Major

For other uses, see Major (disambiguation).

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Major_insignia.png

Insignia of an 0-4 in the U.S. Armed Forces

In the US Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and the British Army, a major is a commissioned officer superior to a captain and inferior to a lieutenant colonel. The equivalent rank in the US Navy is Lieutenant Commander.

The insignia for all three US positions is a gold oak leaf. In the British Army and Royal Marines, a major wears a single crown. The crown has varied in the past with different monarchs; the current one being the Crown of St Edward. The insignia of the nations of the British Commonwealth is similar.

The word major is also used a suffix for senior enlisted ranks such as Sergeant Major, Command Sergeant Major, Drum Major and Pipe Major. It is also used as a prefix for the General officer rank of Major-General.

In the German military, Major is one of the oldest existing ranks, dating to the 17th century. The German version of the rank is pronounced Mi'or but spelled the same as in English.

In the Canadian Air Force, the Major rank is represented by 3 bars. Two 1 cm thick bars with a 1/2 cm bar inbetween them. All officer bars are of gold thread.

Until 1973, when the rank was re-instated, the French Army and French Air Force did not use the rank of Major for except for medical doctors. The rank "Adjudant" was used instead. This is because, prior to the professionalization of armies subsequent to the French revolution, a major was appointed by the monarch to keep track of the expenditures and readiness of a regiment. He could be either a commoner or a nobleman, and was called a "commissar," not an "officer." The French Army did not want to be reminded of the monarch.

See also

• Comparative military ranks
• U.S. Army officer rank insignia
• British Army officer rank insignia

See also: Major, Admiral, Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Air Chief Marshal, Air Commodore, Air Marshal, Air Vice Marshal, Brigadier