subject: How The Army Is Divided [print this page] The Army is divided into two main groups, officers (also called commissioned officers) and enlisted men. In each group there are various ranks," or grades. Every time a man is promoted to a higher grade in his group he receives more pay. These are the grades: enlisted men. Master Sergeant or First Sergeant (highest) Sergeant 1st Class Sergeant Corporal All the above are called Noncommissioned Officers Private 1st Class Private (lowest) officers General of the Army (highest) General Lieutenant General Major General Brigadier General Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain First Lieutenant Second Lieutenant (lowest) Every officer ranks above every enlisted man. An enlisted man is required to treat an officer with respect, by saluting him and saying "Sir" when he speaks to him. Officers and enlisted men do not live or eat together, and are not supposed to go together socially. This is because experience has shown that an army loses fewer men in battle if there are no personal feelings between the officers, who command, and the enlisted men, who must obey the commands. There is a special class called warrant officers, who rank between officers and enlisted men. Warrant officers usually have special skills in technical duties, such as accounting, traffic management, and other jobs that are important in a big organization but are not connected with actual fighting. Of course, many officers and enlisted men also work at jobs like these. An enlisted man can become an officer if he is chosen for an Officer Candidate School and passes all the tests. If he does pass, he will first receive a commission as a second lieutenant. Women can have the same ranks in the Army as men.
