HISTORY OF AIR FORCE RANK BOTH OFFICER AND ENLISTED
Active Duty Company Grade Officer Ranks Title Abbreviation Pay Grade Captain Capt. O-3 First Lieutenant 1Lt. O-2 Second Lieutenant 2Lt. O-1
Active Duty Field Grade Officer Ranks Title Abbreviation Pay Grade Colonel Col. O-6 Lieutenant Colonel Lt. Col. O-5 Major Maj. O-4
Active Duty General (Flag)Officer Ranks Title Abbreviation Pay Grade General of the Gen. 0-11 Air Force General Gen. 0-10 Lieutenant General Lt. Gen. 0-9 Major General Maj. Gen. 0-8 Brigadier General Brig. Gen. 0-7
ARMY WORLD WAR II ENLISTED RANK GRADE 1 TECHNICAL SERGEANT GRADE 2 STAFF SERGEANT TECHNICIAN 3RD GRADE GRADE 3 MASTER SERGEANT TECHNICIAN 4TH GRADE SERGEANT GRADE 4 TECHNICIAN 5TH GRADE CORPORAL GRADE 5 PRIVATE FIRST CLASS GRADE 6 FIRST SERGEANT GRADE 7 NO INSIGNIA PRIVATE
FIRST AND MASTER SERGEANT SERGEANT CORPORAL TECHNICAL SERGEANT TECH SERGEANT (TSGT) PRIVATE FIRST CLASS STAFF SERGEANT(SSGT) NO INSIGNIA PRIVATE
AIRMAN FIRST CLASS(A1C) MASTER SERGEANT(MSGT) AIRMAN SECOND CLASS(A2C) TECHNICAL SERGEANT TECH SERGEANT (TSGT) AIRMAN THIRD CLASS(A3C) NO INSIGNIA STAFF SERGEANT(SSGT) BASIC AIRMAN
FIRST SERGEANT DIAMOND
Ideas submitted for the Senior and Chief Master Sergeant Insignia STARS LOZENGES CHIEF CHIEF Both ideas rejected SENIOR SENIOR
EXCEPTED RANK INSIGNIA FOR SENIOR AND CHIEF CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT(CMSGT) SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT(SMSGT)
PROPOSAL SUBMITTED FOR SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING UPGRADE TRAINING
CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT OF THE AIR FORCE(CMSAF)
SERGEANT AIRMAN FIRST CLASS(A1C) AIRMAN
SERGEANT SENIOR AIRMAN (SRA) AIRMAN FIRST CLASS(A1C) AIRMAN (AMN)
PROPOSED TOP THREE RANK
NEW CHANGES TO RANK BY GENERAL MCPEAK
COMMAND CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT(CCMS)
AIRMAN FIRST CLASS(A1C) MASTER SERGEANT(MSGT) – FIRST SERGEANT CURRENT ACTIVE DUTY ENLISTED RANK STAFF SERGEANT(SSGT) SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT(SMSGT) – FIRST SERGEANT COMMAND CHIEF MASTER - CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT SERGEANT(CCMS) OF THE AIR FORCE(CMSAF) SENIOR AIRMAN(SRA) AIRMAN FIRST CLASS(A1C) MASTER SERGEANT(MSGT) – FIRST SERGEANT AIRMAN (AMN) CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT(CMSGT) – FIRST SERGEANT “CHIEF” NO INSIGNIA AIRMAN BASIC TECHNICAL SERGEANT TECH SERGEANT (TSGT)
CURRENT ACTIVE DUTY AIRMAN RANK Title Abbreviation Pay Grade Senior Airmen SrA. E-4 Airmen First Class A1C E-3 Airmen Amn. E-2 No Stripes Airmen Basic AB. E-1
CURRENT ACTIVE DUTY MIDDLE NCO RANK Title Abbreviation Pay Grade Technical Sergeant TSgt. E-6 Staff Sergeant SSgt. E-5
CURRENT ACTIVE DUTY TOP THREE NCO RANK Title Abbreviation Pay Grade Senior Master Sergeant SMSgt. E-8 Senior Master Sergeant that’s a 1st Sergeant Master Sergeant MSgt. E-7 Master Sergeant that’s a 1st Sergeant
CURRENT ACTIVE DUTY TOP THREE NCO RANK Cont. Title Abbreviation Pay Grade Chief Master Sergeant “Chief” CMSgt. E-9 Chief Master Sergeant that’s a 1st Sergeant Command Chief Master Sergeant CCMS Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force CMSAF