Italian Army ranks

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (August 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

This article may be expanded with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (August 2013) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation like DeepL or Google Translate is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 7,025 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing German Wikipedia article at [[:de:]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template {{Translated page}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

The Italian Army ranks are the ranks used by the Italian Army and are worn on epaulettes of shirts. The Army of Italy contains levels of ranks showing both their officers' status and seniority as dedicated members of the Italian militia. Although altered throughout history, the current ranks stand as the lowest rank being "soldato semplice" and the highest rank being "generale". There are a total of 32 ranks within 7 categories. These categories include: temporary service volunteers, permanent service volunteers, sergeants, marshals (NCOs), junior officers, senior officers, and generals.^[1]

In order to clearly show an officer's rank as a form of identification and authority, insignia patches are worn by all members of the Italian army. Insignia patches are a sort of label worn on the epaulets of officers that sport different markings, such as stripes and stars, to show how highly ranked an individual is. These patches display a soldier's rank and position to their fellow officers as well as their identity on the battlefield. In each ranking category of officer, there is a trend in the symbols shown on their insignia patches. Each rank an individual rises he gains more detailed and recognizable symbols, these new symbols are most often an additional star or stripe added per higher rank achieved.^{[2][better source needed]}

History[]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (December 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Italian Army officers used to wear the ranks on the sleeve, like naval officers. Since 1946, insignia were changed in order to align with NATO regulations. In 1973 the system had the following slight change: the wreath was added to the stars for general officers, instead of the silver epaulette; the civic crown was added to the stars for field officers, instead of a gold band on the edge of the epaulette; the stars began to be placed near the edge of the epaulette instead of in the center. These changes were mostly intended to make insignia more easily recognizable on the field uniform.

Chart[]

Warning: The table below shows a simple literal translation of the Italian army ranks into English language,
DOES NOT represent a military ranks comparisons among NATO armies as officially stated by the - STANAG 2116.

The chart below represents the Italian Army rank insignia used on the slip-on of winter service uniforms. The color of the uniforms is khaki.^[3]

Officers who are assigned to a position acting in a higher rank than their own wear the insignia of the higher rank but the highest star of the insignia is trimmed in red enamel. Similarly, an officer temporarily assigned to a position attaining a higher rank in the absence of the incumbent officer, wear the star in bronze colour.

As can be seen, the Italian rank system has a large number of junior NCO ranks. Several ranks (which are variations on corporal) have a "chosen" version of the rank, "chosen" having the same sense of "leading", as in the historic British Army appointment of "chosen man" (now called lance-corporal).

Officers[]

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D)						Student officer
	Officers
	Generals										Senior officers						Junior officers
Italian Army[4] v t
			Generale di Corpo d'Armata con Incarichi Speciali		Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Tenente Generale)		Generale di Divisione (Maggior Generale)		Generale di Brigata (Brigadier Generale)		Colonnello		Tenente Colonnello		Maggiore		Primo capitano	Capitano	Tenente			Sottotenente									Allievo Ufficiale
Translation	General		Corps General with special tasks		Corps general		Divisional general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		First captain	Captain	Lieutenant			Second lieutenant
Abbreviation	Gen.		Gen.CSMD Gen.CSME		Gen.C.A.		Gen.D.		Gen.B.		Col.		Ten.Col.		Magg.		Pr.Cap	Cap.	Ten.			S.Ten.
Pay grade	O-11		O-10		O-9		O-8		O-7		O-6		O-5		O-4		O-3		O-2			O-1

• Before 1947 generale d'armata rather than generale was the title of a four star general.
• The chief of the Italian Army is a generale di corpo d'armata con incarichi speciali (special duties) NATO rank OF-9. The insignia has four stars with the higher star has a red enamel.

Enlisted[]

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
	Sub-officers																						Volunteer ratings				Enlisted
	Marshals								Sergeants														Permanent service volunteers				Temporary service volunteers
Italian Army[4] v t							Maresciallo capo Maresciallo ordinario Maresciallo																Caporale maggiore capo scelto q.s. Caporale maggiore capo scelto Caporale maggiore capo Caporale maggiore scelto Primo caporale maggiore
	Primo luogotenente q.s.		Luogotenente		Primo maresciallo				Sergente maggiore capo q.s.	Sergente Maggiore Capo	Sergente Maggiore						Sergente										Caporal Maggiore		Caporale						Soldato
Translation	Sub-lieutenant		First marshal		Chief marshal		Ordinary marshal	Marshal	Chief sergeant major		Sergeant major						Sergeant						Senior Chief Corporal-Major	Chief Corporal-Major	Senior Corporal-Major	First Corporal-Major	Corporal-Major		Corporal						Soldier
Abbreviation	Lgt.		1° Mar.		Mar. Ca.		Mar. Ord.	Mar.	Serg. Magg. Ca.		Serg.Magg.						Serg.						CMCS	CMC	C.le Magg. Sc.	1° C.le Magg.	C.le Magg.		C.le						Sold.
Pay grade	E-9						E-8		E-7		E-6						E-5						E-4				E-3		E-2						E-1

This chart represents the Italian Army enlisted rank insignia with seniority decreasing left-to-right inside a given pay grade. All ranks of sergente or higher are considered as Non Commissioned Officers. Airborne units personnel wear the chevrons on a blue base.

Enlisted ranks introduced in 2018[]

Other rank insignia
NATO Code	OR-9	OR-7	OR-4
Shoulder board
Italian	Primo luogotenente q.s.[5][6]	Sergente maggiore capo q.s.	Caporale maggiore capo scelto q.s.
English	Sub-lieutenant (special class)	Chief Sergeant Major (special class)	Senior Chief Corporal-Major(special class)

History[]

Enlisted insignia saw no significant changes until 1973 when the chevrons were moved from the sleeve to the epaulette. In 1997 the new ranks from 1°CM to CMCS were created for permanent service enlisted personnel, and the new insignia were created. in the same year, the rank of C.le Sc. was created as top rank for conscript personnel, and the new insignia was created.

Current usage[]

The rank of caporale is not a command grade and only results in a higher paygrade, and may be attained by conscript personnel. The ranks up to caporal maggiore may be attained by temporary service personnel. Higher ranks may only be attained by permanent service personnel. Sergeants generally have team command tasks, and are appointed in the rank only after several months training course. The rank of soldato is used only for recruits and is substituted by the following, depending on the branch or service:

• Fante/Fan. (Infantryman)
• Alpino/Alp. (Mountain infantryman)
• Bersagliere/Bers. (Marksman, Rifleman)
• Paracadutista/Par. (Parachutist)
• Granatiere/Gra. (Grenadier)
• Lagunare/Lag. (Lagoon infantryman)
• Artigliere/Art. (Artilleryman, Gunner)
• Trasmettitore/Trs. (Signaller)
• Assistente di Sanità/Asa. (Medic)
• Cavaliere/Cav. (Cavalryman)
• Lanciere/Lanc. (Lancer)
• Dragone/Dra. (Dragoon)
• Carrista/Cr. (Tanker)
• Autiere/Aut. (Driver)
• Geniere/Gnr. (Pioneer, Sapper)
• Guastatore/Guast. (Combat Sapper)
• Incursore/Inc. (Special Forces Operator)

References[]