Ethiopia are the military insignia used by the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF). While Ethiopia is a landlocked country, it is in the process of reestablishing a Blue-water navy. ^[1] On 8 January 2022, the rank of field marshal general was awarded for the first time to Birhanu Jula. ^[2] At the same time, new ranks were introduced to the ENDF. ^[3]

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Ethiopian Ground Forces [3] [4] v t e
	የፊልድ ማርሻል ጄኔራል Yefīlidi marishali jēnērali		ጄነራል Jēnerali		ሌተናል ጄነራል Lētenali jēnerali		ሜጀር ጄነራል Mējeri jēnerali		ብርጋዴር ጄነራል Birigadēri jēnerali		ኮሎኔል Kolonēli		ሌተናንት ኮሎኔል Lētenaniti kolonēli		ሻለቃ Shalek’a		ሻምበል Shamibeli		የመቶ ዓለቃ Yemeto ‘alek’a			ምክትል የመቶ ዓለቃ Mikitili yemeto ‘alek’a
	Field marshal general		General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			Second lieutenant
Ethiopian Navy v t e
			አድሚራል Ādimīrali		ቫይስ አድሚራል Vayisi ādimīrali		ሬር አድሚራል Rēri ādimīrali		ኮሞዶር Komodori		ካፒቴን Kapītēni		ኮማንደር Komanideri		ሌፍተናንት ኮማንደር Lēfitenaniti komanideri		ሌፍተናንት Lēfitenaniti		ሌፍተናንት ጁኒየር ግሬድ Lēfitenaniti junīyeri girēdi			ሰብ ሌፍተናንት Sebi lēfitenaniti
			Admiral		Vice admiral		Rear admiral		Commodore		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant (junior grade)			Sub-lieutenant
Ethiopian Air Force v t e
			ጄኔራል Jēnērali		ሌተናንት ጄኔራል Lētenaniti jēnērali		ሜጄር ጄኔራል Mējēri jēnērali		ብርጋዴር ጄኔራል Birigadēri jēnērali		ኮሌኔል Kolēnēli		ሌተናንት ኮሎኔል Lētenaniti kolonēli		ሻለቃ Shalek’a		ሻምበል Shamibeli		መቶ አለቃ Meto ālek’a			ምክትል መቶ አለቃ Mikitili meto ālek’a
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			Second lieutenant
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Ethiopian Ground Forces [3] v t e																																			No insignia
							ሻለቃ ባሻ Shalek’a basha		ሻለቃ መጋቢ ባሻ Shalek’a megabī basha		ሻምበል ባሻ Shamibeli basha						መጋቢ ሀምሳ ዓለቃ Megabī hāmisa ‘alek’a						ሀምሳ ዓለቃ Hāmisa ‘alek’a				አስር ዓለቃ Āsiri ‘alek’a		ምክትል አስር ዓለቃ Mikitili āsiri ‘alek’a
							Command sergeant major		Staff sergeant major		First sergeant						Master sergeant						Sergeant				Corporal		Lance corporal						Private
Ethiopian Navy v t e
	ቺፍ ዋረንት ኦፊሰር Chīfi wareniti ofīseri				ማስተር ቺፍ Masiteri chīfi		ሲኒየር ቺፍ Sīnīyeri chīfi		ቺፍ Chīfi		ፒቲ ኦፊሰር 1ኛ ክላስ Pītī ofīseri ānidenya kilasi						ፒቲ ኦፊሰር 2ኛ ክላስ Pītī ofīseri huletenya kilasi						ፒቲ ኦፊሰር 3ኛ ክላስ Pītī ofīseri sositenya kilasi		ፒቲ ኦፊሰር 4ኛ ክላስ Pītī ofīseri āratenya kilasi		ሊዲንግ ሲማን Līdīnigi sīmani		ኤብል ሲማን Ēbili sīmani			ኦርድናሪ ሲማን Oridinarī sīmani			ሲማን ሪኩሩት Sīmani rīkuruti
	Chief warrant officer				Master chief		Senior chief		Chief		Petty officer first class						Petty officer second class						Petty officer third class		Petty officer fourth class		Leading seaman		Able seaman			Ordinary seaman			Seaman recruit
Ethiopian Air Force v t e																																			No insignia
	ሲ ዋራንት ኦፊሰር Sī waraniti ofīseri			ጁኝር ዋራንት ኦፊሰር Junyiri waraniti ofīseri			ሻለቃ ባሻ Shalek’a basha		ሻለቃ መጋቢ ባሻ Shalek’a megabī basha		ሻምበል ባሻ Shamibeli basha						መጋቢ ሃምሳ አለቃ Megabī hamisa ālek’a						ሃምሳ አለቃ Hamisa ālek’a				አስር አለቃ Āsiri ālek’a		ምክትል አስር አለቃ Mikitili āsiri ālek’a
	Senior warrant officer			Junior warrant officer			Command sergeant major		Staff sergeant major		First sergeant						Master sergeant						Sergeant				Corporal		Lance corporal						Private
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted

Historic ranks

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Ethiopian Ground Forces [5] (–2022)
			ጄነራል Jēnerali		ሌተናንት ጄነራል Lētenaniti jēnerali		ሜጄር ጄነራል Mējēri jēnerali		ብርጋዴር ጄነራል Birigadēri jēnerali		ኮሌኔል Kolēnēli		ሌተናንት ኮሎኔል Lētenaniti kolonēli		ሻለቃ Shalek’a		ሻምበል Shamibeli		መቶ አለቃ Meto ālek’a			ምክትል መቶ አለቃ Mikitili meto ālek’a
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			Second lieutenant
Ethiopian Air Force [5] (–2022)
			ጄኔራል Jēnērali		ሌተናንት ጄኔራል Lētenaniti jēnērali		ሜጄር ጄኔራል Mējēri jēnērali		ብርጋዴር ጄኔራል Birigadēri jēnērali		ኮሌኔል Kolēnēli		ሌተናንት ኮሎኔል Lētenaniti kolonēli		ሻለቃ Shalek’a		ሻምበል Shamibeli		መቶ አለቃ Meto ālek’a			ምክትል መቶ አለቃ Mikitili meto ālek’a
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		Lieutenant			Second lieutenant
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Ethiopian Ground Forces [5] (–2022)																																			No insignia
	ሲ ዋራንት ኦፊሰር Sī waraniti ofīseri			ጁኝር ዋራንት ኦፊሰር Junyiri waraniti ofīseri			ሻለቃ ባሻ Shalek’a basha		ሻለቃ መጋቢ ባሻ Shalek’a megabī basha		ሻምበል ባሻ Shamibeli basha						መጋቢ ሃምሳ አለቃ Megabī hamisa ālek’a						ሃምሳ አለቃ Hamisa ālek’a				አስር አለቃ Āsiri ālek’a		ምክትል አስር አለቃ Mikitili āsiri ālek’a
	Senior warrant officer			Junior warrant officer			Command sergeant major		Staff sergeant major		First sergeant						Master sergeant						Sergeant				Corporal		Lance corporal						Private
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted

References

1. "Ethiopia: Naval Ambitions, New logo & Uniform". Geeska Afrika Online. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
2. Office of the Prime Minister [@PMEthiopia] (8 January 2022). "PM @AbiyAhmedAli presided over the ENDF rank promotion ceremony" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 January 2022– via Twitter.
3. "Ethiopia introduces its first Field Marshal rank amid changes to insignia". ethiopiancitizen.com. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
4. Ethiopian National Defense Force (10 January 2022). "የመከለከያ ሠራዊቱ ሲጠቀምበት በቆየው የማዕረግ ምልክት ላይ ማሻሻያዎችን አድርጓል።" [The Defense Forces have made improvements to its rank insignia]. Facebook (in Amharic). Retrieved 2 February 2023.
5. Wetaderawī ma‘iregochi # fana k’elematiወታደራዊ ማዕረጎች # ፋና ቀለማት [Military titles #Fana Colors] (in Amharic). YouTube: Fana Television. 6 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2021.

External links

• "Ethiopia". uniforminsignia.org. The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia. Retrieved 19 September 2021.