Misplaced Pages

Brigadier general

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Brig Gen) Senior rank in the armed forces

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Brigadier general" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Comparative military ranks
Armies,
air forces
(non-Commonwealth)		 Navies,
coast guards		 Air forces
(Commonwealth system)
General officers, Flag officers, Air officers
Field marshal Admiral of the fleet Marshal of the air force
General or
colonel general or
army general		 Admiral Air chief marshal
Lieutenant general or
army corps general		 Vice admiral Air marshal
Major general or
divisional general		 Rear admiral or
Counter admiral		 Air vice-marshal
Brigadier or
brigadier general		 Commodore or
flotilla admiral		 Air commodore
Senior officers
Colonel (Ship-of-the-line)
Captain		 Group captain
Lieutenant colonel Frigate captain or
Commander		 Wing commander
Major or
commandant		 Corvette captain or Lieutenant
commander		 Squadron leader
Junior officers
Captain Lieutenant Flight lieutenant
First lieutenant or
lieutenant		 Lieutenant
junior grade or
sub-lieutenant		 Flying officer
Second lieutenant or
junior lieutenant		 Ensign or
midshipman		 Pilot officer
Non-commissioned officers
Warrant officer or
sergeant major		 Warrant officer or
chief petty officer		 Warrant officer
Sergeant Petty officer Sergeant
Enlisted ranks
Corporal or
bombardier		 Leading seaman Corporal
Lance corporal or
Lance bombardier or
Specialist		 Able seaman Leading aircraftman or
Air specialist
Private or
gunner or
trooper or
sapper		 Seaman Aircraftman or
airman or
aviator

Brigadier general or brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000 troops (two regiments or four battalions).

Variants

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Brigadier general

Brigadier general (Brig. Gen.) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank originates from the Old European System. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000 troops (four battalions).

In some countries, this rank is given the name of brigadier, which is usually equivalent to brigadier general in the armies of nations that use the rank.

The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a "brigadier general", or simply a "brigadier", would command a brigade in the field.

In the first quarter of the 20th century, British and Commonwealth armies used the rank of brigadier general as a temporary appointment, or as an honorary appointment on retirement; in the 1920s this practice changed to the use of brigadier, which was not classed as a general officer.

Brigade general

Brigade general is the rank of a brigade commander in countries where the French Revolutionary System's general officer rank designation is used.

The rank name général de brigade (transl. brigade general) was first used in the French revolutionary armies.

It used both brigadier general and major general because it is used for the designated rank of the general officers that the country stipulates as brigade commanders' class by law.

By country

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Brigadier general" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Argentina

See also: Military ranks of Argentina

The rank of brigadier general (with some local variations) is used in the Argentine Air Force. Unlike other armed forces of the World, the rank of brigadier general is actually the highest rank in the Air Force. This is due to the use of the rank of brigadier and its derivatives to designate all general officers in the Air Force: brigadier (lowest general officer); brigadier-major (middle); and brigadier-general (highest). The rank of brigadier general is reserved for the Chief General Staff of the Air Force, as well as the Chief of the Joint General Staff if he should be an Air Force officer.

The Argentine Army does not use the rank of brigadier-general, instead using brigade general (Spanish: General de brigada) which in turn is the lowest general officer before Divisional General (Spanish: General de Division) and Lieutenant General (Spanish: Teniente General).

Australia

See also: Australian Army officer rank insignia and List of Australian generals and brigadiers
Australian Army Brigadier General Harold Edward "Pompey" Elliott

In the Australian Imperial Force during World War I, the rank of brigadier general was always temporary and held only while the officer was posted to a particular task, typically the command of a brigade. (Until 1915, Australian brigades were commanded by colonels.) When posted elsewhere, the rank would be relinquished and the former rank resumed. This policy prevented an accumulation of high-ranking general officers brought about by the relatively high turnover of brigade commanders. Brigadier general was also used as an honorary rank on retirement.

The rank insignia was like that of the current major general, but without the star/pip. Brigadier generals wore the same gorget patches (a line of gold oak leaf embroidery down the centre), cap badge (crossed sword and baton within a laurel wreath, surmounted by a crown in gold embroidery) and cap visor (two rows of gold oakleaf embroidery) as other generals.

As in the United Kingdom, the rank was later replaced by colonel commandant in 1922 and brigadier in 1928. However, those holding the rank of brigadier general continued to do so throughout the inter-war period, until the last of them retired or was promoted during the Second World War. A brigadier general was a general officer, but brigadiers were not generals, which is shown by the rank insignia being like that of a colonel, but with an extra (third) star/pip, and a brigadier wore the same gorget patches (scarlet cloth with a line of crimson gimp), cap badge (the Royal Crest in gold embroidery), and cap visor (one row of gold oakleaf embroidery) as a colonel.

Bangladesh

Prior to 2001, the Bangladesh Army rank was known as brigadier, in conformity with the rank structure of the Commonwealth Nations. In 2001 the Bangladesh Army introduced the rank of brigadier general, however "the grade stayed equivalent to brigadier", and although classified as a "one-star rank", a brigadier general is not considered to be a general officer – the lowest ranking general officer is Major General. Brigadier general is equivalent to commodore of the Bangladesh Navy and air commodore of the Bangladesh Air Force. It is still more popularly called brigadier.

Belgium

The Belgian Army uses the rank of général de brigade (French) and brigadegeneraal (Dutch, 'brigade general'). However, in this small military there are no permanent promotions to this rank, and it is only awarded as a temporary promotion to a full colonel who assumes a post requiring the rank, notably in an international context (e.g. as military attaché in a major embassy).

Brazil

See also: Military ranks of Brazil

General de brigada (Brigade general) is the lowest rank amongst general officers of the Brazilian Army; i.e. like in most British Commonwealth countries, the lowest general officer rank is a two-star rank, and a General de Brigada wears a two-star insignia. Hence, it is equivalent to the major general rank of many countries. In the Brazilian Air Force, all of the senior ranks include 'Brigadeiro'; the two-star rank is Brigadeiro (Brigadier), the three-star rank is Major-Brigadeiro (Major-Brigadier), and the four-star rank is Tenente-Brigadeiro-do-Ar (Lieutenant-Air-Brigadier).

Canada

See also: Canadian Forces ranks and insignia

In the Canadian Forces, the rank of brigadier-general (BGen) (brigadier-général or bgén in French) is a rank for members who wear army or air force uniform, equal to a commodore for those in navy uniform. A brigadier-general is the lowest rank of general officer. A brigadier-general is senior to a colonel or naval captain, and junior to a major-general or rear-admiral.

The rank title brigadier-general is still used notwithstanding that brigades in the army are now commanded by colonels. Until the late 1990s brigades were commanded by brigadier-generals. In the air force context, brigadier-generals used to command air force groups until these bodies were abolished in the late 1990s.

The rank insignia for a brigadier-general on air force uniforms is a single wide braid on the cuff, as well as a single silver maple leaf beneath crossed sabre and baton, all surmounted by St. Edward's Crown, worn on the shoulder straps of the service dress jacket, and on slip-ons on other uniforms. The rank insignia on army uniforms is a gold maple leaf beneath crossed sword and baton, all surmounted by St. Edward's Crown, on the shoulder straps. On the visor of the service cap are two rows of gold oak leaves; the air force wedge cap features silver braid on the edges of the ear flaps. The cap insignia for a general officer is a modified version of the Canadian Forces insignia. Army brigadier-generals wear gorget patches on the collar of the service uniform tunic.

Brigadier-generals are initially addressed verbally as "General" and name; thereafter by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am" in English or mon général in French. They are normally entitled to staff cars.

Until unification in 1968 of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Army, and the Royal Canadian Navy, rank structure and insignia followed the British pattern. This system of rank insignia was reinstated in 2014. In army usage, the term "brigadier" was used to denote what is now known as a brigadier-general while the air force used the rank of air commodore.

Chile

In the Chilean Army, Brigadier is a one-star rank and General de Brigada is the immediately superior two-star rank. While the Chilean Air Force uses Comodoro for its one-star rank, two-star Air Force officers hold the rank of General de Brigada Aérea – literally 'air brigade general'.

Colombia

The rank of brigadier general was established in 1953 by decree 1325 on the 21st of May. With this decree, the ranks of lieutenant general and general were replaced by brigadier general and lieutenant general establishing brigadier as the first grade for generals. In the 60s these ranks were reformed once again creating a third rank, brigadier general, Major general, and general in the Fuerzas Militares, and the National Police.

France

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Brigadier general" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Charles de Gaulle during World War II in his uniform of Général de Brigade

France uses the rank of "brigade general" (général de brigade). The rank contrasts with the French sub-officer rank of brigadier. As with all French general officers, a French brigade general is titled "general" without any implication that he is an army general; for instance General Charles de Gaulle never rose higher than brigade general.

Until 1793, the rank of brigadier des armées ("brigadier of the armies") existed in the French Army, which could be described as a senior colonel or junior brigade commander. The normal brigade command rank was maréchal de camp (literally "camp marshal"). When rank insignia were introduced, brigadier des armées wore one star and a maréchal de camp wore two stars. During the French Revolution, the revolutionaries' drive to rationalise the state led to a change in the system of ranks. The rank of brigadier des armées was abolished and the normal brigade command rank, maréchal de camp, was replaced by brigade general. The rank of brigade general inherited the two stars of the rank of maréchal de camp, explaining the absence since 1793 of a French rank with only one star. For this reason, in France, the rank corresponding to brigade general was changed to brigadier general after NATO was established on April 4, 1949, and before that, it corresponded to major general.

Nowadays, a French général de brigade generally commands a brigade. The rank can also be awarded in an honorary fashion to retiring colonels. The insignia are two stars, worn on the shoulder or at the sleeve of the uniform, depending on the order of dress. Two different kepis are issued: the service kepi sports the two stars, while the formal kepi features a large band of oak leaves (the kepi of a division general has two smaller such bands).

Charles de Gaulle held the rank of brigade general. He was given a temporary promotion to this rank in May 1940 as commander of the 4th Armoured Division (4 division cuirassée). However his initial authority as head of the Free French really came from being the only cabinet member (Under-Secretary of State for National Defence and War) outside occupied France, not from his military rank. As a reminder of his war position, he refused any further promotion.

Ireland

The country is divided into two areas for administrative and operational reasons, and in each area there is an infantry brigade. The two brigade group structure envisages distinct operational areas of responsibility for each of the brigades and is supported in its responsibilities by the Naval Service and Air Corps. Each of the brigade formations and the Air Corps is commanded by a brigadier general, while the Naval Service is commanded by a commodore.

Italy

In the Italian Armed Forces the rank has different denominations. In the Army, the rank for combat arms officers is generale di brigata whilst for the logistics and technical corps is called brigadier generale. In 1926, the brigadiere generale and maggior generale in comando di brigata were merged and renamed with their current rank designation.The rank is also present in the other armed forces, police corps and other services of Italy, with different denominations, and it is associated with the lowest level within the government top management.

Mexico

Main article: Military ranks of Mexico

Within the Mexican Armed Forces, there exists two grades of brigadier general. The lowest general officer is General brigadier, with the second lowest being General de brigada. The general officer rank higher than the two brigadier generals is Divisional general.

Philippines

In the Philippines, Brigadier General (Philippine Army Philippine Air Force and Philippine Marines)/ Commodore (Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard)/ Chief Superintendent (Bureau of Fire Protection and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology) / Police Brigadier General (Chief Superintendent before) (Philippine National Police) / Gial De Brigada (1890–1902) (Philippine Revolutionary Army) is the lowest rank of generals but already eligible in the promotion to become Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or PNP Chief of the Philippine National Police surpassing the Major General and Lieutenant General ranks.

Poland

Generał brygady (literally, "general of a brigade", abbreviated gen. bryg.) is the lowest-ranking general in the Polish Land Forces and Air Force.

Portugal

In the Portuguese Army and Air Force, brigadeiro-general is a temporary general rank for the colonels that have to exercise a special command. It is the equivalent of the commodore rank in the Portuguese Navy.

The rank was reintroduced in 1999. Before that, simply as brigadeiro, it existed from 1707 to 1864 and again from 1929 to 1947, not being considered a general rank. From 1947 to 1999, brigadeiro become the two-star general rank in the Portuguese Army. As two-star rank, it was substituted by the rank of major-general in 1999.

Spain

In the Spanish Army, Spanish Air Force, and Spanish Marine Infantry (Infantería de Marina, a branch of the Armada) general de brigada is the lowest rank of general officers. Its equivalent in the Navy (Armada) is contraalmirante.

Turkey

In the Turkish Army and the Turkish Air Force, the equivalent rank is tuğgeneral (the Turkish Navy equivalent is tuğamiral). The name is derived from tugay, the Turkish word for a brigade. Both tugay and tuğ- as military terms may owe their origins to the older Turkish word tuğ, meaning horsetail, which was used as a symbol of authority and rank in Ottoman and pre-Ottoman times.

United Kingdom

Main article: Brigadier-general (United Kingdom)

Brigadier-general was formerly a rank or appointment in the British Army and Royal Marines, and briefly in the Royal Air Force. The appointment was abolished in the Army and the Marines in 1921; the equivalent rank today is Brigadier.

United States

Main article: Brigadier general (United States)

In the United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, and United States Space Force, a brigadier general is a one-star general officer. It is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral (lower half) in the other uniformed services.

Uruguay

In the Uruguayan Air Force, a brigadier general is the second highest rank in its hierarchy, behind the air general, and the first of the general officers to be achieved. It is equivalent to the rank of general in the Army and counter admiral in the Navy. Each brigadier general is appointed by the Executive with the approval of the Senate, in accordance with Article 168 of the Constitution of the Republic.

Insignia

Army insignia

See also

Notes

  1. Australian Army rank insignia for 2LT, LT, CAPT, LTCOL, COL, BRIG, MAJGEN and GEN use the Order of the Bath star, which is commonly referred to as a "pip".

References

  1. Decreto 1428 de 2007 Archived 2009-06-19 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Decreti 1791 de 2000 (septiembre 14) Archived May 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Les grades dans l'armée de terre" (in French). May 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  4. Takai 2006, pp. 78.
  5. ^ Secretary of National Defense (27 June 2019). "Manual gráfico para el uso de Uniformes, Divisas y Equipo del Ejército y F.A.M." [Graphic manual for the use of Uniforms, Badges and Equipment of the Army and Air Force] (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  6. Jesus, Julliane Love De (1 July 2016). "It's official: Dela Rosa is new PNP chief". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  7. "Ley N° 19775". www.impo.com.uy. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  8. "Constitución de la República Oriental del Uruguay". www.impo.com.uy. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  9. "Grados". argentina.gob.ar (in Spanish). Government of Argentina. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  10. "Ranks & insignia". joinbangladesharmy.army.mil.bd. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  11. "LOI N° 2005-43 DU 26 JUIN 2006" (PDF). ilo.org (in French). National Assembly (Benin). 26 June 2006. pp. 19–20, 35–36. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  12. Ministry of Defense (Bolivia) (10 December 2019). "Conoce la jerarquía de los grados del #Ejército" (Tweet) (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 May 2021 – via Twitter.
  13. "Postos e Graduações - Exército". eb.mil.br (in Portuguese). Brazilian Army. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  14. "Akta angkatan bersenjata diraja Brunei (Penggal 149)" (PDF). agc.gov.bn (in Malay). 16 December 2013. pp. 1999–2000. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  15. "LOI N° 037-2016/AN PORTANT CONDITIONS D'AVANCEMENT DES PERSONNELS D'ACTIVE DES FORCES ARMEES NATIONALES" (PDF) (in French). 2015. pp. 17–21. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  16. "Loi organique N°1/ 04 du 20 février 2017 portant Missions, Organisation, Composition, Instruction, Conditions de service et Fonctionnement de la Force de Défense Nationale du Burundi" (PDF). fdnb.bi/ (in French). Government of Burundi. p. 45. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  17. "Ranks and appointment". canada.ca. Government of Canada. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  18. "Distintivos de grados". ejercito.cl. Chilean Army. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  19. "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.
  20. "Grades appellations distinctions". defense.gouv.cg (in French). Ministry of National Defense (Republic of the Congo). Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  21. "Grados militares". minfar.gob.cu (in Spanish). Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (Cuba). Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  22. "Insignias". mide.gob.do (in Spanish). Ministry of Defense (Dominican Republic). Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  23. "Resolución No. MRL-2012". trabajo.gob.ec (in Spanish). Government of Ecuador. 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  24. Wetaderawī ma'iregochi # fana k'elemati ወታደራዊ ማዕረጎች # ፋና ቀለማት [Military titles #Fana Colors] (in Amharic). YouTube: Fana Television. 6 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  25. Instruction N° 10300/DEF/EMAT/LOG/ASH (PDF) (in French). Staff of the French Army. 13 June 2005. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  26. "Grados Militares". mindef.mil.gt (in Spanish). Ministry of Defence (Guatemala). Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  27. Flores, Edmundo (1995). "National Security". In Merrill, Tim (ed.). Honduras: a country study. Area Handbook (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 232–233. LCCN 94043036. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  28. "Pangkat Harian". tni.mil.id (in Indonesian). Indonesian National Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  29. "GRADES / APPELLATIONS / DISTINCTIONS". defense.gouv.ci (in French). Ministère de la Défense. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  30. "Defense Act of 2008" (PDF). 3 September 2008. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  31. "LOI N° 96-029 portant Statut Général des Militaires" (PDF). defense.gov.mg (in French). Ministry of Defence (Madagascar). 15 November 1996. p. 2. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  32. "Pangkat". mafhq.mil.my (in Malay). Malaysian Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  33. "2011 - Plaquette sur les insignes et blasons des Forces Armées du Mali" (in French). 23 April 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  34. Chief of General Staff (25 November 2019). "Order of the Chief of the General Staff: Number A / 595". gsmaf.gov.mn (in Mongolian). pp. 20–26. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  35. Ehrenreich, Frederich (1985). "National Security". In Nelson, Harold D. (ed.). Morocco: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C. pp. 350–351. LCCN 85600265.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  36. Nepali Army. "Nepali Army Rank Structure". Nepalarmy.mil.np. Nepali Army. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  37. "Insignias de Grados Militares". ejercito.mil.ni (in Spanish). Nicaraguan Armed Forces. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  38. Bureau international des droits des enfants (December 2012). "État des Lieux: Formation des forces de défense et de sécurité sur les droit de l'enfant au Niger" (PDF) (in French). p. 34. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  39. Smaldone, Joseph P. (1992). "National Security". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Nigeria: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 296–297. LCCN 92009026. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  40. Cooke, Melinda W. (1990). "Chapter 5: National Security". In Hanratty, Dennis M.; Meditz, Sandra W. (eds.). Paraguay: A Country Study. Area Handbook Series (2nd ed.). Library of Congress. pp. 216–217. LCCN 89600299. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  41. "Grados Militares". ccffaa.mil.pe (in Spanish). Joint Command of the Armed Forces of Peru. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  42. "Ranks and insignia". army.mil.ph. Philippine Army. Archived from the original on 28 April 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  43. "Sposób noszenia odznak stopni wojskowych na umundurowaniu wojsk Lądowych i sił Powietrznych" (PDF). wojsko-polskie.pl (in Polish). Armed Forces Support Inspectorate. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  44. "RDF Insignia". mod.gov.rw. Government of the Republic of Rwanda. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  45. "Grados Militares". fuerzaarmada.mil.sv (in Spanish). Ministry of National Defense of El Salvador. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  46. "SAF Rank Insignias". mindef.gov.sg. Ministry of Defence (Singapore). Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  47. "Uniform: Rank insignia". army.mil.za. Department of Defence (South Africa). Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  48. "Journal officiel de la république togolaise" (PDF) (in French). 12 February 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  49. "Rank Chart (Commissioned Officers)". 69.0.195.188. Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  50. "U.S. Army Ranks". army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  51. "Grados de Generales y Almirantes". ejercito.mil.ve. Government of Venezuela. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019.

Bibliography

  • Takai, Mitsuo (2006). Consise guide to modern military terms in Japanese. Sanshūsha Co., ltd. ISBN 4-384-04095-4.

External links

Military ranks and insignia by country
Africa
States with
limited recognition
Former
Comparative
Americas
Former
Comparative
Asia
States with
limited recognition
Former
Comparative
Europe
States with
limited recognition
Former
Comparative
Oceania
Comparative
Language
Anglophone
Arabophone
Francophone
Hispanophone
Lusophone
Post-Soviet states
Commonwealth of Nations
European Union
NATO
Comparative ranks of
Categories: