Military Ranks

Ranks of officers in Philippine Military are usually pronounced in Filipino. in which they adapt the military ranks from U.S. Military. The following officer ranks are as follows:

* Pangalawang Tenyente (Second Lieutenant),
* Unang Tenyente (First Lieutenant),
* Kapitan (Captain),
* Medyor (Major),
* Tenyente Koronel (Lieutenant Colonel),
* Koronel (Colonel),
* Brigadyer Heneral (Brigadier General),
* Medyor Heneral (Major General),
* Tenyente Heneral (Lieutenant General),
* Heneral (General)

These ranks are officially applied in Philippine Army, Air force and Marine Corps in which these pronunciations are actually adaptation from Spanish and English language except, for the words "pangalawang" and "unang" which came from original tagalog pronunciation.

In Philippine Navy however, to pronounce the officer ranks in Filipino, it is just the same in English in which they adapt the ranks from U.S. and British Royal navies. Although, there are some ranks that can be translated and officially pronounce in Filipino that are in parenthesis. The ranks are as follows:

* Ensign
* Lieutenant Junior Grade (Tenyente na Mabababang Baitang)
* Lieutenant or Lieutenant Senior Grade (Tenyente or Tenyente na Mataas na Baitang)
* Lieutenant Commander (Tenyente Kumander)
* Commander (Kumander)
* Captain (Kapitan)
* Commodore
* Rear Admiral
* Vice Admiral(Bise Admiral)
* Admiral

The alternative style of address for the ranks of Lieutenant Junior Grade and Lieutenant Senior Grade in Filipino is simply tenyente because, it is too redundant if you address them fully in Filipino. It is also the same as Second and First Lieutenants in the Army, Air force and Marine Corps.

The ranks of enlisted personnel in Filipino is just the same as its U.S. counterpart but, they never use "Specialist","Sergeant First Class", "First Sergeant"(for Philippine Army and Air Force except Marine Corps),"Lance Corporal","Gunnery Sergeant" "Master Gunnery Sergeant" in Philippine Army and Marine Corps. It is simply they start to address their ranks from Private Second Class up to Sergeant Major.

In Philippine Air Force, they also use Airman Second Class up to Chief Master Sergeant the same as its U.S. counterpart.

In Philippine Navy, they also use enlisted ranks coming from U.S. Navy with its specialization.

For Example: "Master Chief and Boatswain's mate Juan Dela Cruz, PN" (Philippine Navy).

The alternative style to address the non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel in Filipino are: From Private Second Class up to Private First Class it is pribeyt or mga pribeyt for a group of privates that is adaptive in English. Kabo for corporal adaptive from the word "cabo" in Spanish but the most common is korporal (except air force they use airman or airmen and airwoman or airwomen from Airman Second Class up to Senior Airman).Sarhento for sergeants in Army, Air force and Marine Corps also adpative from the word "sargento" in Spanish.

In Navy, the original Filipino alternative style for Seaman or Seawoman Apprentice up to Seaman or Seawoman First Class is mandaragat or mga mandaragat for a group seamen and seawomen. For petty officers, they call it P.O.'s and tsip for chief (petty) officers up to Master Chief (Petty) officers.

They are no warrant officers in between officer ranks and enlisted ranks.
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Posted in: AFP