Military ranks and insignia of Chile

The military ranks and insignia of Chile are the military insignia used by the Chilean Armed Forces.

Comparative tables
Officers
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Chilean Army[1]
 Army General Divisional General Brigade General Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Sub-Lieutenant Ensign
General de ejército General de división General de brigada Brigadier Coronel Teniente coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente Alférez Cadete
 Chilean Navy[2]
Almirante Vicealmirante Contraalmirante Comodoro Capitán de navío Capitán de fragata Capitán de corbeta Teniente 1° Teniente 2° Subteniente Guardiamarina Cadete
 Chilean Air Force[3]
 Air General Aviation General Air Brigade General Commodore Aviation Colonel Group Commander Squadron Commander Flight Captain Lieutenant Sub-Lieutenant Ensign Cadet
General de aire General de aviación General de brigada aérea Comodoro Coronel de aviación Comandante de grupo Comandante de escuadrilla Capitán de bandada Teniente Subteniente Alférez Cadete
Carabineros de Chile
General director General inspector General Coronel Teniente coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente Aspirante a oficial
Chilean Gendarmerie
Director nacional Subdirector operativo Coronel Teniente coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente 1° Teniente 2° Subteniente Aspirante a oficial
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
Enlisted
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
 Chilean Army[1]
Suboficial mayor Suboficial Sargento primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Cabo Soldado de tropa profesional
 Chilean Navy[2]
Suboficial mayor Suboficial Sargento primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Marinero primero Marinero segundo
 Chilean Air Force[3]
 No insignia
Suboficial mayor Suboficial Sargento primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Cabo Soldado de tropa profesional Alumno
Carabineros de Chile
 No insignia
Suboficial mayor Suboficial Sargento primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Carabinero Carabinero alumno
Chilean Gendarmerie
Suboficial mayor Suboficial Sargento primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Cabo Gendarme primero Gendarme segundo Gendarme Gendarme alumno
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted

Army

An aspiring non-commissioned officer or officer in the Chilean Army undergoes studies at these two schools, both located in the Santiago Metropolitan Region:

  • Gen. Bernardo O'Higgins Military School (for officers)
  • Sgt. Daniel Rebolledo Sepúlveda Army NCO School (for non-commissioned personnel)

Upon graduation, they become a commissioned officer (Ensign) or non-commissioned officer (Corporal), and then move on to the branch of his or her choice, except for newly recruited soldiers, whose primary rank is Soldado Dragonante or Soldier Dragonite, and are immediately enrolled as part of the Army NCO School in Maipú.

Military ranks (just as is the case in Ecuador) are similar to those in the Prussian and later German armies, including the Prussian Fähnrich rank for officers. The "Captain General" rank, first used by Bernardo O'Higgins and later by presidents Ramón Freire and Augusto Pinochet, is now inactive.

The ranks used in the Army today are from the 2002 reorganization. It keeps the old enlisted ranks (Privates, Corporals, Sergeants and Sub-Officers) but a new General Officer rank scheme is used, with three General ranks instead of four.

Officers

Officer ranks are mostly derived from those in the German army, with some remnants from other influences. While field grade and senior grade officer rank insignia show German influence, general officer rank insignia are inspired by those used in the French Army, but in red shoulder straps with two to four white stars. However, during the Pinochet government, golden stars were used, which was changed in December 2005 during the command in chief of Juan Emilio Cheyre for return to the original design of the generals ranks.[4]

Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Chilean Army[1]
 Army General Divisional General Brigade General Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Sub-Lieutenant Ensign
General de ejército General de división General de brigada Brigadier Coronel Teniente coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente Alférez Cadete
Shirt Raincoat Parka and office
Battle Duty Uniform (Center and South)
Battle Duty Uniform (North)
Abbreviation CJE GDD GDB BGR CRL TCL MAY CAP TTE STE ALF -
Former rank insignia of Capitán general created by Augusto Pinochet in 1982
Full dress uniform
GradeCaptain General[lower-alpha 1]
AbbreviationCGE
NATO pay grade codeOF-10
Rank English translation Years of service US Army Equivalent rank/British Army Equivalent rank
Capitán GeneralCaptain Generalnow inactiveGeneral of the Army/Field Marshal/Marshal
General de EjércitoArmy GeneralGeneral
General de DivisiónDivisional GeneralLieutenant General
General de BrigadaBrigade General31–32 yearsMajor General
BrigadierBrigadier,
Colonel Commandant		Brigadier General, Brigadier/
Colonel Commandant (honorary rank for senior Colonels)
CoronelColonel26–30 yearsColonel
Teniente CoronelLieutenant Colonel21–25 yearsLieutenant Colonel
MayorMajor16–20 yearsMajor
CapitánCaptain10–15 yearsCaptain
TenienteLieutenant5–9 yearsFirst lieutenant/Lieutenant
SubtenienteSublieutenant2–4 yearsSecond lieutenant
AlférezEnsign1 year of service after graduationActing Lieutenant/3rd Lieutenant/Ensign
SubalférezJunior Ensign, Sub-ensign (student)3–4 years of studyOfficer Cadet/Student Officer 1
CadeteCadet Officer (student)1–2 years of studOfficer Candidate/Student Officer 2
Enlisted ranks

All Privates and Student NCOs studying in the Army NCO School wear no rank insignia.

Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
 Chilean Army[1]
Suboficial mayor Suboficial Sargento primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Cabo Soldado de tropa profesional
Battle Duty Uniform[1]
Abbreviation SOM SOF SG1 SG2 CB1 CB2 CBO
Rank English translation Years of service US Army Equivalent rank/British Army Equivalent rank
Suboficial MayorSenior Sub-Officer30 yearsCommand Sergeant Major/Warrant Officer Class 1
SuboficialSub-Officer27–29 yearsSergeant Major/ Warrant Officer Class 2
Sargento PrimeroFirst Sergeant24–26 yearsMaster Sergeant/Staff Sergeant
Sargento SegundoSecond Sergeant19–23 yearsSergeant First Class/Sergeant
Cabo PrimeroFirst Corporal11–18 yearsStaff Sergeant/Lance Sergeant,
Master Corporal
Cabo SegundoSecond Corporal4–10 yearsSergeant/Corporal
CaboCorporal2–3 years after graduationCorporal/Lance Corporal
SoldadoSoldier1–5 years after recruitment,
one year after graduation		Private First Class
Cabo Dragonante (student)Corporal Dragonite (student)2 years of studyPrivate
Soldado Dragonante/Alumno (student)Soldier Dragonite (student)1 year of study (save when recruited into the Army)Private Basic/NCO Candidate

Ranks and rates are shown on the sleeves of all Chilean Navy summer uniforms (and on the shoulder boards on winter or summer service uniforms as well for officers and WOs only). Shoulder and sleeve ranks are inspired by those in the British Royal Navy, the French Navy and the German Navy. Officers, WOs and NCOs of the Marines add the Infante de Marina (Marine Soldier) title to their ranks from Seaman onward, as the Marines are part of the Navy.

All officers, active or reserve, study at the Arturo Prat Naval Academy and later in the Naval Polytechnic Academy and the Naval War Academy receive improved training and education to be promoted as well as training in his/her specialty field while all active and reserve NCOs (known in the Navy through the general term Men of the Sea) study at the Seamen's School of the Navy "Alejandro Navarette Cisnerna" and later in the Naval Polytechnic Academy and its attached and independent colleges for later specialty training.

Officers
Rank group General/flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Chilean Navy[2]
Almirante Vicealmirante Contraalmirante Comodoro Capitán de navío Capitán de fragata Capitán de corbeta Teniente 1° Teniente 2° Subteniente Guardiamarina Cadete
Shoulder boards
Abbreviations A VA CA CM CN CF CC T1 T2 ST GAMA -
Enlisted
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
 Chilean Navy[2]
Suboficial mayor Suboficial Sargento primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Marinero primero Marinero segundo
Sleeve insignia
Abbreviation SOM SO S1 S2 C1 C2 MRO1 MRO2

Air force

Ranks and insignia, similar to the Royal Air Force but adapted to suit the origins of the Chilean Air Force, are worn on shoulder collars and cuffs. General officers have the Condor eagle in their shoulder collars while officer cadets have a unique symbol, that of the Air Force Academy "Captain Manuel Ávalos Prado", on their shoulder collars. On the NCOs and enlistees, only Subofficer Majors and Subofficers wear both shoulder and cuff insignia, while NCO cadets wear a double capital letter E (for the Air Force Specialties School "Flight Sergeant Adolfo Menandier Rojas") on their shoulder collars alongside their unique cuff marking.

Officer ranks (SS.OO.)

The officer ranking system and insignia are similar to the RAF pattern of ranks, save for the General officer ranks, modified to suit the British style ranks, and the Colonel rank.[5] Other ranks with foreign influences are that of Air Brigade General, a general officer rank in the French Air Force, and Air General, a general officer rank in the Spanish Air Force and the Bolivian and Colombian air forces.[6][7]

Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
Service Cap
 Chilean Air Force[3]
 Air General Aviation General Air Brigade General Commodore Aviation Colonel Group Commander Squadron Commander Flight Captain Lieutenant Sub-Lieutenant Ensign Cadet
General de aire General de aviación General de brigada aérea Comodoro Coronel de aviación Comandante de grupo Comandante de escuadrilla Capitán de bandada Teniente Subteniente Alférez Cadete
Shoulder
Gala Cap
Sleeve (full dress)
Camouflage ranks
Abbreviation C.J. G.D.A. G.B.A. COM. C.D.A. C.D.G. C.D.E. C.D.B. TTE. STE. ALF. -
Noncommissioned and enlisted ranks[5]
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
 Chilean Air Force[3]
 No insignia
Suboficial mayor Suboficial Sargento primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Cabo Soldado de tropa profesional Alumno
Shoulder – – – –
Abbreviation SOM SOF SG1 SG2 CBO1 CBO2 CBO - -

Carabineros
Commissioned officers

Officers of the Carabineros, native born or foreign officers having scholarships, start out as officer aspirants at the Carabinier Officers School "Pres. Gen. Carlos Ibanez del Campo" in Santiago, and after graduating become sublieutenants either in Chile or in their home countries. Later training is provided by the Police Sciences Academy also in Santiago, and in the aforementioned specialty schools of the force.

Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
Carabineros de Chile
General director General inspector General Coronel Teniente coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente Aspirante a oficial
Shirt
Raincoat
Parka
Cape
Smock
Operational shirt
Abbreviation GNRL DIR GNRL INS GNRL CRNL TTE CRNL MAY CAP TTE SUB TTE
Enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers

Chilean and foreign NCOs enter the service through enrollment at the Carabineros Formation School and receive further training as corporals at the Carabineros NCO Academy, both located in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, and some of them have later training at the various service schools of the Carabineros specializing in frontier defense, horsemanship and K-9 training and handling skills.

Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
Carabineros de Chile
 No insignia
Suboficial mayor Suboficial Sargento primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Carabinero Carabinero alumno
Raincoat
Parka
Smock
Operational shirt
Abbreviation (SOM) (SuboF) (SG1) (SG2) (CBO1) (CBO2) (Carab)

Gendarmerie
Commissioned officers
Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
Chilean Gendarmerie
Director nacional Subdirector operativo Coronel Teniente coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente 1° Teniente 2° Subteniente Aspirante a oficial
Shirt
Raincoat
Parka
Inside
Abbreviation DIREC NAC SDO CRNL TTE CRNL MAY CAP TTE 1° TTE 2° SUB TTE A.A.O.O
Enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
Chilean Gendarmerie
Suboficial mayor Suboficial Sargento primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Cabo Gendarme primero Gendarme segundo Gendarme Gendarme alumno
Shirt
Raincoat
Parka		 No insignia
Inside

Footnotes
  1. Inactive since 2008, reserved for President from Military of Chile

    References
    1. "Distintivos de grados" [Badges of degrees]. ejercito.cl (in Spanish). Chilean Army. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
    2. "Los grados jerárquicos de la Armada". armada.cl/ (in Spanish). Chilean Navy. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
    3. "Grados". fach.cl (in Spanish). Department of Communications. Archived from the original on 24 April 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
    4. "Grados y distintivos" [Degrees and badges] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
    5. "Chilean Air Force". Retrieved 24 December 2014.
    6. "Grados" [Grades] (in Spanish). 5 December 2010. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010.
    7. "fach.cl". Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
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