Military rank

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Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships within armed forces,^[1] police,^[2] intelligence agencies and other institutions organized along military lines. Responsibility for personnel, equipment and missions grow with each advancement. The military rank system defines dominance, authority and responsibility within a military hierarchy. It incorporates the principles of exercising power and authority into the military chain of command—the succession of commanders superior to subordinates through which command is exercised. The military chain of command is an important component for organized collective action.^[3]

Uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms of a number of countries.^[4][5] Ranking systems have been known for most of military history to be advantageous for military operations, in particular with regards to logistics, command, and coordination. As time went on and military operations became larger and more complex, more ranks were created and the systems of ranking became more complex.^[6][7]

Rank is not only used to designate leadership, but to establish pay-grade as well. As rank increases, pay-grade follows, but so does the amount of responsibility.^[8]

In modern armed forces, the use of ranks is almost universal. Communist states have, on several occasions, abolished the use of ranks (e.g., the Soviet Red Army 1918–1935,^[9] the Chinese People's Liberation Army 1965–1988,^[10] and the Albanian People's Army 1966–1991^[11]), but they have had to re-establish them after encountering operational difficulties in command and control.