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Military Ranks - Quiz
Contributed by: Parkin
  • 1. What is the highest military rank in the US Army?
A) General of the Army
B) Lieutenant Colonel
C) Colonel
D) Major General
  • 2. What is the highest enlisted rank in the US Marine Corps?
A) Lieutenant Colonel
B) Sergeant Major
C) Master Sergeant
D) Colonel
  • 3. Which rank is above a Petty Officer in the US Navy?
A) Chief Petty Officer
B) Admiral
C) Midshipman
D) Seaman
  • 4. Which military rank is above a Major in the US Marine Corps?
A) Sergeant Major
B) Colonel
C) Lieutenant Colonel
D) Captain
  • 5. Which military rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the Israeli Defense Forces?
A) Rav Aluf
B) Tat Aluf
C) Aluf
D) Sgan Aluf
  • 6. In which branch of the Indian Armed Forces is the rank 'Air Marshal' used?
A) Indian Army
B) Indian Air Force
C) Indian Navy
D) Indian Coast Guard
  • 7. What is the highest rank in the US Coast Guard?
A) Captain
B) Ensign
C) Lieutenant
D) Admiral
  • 8. Which rank is above a Sergeant in the Australian Army?
A) Warrant Officer
B) Corporal
C) Lieutenant
D) Lance Corporal
  • 9. What is the highest rank in the US Air Force?
A) General
B) Colonel
C) Captain
D) Major
  • 10. What is the primary function of military ranks within armed forces?
A) To organize logistics and command.
B) To determine the pay-grade for all personnel.
C) To define dominance, authority, and responsibility within a military hierarchy.
D) To establish insignia for uniforms.
  • 11. What rank was subordinate to a top general in ancient Greek military?
A) Polemarchos
B) Taxiarchos or taxiarhos, akin to a modern brigadier.
C) Tagmatarches
D) Syntagmatarchis
  • 12. What was the role of a trièrarchos in ancient Greek naval fleets?
A) Commanded each warship.
B) Served as helmsman.
C) Played flute to maintain oarsmen's rhythm.
D) Managed rowing speed on ships.
  • 13. What was the primary formation used by Macedonian phalangites?
A) Scattered formations with no specific depth.
B) Circular formations.
C) Heavy infantry phalanxes, typically eight men deep.
D) Single-file lines.
  • 14. Who led a unit of four files in the Macedonian military?
A) A dekarchos
B) A khiliarchos
C) A tetrarchès or tetrarch.
D) A hekatontarchos
  • 15. What was the role of an ilarchos in Alexander's cavalry?
A) Led heavy infantry phalanxes.
B) Managed rowing speed on warships.
C) Served as a helmsman for naval ships.
D) Commanded wing cavalry (ilè) units.
  • 16. Who initiated the widespread use of formalized ranks in the Roman legions?
A) Augustus
B) Caesar
C) Vegetius
D) Marius
  • 17. In ancient Rome, what was required for a commander to properly command military forces?
A) Dictatorship
B) Imperium
C) Praetorship
D) Consulship
  • 18. Who could appoint a legate in the Roman army?
A) The emperor
B) The commander
C) A centurion
D) The praefectus castrorum
  • 19. What was the role of a legatus in the Roman military?
A) Chief financial officer
B) Deputy commander, often drawn from the Senate for three-year terms
C) Commander of all Roman forces
D) Head of the Roman cavalry
  • 20. How many cohorts were there in a Roman legion under Marius's reforms?
A) Eight
B) Twelve
C) Six
D) Ten
  • 21. What was the basic fighting unit of a Roman legion called?
A) Cohort
B) Manipulum
C) Century
D) Contubernium
  • 22. Who led each century in the Roman legion?
A) A tribune
B) A praefectus castrorum
C) A centurion
D) An optio
  • 23. What was the highest rank among cohort-commanding centurions called?
A) Pilus prior
B) Princeps prior
C) Hastatus prior
D) Primus pilus
  • 24. In Mongol military organization, what is the name for a unit of ten soldiers?
A) aravt
B) zuut
C) myangat
D) tumen
  • 25. Who led a Mongol regiment of a thousand men?
A) zuut
B) aravt
C) chief
D) noyan
  • 26. Who was the Commander-in-chief in the Parthian and Sassanian armies?
A) Tirbodh
B) Aspwargan salar
C) Paygan salar
D) Eran spahbod
  • 27. What term describes general officer ranks based on the number of stars worn in the U.S. military?
A) Commodore ranks
B) Star ranks
C) Cadet ranks
D) Admiral ranks
  • 28. What was a unique aspect of post-classical military leadership compared to modern militaries?
A) Leadership was centralized under a single commander
B) Troops were organized strictly by rank
C) Nobles retained nominal control over their troops
D) Commanders had absolute authority over all soldiers
  • 29. In post-classical militaries, how were nobles perceived in terms of hierarchy?
A) Subordinate to the king
B) Theoretically equals
C) Independent commanders
D) Strictly ranked
  • 30. Who was granted general authority over field armies by the king?
A) One captain
B) A lieutenant du roi
C) A sergeant major
D) A colonel
  • 31. What rank was derived from combining 'lancepesade' and 'corporal'?
A) Lieutenant
B) Sergeant major
C) Captain
D) Lance corporal
  • 32. What rank do British Army officer cadets initially hold during training?
A) Private soldiers
B) Captain
C) Major
D) Lieutenant
  • 33. Which rank is considered a function assumed by some généraux de division in the French Army?
A) General of the Armies
B) Général de corps d'armée
C) Admiral of the Navy
D) Maréchal de France
  • 34. What is the highest rank of a U.S. warrant officer?
A) CW4
B) WO5
C) NCO
D) CW5
  • 35. Who invented brigades as a tactical unit?
A) King Ferdinand II of Aragon
B) Swedish king Gustavus II Adolphus
C) A sergeant major general
D) A lieutenant du roi
  • 36. From which language is the word 'corporal' derived?
A) Latin
B) Spanish
C) French
D) Italian
  • 37. In the United States Army, which warrant officers are considered field grade officers?
A) CW5
B) Second lieutenant
C) CW2
D) CW3–CW4
  • 38. Who typically raised troops for a campaign in post-classical armies?
A) Vassal lords
B) Non-commissioned officers
C) Professional soldiers
D) Commissioned officers
  • 39. In Canada, what term is used for enlisted personnel?
A) Non-commissioned members (NCMs)
B) Warrant officers
C) Other ranks (ORs)
D) Commissioned officers
  • 40. Who led the cavalry unit called asabam in Persian military organization?
A) satapatis
B) asapatis
C) hazarapatis
D) dathapatis
  • 41. During Khosrau I's reign, how many spahbods replaced the Eran spahbod?
A) six
B) eight
C) four
D) two
  • 42. What rank do Commonwealth air force junior officers include that is not typically found in the navy?
A) Ensign
B) Sub-lieutenant
C) Squadron leader
D) Lieutenant commander
  • 43. What is the highest regular rank attainable in the U.S. military, excluding marines and coast guard?
A) Five stars
B) Four stars
C) Six stars
D) Three stars
  • 44. From what language is the term 'lieutenant' derived?
A) French
B) Italian
C) Latin
D) Greek
  • 45. What was the original Spanish term for colonel, meaning 'crown officer'?
A) Colonels
B) Lieutenant colonels
C) Coronellos
D) Sergeant major
  • 46. Which service has students referred to as 'cadets' at their academy?
A) US Air Force
B) US Coast Guard
C) US Army
D) US Navy
  • 47. What was the name for a unit of 10 in ancient Persian military organization?
A) satabam
B) dathabam
C) baivarabam
D) hazarabam
  • 48. What title may officers holding a retired rank also have in the Commonwealth of Nations?
A) Sir
B) Esquire
C) Dame
D) Lord
  • 49. Who typically organized assembling forces in post-classical armies?
A) The high constable
B) The king
C) The lieutenant
D) The marshal
  • 50. Which Persian military unit was commanded by a hazarapatis?
A) baivarabam
B) dathabam
C) satabam
D) hazarabam
  • 51. How are officers appointed in most monarchies?
A) By a military tribunal
B) By a royal commission
C) By presidential decree
D) By popular vote
  • 52. What does the term 'lancepesade' metaphorically refer to?
A) A flag bearer
B) A mounted knight
C) A shield bearer
D) A broken spear, symbolizing combat experience
  • 53. In which country were the first colonels appointed by commission of the king?
A) Sweden
B) France
C) England
D) Spain
  • 54. What rank is traditionally associated with commanding a squadron, air group, or air wing in the U.S. Navy?
A) Admiral
B) Captain
C) Commodore
D) Lieutenant
  • 55. Who had authority over local constables outside of campaigns?
A) The high constable
B) The captain
C) The marshal
D) The king
  • 56. What rank do U.S. warrant officers hold before becoming chief warrant officers?
A) WO1
B) CW3
C) CW5
D) NCO
  • 57. What did a lieutenant command in addition to assisting the captain?
A) A battalion
B) A company
C) A regiment
D) A platoon
  • 58. What term is used in many navies to designate specialty?
A) Rank
B) Grade
C) 'Rating'
D) Commission
  • 59. Which rank do US Marine officers in training hold alongside their naval counterparts?
A) Cadet
B) Ensign
C) Midshipman
D) Lieutenant
  • 60. What was the basic unit of a post-classical army?
A) The company
B) The regiment
C) The battalion
D) The brigade
  • 61. In the Turk army organization, what was the name of the unit consisting of 100 soldiers?
A) zuut
B) tumen
C) aravt
D) myangat
  • 62. What did warrant officers assist with in post-classical armies?
A) Leading the infantry units
B) Organizing logistics independently
C) Assisting commissioned officers but ranking above NCOs
D) Commanding cavalry regiments
  • 63. Which rank is not a genuine rank but an honorific title in the French military?
A) Field Marshal
B) Admiral of the Fleet
C) Maréchal de France
D) General of the Armies
  • 64. What type of rank is granted for a specific task or mission?
A) Temporary rank
B) Substantive rank
C) Honorary rank
D) Retired rank
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