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