United States Space Force rank insignia are used to indicate the rank and status of the United States Space Force officers and enlisted personnel. Equivalency between the military services is indicated by associated NATO code and pay grade. [1]
US DoD pay grade | O-10 | O-9 | O-8 | O-7 | O-6 | O-5 | O-4 | O-3 | O-2 | O-1 | Officer candidate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NATO code | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) | |
Insignia | Various insignia | ||||||||||
Service dress uniform (Class A) | |||||||||||
Service uniform (Class B) | |||||||||||
Mess dress uniform | |||||||||||
OCP uniform | |||||||||||
Title | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Brigadier general | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | First lieutenant | Second lieutenant | Cadet / Officer trainee |
Abbreviation | Gen | Lt Gen | Maj Gen | Brig Gen | Col | Lt Col | Maj | Capt | 1st Lt | 2d Lt | Cdt / OT |
US DoD pay grade | Special | E-9 | E-8 | E-7 | E-6 | E-5 | E-4 | E-3 | E-2 | E-1 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | ||
Insignia | Insignia pending | ||||||||||
Title | Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman | Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force | Chief master sergeant | Senior master sergeant | Master sergeant | Technical sergeant | Sergeant | Specialist 4 | Specialist 3 | Specialist 2 | Specialist 1 |
Abbreviation | SEAC | CMSSF | CMSgt | SMSgt | MSgt | TSgt | Sgt | Spc4 | Spc3 | Spc2 | Spc1 |
On the service dress uniform metal rank is worn on the shoulder straps. [3] On the OCP uniform, the Space Force's combat utility uniform, embroidered navy blue rank is worn on an OCP patch on the center of the chest. [2]
The creation of the Space Force marked the first time since the 1947 creation of the Air Force that a new branch was created. This created an interest in the rank structure and insignia. In February 2020, it was announced that the Space Force would ask military space professionals for opinions on ranks. [4]
Eighty-six graduates of the United States Air Force Academy class of 2020 commissioned directly into the USSF, becoming the service's first new officers and second lieutenants. [5] On July 28, 2020, four general officers from the Air Force were nominated to transfer to the Space Force in their current grade of major general, and then be promoted to lieutenant general. [6] [7] On August 6, 2020, a number of Air Force officers were transferred to the Space Force in the ranks of major, lieutenant colonel and colonel. [8] On September 1, 2020, the Air Force transferred 2410 active-duty airmen to the Space Force to become enlisted space professionals. [9] The space professionals were all transferred to the Space Force in their current enlisted ranks. [9] [10]
The Space Force was set to announce its new rank structure in late August 2020 but decided to delay it temporarily, [11] as a proposed amendment included in the United States House of Representatives's version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act would require the Space Force to adopt a rank structure based on that of the United States Navy for its officers and enlisted space professionals. [12] [13] The Space Force decided to wait until after the 2021 NDAA was passed, before moving forward with their permanent rank structure. While awaiting the passage of the NDAA, all members of the Space Force retained their respective grade and rank carried over from the Air Force. [14] On November 16, 2020, the United States Senate passed the House of Representatives' version of the NDAA, but attached an amendment which would remove the clause requiring the Space Force to adopt naval ranks, and sent it back to the House for consideration. [15] The House unanimously disagreed with the Senate's amendment and sent the amended bill back to their armed services committee on November 18, for consideration of passage. [15] The final version of the NDAA removed any requirement for the Space Force to adopt naval ranks. [16] [17] The official rank structure became effective on 1 February 2021, [18] which includes the rank of specialist being used for paygrades E-1 to E-4 for the first time since the Army discontinued its use of multiple specialist ranks in 1985. [19] The rank of 'Sergeant' replaces 'Staff Sergeant' as used by the Air Force in the pay grade of E-5.
On 20 September 2021, Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force, Roger A. Towberman, announced the selected insignia. [20] [21] [22]
In May 2022, changes to the interim officer uniform were introduced. Buttons were changed from the Hap Arnold star and wings to the Space Force Delta. [23]
On 2 March 2021, the Space Force released a survey for guardians to give feedback on four sets of enlisted rank insignia. One version of the proposed enlisted rank insignia mirrored the current Air Force design, but with the Air Corps star replaced by the Delta, Globe, and Orbit. Another version resembled Army and Marine Corps enlisted insignia, but with the Delta, Globe, and Orbit at the bottom of the design. A third inverted the Army/Marine Corps' styled chevrons. A fourth option resembled Navy and Coast Guard rank insignia. [24]
US DoD pay grade | E-9 | E-8 | E-7 | E-6 | E-5 | E-4 | E-3 | E-2 | E-1 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 |
Version 1 | No insignia | ||||||||
Version 2 | |||||||||
Version 3 | |||||||||
Version 4 | |||||||||
Title | Chief master sergeant | Senior master sergeant | Master sergeant | Technical sergeant | Sergeant | Specialist 4 | Specialist 3 | Specialist 2 | Specialist 1 |
Abbreviation | CMSgt | SMSgt | MSgt | TSgt | Sgt | Spc4 | Spc3 | Spc2 | Spc1 |
US DoD pay grade | E-9 | E-8 | E-7 | E-6 | E-5 | E-4 | E-3 | E-2 | E-1 | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | ||
April 2020 | No insignia | ||||||||||
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman | Senior Enlisted Advisor of the Space Force | Chief master sergeant | Senior master sergeant | Master sergeant | Technical sergeant | Staff sergeant | Senior airman | Airman first class | Airman | Airman basic | |
January 2021 | No insignia | ||||||||||
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman | Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force | Chief master sergeant | Senior master sergeant | Master sergeant | Technical sergeant | Sergeant | Specialist 4 | Specialist 3 | Specialist 2 | Specialist 1 | |
September 2021 | No insignia released | ||||||||||
Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman | Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force | Chief master sergeant | Senior master sergeant | Master sergeant | Technical sergeant | Sergeant | Specialist 4 | Specialist 3 | Specialist 2 | Specialist 1 |
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned officer ranks, the most senior of the non-commissioned officer (NCO) ranks, or in a separate category of their own. Warrant officer ranks are especially prominent in the militaries of Commonwealth nations and the United States.
Sergeant is a rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, serjeant, is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from the British light infantry. Its origin is the Latin serviens, 'one who serves', through the French term sergeant.
Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by the armed forces of many countries. It is also in use by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase capo corporale. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer.
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services.
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries.
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
An airman is a member of an air force or air arm of a nation's armed forces. In certain air forces, it can also refer to a specific enlisted rank. An airman can also be referred as a soldier in other definitions.
A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies and is given the NATO rank denotation OR-5 or OR-6. In many nations, they are typically equal to a sergeant in comparison to other military branches. Often they may be superior to a seaman, and subordinate to more senior non-commissioned officers, such as a chief petty officers.
The chart below represents the current enlisted rank insignia of the United States Air Force.
Technical sergeant is the name of two current and two former enlisted ranks in the United States Armed Forces, as well as in the U.S. Civil Air Patrol. Outside the United States, it is used only by the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Marine Corps.
Senior master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries.
A chief master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries.
The South African National Defence Force's rank system is largely based on the British system, with the Air Force sharing the Army rank titles. Rank titles changed over time as did the insignia.
The comparative military ranks of Korea are the military insignia used by the two nations on the Korean Peninsula, those being the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and the Korean People's Army of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The United States Forces Korea personnel wear the ranks and insignia used by other service personnel of the United States Armed Forces in the territories of the United States.
Specialist is a military rank in some countries' armed forces. Two branches of the United States Armed Forces use the rank. It is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the United States Army, above private (PVT), private (PV2), and private first class and is equivalent in pay grade to corporal; in the United States Space Force, four grades of specialist comprise the four junior enlisted ranks below the rank of sergeant.
The Australian Defence Force's (ADF) ranks of officers and enlisted personnel in each of its three service branches of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) inherited their rank structures from their British counterparts. The insignia used to identify these ranks are also generally similar to those used in the British Armed Forces.
The uniforms of the United States Air Force are the standardized military uniforms worn by airmen of the United States Air Force to distinguish themselves from the other services.
The Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau is the top enlisted person in the National Guard of the United States; which is a joint reserve component of the United States Army and the United States Air Force.
The chief master sergeant of the Space Force (CMSSF) is the senior enlisted advisor to the chief of space operations and the secretary of the Air Force. The chief master sergeant of the Space Force is the most senior enlisted guardian in the U.S. Space Force, unless an enlisted guardian is serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman.
Rank and grade structure of the United States Space Force - The House bill contained a provision (sec. 927) that would require the Space Force to use a system of ranks and grades that is identical to the system of ranks and grades used by the Navy. The Senate amendment contained no similar provision. The House recedes.