Military ranks of the Colombian Armed Forces

Summary

The military ranks of the Colombian armed forces consist of the list and ordering of the different military ranks, for the Officers, Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and soldiers, seamen and airmen ("other ranks") of the Military Forces of Colombia. The ranks are visually represented by insignias placed on the uniforms, usually at the shoulders, sleeves and shirt collars.

A literal translation from Spanish to English may be misleading as the rank names do not necessarily follow the customary order used in anglophone military ranks in all cases. Furthermore, Colombia is not a member of NATO, so there is not an official equivalence between the Colombian military ranks and those defined by NATO. The displayed parallel is approximate and for illustration purposes only.

Applicable law edit

The ranks in the Military Forces of Colombia are regulated through the following applicable legislation: the Decree-Law 1790 of 2000,[1] Law 1405 of 2010,[2] and Law 1792 of 2016[3]

In terms of protocol, the established order for the forces is Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, as established by the Military Rules of Protocol (Reglamento de Protocolo Militar FFMM)[4]

Army edit

 
Coat of arms of the Colombian National Army

The Colombian Army is the largest of the three service branches of the Military Forces of Colombia, tasked with defending sovereignty and law and order across the national territory. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Army personnel.[5][6]

Officers edit

Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
  Colombian National Army[7]
                 
General de ejercito Mayor general Brigadier general Coronel Teniente coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente
Abbr. GR MG BG CR TC MY CT TE ST
'"3B" Uniform sample[7]                  
Service branch Cavalry Infantry Engineers Communications Cavalry Artillery
Camouflage Fatigues sample[7]                  
Service branch Cavalry Infantry Engineers Artillery Communications Logistics (Armory)

Enlisted edit

Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
  Colombian National Army[7]
                      No insignia
Sargento mayor de comando conjunto Sargento mayor de ejército Sargento mayor de comando Sargento mayor Sargento primero Sargento vice primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Cabo tercero Soldado profesional Soldado
'"3B" Uniform sample[7]                       No Insignia
Soldier types
  • Soldado: Conscripted soldier serving for a period of 22 months mandatory service [n 1].
  • Soldado Profesional: Regular soldiers that stay in the army after completing their 22 months' mandatory conscription service, making it a permanent career. The number in their rank insignia indicating the number of years they have served.

Additional ranks edit

Dragoneantes are soldiers who have gained recognition through their achievements and have special training. They have a certain degree of authority over regular soldiers.

Rank group Dragoneante Alumno
Insignia[7]              
Dragoneante mayor de escuela Dragoneante mayor de batallón Dragoneante mayor de compañía Dragoneante Alumno tercer nivel Alumno segundo nivel Alumno primer nivel

Navy edit

 
Coat of arms of the Colombian Navy

The Colombian Navy (Spanish: Armada de la República de Colombia) is the maritime service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia, responsible for security and defense in both the Atlantic (Caribbean) and Pacific seas of Colombia, the extensive network of rivers inside the country, and a few small land areas under its direct jurisdiction. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Navy personnel.[5][9]

Officers edit

Rank group General/flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
  Colombian National Navy[10]
                 
Almirante Vicealmirante Contralmirante Capitán de navío Capitán de fragata Capitán de corbeta Teniente de navío Teniente de fragata Teniente de corbeta
Abbr. ALM VALM CALM CN CF CC TN TF TK

Enlisted edit

Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
  Colombian National Navy[10]
                 
Suboficial jefe técnico de comando conjunto Suboficial jefe técnico de comando Suboficial jefe técnico Suboficial jefe Suboficial primero Suboficial segundo Suboficial tercero Marinero primero Marinero segundo
Abbr. SJTCC SJTC SJT SJ S1 S2 S3 MA1 MA2

Marine Infantry edit

 
Coat of arms of the Colombian Marine Infantry

In Colombia, the Marine Infantry is a Corps depending on the Colombian Navy and not a full service branch on its own. Being tasked with amphibious and riverine and littoral operations, the MI presents a combination of ranking names derived from the Army, combined with naval insignias. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Marine Infantry personnel.[5]

Officers edit

Rank group General/flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
  Colombian Naval Infantry[10]
                 
General Mayor general Brigadier general Coronel Teniente coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente
Abbr. - GR - MG BG CR TC MY CT TE ST -

Enlisted edit

Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
  Colombian Naval Infantry[10]
                  No insignia
Sargento mayor de comando conjunto Sargento mayor de comando Sargento mayor Sargento primero Sargento vice primero Sargento segundo Cabo primero Cabo segundo Cabo tercero Infante regular
Abbr. SMCCCIM SMCCIM SMCIM SPCIM SVCIM SSCIM CPCIM CSCIM C3CIM -

Aerospace Force edit

 
Coat of arms of the Colombian Air Force

The Colombian Aerospace Force is the service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia tasked with the protection and defense of the Colombian sovereign airspace. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Aerospace Force personnel.[5]

Officers edit

Rank group General/Flag/Air officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
  Colombian Aerospace Force[11]
                 
General del aire Mayor general del aire Brigadier general del aire Coronel Teniente coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente
Abbr. GR MG BG CR TC MY CT TE ST
"3B" Uniform sample                  

Enlisted edit

Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
  Colombian Aerospace Force[11]
                 
Técnico jefe de comando conjunto Técnico jefe de comando Técnico jefe Técnico subjefe Técnico primero Técnico segundo Técnico tercero Técnico cuarto Aerotécnico
Abbr. TJCC TJC TJ TS TP T2 T3 T4 AT -

Pre-2010 ranks edit

Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
  Colombian National Army                    
General de Ejercito Teniente General Mayor General Brigadier General Coronel Teniente Coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente
  Colombian National Navy                    
Almirante Almirante de Escuadra Vicealmirante Contralmirante Capitán de Navío Capitán de Fragata Capitán de Corbeta Teniente de Navío Teniente de Fragata Teniente de Corbeta
  Colombian Naval Infantry                    
General Teniente General Mayor General Brigadier Coronel Teniente Coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente
  Colombian Aerospace Force                    
General del Aire Teniente General del Aire Mayor General del Aire Brigadier General del Aire Coronel Teniente Coronel Mayor Capitán Teniente Subteniente
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
  Colombian Aerospace Force                   No equivalent
Técnico Jefe de Comando Conjunto Técnico Jefe de Comando Técnico Jefe Técnico Subjefe Técnico Primero Técnico Segundo Técnico Tercero Técnico Cuarto Aerotécnico

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ In 2010, the Constitutional Court (Spanish: Corte Constitucional) on grounds of discrimination and protection of equal rights, issued an order[8] to the Military Forces to stop the classification of conscripts into "regular", "peasant" and "baccalaureate" (Spanish: "regular", "campesino" y "bachiller"), and to standardize the terms and conditions for all conscripts to 22 months.

References edit

  1. ^ Secretaría Senado de la República de Colombia (ed.). "Decreto 1790 de 2000 - Normas de carrera del personal de oficiales y suboficiales de las Fuerzas Militares" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  2. ^ Secretaría Senado de la República de Colombia (ed.). "Ley 1405 de 2010 - Nuevos Grados Militares" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  3. ^ "Ley 1792 de 2016" (PDF). Gobierno de Colombia. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  4. ^ Policía Nacional de Colombia (ed.). "Reglamento de Ceremonial y Protocolo Policial" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  5. ^ a b c d Congreso de la República de Colombia (28 July 2010). "Ley 1405 de 2010 Nuevos Grados Militares" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  6. ^ Ejército de Colombia (15 March 2011). "Grados y distintivos del Ejército" (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "Capítulo V: Insignias militares". RGE 4-20.1: Reglamento de Uniformes, Insignias y Distinciones (in Spanish) (7th ed.). Colombia: National Army of Colombia. pp. 301–331. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  8. ^ Corte Constitucional de la República de Colombia. "Sentencia T-218/10,Orden a las Fuerzas Militares de modificar la modalidad de incorporación al servicio militar, de soldado regular a soldado bachiller, desacuartelamiento inmediato y expedición de la libreta militar" [Sentence T-218/10, Order to the Military Forces to modify the modality of incorporation into military service, from regular soldier to high school soldier, immediate disenfranchisement and issuance of the military booklet] (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  9. ^ Armada Republica de Colombia (2006). "Insignias de la Armada" (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  10. ^ a b c d Congreso de la República de Colombia (28 July 2010). "Ley 1405 de 2010 Nuevos Grados Militares" [Law 1405 of 2010 New Military Ranks] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  11. ^ a b "Grados Militares Fuerza Aérea Colombiana". fac.mil.co (in Spanish). Colombian Air Force. Retrieved 28 May 2021.

External links edit

  • Colombian Army Ranks and distinctives - Official site
  • Colombian Navy - Official site (in Spanish)
  • Colombian Air Force - Official site (in Spanish)
  • "Colombia". uniforminsignia.net. International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia. Retrieved 17 February 2023.