Israel Defense Forces ranks

Category	Rank name and U.S rank equivalent!Insignia
Supreme Officers or General Officers	Rav alúf (רב אלוף) (Lieutenant General)	center
	Alúf (אלוף) (Major General)	center
	Tat alúf (תת-אלוף) (Brigadier General)	center
Senior Officers or Field Grade Officers	Alúf mishné (אלוף משנ�") (Colonel)	center
	Sgan alúf(ס�'ן אלוף) (Lieutenant Colonel)	center
	Rav séren(רב סרן) (Major)	center
Junior Officers or Company Grade Officers	Séren (סרן) (Captain)	center
	Ségen (ס�'ן) (1st Lieutenant)	center
	Ségen mishné (Sagam) (ס�'ן-משנ�" — ס�'"ם) (2nd Lieutenant)	center
Academic Officers	Katsín akademái bakhír (קצין אק�"מאי בכיר) (Senior academic officer)	center
	Katsín miktsói akademái(קצין מקצועי אק�"מאי) (Academic officer)	center
Non-Commissioned Officers	Rav nagád (רב נ�'�") (Chief Warrant Officer)	center
	Rav samál bakhír (רב סמל בכיר) (Warrant Officer)	center
	Rav samál mitkadém(רב סמל מתק�"ם) (Sergeant Major)	center
	Rav samál rishón (רב סמל ראשון) (Sergeant First Class)	center
	Rav samál (רב סמל) (First Sergeant)	center
Enlisted	Samál rishón (סמל ראשון) (Staff Sergeant)	center
	Samál (סמל) (Sergeant)	center
	Rav turái (Rabat) (רב טוראי — רב"ט) (Corporal)	center
	Turái rishón (טוראי ראשון) (Private First Class - no longer in use)	center
	Turái (טוראי) (Private)	(none)

Notes

*As the ranks of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are traditionally translated one-to-one to Western ranks then the rank of Aluf (אלוף) is translated as Major General, and Rav Aluf (רב אלוף) is translated as Lieutenant General. However, a more proper translation (in terms of both language and organizational role) of Aluf would be to full General (four-star, in American terms). Similarly, as the Hebrew prefix Rav is equivalent to the English prefix arch (as in archangel), a more fitting transation for the rank of Rav-Aluf would be Arch-General, or, more conventionally, Field Marshal or five-star General.
*In the IDF, the same ranks are used throughout the army, including the Israeli Air Force and Israeli Navy. This contrasts with many other armed forced that have a separate rank system for different branches. [1]
*Enlisted insignias are worn on the arm sleeves whereas officer insignias are worn on the shoulders.
*Officer insignias are silver with a dark blue background in the air force and gold with a black background in the navy. In the army, both lieutenant ranks usually have the blackish-gold ranks (shown above) with an olive-green background until promoted to the rank of captain. Enlisted ranks are identical in the army and air force, however the navy use golden ranks.
*The rank of Private First Class is no longer in use. Privates retains their rank until promoted to Corporal, usually at the end of basic training (Tironut) or after several 7-8 months of service (whichever comes later). Combat units traditionally don't wear the Corporal rank, remaining without insignia until they reach the rank of Sergeant.
*Non-commissioned officer ranks listed on this page correspond to the Hebrew Nagad ranks, a word that translates as 'non-commissioned officer'. Corporals and sergeants however who are commanders are called Mashak, an abbreviation that also translates as 'non-commissioned officer' (or, literally, 'a commander who is not an officer').

See also

*Israel Defense Forces insignia
*Israel Defense Forces

External links

*IDF ranks in English
*IDF ranks in Hebrew