Major (Commandant (rank), commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators, major is one rank above Captain (land), captain, and one rank below lieutenant colonel. It is considered the most junior of the field officer ranks.
Background
Majors are typically assigned as specialised executive or operations officers for battalion-sized units of 300 to 1,200 soldiers while in some nations, like Germany,
majors are often in command of a Company (military unit), company.
When used in hyphenated or combined fashion, the term can also imply seniority at other levels of rank, including ''general-major'' or ''major general'', denoting a low-level general officer, and ''sergeant major'', denoting the most senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) of a military unit. The term ''major'' can also be used with a hyphen to denote the leader of a military band such as in Pipe-Major, pipe-major or drum-major.
Historically, the rank designation developed in English in the 1640s, taken from French ''majeur'', in turn a shortening of ''sergent-majeur'', which at the time designated a higher rank than sergeant major, at present. The term ''Mayor'' for the head of a municipal government can also be traced to the same French word.
The rank of major is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures, such as the Pennsylvania State Police, New York State Police, New Jersey State Police, and several others. As with a military major, this rank is most commonly the next rank above Police captain, captain. The rank is equivalent to an Inspector#United States, inspector or Commander#American police rank, commander in other large police departments or to the UK rank of Superintendent (police), superintendent.
Links to major ranks by country
Alphabetically sorted by name of country:
* Major (Canada)
* Major (France)
* Major (Germany)
* Major (Sri Lanka)
* Major (Sweden)
* Major (United Kingdom)
* Major (United States)
Insignia
Insignia of army majors.
File:ALB-Army-OF-3.svg,
File:Australian Army OF-3.svg,
File:Bangladesh-army-OF-3.svg,
File:Army-BEL-OF-03.svg,
File:Bosnia and Herzegovina Major Insignia.svg,
File:Major Exército-V.gif,
File:Rank insignia of mayor of the Colombian Army.svg,
File:Army-HRV-OF-03.svg,
File:Cdn-Army-Maj(OF-3)-2014 - Copy.svg,
File:CzArmy 2011 OF3-Major shoulder.svg,
File:Rank insignia of major of the Royal Danish Army.svg,
File:Mayorwikifixed.svg,
File:EgyptianArmyInsignia-Major.svg,
File:ES-Army-OF3.png,
File:Majuri kauluslaatta.svg,
File:Army-FRA-OF-03.svg,
File:Georgia Army OF-4.png,
File:HD H 51 Major FJg.svg,
File:Army-GRE-OF-03.svg,
File:Rank Army Hungary OF-03.svg,
File:IFRmajor.PNG,
File:Major of the Indian Army.svg,
File:16-TNI Army-MAJ.svg,
File:IDF rav seren.svg,
File:IT-Army-OF3.svg,
File:Major of Malaysian Army.png,
File:Nl-landmacht-majoor.svg,
File:Nigeria-Army-OF-3.svg,
File:Army-NOR-OF-03.svg,
File:OF-3 Pakistan Army.svg,
File:PA MAJ Svc.svg,
File:Army-POL-OF-03.svg,
File:16 - Major.svg,
File:RO-Army-OF3.png,
File:Russia-Army-OF-3-2010.svg,
File:12-Serbian_Army-MAJ.svg,
File:04-RSA-OF03.svg,
File:11-Somali Army-MAJ.svg,
File:SAA-OF-3.svg,
File:Spain-Army-OF-3.svg,
File:OF-3 Major.jpg,
File:CHE OF3 Maj.svg,
File:Taiwan-army-OF-3.svg,
File:RTA OF-3 (Major).svg,
File:Turkey-army-OF-3.svg,
File:UA shoulder mark 15.svg,
File:British Army OF-3.svg,
File:US Army O4 (Army greens).svg,
Insignia of air force majors
File:Fuerza Aerea Argentina - Mayor.svg,
File:Major-vertical fab.gif,
File:RNAF Maj.svg,
File:Naramenica službene odore bojnika HRZ i PZO.svg,
File:RDAF Maj.svg,
File:Georgia Air Force OF-4.png,
File:LD B 51 Major.svg,
File:16-TNI Air Force-MAJ.svg,
File:IDF rav seren silver-2.svg,
File:IT-Airforce-OF-3.png,
File:Mayor FAM.GIF,
File:PAF MAJ Svc.svg,
File:Major Lotnicze.png,
File:Major t.jpg,
File:Russia-Airforce-OF-3-2010.svg,
File:OF-3 Major FV hylsa.jpg,
File:Turkey-air-force-OF-3.svg
File:US Air Force O4 shoulderboard.svg,
Insignia of naval infantry majors
File:IDF rav seren gold-2.svg,
File:PHIL ARMY MAJ WOODLAND.svg,
File:OF-3 Major AMF hylsa.jpg,
File:British Royal Marines OF-3.svg,
File:US Marine O4 shoulderboard vertical.svg,
File:16-TNI Navy-LCDR.svg,
Insignia of majors of other services
File:US Space-force O4 (interim).svg, United States Space Force
See also
*List of comparative military ranks
References
{{Authority control
Military ranks
