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TheItalian Army ranks are the ranks used by theItalian Army, the insignia for which are worn on epaulettes of shirts. Ranks in the Italian Army indicate both their officers' status and seniority, as dedicated members of the Italian militia. As of 2024, the lowest rank is "soldato semplice" and the highest rank is "generale". There are a total of 32 ranks in seven categories. These categories include: temporary service volunteers, permanent service volunteers, sergeants, marshals (NCOs), junior officers, senior officers, and generals.[1]
In order to clearly show an officer's rank as a form of identification and authority, insignia patches are worn by all members of the Italian army. In each ranking category of officer, there is a trend in the symbols shown on their insignia patches. As soldiers gain ranks, the symbols on their insignia become more detailed and recognizable, such as adding an additional star or stripe per higher rank achieved.[2][better source needed]
The chart below represents the Italian Army rank insignia used on theslip-on of winter service uniforms. The color of the uniforms iskhaki.[3]
Officers who are assigned to an acting position corresponding to a higher rank than their own wear the insignia of the higher rank, but with the highest star of the insignia trimmed in red enamel. Similarly, an officer temporarily assigned to a position of higher rank in the absence of the incumbent officer displays the highest star in the colour bronze.
The Italian rank system has a large number of junior NCO ranks. Several ranks (which are variations on corporal) have a "chosen" version of the rank, "chosen" having the same sense of "leading", as in the historicBritish Army appointment of "chosen man" (now called lance-corporal).
| NATO code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Generals | Senior officers | Junior officers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Italian Army[4] | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Generale | Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Tenente Generale) | Generale di Divisione (Maggior Generale) | Generale di Brigata (Brigadier Generale) | Colonnello | Tenente Colonnello | Maggiore | Primo capitano | Capitano | Tenente | Sottotenente | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NATO Code | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special ranks[4] | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .png) | .svg) |
| NATO code | OR-9 | OR-8 | OR-7 | OR-6 | OR-5 | OR-4 | OR-3 | OR-2 | OR-1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-officers | Volunteer ratings | Enlisted | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marshals | Sergeants | Permanent service volunteers | Temporary service volunteers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italian Army[4][5] | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) |
| .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) |
| .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Primo luogotenente | Luogotenente | Primo maresciallo | Sergente maggiore aiutante | Sergente maggiore capo | Sergente maggiore | Sergente | Caporal maggiore | Caporale | Soldato | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Translation | Firstsub-lieutenant | Sub-lieutenant | First marshal |
| Chief sergeant major adjutant | Chief sergeant major | Sergeant major | Sergeant |
| Corporal-major | Corporal | Private | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Enlisted insignia saw no significant changes until 1973 when the chevrons were moved from the sleeve to the shoulder board. In 1997 the new ranks from 1°CM to CMCS were created for permanent service enlisted personnel, and the new insignia were created. in the same year, the rank of C.le Sc. was created as top rank for conscript personnel with corresponing shoulder board insignia.
The rank ofcaporale is not a command grade and only results in a higher paygrade, and may be attained by conscript personnel. The ranks up tocaporal maggiore may be attained by temporary service personnel. Higher ranks may only be attained by permanent service personnel. Sergeants generally have team command tasks, and are appointed in the rank only after several months in a training course.
The rank ofsoldato is used only for recruits and is substituted by the following, depending on the branch or service of their assignment
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Italian Army officers used to wear the ranks on the sleeve, likenaval officers. Since 1946, insignia were changed in order to align withNATO regulations. In 1973 the system had the following slight change: the "bastion wall" was added to the stars for general officers, instead of the silver shoulder board; the civic crown was added to the stars for field officers, instead of a gold band on the edge of the epaulette or shoulder strap; the stars began to be placed near the edge of the epaulette instead of in the center. These changes were mostly intended to make insignia more easily recognizable on the field uniform.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italian Army (1947–1972)[6] | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | .png) | | | .png) | | | |||||||||||
| Generale di corpo d'armata con incarichi speciali | Generale di corpo d'armata | Generale di divisione | Generale di brigata | Colonnello comandante di reggimento | Colonnello | Tenente colonnello | Maggiore | Primo capitano | Capitano | Primo tenente | Tenente | Sottotenente | ||||||||||||
| Italian Army (1972–?) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other rank insignia | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATO Code | OR-9 | OR-7 | OR-4 | ||||||
| Shoulder board | | | .svg) | ||||||
| Italian[7] | Primo luogotenente q.s.[8] | Sergente maggiore capo q.s. | Caporale maggiore capo scelto q.s. | ||||||
| English | Sub-lieutenant (special class) | Chief Sergeant Major (special class) | Senior Chief Corporal-Major (special class) | ||||||
On 5 August 2022 theCaporale maggiore ranks in OR-4 were retitled asGraduato.[5]Primo luogotenente q.s. andSergente maggiore capo q.s. were also renamed.[5]
| NATO code | OR-9 | OR-7 | OR-4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia | | | | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) | .svg) |
| (1975–2018) | Caporale maggiore capo scelto | Caporale maggiore capo | Caporale maggiore scelto | Primo caporale maggiore | |||
| (2018–2022) | Primo luogotenente q.s. | Sergente maggiore capo q.s. | Caporale maggiore capo scelto q.s. | Caporale maggiore capo scelto | Caporale maggiore capo | Caporale maggiore scelto | Primo caporale maggiore |
| (2022–Present) | Primo luogotenente | Sergente maggiore aiutante | Gradutato aiutante | Primo graduato | Graduato capo | Graduato scelto | Graduato |
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