Military ranks of Brazil

Military of Brazil

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This article presents the insignia and ranks of the Brazilian military. These ranks originate from those adopted upon Brazil's independence from Portugal in 1822. Nowadays they are defined by Act no. 6880 of December 9, 1980.^[1] The following ranks show Brazil's military insignia and its corresponding NATO codes.

Air Force ranks date from 1941, when the Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea Brasileira) was organized as a merger of the Navy's Aeronaval Force and the Army's Aviation Service.^[2]

Rank table

The shoulder epaulette pads from Navy and Air Force indicate both rank and specialty branch. The air force examples below are shown without branch designation marks on the epaulettes, with the exception of the ranks of Marshal of the Air Force and Air Chief Marshal, which can only be occupied by aviators. Army shoulder pads do not represent branch, as this is indicated elsewhere in the uniform like on the cuff and sleeves of the dress and everyday uniforms.

Officers

Equivalent NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D) and student officer
Brazil (Edit)									No equivalent
	Marechal		General-de-exército		General-de-divisão		General-de-brigada				Coronel		Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Primeiro tenente			Segundo tenente			Aspirante-a-oficial
Brazil (Edit)									No equivalent
	Almirante		Almirante-de-esquadra		Vice-almirante		Contra-almirante				Capitão-de-Mar-e-Guerra		Capitão-de-Fragata		Capitão-de-corveta		Capitão-tenente		Primeiro-tenente			Segundo-tenente			Guarda-marinha
Brazil (Edit)									No equivalent
	Marechal-do-ar (Marshal of the Air)		Tenente-brigadeiro (Lieutenant-Brigadier)		Major-brigadeiro (Major-Brigadier)		Brigadeiro-do-ar (Brigadier)				Coronel (Colonel)		Tenente-coronel (Lieutenant-Colonel)		Major (Major)		Capitão (Captain)		Primeiro-tenente (First Lieutenant)			Segundo-tenente (Second Lieutenant)			Aspirante (Aspirant)
Brazil (Military Police) (Edit)	No equivalent
											Coronel		Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Primeiro tenente			Segundo tenente			Aspirante
Brazil (Firefighters) (Edit)	No equivalent
							Commandant General		Second Commandant		Coronel		Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Primeiro tenente			Segundo tenente			Aspirante
Equivalent NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D) and student officer

NCO and enlisted grades

Equivalent NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Brazil (Edit)							No equivalent																						No equivalent
	Subtenente										Primero-Sargento						Segundo-Sargento						Terceiro-Sargento				Cabo Taifeiro-mor								Soldado Taifeiro
Brazil (Edit)							No equivalent																				No equivalent								No equivalent
	Suboficial								Primeiro-Sargento		Segundo-Sargento						Terceiro-Sargento						Cabo						Marinheiro Soldado Fuzileiro Naval
Brazil (Edit)							No equivalent																				No equivalent								No equivalent
	Suboficial								Primeiro-Sargento		Segundo-Sargento						Terceiro-Sargento						Cabo Taifeiro-mor						Soldado Taifeiro
Brazil (Military Police) (Edit)							No equivalent																				No equivalent
	Subtenente								Primeiro-Sargento		Segundo-Sargento						Terceiro-Sargento						Cabo												Soldado
Brazil (Military Firefighters) (Edit)							No equivalent																				No equivalent
	Subtenente								Primeiro-Sargento		Segundo-Sargento						Terceiro-Sargento						Cabo												Bombeiro primeiro classe
Equivalent NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1

See also

• Military rank
• Comparative military ranks

Notes

External links

• Brazilian Ministry of Defence Ministério da Defesa (in Portuguese)
• Military Orders and Medals from Brazil (in Portuguese)