1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated December 1, 2021Defense Primer: Military OfficersGrade and Rank The armed forces are hierarchical organizations with clearly defined levels of authority. The different levels for officers are defined in law and called grades, while rank refers to the order of
2、precedence among those in different grades and within the same grade (e.g., someone who has been a Major for three years outranks someone who has been a Major for two years; see 10 U.S.C. 741). However, it is common for the term rank to be used as a synonym for grade. Pay grade is an administrative
3、classification that determines certain rates of pay, but it is sometimes used to indicate grade as well. For example, a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy may be referred to as an O-4. See Figure 1. Numbers and Roles Officers make up about 18% of the armed forces, with enlisted personnel making up the
4、 other 82%. Officers outrank all enlisted personnel. Table 1 below lists the number of active duty officers in each pay grade. Warrant officers (pay grades W-1 to W-5) perform highly technical or specialized work within their career field and also, in the case of the Army, serve as helicopter pilots
