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