Air Force Ranks
US Air Force Rank Insignia

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Air Force Ranks
US Air Force Rank Insignia and Air Force Pay Grades

US Air Force Ranks and Air Force Rank Insignia

Air Force Ranks are more than just who salutes whom. Air Force rank is a badge of leadership. Responsibility for personnel, equipment, and mission grows with each increase in rank. Do not confuse rank with pay grades, such as E-1 and O-5. Pay grades are administrative classifications used primarily to standardize compensation across the military services. The "E" in E-1 stands for "enlisted" while the "1" indicates the pay grade for that position. The other pay category are "O" for commissioned officers. Some enlisted pay grades have two (or more) ranks. Rank Images and info from Defenselink.mil Find a historic overview of Military Ranks and Military Rank Insignia here: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov1999/n11221999_9911224.html

US Air Force Enlisted Ranks, Enlisted Rank Insignia
Service members in pay grades E-1 through E-3 are usually either in some kind of training status or on their initial assignment. The training includes the basic training phase where recruits are immersed in military culture and values and are taught the core skills required by their service component. Basic training is followed by a specialized or advanced training phase that provides recruits with a specific area of expertise or concentration. In the Air Force, this area is called an Air Force Specialty. A specialty mark in the center of a rating badge indicates the wearer's particular rating.
Pay Grade: E2 Airman (Amn)		Pay Grade: E3 Airman First Class (A1C)		Pay Grade: E4 Senior Airman (SrA)
Leadership responsibility significantly increases in the mid-level enlisted ranks. This responsibility is given formal recognition by use of the terms noncommissioned officer (NCO). An Air Force staff sergeant is considered a NCO rank.
Pay Grade: E5 Staff Sergeant (SSgt)		Pay Grade: E6 Technical Sergeant (TSgt)		E7 Master Sergeant (MSgt)	E7 First Sergeant
At the E-8 level, the Air Force have two positions at the same pay grade. Whether one is, for example, a senior master sergeant or a first sergeant in the Air Force depends on the person's job. The same is true for the positions at the E-9 level. E-8s and E-9s. have 15 to 30 years on the job, and are commanders' senior advisers for enlisted matters. A fourth E-9 element is the senior enlisted person of the Air Force. The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force is the spokespersons of the enlisted force at the highest levels of their services
E8 Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt)	E8 First Sergeant	Pay Grade: E9 Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt)		Pay Grade: E9 First Sergeant
Pay Grade: E9 Command Chief Master Sergeant (CCM)			Pay Grade: E9 Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF)
A new Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force rank insignia were introduced November 1. 2004 http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123009055 The Old CMSAF rank insignia

US Air Force Warrant Officer Ranks

No Warrant Officers in the US Air Force

US Air Force Officer Ranks
The commissioned ranks are the highest in the military. These officers hold presidential commissions and are confirmed at their ranks by the Senate. US Air Force officers are called company grade officers in the pay grades of O-1 to O-3, field grade officers in pay grades O-4 to O-6 and general officers in pay grades O-7 and higher.
Pay Grade: O1 Second Lieutenant (2nd. Lt)	Pay Grade: O2 First Lieutenant (1st. Lt.)		Pay Grade: O3 Captain (Capt.)
Pay Grade: O4 Major (Maj.)	Pay Grade: O5 Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Col.)		Pay Grade: O6 Colonel (Col.)
Pay Grade: O7 Brigadier General (Brig. Gen.)	Pay Grade: O8 Major General (Maj. Gen.)		Pay Grade: O9 Lieutenant General (Lt. Gen.)
Pay Grade: O10 General (Gen.)		General of the Air Force (Wartime only)

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