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Australian Army Officers receive a commission that is personally signed by the Governor-General of Australia - acting on the Queen's behalf. Rank insignia for commissioned officers is identical to that of the British Army, with the addition of a band containing the word 'Australia' beneath the insignia.
[edit] Ranks and Rank Grades
Officer ranks in the Australian Army are organised into grades for administrative and promotional purposes. The rank grades also give an indication of what that particular officer's role or position may be, although 'Rank Grade' is not an official term. The ranks are organised below from highest to lowest:
[edit] General Officer Ranks
- General (Abbreviated: GEN) 1
- Lieutenant General (Abbreviated: LTGEN)
- Major General (Abbreviated: MAJGEN)
[edit] Staff Officer Ranks
- Brigadier (Abbreviated: BRIG)
- Colonel (Abbreviated: COL)
[edit] Field Officer Ranks
- Lieutenant Colonel (Abbreviated: LTCOL) 2
- Major (Abbreviated: MAJ)
[edit] Company Grade Officer Ranks
- Captain (Abbreviated: CAPT)
- Lieutenant (Abbreviated: LT)
- Second Lieutenant (Abbreviated: 2LT
[edit] Officer Trainee Rank
- Staff Cadet (Abbreviated SCDT)
- Officer Cadet (Abbreviated: OCDT)
The Rank Insignia for both OCDT and SCDT are simply a blank epaulette. The OCDT one has the word "Australia" at the bottom while the SCDT one has the letters "RMC" at the bottom, denoting the Royal Military College of Australia, which all SCDTs are a part of.
- Note 1: There are no regular appointments to the rank of Field Marshal, Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey being the last Australian officer promoted to the rank. However, Prince Philip holds the rank of Field Marshal in the Australian Army.
- Note 2: Some officers with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel hold staff officer positions.
[edit] Cadet Rank Insignia
The rank of Officer Cadet is given to those who are studying at the Australian Defence Force Academy. Their rank is then changed to Staff Cadet upon entry to the Royal Military College, Duntroon where they become a part of the Corps of Staff Cadets
Unlike both the British Army and the United States Army, Australian Army Officer Cadets do not have a specific official rank insignia. However when wearing the DPCU (Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniform) Australian Army Officer Cadets at both the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Royal Military College, Duntroon are allowed to wear a single white band on their epaulettes to distinguish them from the rank of Private, which also has no formal rank insignia.
[edit] Officer Rank Insignia of the Australian Army
The insignia worn by officers in the Australian Army are comprised of three symbols which are also used in the insignia of the British Army: The Star, commonly called a pip, is derived from that of the Order of the Bath.
The Crown has varied in the past, with the King's Imperial Crown being used from 1910 until it was replaced by the St Edward's Crown from the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953.
The Crossed Sword and Baton has been in use by generals of the Brtish Army since at least 1800.
| Officer Cadet/Officer Trainee Ranks of the Australian Army |
| Officer Cadet (OCDT) |
Staff Cadet (SCDT) |
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Same as OCDT but with "RMC" at bottom instead of "Australia" |
