Military_ranks_of_the_Colombian_Armed_Forces
The military ranks of the Colombian armed forces consist of the list and ordering of the different military ranks, for the Officers, Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and soldiers, seamen and airmen ("other ranks") of the Military Forces of Colombia. The ranks are visually represented by insignias placed on the uniforms, usually at the shoulders, sleeves and shirt collars.
A literal translation from Spanish to English may be misleading as the rank names do not necessarily follow the customary order used in anglophone military ranks in all cases. Furthermore, Colombia is not a member of NATO, so there is not an official equivalence between the Colombian military ranks and those defined by NATO. The displayed parallel is approximate and for illustration purposes only.
The ranks in the Military Forces of Colombia are regulated through the following applicable legislation: the Decree-Law 1790 of 2000,[1] Law 1405 of 2010,[2] and Law 1792 of 2016[3]
In terms of protocol, the established order for the forces is Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, as established by the Military Rules of Protocol (Reglamento de Protocolo Militar FFMM)[4]
The Colombian Army is the largest of the three service branches of the Military Forces of Colombia, tasked with defending sovereignty and law and order across the national territory. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Army personnel.[5][6]
Officers
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Colombian National Army[7] |
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| General de ejercito | Mayor general | Brigadier general | Coronel | Teniente coronel | Mayor | Capitán | Teniente | Subteniente | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abbr. | GR | MG | BG | CR | TC | MY | CT | TE | ST | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| '"3B" Uniform sample[7] |  |
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| Service branch | Cavalry | Infantry | Engineers | Communications | Cavalry | Artillery | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Service branch | Cavalry | Infantry | Engineers | Artillery | Communications | Logistics (Armory) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Enlisted
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombian National Army[7] |
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| Sargento mayor de comando conjunto | Sargento mayor de ejército | Sargento mayor de comando | Sargento mayor | Sargento primero | Sargento vice primero | Sargento segundo | Cabo primero | Cabo segundo | Cabo tercero | Soldado profesional | Soldado | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| '"3B" Uniform sample[7] |  |
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No Insignia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Soldier types
- Soldado: Conscripted soldier serving for a period of 22 months mandatory service [n 1].
- Soldado Profesional: Regular soldiers that stay in the army after completing their 22 months' mandatory conscription service, making it a permanent career. The number in their rank insignia indicating the number of years they have served.
Additional ranks
Dragoneantes are soldiers who have gained recognition through their achievements and have special training. They have a certain degree of authority over regular soldiers.
| Rank group | Dragoneante | Alumno | |||||
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| Insignia[7] | |
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| Dragoneante mayor de escuela | Dragoneante mayor de batallón | Dragoneante mayor de compañía | Dragoneante | Alumno tercer nivel | Alumno segundo nivel | Alumno primer nivel | |
The Colombian Navy (Spanish: Armada de la República de Colombia) is the maritime service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia, responsible for security and defense in both the Atlantic (Caribbean) and Pacific seas of Colombia, the extensive network of rivers inside the country, and a few small land areas under its direct jurisdiction. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Navy personnel.[5][9]
Officers
| Rank group | General/flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Colombian National Navy[10] |
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| Almirante | Vicealmirante | Contralmirante | Capitán de navío | Capitán de fragata | Capitán de corbeta | Teniente de navío | Teniente de fragata | Teniente de corbeta | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abbr. | ALM | VALM | CALM | CN | CF | CC | TN | TF | TK | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Enlisted
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Colombian National Navy[10] |
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| Suboficial jefe técnico de comando conjunto | Suboficial jefe técnico de comando | Suboficial jefe técnico | Suboficial jefe | Suboficial primero | Suboficial segundo | Suboficial tercero | Marinero primero | Marinero segundo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abbr. | SJTCC | SJTC | SJT | SJ | S1 | S2 | S3 | MA1 | MA2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In Colombia, the Marine Infantry is a Corps depending on the Colombian Navy and not a full service branch on its own. Being tasked with amphibious and riverine and littoral operations, the MI presents a combination of ranking names derived from the Army, combined with naval insignias. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Marine Infantry personnel.[5]
Officers
| Rank group | General/flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Colombian Naval Infantry[10]
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| General | Mayor general | Brigadier general | Coronel | Teniente coronel | Mayor | Capitán | Teniente | Subteniente | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abbr. | - | GR | - | MG | BG | CR | TC | MY | CT | TE | ST | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Enlisted
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colombian Naval Infantry[10] |
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No insignia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sargento mayor de comando conjunto | Sargento mayor de comando | Sargento mayor | Sargento primero | Sargento vice primero | Sargento segundo | Cabo primero | Cabo segundo | Cabo tercero | Infante regular | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abbr. | SMCCCIM | SMCCIM | SMCIM | SPCIM | SVCIM | SSCIM | CPCIM | CSCIM | C3CIM | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Colombian Aerospace Force is the service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia tasked with the protection and defense of the Colombian sovereign airspace. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Aerospace Force personnel.[5]
Officers
| Rank group | General/Flag/Air officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Colombian Aerospace Force[11] |
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| General del aire | Mayor general del aire | Brigadier general del aire | Coronel | Teniente coronel | Mayor | Capitán | Teniente | Subteniente | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abbr. | GR | MG | BG | CR | TC | MY | CT | TE | ST | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Enlisted
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Colombian Aerospace Force[11] |
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| Técnico jefe de comando conjunto | Técnico jefe de comando | Técnico jefe | Técnico subjefe | Técnico primero | Técnico segundo | Técnico tercero | Técnico cuarto | Aerotécnico | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Abbr. | TJCC | TJC | TJ | TS | TP | T2 | T3 | T4 | AT | - | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Colombian Aerospace Force |
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| Técnico Jefe de Comando Conjunto | Técnico Jefe de Comando | Técnico Jefe | Técnico Subjefe | Técnico Primero | Técnico Segundo | Técnico Tercero | Técnico Cuarto | Aerotécnico | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- In 2010, the Constitutional Court (Spanish: Corte Constitucional) on grounds of discrimination and protection of equal rights, issued an order[8] to the Military Forces to stop the classification of conscripts into "regular", "peasant" and "baccalaureate" (Spanish: "regular", "campesino" y "bachiller"), and to standardize the terms and conditions for all conscripts to 22 months.
- Secretaría Senado de la República de Colombia (ed.). "Decreto 1790 de 2000 - Normas de carrera del personal de oficiales y suboficiales de las Fuerzas Militares" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- Secretaría Senado de la República de Colombia (ed.). "Ley 1405 de 2010 - Nuevos Grados Militares" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- "Ley 1792 de 2016" (PDF). Gobierno de Colombia. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- Policía Nacional de Colombia (ed.). "Reglamento de Ceremonial y Protocolo Policial" (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- Congreso de la República de Colombia (28 July 2010). "Ley 1405 de 2010 Nuevos Grados Militares" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- Ejército de Colombia (15 March 2011). "Grados y distintivos del Ejército" (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- "Capítulo V: Insignias militares". RGE 4-20.1: Reglamento de Uniformes, Insignias y Distinciones (in Spanish) (7th ed.). Colombia: National Army of Colombia. pp. 301–331. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- Corte Constitucional de la República de Colombia. "Sentencia T-218/10,Orden a las Fuerzas Militares de modificar la modalidad de incorporación al servicio militar, de soldado regular a soldado bachiller, desacuartelamiento inmediato y expedición de la libreta militar" [Sentence T-218/10, Order to the Military Forces to modify the modality of incorporation into military service, from regular soldier to high school soldier, immediate disenfranchisement and issuance of the military booklet] (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- Armada Republica de Colombia (2006). "Insignias de la Armada" (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 April 2011.
- Congreso de la República de Colombia (28 July 2010). "Ley 1405 de 2010 Nuevos Grados Militares" [Law 1405 of 2010 New Military Ranks] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- "Grados Militares Fuerza Aérea Colombiana". fac.mil.co (in Spanish). Colombian Air Force. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- Colombian Army Ranks and distinctives - Official site
- Colombian Navy - Official site (in Spanish)
- Colombian Air Force - Official site (in Spanish)
- "Colombia". uniforminsignia.net. International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia. Retrieved 17 February 2023.