() is the seniormost

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...

rank in France and other

Francophone The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...

countries. Unlike most other countries which use the old European rank system, France uses as its lowest ranking

senior officer A senior officer is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of ...

. While the rank functions of ''major'' () in France, can be similarly compared to that of a

sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...

, it is higher (rank of major) than a

chief warrant officer Chief warrant officer is a senior warrant officer rank, used in many countries. Canadian Armed Forces In the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), a chief warrant officer or CWO is the most senior non-commissioned member (NCM) rank for army and air fo ...

(), and similar to a master chief (depending on the service branch of the respective country); the rank of major () is still different. Major was a senior superior

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

rank A rank is a position in a hierarchy. It can be formally recognized—for example, cardinal, chief executive officer, general, professor—or unofficial. People Formal ranks * Academic rank * Corporate title * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy ...

first, with a history of various military traditions in various corps, then recently in time became attached to the sub-officer (non-commissioned) corps as of 2009. The rank of major () of the

French Armed Forces The French Armed Forces (, ) are the military forces of France. They consist of four military branches – the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force, and the National Gendarmerie. The National Guard serves as the French Armed Forces' milita ...

can be the closest equivalent in terms of authenticity, and even still different, to the American referral of

mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticate ...

officers, since the rank of "major" was already a superior

Officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

() (a superior combat military officer rank ascended through the enlisted corps by service or promotions in combat units until 2009) which was part of the "Corps of Majors", situated between the French Officer Corps and the French Non-Commissioned Officer Corps. However, the history rank of the Majors of France () is still very different. In the

, the official rank and referral of major ) included the same rank designation across the board, this time, however, as of 2009, attached to the non-commissioned ranks (sub-officer corps) of the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

, the ranks of the

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

, the ranks of the

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...

and ranks of the

National Gendarmerie The National Gendarmerie ( ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police (France), National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Minister ...

of the National Police.

History

Superior officer

In the Armies of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

of the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

, the Major was the second of the

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

charged with the administrative works of the regiment, as well as the commandment of a strong influential position after the

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

and the . During the

Napoleonic Period The Napoleonic era is a period in the history of France and history of Europe, Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly (French Revoluti ...

, the rank of lieutenant-colonel was replaced with the rank of Major. The designation of Major or

Medical Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

Major, with category rank sub-classes (1st Class Major, 2nd Class Major, Aide-Major, and Deputy Aide-Major) designated until 1928 a

Military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

Medic A medic is a person trained to provide medical care, encompassing a wide range of individuals involved in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of health conditions. The term can refer to fully qualified medical practitioners, such as physic ...

. In the French War Navy of the 18th century, a

of Major of the Vessel existed briefly and was situated between the rank of Ship-of-the-line lieutenant and

Ship-of-the-line captain Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The rank is equal to the army rank of colonel and air force rank of group captain. Equivalent ranks worldwide include ...

. The position rank of Major also designated the general officer in charge of maintaining the materials and security of a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

naval base A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usu ...

, the position was known as the "Major" General of the Arsenals. In a squadron, the Squadron Major, was a general officer as Ship-of-the-line captain, and upheld the function of the general staff headquarters of the squadron. The actual organization of the

Armies An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

instituted, first in the military hierarchy, a ''function'' (not a rank) of ''Major General'' for the ensemble of the branches. Equally, exposed here forth in the

section, the rank of ''Major'' (), is heir to the former rank of ''Major- Adjudant'', is the most elevated rank in the

s of the

, the

, and Gendarmerie Nationale. Until 2009, there existed the Corps of Majors which was situated between the French Officers Corps and the French Non-Commissioned Officer Corps. In the

, this was related to the ''Corps of Majors'' of the Equipment of the Fleet, since the demotion (following a national political policy to reduce the number of corps in the public function...), a Major in the

is no longer a Major of the Equipment of the Fleet, but became a Major in the

Petty Officer A petty officer (PO) is a non-commissioned officer in many navies. Often they may be superior to a seaman, and subordinate to more senior non-commissioned officers, such as chief petty officers. Petty officers are usually sailors that have ...

Corps of the French Navy. However, the insignia of the Major was kept and is represented by 2 crossed

anchors An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to secure a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ', which itself comes from the Greek (). Anchor ...

, symbols of equipments of the Fleet.

Sub-officer

The actual designation of "Major" in the

corresponds to a contraction of the composed term "Adjudant-Major": the rank is the most elevated rank in the Sub-officer corps; which existed since 1972. A rank of "

Sergeant Major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...

" existed until 1971, under various form designations, and in certain cases, that rank could come close to the actual rank of ''Major''. The first Major of

() was Raymond Delaveau and the youngest Major of France would become his son, Thierry Delaveau.

Major of France

In 1972, simultaneously at the creation of the rank, was created the ''Corps of Majors'' in order to enable

s to occupy the equivalent posts of Officers (An Officer Corps below the rank of

Commandant Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

or equivalent across the member armed forces). This intermediary corps between the officers and that of the non-commissioned officers, actually included only one rank: that rank function was dissolved in 2009. Since this date, the rank of ''Major'' is the most senior elevated rank, attached this time however to the

corps of the

, the

The Major of the

Gendarmerie A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...

, is the most elevated rank of Non-Commissioned Officer Corps of the

. The rank insignia for the

, the

feature a red border joined by a braid. For the arms dites ''à pied'' (on foot), the ''rank insignia'' and braid is yellow (accordingly retaking the insignia of Adjudant-Chef) as portrayed. For the mounted arms, heir to the

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

corps, they are white. For the

, the rank insignia is that of a Principal Master surmounted by two golden anchors.

Majors of France

The Majors of France are officially addressed and designated as follows: *

** Major of the French Navy () *

** Major of the French Army () ** Major of the Foreign Legion () *

** Major of the French Air Force () File:France-Navy-OR-9b Sleeve.svg, ''

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

'' in the French Navy, superior to Maître principal and inferior to

Aspirant Aspirant is usually an officer cadet rank used in armies, navies and air forces. In Western Christianity, an aspirant is the first stage in becoming a monastic. Religious use In Western Christianity, the term is also used in reference to rel ...

File:Army-FRA-OR-09a.svg, ''

'' in the French Army, superior to Adjudant-chef and inferior to

File:French Air Force-major.svg, ''

'' in the French Air Force, superior to Adjudant-chef and inferior to

including Departmental, Mobile, the French Republican Guard, main security branches,

military police Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. Not to be confused with civilian police, who are legally part of the civilian populace. In wartime operations, the military police may supp ...

and specialized formations such as the

GIGN The GIGN ( ; ) is the elite police tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie. Among its missions are counterterrorism, hostage rescue, surveillance of national threats, protection of government officials, critical site protection (such ...

. ** Major of the National Gendarmerie () File:Major gd.svg, ''

'' in the National Gendarmerie, superior to Adjudant-chef and inferior to

File:Major gm.svg File:Major gr.svg File:Major cstag.svg The same official designation applies to the subordinate ranks (except for subordinate ranks of

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

in the

) of major, those of

() ( principal master in the French Navy) and

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a Military rank, rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ...

(), particularly, specialized combatant units of the

. The rank ''major'' () ceased to exist with the

Fire services in France The fire service in France is organised into local fire services which mostly cover the Departments of France, with a few exceptions. There are two types of fire service: *The Paris Fire Brigade (Army) and Marseille Naval Fire Battalion (Navy) ...

() since April 20, 2012.

Law enforcement

;Police * Major of the Police () (in the French National Police which includes several directorates,

inspection An inspection is, most generally, an organized examination or formal evaluation exercise. In engineering activities inspection involves the measurements, tests, and gauges applied to certain characteristics in regard to an object or activity. ...

, services, various security groups, and specialized

units Unit may refer to: General measurement * Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law **International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system **English units, histo ...

such as the

RAID RAID (; redundant array of inexpensive disks or redundant array of independent disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical Computer data storage, data storage components into one or more logical units for th ...

). ;Prisons * Major of the Penitentiary Administration () (in the French Penitentiary Administration Directorate) ;Fire service *Decree Law n° 2012-519 of April 20, 2012 abolished the rank of Major in the

in other countries

File:blank.svg, ( Benin Army) File:Madagascar-Army-OR-9b.svg, ( Malagasy Army) File:053.Mali Army-MAJ.svg, (

Malian Army The Malian Armed Forces (, FAMa) consists of the Army (), Republic of Mali Air Force (), and National Guard. They number some 7,000 and are under the control of the Minister of Armed Forces and Veterans. The Library of Congress as of January 200 ...

) File:blank.svg, (

Niger Army The Niger Armed Forces (, FAN) includes military armed force service branches (#Niger Army, Niger Army and #Niger Air Force, Niger Air Force), paramilitary services branches (Gendarmerie Nationale (Niger), National Gendarmerie of Niger and Nati ...

) File:blank.svg, ( Togolese Army) File:Grade Marine tunisienne E8.png,
(

Tunisian Army The Tunisian Land Army (, ) is the ground component of the Tunisian Armed Forces . The Land Forces Command is located in Bizerte. The TAF itself was created on June 30, 1956. The Land Army is the largest service branch within the Tunisian Armed ...

)

Notes

References

{{reflist, 30em Military ranks of France fr:Major#Sous-officiers et officiers mariniers

History

Superior officer

Sub-officer

Major of France

Majors of France

Law enforcement

in other countries

See also

Notes

References