Are officers always higher rank than enlisted?

Commissioned officers outrank enlisted members and warrant officers. Warrant officers outrank enlisted members. So a commissioned officer in the grade of O-1 would outrank an Army sergeant major in the grade of E-9. And a W-2 grade would outrank an E-9, but also would be outranked by an O-1.

Why does a lieutenant general outrank a major general?

The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a captain general. This is why a lieutenant general outranks a major general, whereas a major is senior to a lieutenant.

How many grades of lieutenant are there in the military?

Conventionally, armies and other services or branches that use army-style rank titles have two grades of lieutenant, but a few also use a third, more junior, rank.

What is the equivalent of a lieutenant in the Navy?

Lieutenant. In navies it is often equivalent to the army rank of captain; it may also indicate a particular post rather than a rank. The rank is also used in fire services, emergency medical services, security services and police forces.

What is the difference between first lieutenant and second lieutenant?

An example of an exception is the United States, whose armed forces distinguish their lieutenant ranks with one silver bar for first lieutenant and one gold (brass) bar for second lieutenant. Second lieutenant is usually the most junior grade of commissioned officer.

What is the difference between a captain and a lieutenant?

Historically the “lieutenant” was the deputy to a “captain”, and as the rank structure of armies began to formalise, this came to mean that a captain commanded a company and had several lieutenants, each commanding a platoon.