Military Ranks: Understanding Abbreviations Across Branches

I'm trying to understand the command structure in the military, but I'm getting a little tied up with the abbreviations for ranks. Can someone break it down for me by branch?

Happy to help! I'll try to simplify it by focusing on officer ranks across the branches:

U.S. Army, Air Force, and Space Force:

1. Second Lieutenant (2LT)

2. First Lieutenant (1LT)

3. Captain (CPT)

4. Major (MAJ)

5. Lieutenant Colonel (LTC)

6. Colonel (COL)

7. Brigadier General (BG)

8. Major General (MG)

9. Lieutenant General (LTG)

10. General (GEN)

U.S. Navy and Coast Guard:

1. Ensign (ENS)

2. Lieutenant junior grade (LTJG)

3. Lieutenant (LT)

4. Lieutenant Commander (LCDR)

5. Commander (CDR)

6. Captain (CAPT)

7. Rear Admiral Lower Half (RDML)

8. Rear Admiral Upper Half (RADM)

9. Vice Admiral (VADM)

10. Admiral (ADM)

U.S. Marine Corps:

1. Second Lieutenant (2ndLt)

2. First Lieutenant (1stLt)

3. Captain (Capt)

4. Major (Maj)

5. Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol)

6. Colonel (Col)

7. Brigadier General (BGen)

8. Major General (MajGen)

9. Lieutenant General (LtGen)

10. General (Gen)

Remember, these are just the officer ranks. There's a whole separate structure for enlisted personnel, and each service branch has its own set of abbreviations and terminology. Also, these don't include warrant officer ranks present in some branches.