Military ranks of the Colombian Armed Forces

The military ranks of the Colombian armed forces consist of the list and ordering of the different military ranks, for the Officers, Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and soldiers, seamen and airmen ("other ranks") of the Military Forces of Colombia. The ranks are visually represented by insignias placed on the uniforms, usually at the shoulders, sleeves and shirt collars.

A literal translation from Spanish to English may be misleading as the rank names do not necessarily follow the customary order used in anglophone military ranks in all cases. Furthermore, Colombia is not a member of NATO, so there is not an official equivalence between the Colombian military ranks and those defined by NATO. The displayed parallel is approximate and for illustration purposes only.

Applicable law

The ranks in the Military Forces of Colombia are regulated through the following applicable legislation: the Decree-Law 1790 of 2000,^[1] Law 1405 of 2010,^[2] and Law 1792 of 2016^[3]

In terms of protocol, the established order for the forces is Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, as established by the Military Rules of Protocol (Reglamento de Protocolo Militar FFMM)^[4]

Army

Further information: Colombian Army

Coat of arms of the Colombian National Army

The Colombian Army is the largest of the three service branches of the Military Forces of Colombia, tasked with defending sovereignty and law and order across the national territory. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Army personnel.^[5][6]

Officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Colombian National Army[7] v t e
			General de ejército				Mayor general		Brigadier general		Coronel		Teniente coronel		Mayor		Capitán		Teniente			Subteniente
Abbr.			GR				MG		BG		CR		TC		MY		CT		TE			ST
'"3B" Uniform sample[7]
Service branch											Cavalry		Infantry		Engineers		Communications		Cavalry			Artillery
Camouflage Fatigues sample[7]
Service branch											Cavalry		Infantry		Engineers		Artillery		Communications			Logistics (Armory)

Enlisted

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Colombian National Army[7] v t e																																				No insignia
	Sargento mayor de comando conjunto		Sargento mayor de ejército		Sargento mayor de comando		Sargento mayor		Sargento primero		Sargento vice primero						Sargento segundo						Cabo primero				Cabo segundo		Cabo tercero						Soldado profesional	Soldado
'"3B" Uniform sample[7]																																				No Insignia

Soldier types

• Soldado: Conscripted soldier serving for a period of 22 months mandatory service ^{[n 1]}.
• Soldado Profesional: Regular soldiers that stay in the army after completing their 22 months' mandatory conscription service, making it a permanent career. The number in their rank insignia indicating the number of years they have served.

Additional ranks

Dragoneantes are soldiers who have gained recognition through their achievements and have special training. They have a certain degree of authority over regular soldiers.

Rank group	Dragoneante				Alumno
Insignia[7]
	Dragoneante mayor de escuela	Dragoneante mayor de batallón	Dragoneante mayor de compañía	Dragoneante	Alumno tercer nivel	Alumno segundo nivel	Alumno primer nivel

Navy

Further information: Colombian Navy

Coat of arms of the Colombian Navy

The Colombian Navy (Spanish: Armada de la República de Colombia) is the maritime service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia, responsible for security and defense in both the Atlantic (Caribbean) and Pacific seas of Colombia, the extensive network of rivers inside the country, and a few small land areas under its direct jurisdiction. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Navy personnel.^[5][9]

Officers

Rank group	General/flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Colombian National Navy[10] v t e
			Almirante				Vicealmirante		Contralmirante		Capitán de navío		Capitán de fragata		Capitán de corbeta		Teniente de navío		Teniente de fragata			Teniente de corbeta
Abbr.			ALM				VALM		CALM		CN		CF		CC		TN		TF			TK

Enlisted

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Colombian National Navy[10] v t e
	Suboficial jefe técnico de comando conjunto			Suboficial jefe técnico de comando			Suboficial jefe técnico		Suboficial jefe		Suboficial primero						Suboficial segundo						Suboficial tercero				Marinero primero		Marinero segundo
Abbr.	SJTCC			SJTC			SJT		SJ		S1						S2						S3				MA1		MA2

Marine Infantry

Further information: Colombian Marine Infantry

Coat of arms of the Colombian Marine Infantry

In Colombia, the Marine Infantry is a Corps depending on the Colombian Navy and not a full service branch on its own. Being tasked with amphibious and riverine and littoral operations, the MI presents a combination of ranking names derived from the Army, combined with naval insignias. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Marine Infantry personnel.^[5]

Officers

Rank group	General/flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Colombian Naval Infantry[10] v t e
			General				Mayor general		Brigadier general		Coronel		Teniente coronel		Mayor		Capitán		Teniente			Subteniente
Abbr.	-		GR		-		MG		BG		CR		TC		MY		CT		TE			ST			-

Enlisted

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Colombian Naval Infantry[10] v t e																																			No insignia
	Sargento mayor de comando conjunto			Sargento mayor de comando			Sargento mayor		Sargento primero		Sargento vice primero						Sargento segundo						Cabo primero				Cabo segundo		Cabo tercero						Infante regular
Abbr.	SMCCCIM			SMCCIM			SMCIM		SPCIM		SVCIM						SSCIM						CPCIM				CSCIM		C3CIM						-

Aerospace Force

Further information: Colombian Aerospace Force

Coat of arms of the Colombian Air Force

The Colombian Aerospace Force is the service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia tasked with the protection and defense of the Colombian sovereign airspace. The tables below display the rank structures and rank insignias for the Colombian Aerospace Force personnel.^[5]

Officers

Rank group	General/Flag/Air officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Colombian Aerospace Force[11] v t e
			General del aire				Mayor general del aire		Brigadier general del aire		Coronel		Teniente coronel		Mayor		Capitán		Teniente			Subteniente
Abbr.			GR				MG		BG		CR		TC		MY		CT		TE			ST
"3B" Uniform sample

Enlisted

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Colombian Aerospace Force[11] v t e
	Técnico jefe de comando conjunto			Técnico jefe de comando			Técnico jefe		Técnico subjefe		Técnico primero						Técnico segundo						Técnico tercero				Técnico cuarto		Aerotécnico
Abbr.	TJCC			TJC			TJ		TS		TP						T2						T3				T4		AT						-

Pre-2010 ranks

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Colombian National Army
			General de Ejercito		Teniente General		Mayor General		Brigadier General		Coronel		Teniente Coronel		Mayor		Capitán		Teniente			Subteniente
Colombian National Navy
			Almirante		Almirante de Escuadra		Vicealmirante		Contralmirante		Capitán de Navío		Capitán de Fragata		Capitán de Corbeta		Teniente de Navío		Teniente de Fragata			Teniente de Corbeta
Colombian Naval Infantry
			General		Teniente General		Mayor General		Brigadier		Coronel		Teniente Coronel		Mayor		Capitán		Teniente			Subteniente
Colombian Aerospace Force
			General del Aire		Teniente General del Aire		Mayor General del Aire		Brigadier General del Aire		Coronel		Teniente Coronel		Mayor		Capitán		Teniente			Subteniente

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Colombian Aerospace Force																																			No equivalent
	Técnico Jefe de Comando Conjunto			Técnico Jefe de Comando			Técnico Jefe		Técnico Subjefe		Técnico Primero						Técnico Segundo						Técnico Tercero				Técnico Cuarto		Aerotécnico

See also

• Ranks of the Colombian National Police

Notes

1. In 2010, the Constitutional Court (Spanish: Corte Constitucional) on grounds of discrimination and protection of equal rights, issued an order^[8] to the Military Forces to stop the classification of conscripts into "regular", "peasant" and "baccalaureate" (Spanish: "regular", "campesino" y "bachiller"), and to standardize the terms and conditions for all conscripts to 22 months.