User:Grayghost01/WBTS Rank and Insignia
[edit]
I created these graphics since the CS Navy always gets diddly-squat for coverage in Wiki. As you may notice, the CS Navy insignia is extremely similar to the British Royal Navy insignia. Why? Well, as we all know the Southern states fight against the Hordes and Marxists of the North was really a 2nd round of the English "Civil War" in which the Norman Cavaliers fought the Anglo Roundheads. The South, of predominant Norman (with Celt mix) culture copied and mimicked their beloved ally Britain as they fought the new version of Roundheads ... the wily Yankees.
| Insignia location |
Admiral | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant | Master | Passed Midshipman |
Midshipman |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeves |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Shoulder Straps |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Cover |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Rank Abbreviations[edit]
Some background[edit]
These are the proper rank abbreviations and links for use in all American Civil War articles. You will notice that the U.S. Army ranks are abbreviated differently. Why is that? Well, the Federal or Union Army during the Civil War is the SAME U.S. Army in existence today. The style of abbreviation is controlled by the U.S. Army. See United States Army officer rank insignia. The goofy all-caps thing is their cup of tea, and how the U.S. Army wants their officers addressed. Notice the use of modern abbreviations for the historical Army figures at Commanding General of the United States Army. Now, I think its strange to address LtGen George Washington as LTG George Washington, but that is correct.
Confederate ranks[edit]
What about the Confederate ranks? The abbreviations that I give below for the C.S. Army follow the general abbreviations used in that era. A good guide is to notice that this follows CURRENT U.S. Marine Corps practice. See United States Marine Corps officer rank insignia. Now bear in mind that the USMC page has ARMY graphics, because whoever created that page simply assumed they use the same insignia, when they do not (similar, but not the same). Anyway, the point is that the USMC abbreviations have not changed in decades, if not a century, and reflect the "old style" abbreviations, and are practically identical to the C.S. Army practice.
Don't use periods, ever[edit]
DO NOT USE PERIODS in military rank abbreviations EVER. I see this throughout WIKI, and it is utterly incorrect and improper. No military ettiquette or manual has ever given any example of such a practice. Often the press and journalists ... haters of the military ... use the periods, despite protocol guidance issued from the Services. They do this to be spiteful. Thus in a news article a Navy Lieutenant Commander which should be LCDR is typically abbreviated as "Lt. Cmdr.". Note that in this instance, the U.S. Navy does not recognize that latter term as valid. But wouldn't it be nice if the Navy payed the kindness in return by calling them a "Nws. Jrnlst."?
Examples[edit]
EXAMPLE OF A BAD ABBREVIATION:
- Lieut. Gen. for Lieutenant General
In this case, why even bother attempting an abbreviation? Just add the few remaining letters and spell it out. This abbreviation uses 11 characters and spaces. The original words use only 17 letters to begin with. What's the point? This is why this is a bad abbreviation, and why it is not used by the U.S. armed forces.vvOne thing I'd like to point out is that for decades lieutenants in the military have been referred to as "El Tee". Why? Because the abbreviation for 1stLt and 2ndLt have been spelled as such for a very long time. The actual use of "Lieut." as an abbreviation for lieutenant is extremely rare.
EXAMPLE OF THE CORRECT ABBREVIATION:
- LtGen for a CSA Lieutenant General
- LTG for a USA Lieutenant General
- Lt Gen for a U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General
In this case, only 5 characters are needed for the CSA or Marine use, and a mere 3 letters for the Army use. I don't know why the USAF adds the space, but the space is the primary difference between the USAF and USMC. Regardless, no periods are ever used in proper military rank abbreviations.
My links below to go with the abbreviations are optional, and intended to direct the user to the most appropriate WIKI article about that rank that I can find.
FEDERAL ARMY Ranks in existence during the WBTS: The Senior Federal General ranks: [[Lieutenant general (United States) | LTG]] for Winfield Scott [[Commanding General of the United States Army | GEN]] for Ulysses Grant All other Federal officers, including Grant prior to his promotion: [[Major general (United States) | MG]] [[Brigadier general (United States) | BG]] [[Colonel (United States) | COL]] [[Lieutenant colonel (United States) | LTC]] [[Major (United States) | MAJ]] [[Captain (United States O-3) | CPT]] [[First lieutenant#United States | 1LT]] [[Second lieutenant#United States | 2LT]] CONFEDERATE ARMY Ranks: [[General-in-Chief | Gen]] applied only to R.E. Lee briefly in 1865 [[General (CSA) | Gen]] (Armies) [[Lieutenant General (CSA) | LtGen]] (Corps) [[Major General (CSA) | MajGen]] (Divisions) [[Brigadier General (CSA) | BGen]] (Brigades) [[Confederate States Army#Ranks and insignia | Col]] (Regiments) [[Confederate States Army#Ranks and insignia | LtCol]] (Battalions) [[Confederate States Army#Ranks and insignia | Maj]] (Staff positions) [[Confederate States Army#Ranks and insignia | Capt]] (Companies) [[Confederate States Army#Ranks and insignia | 1stLt]] (Asst Company) [[Confederate States Army#Ranks and insignia | 2ndLt]] (Asst Company)
List of rank abbreviations[edit]
FEDERAL ARMY Ranks
CONFEDERATE ARMY Ranks
These are the rank abbreviations used on military grave markers:
- PVT - Private
- PVT 1CL - Private First Class
- QM - Quartermaster
- QMSGT - Quartermaster Sergeant
- CSGT - Commissary Sergeant
- SGT - Sergeant
- SGM - Sergeant Major
- WO - Warrant Officer
- 1 LT - First Lieutenant
- 2 LT - Second Lieutenant
- CPT - Captain
- MAJ - Major
- LTC - Lieutenant Colonel
- COL - Colonel
- BBG - Brevet Brigadier General
- BGEN - Brigadier General
- BMG - Brevet Major General
- MGEN - Major General
- LGEN - Lieutenant General
- GEN - General
Table of rank abbreviations[edit]
| Modern Rank |
Rank Title |
USA Abbreviation |
USA Insignia |
CSA Abbreviation |
CSA Insignia |
USMC Abbreviation |
USMC Insignia |
CSMC Abbreviation |
CSMC Insignia |
Rank Title |
USN Abbreviation |
USN Insignia |
CSN Abbreviation |
CSN Insignia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special (5-star) |
General in Chief | -- | -- | General-in-Chief (Lee, 31Jan65) |
-- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| O-10 | General | GA (Grant, 25Jul66) |
Gen (7 CSA Generals) |
-- | -- | -- | -- | Admiral | ADM (Farragut, 25Jul66) |
|
Adm |
| ||
| O-9 | Lieutenant General |
GEN (Grant, 12Mar64) LTG |
|
LtGen (18 CSA LtGens) |
-- | -- | -- | -- | Vice Admiral |
VADM (Farragut, 21Dec64) |
|
-- | -- | |
| O-8 | Major General |
MG | 
|
MajGen (88 CSA MajGens) |
-- | -- | -- | -- | Rear Admiral |
RADM (9 USN RADMs after 16Jul62) |
|
-- | -- | |
| O-7 | Brigadier General |
BG | 
|
BGen (393 CSA BGens) |
-- | -- | BGen | Commodore | Commodore (after 16Jul62) |
|
-- | -- | ||
| O-6 | Colonel | COL | 
|
Col | 
|
Col |
|
Col |
|
Captain | CAPT | 
|
Capt |
|
| O-5 | Lieutenant Colonel |
LTC | 
|
LtCol | 
|
LtCol |
|
LtCol |
|
Commander | CDR | 
|
Cmdr |
|
| O-4 | Major | MAJ | 
|
Maj | 
|
Maj | |
Maj |
|
Lieutenant Commander |
LCDR (after 16Jul62) |
|
-- | -- |
| O-3 | Captain | CPT | 
|
Capt | 
|
Capt |
|
Capt |
|
Lieutenant | LT | 
|
Lt |
|
| O-2 | First Lieutenant |
1LT | 
|
1stLt | 
|
1stLt |
|
1stLt |
|
Master | Master | 
|
Master |
|
| O-1 | Second Lieutenant |
2LT | 
|
2ndLt | 
|
2ndLt |
|
2ndLt |
|
Passed Midshipman (Ensign) |
ENS (after 16Jul62) |
|
Passed Midshipman |
|
| Cadet | CDT | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | Midshipman | MIDN | 
|
Midn |
|