The ranks in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reflect an individual's level in the military.
IDF ranks are divided into three groups: enlisted ranks, from Private to First Sergeant; non-commissioned officer (NCO) ranks, from staff sergeant to chief warrant officer; and officer ranks, from second lieutenant to lieutenant general. The rank insignia for enlisted personnel are worn on the arm, between the elbow and the shoulder, while the ranks of NCOs and officers are worn on the shoulder epaulettes of the shirt.
Because the IDF is an integrated force, ranks are the same in all of its component branches (there is no differentiation between army, navy, air force, etc.). The ranks are derived from those in the paramilitary , which operated during the Mandate period in order to protect the .
Commissioned officer ranks The rank insignia of commissioned officers are listed below, in descending order. Native name Literal translation Master champion Champion Sub-champion Second champion Deputy champion Master lord Lord Deputy Second deputy Official translation Lieutenant general Major general Brigadier general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second lieutenant Army(service) Navy(service) Navy(sleeve) Air force(service) Native name
Officers (): Volunteers who have completed the officer's course. Officers serve for at least 36 months (3 years) for women in non-combat positions and 44 months (3 years, 8 months) for men. Positions in specialized units require their officers to serve for more than this (for example, seven years for pilots). Promotions are based on ability and time served. It takes about a year to be promoted from 2nd lieutenant to lieutenant and three years to be promoted from lieutenant to captain. Officers without a university education can be promoted to a maximum of (Major), with the IDF often sponsoring the studies for their majors.
Officer insignia varies by service: army officers have bronze-metal insignia (replaced with subdued black-metal insignia in 2002); navy officers gold-metal insignia or gold braid bars; and air force officers silver-metal insignia.
Student officer ranks Academic officers (): Special rank given to soldiers who have not completed officers' training after completing a professional education (usually in engineering, medicine, or law) and returning to service. A is equivalent to a lieutenant, a is equivalent to a captain, and to major. Officers of these ranks are considered professional manpower and rarely take posts of command. Upon finally completing officers' training, an academic officer is immediately awarded the corresponding "real" rank due to their experience in grade. Their insignia bars are embossed with scrolls () rather than laurel branches (). Rank group Officer cadet Native name Literal translation Officer academic special Officer academic senior Officer professional academic Official translation Special academic officer Senior academic officer Professional academic officer Army(service) Navy(service) Air force(service) Native name
Enlisted ranks The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel, in descending order. Rank group Non-commissioned officer Enlisted Native name Literal translation Master non-commissioned officer Senior master sergeant Advanced master sergeant First master sergeant Master sergeant First sergeant Supernumerary lieutenant (acronym) Master of the line Of the line Official translation Chief warrant officer Warrant officer Sergeant major Master sergeant Sergeant first class Staff sergeant Sergeant Corporal Private Army No insignia Navy No insignia Air force No insignia Rank group Non-commissioned officer Enlisted
Non-commissioned officers (): The professional non-commissioned and warrant ranks, drawn from volunteers who signed on for military service after completing conscription. They usually are assigned to head-up the headquarters staff of a unit. is a Hebrew abbreviation for , which translates as "supernumerary lieutenant"; it is a Field NCO rank equivalent to a British or Commonwealth "Lance Corporal." translates as "chief sergeant"; it is a career NCO rank equivalent to a British or Commonwealth "Corporal" with successive ranks moving up to "Warrant Officer." is a variant of the biblical word , which means "ruler" or "leader". is a senior staff NCO rank equivalent to the American E-9 ranks of "Sergeant Major" or "Chief Master Sergeant" or "Master Chief Petty Officer."
Enlisted (): The conscript and field NCO ranks. All Jewish, Druze and Circassian conscripts must start their compulsory service at 18 (unless they receive a deferment); Christians, Muslims, and Circassians may volunteer at 17 or older. Enlisted male conscripts serve for 32 months (2 years and 8 months) and female conscripts serve for 24 months (2 years). In the IDF enlisted ranks are earned by means of time in service (), rather than by a particular post or assignment. After 4 to 12 months the conscript is promoted to , after 18 to 20 months promoted to , and after 24 to 32 months is promoted to . (This means that female conscripts reach no higher than during their compulsory service, unless they serve in combat positions or volunteer for longer terms.)
Field NCOs ( and ) who command sub-units (fire team or squad, respectively) are called . This is an abbreviation that translates into English literally as "non-commissioned officer". It is a term of respect like the French Army's ("chief").
Recruits (): Upon enlistment to military service in Israel, all soldiers begin a basic training course and undergo several weeks or months of 'integration' from citizens to soldiers. This course is called ("recruit training") and the soldier being trained on this course is called a (or "recruit"). This is often erroneously interpreted as a rank, similar to the US Army's private (E-1); are ranked as (private), the same rank and paygrade as newly trained conscripts.
Both officers and enlisted personnel have an obligation to serve in the Reserves after completing their active military service. Male personnel serve until 41–51 years old while female personnel serve until 24 years old.
Obsolete ranks
Rank name, rank equivalent Insignia (initials: )(Acting officer or aspirant; A brevet officer ranking below a junior lieutenant)( translates as "substitute", and means "officer")( literally translates as "filling in the place")[Existed from the 1960s until 1994] (initials: )(Warrant officer, senior specialist professional)(it translates as "junior chief warrant officer" or "junior chief NCO")In practice the rank is not used Army Air Force Navy (initials: )(First Sergeant, it translates as "Senior Sergeant")[Existed 1948–1952; no longer in use. (See comments in notes in the bottom)] (initials: )(First corporal, it translates as "chief private first class")[Existed 1972–1982; no longer in use. (See comments in notes in the bottom)] (initials: )(Private E-3 or private first class)[Existed until 1999; no longer in use. (See comments in notes in the bottom)]
The rank of , initials: () or "substitute officer", was created in the 1960s. The rank was considered below a 2nd lieutenant (initials: ). It indicated a cadet in the Israeli army who had finished the basic preparation for an officer rank (), but for some reason abandoned their studies, failed to complete the professional officer preparation (), or completed it with a minimal passing grade but was still found worthy of command. They occupied the lowest officer posts until a normal officer rank was found for the position. Those who finished the officer preparation with a minimal passing grade and were substituting in a command position were eligible for promotion to normal officer rank after a set period. It was discontinued in 1994.
The rank of , initials: ("Senior Sergeant") was used from 1948 to 1952. It was the equivalent of a US Army First Sergeant. It was replaced by the rank of ("Unit Senior Sergeant"), similar to a British or Commonwealth Army Warrant Officer II (Company Sergeant Major).
The rank of , initials: , or "chief private first class", was used from 1972 to 1982. There was an expansion of staff NCO ranks during this period and the higher rank was offered to conscripts who planned to enlist after completing their national service.
The rank of , initials: , or "private first class", was disestablished in the Regular IDF in 1990. It still continued to be used in the Reserves until it was finally discontinued in 1999. Privates now retain their rank until promoted to corporal, usually after 10 months of peacetime service or 6 months for support roles or 4 months for combatants during hostilities. Corporals in combat units traditionally do not wear their rank insignia, remaining without insignia until they are promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Insignia Aiguillettes, in Hebrew are worn on the left shoulder of the uniform to indicate a soldier's specific role in a unit: Azure: Ceremony Unit, Combat Hummer Operators, Military School student instructors in the Air Force Azure/Green: Combat Hummer Operator instructors Azure/Purple: Reserves Coordinators Black: Instructors in Bahad 1 (Officer School)/Instructors in the Flight Academy/Instructors in the Naval Academy/Instructors in Paramedic course Black/Creme: Military Rabbinate attacheś Black/Green: Commanders in the Squad Commanders’ Course in the Artillery Corps, , Combat Engineering Corps, Armored Aid, Infantry Corps, Reserves Instructors at , Commanders and Instructors in , Tank Commander course instructors, Instructors in , Platoon Sergeants in , Senior Instructors in Black/Orange: Combat Engineering course graduates Black/White: "Scientific Teaching" Officers Black/Yellow: Chemical Warfare officers, instructors and NCOs Blue/Red: Military Police Blue/White: Chief NCOs of a Base Burgundy: Courseware Developers Burgundy/Grey: Special-needs inclusion tutors in the program Brown: Behavioral sciences diagnostics, "Return to regular service" diagnostics (Military Police), Weekly trainee squad commanders (Air Force), Quartermaster NCOs in the Combat Engineering Corps and Bases Dark Blue: Air Force Intelligence Instructors, Psychotechnical diagnostics, Navy Instructors, Platoon Sergeants at . Green: Section/Squad Commanders Green/Blue: Soldiers responsible for the recruitement process Green/Purple: Service Rights Attaché instructors Green/Red: Emergency population instructors Green/White: Instructors in the Military Intelligence Directorate Grey: Educators/Teachers (in the Education and Youth Corps) Orange/Azure: Search and Rescue officers, instructors and NCOs Purple: Service Rights Attaché Red: IDF Orchestra (right shoulder), Navy Instructor (left shoulder), Apprentice-Responsible (left shoulder, only during training) Red/White: NCOs White: Security Guards, Discipline Attaché (Navy) Yellow/White: Field Intelligence Instructors Yellow/Blue: Attaché
(Only in Shocarim Cadet Schools in the IAF) Light Blue: Commander of a class Dark Blue: Senior Commander of a class/Commander of a grade Grey: Private Teachers (Only in Shocarim Navy Cadet Schools in the IN) Red: Commander of a class Green: Household officer Red/Yellow: Base Chief Red/Black: Base Chief's right hand Red/Green: Adjutant Dark Blue: Class Instructor Red/White: head of the Cadet's council Dark Green/Black: Chief of security
History When the IDF was created in 1948, there were 7 enlisted and NCO ranks, and 8 officer ranks. The ranks were as follows: