| Brazilian Armed Forces |
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| Components |
| Ranks |
| Military ranks of Brazil |
| History |
| Military history of Brazil |
Themilitary ranks of Brazil are the military insignia used by theBrazilian Armed Forces. The insignia and ranks of the Brazilian military are defined by Act no. 6880 of December 9, 1980.[1]
Air Force ranks date from 1941, when the Brazilian Air Force was organized as a merger of the Navy's Aeronaval Force and the Army's Aviation Service.[2]
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
The shoulder epaulette pads from Navy and Air Force indicate both rank and specialty branch. The air force examples below are shown without branch designation marks on the epaulettes, with the exception of the ranks of Marshal of the Air Force and Air Chief Marshal, which can only be occupied by aviators. Army shoulder pads do not represent branch, as this is indicated elsewhere in the uniform like on the cuff and sleeves of the dress and everyday uniforms.[3]
TheMilitary Police alongside theMilitary Firefighters Corps are classed as an auxiliary and reserve forces of the Army[4] and thus carry insignia similar to that service. Another important point to mention is that police forces are subordinate to the governors of their respective states. As a result, the structure of their insignias follows that of the Brazilian Army. However, each state has its own legislation, regulations regarding insignias, uniforms, historical uniforms, and teaching academies for both NCOs and COs.[3]
The highest commander of the police force is the governor.[4] Since it serves as an auxiliary force to the army,[4] the highest rank attainable is that of colonel.[9] However, there are special ranks designated for military commanders within the police. These positions are appointed by each governor and are exclusively assigned to senior officers, most of whom are colonels.[10]
The design of insignias may vary from state to state, and in some states, certain positions may or may not include a distinction in rank design.[11] The representations shown are generalized artistic illustrations and may not reflect the exact insignias used in each state.
| Rank | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brazilian Military Police[8] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Comandante geral | Governor military cabinet chief (SP) | Deputy general commander | Chief of Staff | Colonel in the role of military court judge | Governor military cabinet chief/ Interim | Governor military cabinet chief | ||
| Military Firefighters Corps |  |  |  | |||||
| Comandante Geral | Deputy general commander | Chief of Staff | ||||||
Note: The insignias in the table were artistically created based on real models from various Brazilian states. They serve illustrative purposes and may include minor inaccuracies or design differences compared to official state insignias.
| Rank | General / Flag Officers | Senior Officers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brazilian Army[12] |  |  |  | ||
 Brazilian Navy[13] |  |  |  |  |  |
 Brazilian Air Force[14] |  |  |  |  |  |
Each branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces has its own institutions for training commissioned officers (COs) and non-commissioned officers (NCOs).The academies responsible for officer training in each branch are:
For police forces, each state has its own academies; however, the most famous is theBarro Branco Police Academy [pt] (APMBB) in thestate of São Paulo.
Note: It is worth noting that most police and firefighter academies in Brazil last 3 years, with theBarro Branco Police Academy [pt] being one of the only ones that lasts 4 years.
| Rank group | Special Student Grade | Junior officer | Student officer/Cadets | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th year | 4th year | 3rd year | 2nd year | 1st year | ||||
| IME[16] | .svg) | |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Aluno do 5° ano de ativa[16] | Aluno do 5° ano da reserva[16] | Aluno do 4° ano | Aluno do 3° ano | Aluno do 2° ano | Aluno do 1° ano | |||
| AMAN[16] |  |  |  |  | ||||
| Cadete do 4° ano[16] | Cadete do 3° ano | Cadete do 2° ano | Cadete do 1° ano | |||||
| CPOR[16] |  | |||||||
| Aluno CPOR[16] | ||||||||
| EsFCEx[17] |  | |||||||
| Primeiro-Tenente Aluno (Sleeve) | ||||||||
| EN[18] |  |  |  |  Aspirante do 2° ano |  Aspirante do 1° ano | |||
| Guarda-Marinha | Aspirante do 4° ano[18] | Aspirante do 3° ano | ||||||
.svg) |  |  | ||||||
| Guarda-Marinha(Marines) | Aspirante do 4° ano (Marines)[18] | Aspirante do 3° ano (Marines) | ||||||
| Rank group | Special Student Grade | Junior officer | Student officer/Cadets | |||||
| 5th year | 4th year | 3rd year | 2nd year | 1st year | ||||
| AFA[19] |  |  |  |  |  | |||
| Cadete 4° ano | Cadete 3° ano | Cadete 2° ano | Cadete 1° ano | |||||
| CPORaer[19] |  |  | ||||||
| Aluno 2° periodo | Aluno 1° periodo | |||||||
| Brazilian Military Police |  |  |  |  |  | |||
| Aspirante a oficial | Aluno-oficial 4° ano (APMBB) | Aluno-oficial 3° ano (APMBB) | Aluno-oficial 2° ano (APMBB) | Aluno-oficial 1° ano (APMBB) | ||||
| Military Firefighters Corps |  |  |  |  | ||||
| Aspirante | Aluno-oficial 3° ano | Aluno-oficial 2° ano | Aluno-oficial 1° ano | |||||
| Rank group | Special Student Grade | Junior officer | 5th year | 4th year | 3rd year | 2nd year | 1st year | |
| Student officer/Cadets | ||||||||
The Brazilian system includes a preparatory stage before entering the military academy. Known as preparatory schools, students who graduate from these institutions are guaranteed access to their respective academies, as follows:
| Rank group | Cadets (preparatory schools) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| EsPCEx[16] |  | ||
| Aluno EsPCEx[16] | |||
| EPCAr[19] |  |  |  |
| Aluno EPCAR 3°Ano[19] | Aluno EPCAR 2°Ano | Aluno EPCAR 1°Ano | |
| CN[18] |  |  |  |
| Aluno CN 3° Ano[18] | Aluno CN 2° Ano | Aluno CN 1° Ano | |
The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazilian Army[5] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subtenente | Primeiro-sargento | Segundo-sargento | Terceiro-sargento | Taifeiro-mor | Cabo | Taifeiro primeira classe | Taifeiro segunda classe | Soldado | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brazilian Navy[6] |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Suboficial | Primeiro-sargento | Segundo-sargento | Terceiro-sargento | Cabo | Marinheiro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Brazilian Marine Corps |  |  |  |  |  | | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Suboficial fuzileiro naval | Primeiro-sargento fuzileiro naval | Segundo-sargento fuzileiro naval | Terceiro-sargento fuzileiro naval | Cabo fuzileiro naval | Soldado fuzileiro naval | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brazilian Air Force[7] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Suboficial | Primeiro-Sargento | Segundo-Sargento | Terceiro-Sargento | Cabo | Taifeiro-mor | Soldado | Taifeiro primeira classe | Soldado segunda classe | Taifeiro segunda classe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brazilian Military Police[8] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subtenente | Primeiro-sargento | Segundo-sargento | Terceiro-sargento | Cabo | Soldado primeira classe | Soldado segunda classe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Military Firefighters Corps |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Subtenente | Primeiro-sargento | Segundo-sargento | Terceiro-sargento | Cabo | Bombeiro primeira classe | Bombeiro segunda classe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Future NCOs are not classified as Cadets but rather as Students (Portuguese:Aluno). Additionally, the term "Student" is followed by the rank for which they are being trained. For example, for corporals: Student-Corporal; and for sergeants: Student-Sergeant.[citation needed]
The academies responsible for NCO training in each branch are:
For police forces, each state has its own academies. InSão Paulo State, the Escola Superior de Sargentos (ESSgt) can be translated as Sergeants' Advanced School or Higher School for Sergeants.[20]
It is worth mentioning that there are other courses for training sergeants and corporals, as well as advanced training courses. One of these courses is the CFST (Temporary Sergeant Training Course), which allows the NCO to remain in an active military career for a maximum of 8 years.[21]
Students who graduate from sergeant courses can attain the positions ofSub-lieutenant (in the army or police) orSub-officer (in Navy, Air Force and Marines).[22] However, depending on the NCO's performance and additional courses completed, they may rise to the rank of Captain.[20]
| Rank group | Sargeants candidates | Corporal candidates | Soldier candidates | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazilian Army |  |  |  | |||||
| Aluno-Sargento (ESA) 2°Ano[23] | Aluno-Sargento (ESA) 1°Ano[23] | Atirador (Tiro de Guerra) | ||||||
 |  |  |  | |||||
| Aluno-Sargento (CFST)[16] | Aluno-Sargento (CFST)[16] | Aluno-Cabo (CFC)[16] | Aluno-Cabo (CFC)[16] | |||||
| Brazilian Air Force |  |  |  |  |  | |||
| Aluno 4° Período (EEAR)[24] | Aluno 3° Período (EEAR) | Aluno 2° Período (EEAR) | Aluno 1° Período (EEAR) | Aluno-Taifeiro[24] | ||||
 Brazilian Military Police |  |  |  |  | ||||
| Aluno-Sargento (Essgt) (SP) | Aluno-Sargento[25] (ES) | Aluno-Sargento[26] (SC) | Aluno-Cabo[26] (SC) | |||||
 Military Firefighters Corps |  |  |  |  | ||||
| Aluno-Sargento[27] (PB) | Aluno-Cabo[27] (PB) | Aluno-Soldado[27] (PB) | Aluno-Soldado (PR) | |||||
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On January 15, 1890,Deodoro da Fonseca was acclaimed by some troops and supporters as "Generalíssimo Comandante das Forças de Terra e Mar" (transl. Generalissimo Commander of the Forces of Land and Sea).[28] However, there is no known official decree, law, or military act issued by the Brazilian federal government or the Ministry of War (currently theMinistry of Defense) that formally granted Fonseca a military rank higher than Marshal or Admiral, which remain the highest military rank in Brazil. The Brazilian Armed Forces do not recognize a six-star general rank in any of their branches.[1][3]
Although the term "Generalíssimo" has occasionally appeared in cultural or civic commemorations, such uses are symbolic or honorific. The rank does not appear in official legislation that defines the structure and hierarchy of the Armed Forces of Brazil.[29][3][1]
A symbolic military title of "Generalíssima" (female form ofGeneralissimo) has also been officially given toOur Lady of the Conception Aparecida, thePatroness of Brazil.[30] In 1967, during the 250th anniversary of the appearance of her image, presidentArtur da Costa e Silva formally conferred upon her the title "Generalíssima do Exército Brasileiro" in a civil-military ceremony held atAparecida.[30] The event featured participation by the Brazilian Army, theMinistry of Defense, and was marked by the presentation of the PontificalGolden Rose by CardinalAmleto Cicognani, on behalf ofPope Paul VI.[30][31][32][33]
Official reports from theMilitary Ordinariate of Brazil and theChamber of Deputies describe aRequest for Solemn Session No. 2479/2023 as an act of renewing the title of "Generalíssima do Exército Brasileiro".[34][35]
"Postos e Graduações" [Positions and Ranks].marinha.mil.br (in Brazilian Portuguese).Brazilian Navy. Archived fromthe original on 12 March 2023. Retrieved7 May 2021.
| Leadership | |
|---|---|
| History and traditions | |
| General staff | |
| Commands | |
| Military regions | |
| List of equipment | |
| Future | |
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