Brigadier

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

This article is about the military rank. For the Doctor Who character, see Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

Brigadier is a rank which is used in different ways by different countries.

Brigadier-General is a very common variation. Other variations exist, such as Brigadier-Major.

[edit] Officer rank

In many countries, a Brigadier is the lowest rank of general officer, nominally commanding a Brigade.

In the British Army, Royal Marines, Australian Army, New Zealand Army, Pakistan Army, Indian Army and several other armies, Brigadier is the rank immediately above Colonel and immediately below Major-General. It was introduced into the British Army in 1928 to replace the short-lived appointment of Colonel-Commandant that had replaced the rank of Brigadier-General in 1922. The equivalent US rank is Brigadier General.

Brigadiers generally command brigades. Before 1922 the term "brigadier" was often used to refer to brigade commanders, and hence often but not necessarily referred to Brigadier-Generals.

Brigadier is the most senior field rank and is therefore basically a senior Colonel, very much as a Commodore is to a Captain in the navy. Until shortly after the Second World War, it was only an appointment conferred on Colonels (as Commodore was an appointment conferred on naval Captains) and not a substantive rank. Although it is not a general officer rank, it is equivalent to Brigadier General in services which use that rank.

In Commonwealth and most Arabic-speaking countries (in which the rank is called Amid) the rank insignia comprises a crown (or national/presidential emblem in republics) with three stars (sometimes called "pips"), which are in the Commonwealth arranged in a triangle. A Brigadier's uniform may also have red collar flashes. It is otherwise similar to that of a Colonel (Colonels have a crown/emblem with two stars).

Until 1788, a rank of Brigadier des armées ("Brigadier of the Armies") existed in the French Army, which could be described as a senior colonel or junior brigade commander. The normal brigade command rank was Field Marshal (Maréchal de camp) (which elsewhere is a more senior rank). During the French Revolution, the ranks of Brigadier des armées and Maréchal de camp were replaced by Brigade General. In common with many countries, France now uses the officer rank of Brigade General instead of a "brigadier" rank.

[edit] Officer rank in Latin America

Brigadier (-General) is used in Latin America, in the normal sense of brigade commander rank (e.g. Colombia, Chile), although most Latin American nations instead use the rank of Brigade General. In Mexico, Brigadier General is the rank below Brigade General (both ranks falling between Colonel and Divisional General.)

However, both the Argentine Air Force and Brazilian Air Force use a curious system of variations on Brigadier for all (Argentina) or most (Brazil) general officers. The origin of this system is not clear.

In the Argentine Air Force these ranks are (most senior first):

• Brigadier-General (the highest rank, equivalent to the army's Lieutenant-General and the navy's Admiral)
• Brigadier-Mayor ("Brigadier-Major" equivalent to the army's Divisional General and the navy's Vice-Admiral)
• Brigadier (equivalent to the army's Brigade General and the navy's Rear-Admiral)

In the Brazilian Air Force these ranks are (most senior first):

• Tenente-Brigadeiro ("Brigadier-Lieutenant") is equivalent to Almirante-de-Esquadra (Admiral of Squadron) and General de Exército (General of Army).
• Major-Brigadeiro ("Brigadier-Major") is equivalent to Vice-Almirante (Vice Admiral) and General de Divisão (General of Division)
• Brigadeiro ("Brigadier") is equivalent to Contra-Almirante (Rear Admiral) and General de Brigada (General of Brigade)

Above these is the highest Brazilian Air force rank of Air Marshal, reserved for wartime.

[edit] Non-commissioned rank

In France, and many countries whose forces were based on those of France, some branches of the army and the gendarmerie use brigadier for a rank equivalent to caporal (Corporal), and brigadier-chef for a rank equivalent to caporal-chef. Brigadier is used by arms of the army which are by tradition considered "mounted" arms such as logistics or cavalry units. A similar usage exists elsewhere, e.g. in Italy.

This usages derive from the use of "brigade" to denote a squad or team of cavalrymen, similar to the occasional English civilian usage "work brigade".

In the French gendamerie, the brigadier ranks are used as in the army, i.e. as junior enlisted ranks (gradés), while the French police use brigadier ranks as their sub-officer (sous-officier) ranks. Since all professional police and gendarmes have sub-officer status, the gendarmerie brigadier ranks are rarely used, since they are used only by auxiliaries. On the other hand the police brigadier ranks, used by the professional police, are common.

In the French gendarmerie and in "mounted" arms of the French army the brigadier ranks are:

• Brigadier (Brigadier) (OR-3)
• Brigadier-chef (Chief brigadier) (OR-4)

In the French National Police, the sub-officer variations are used for non-commissioned officers are:

• Sous-brigadier (OR-6, equal to gendarmerie maréchal-des-logis-chef)
• Brigadier (OR-8, equal to gendarmerie adjudant)
• Brigadier-chef (OR-9, equal to gendarmerie adjudant-chef)
• Brigadier-major (OR-9, equal to gendarmerie major)

In Spain, a Brigadier (Brigada) has a NATO rank code of OR-8 (and is thus a senior NCO). The Spanish rank Brigada contrasts with the Spanish Brigadier (General) used for officers in Latin America.

[edit] Salvation Army

Until 1973, the rank of Brigadier was also used in the Salvation Army. It ranked between Major and Lieutenant-Colonel ^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] See also

• Comparative military ranks
• British Army officer rank insignia
• Military ranks of Brazil

British officer ranks
	Student Officer	OF(D)	OF-1		OF-2	OF-3	OF-4	OF-5	OF-6	OF-7	OF-8	OF-9	OF-10
Royal Navy:	O/C	Mid	SLt		Lt	Lt Cdr	Cdr	Capt	Cdre	RAdm	VAdm	Adm	Adm of the Fleet
Royal Marines:	OCdt		2Lt	Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig	Maj Gen	Lt Gen	Gen
Army:	OCdt		2Lt	Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig	Maj Gen	Lt Gen	Gen	FM
Royal Air Force:	OC / SO		APO / PO	Fg Off	Flt Lt	Sqn Ldr	Wg Cdr	Gp Capt	ACdre	AVM	AM	ACM	MRAF

[edit] External link

• The Emperor's New Clothes