United States Air Force

(Redirected from United States Army Air Forces)

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services. It was part of the U.S. Army until September 18, 1947.[1]

The Air Force is the largest air force in the world and considered one of the most technologically advanced. It has thousands of aircraft in service. including bombers, fighter aircraft, and transport, and hundreds of intercontinental ballistic missiles. Hundreds of thousands of men and women are on active duty in the Air Force and others are in the Reserves and the United States National Guard.

Officer ranks

Pay grade O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6 O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10 Special
Insignia US-O1 insignia.svg US-O2 insignia.svg US-O3 insignia.svg 45px 45px 45px 45px 45px 75px 105px 80px
Title Second
Lieutenant
First
Lieutenant
Captain Major Lieutenant
Colonel
Colonel Brigadier
General
Major
General
Lieutenant
General
General General
of the Air Force
Abbreviation2 2d Lt 1st Lt Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Gen Maj Gen Lt Gen Gen GAF
NATO Code OF-1 OF-2 OF-3 OF-4 OF-5 OF-6 OF-7 OF-8 OF-9 OF-10

1 Awarded as an honorary rank or during periods of a declared war.
2 No periods are used in actual grade abbreviation.

Warrant officers

The Air Force warrant officer ranks, while authorized by law, are not used.

Enlisted personnel

Pararescuemen and a simulated "survivor" watch as an HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter comes in for a landing.
US DoD Pay grade E-1 E-2 E-3 E-4 E-5 E-6 E-7 E-8 E-9
Insignia No Insignia E2 USAF AM.svg E3 USAF AM1.svg 47px E5 USAF SSGT.svg E6 USAF TSGT.svg 44px File:E7b USAF 1STSGT1.svg 44px E8b USAF 1STSGT2.svg 44px File:E9b USAF 1STSGT3.svg E9c USAF CCMS.svg 44px
Title Airman
Basic
Airman Airman First
Class
Senior
Airman
Staff
Sergeant
Technical
Sergeant
Master
Sergeant
¹
Senior Master
Sergeant
¹
Chief Master
Sergeant
¹
Command Chief
Master Sergeant
Chief Master Sergeant
of the Air Force
Abbreviation AB Amn A1C SrA SSgt TSgt MSgt SMSgt CMSgt CCM CMSAF
NATO Code OR-1 OR-2 OR-3 OR-4 OR-5 OR-6 OR-7 OR-8 OR-9 OR-9 OR-9

¹ The USAF does not have a separate First Sergeant rank; it is instead a duty denoted by a diamond within the upper field.

United States Air Force Media

References

  1. 80 P.L. 235, 61 Stat. 495 (1947); Air Force Link, (2006) "Factsheets: The U.S. Air Force". Retrieved April 7, 2006.

Other websites