Military ranks of Albania

Last updated October 30, 2023

The Military ranks of Albania are the military insignia used by the Albanian Armed Forces.

Current ranks (since 2011)

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

NATO code	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		OF(D)	Student officer
Albanian Land Force ^[1] v t e
Albanian Land Force ^[1] v t e			Gjeneral lejtant	Gjeneral major	Gjeneral brigade	Kolonel	Nënkolonel	Major	Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger
Albanian Naval Force ^[2] v t e
Albanian Naval Force ^[2] v t e			Admiral	Nënadmiral	Kundëradmiral	Kapiten rangut I	Kapiten rangut II	Kapiten rangut III	Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger
Albanian Air Force ^[3] v t e
Albanian Air Force ^[3] v t e			Gjeneral lejtant	Gjeneral major	Gjeneral brigade	Kolonel	Nënkolonel	Major	Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger
NATO code	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		OF(D)	Student officer

Other ranks

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

NATO code	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1
Albanian Land Force ^[1] v t e
Albanian Land Force ^[1] v t e	Kryekapter	Kapter	Rreshter	Tetar	Nëntetar	Ushtar IV	Ushtar III	Ushtar II	Ushtar I
Albanian Naval Force ^[2] v t e
Albanian Naval Force ^[2] v t e	Kryekapter	Kapter	Rreshter	Tetar	Nëntetar	Ushtar IV	Ushtar III	Ushtar II	Ushtar I
Albanian Air Force ^[3] v t e
Albanian Air Force ^[3] v t e	Kryekapter	Kapter	Rreshter	Tetar	Nëntetar	Ushtar IV	Ushtar III	Ushtar II	Ushtar I
NATO code	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1

History

Albanian military insignia have undergone several periods during which their design changed radically.

The first ranks in the Albanian Armed Forces were formed in 1926 during the reign of King Zog I. His rule comprises two periods, the "Austrian" (1929-1936) and the "Prussian (generals) + Italian (other ranks)" style (1936-1939) of insignia.

During the time of Italian and German occupations of Albania their respective ranks were worn on Albanian militia uniforms.

After the Second World War, when the communist regime took power, military ranks were radically changed in looks and in naming. In the first years officers and generals wore sleeve insignia whose order was loosely based on that time's Yugoslav patterns. In 1947 a new model was introduced (both in Albania and Yugoslavia), where insignia and ranks came from the Soviet Union. This followed the traditions of Stalin's last years where insignia of all the Communist Bloc countries tended to uniformity. While most socialist countries abandoned this model soon after Stalin's death, Albania preserved it until May 1966, when military ranks were abolished altogether following Chinese example and based on doctrines of guerilla warfare.^[4]

With the fall of the communist regime the military ranks were re-established in 1991 following a Western model. However, there were several crucial changes in their design (1991, 2004 and 2011) and a few minor ones.

1966–1991

On April 22, 1966, the military ranking system of the Armed forces of the People's Republic of Albania, was officially abolished by the order nr. 0227 "Mbi heqjen e gradave" of the Minister of People's Defence, Beqir Balluku,in accordance with the Nr. 4113 decree edicted by the Presidium of the People's Assemby on 7 March 1966.

1991–1999

Officer

Rank group					Senior officers			Junior officers
Albanian Land Force and Air Force
Albanian Land Force and Air Force	Gjeneral	Gjeneral kolonel	Gjeneral lejtnant	Gjeneral major	Kolonel	Nënkolonel	Major	Kapiten i parë	Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger
Albanian Naval Force
Albanian Naval Force		Admiral	Nënadmiral	Kundëradmiral	Kapiten i Rangut I	Kapiten i Rangut II	Kapiten i Rangut III	Kapiten Lejtnant I	Kapiten Lejtnant II	Lejtnant	Nënlejtnant

Other

Rank group					Junior NCOs
Albanian Land Force and Air Force						No insignia
Albanian Land Force and Air Force	Kapter i parë	Kapter	Rreshter i parë	Rreshter	Tetar
Albanian Naval Force						No insignia
Albanian Naval Force	Miçman i parë	Miçman	Rreshter i parë	Rreshter	Tetar

1999–2004

Commissioned officers

Rank group					Senior officers			Junior officers
Albanian Land Force
Albanian Land Force	Gjeneral	Gjeneral Kolonel	Gjeneral Lejtnant	Gjeneral Major	Kolonel	Nënkolonel	Major	Kapiten i parë	Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger
Albanian Air Force
Albanian Air Force	Gjeneral	Gjeneral Kolonel	Gjeneral Lejtnant	Gjeneral Major	Kolonel	Nënkolonel	Major	Kapiten i parë	Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger

Enlisted

Rank group					Junior NCOs
Albanian Land Force						No insignia
Albanian Land Force	Kapter i parë	Kapter	Rreshter i parë	Rreshter	Tetar
Albanian Air Force						No insignia
Albanian Air Force	Kapter i parë	Kapter	Rreshter i parë	Rreshter	Tetar

2004–2011

Commissioned officers

NATO code	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1
Albanian Land Force
Albanian Land Force	Gjeneral	Gjeneral Lejtant	Gjeneral Major	Gjeneral Brigade	Kolonel	Nënkolonel	Major	Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger
Albanian Air Force
Albanian Air Force	Gjeneral	Gjeneral Lejtant	Gjeneral Major	Gjeneral Brigade	Kolonel	Nënkolonel	Major	Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger
Albanian Naval Force
Albanian Naval Force		Admiral	Nënadmiral	Kundëradmiral	Kapiten i Rangut I	Kapiten i Rangut II	Kapiten i Rangut III	Kapiten Lejtnant	Lejtnant	Nënlejtnant

Enlisted

Rank group					Junior NCOs
Albanian Land Force						No insignia
Albanian Land Force	Kapter i parë	Kapter	Rreshter i parë	Rreshter	Tetar
Albanian Air Force						No insignia
Albanian Air Force	Kapter i parë	Kapter	Rreshter i parë	Rreshter	Tetar
Albanian Naval Force						No insignia
Albanian Naval Force	Kapter i parë	Kapter	Rreshter Katëri	Rreshter	Tetar

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References

1 2 "GRADAT, FORCA TOKËSORE" (PDF). aaf.mil.al (in Albanian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
1 2 "GRADAT, FORCA DETARE" (PDF). aaf.mil.al (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
1 2 "GRADAT, FORCA AJRORE" (PDF). aaf.mil.al (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
↑ Keefe, Eugene K.; Elpern, Sarah J.; Giloane, William; Moore Jr., James M.; Peters, Stephen; White, Eston T. (1982). "Internal and External Security" . Albania: a country study. pp. 180–181. LCCN 73-609651 . Retrieved 24 February 2022.

External links

"Albania". uniforminsignia.org. The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia. Retrieved 24 February 2022.

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[Albanian_Army-1] 1 2 "GRADAT, FORCA TOKËSORE" (PDF). aaf.mil.al (in Albanian). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.

[Albanian_Navy-2] 1 2 "GRADAT, FORCA DETARE" (PDF). aaf.mil.al (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.

[Albanian_AirForce-3] 1 2 "GRADAT, FORCA AJRORE" (PDF). aaf.mil.al (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.

[4] Keefe, Eugene K.; Elpern, Sarah J.; Giloane, William; Moore Jr., James M.; Peters, Stephen; White, Eston T. (1982). "Internal and External Security" . Albania: a country study. pp. 180–181. LCCN 73-609651 . Retrieved 24 February 2022.

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