This article presents the
military rank
Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a ...
s of the entire
Polish Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, abbreviated ''SZ RP''; popularly called ''Wojsko Polskie'' in Poland, abbreviated ''WP''—roughly, the "Polish Military") are the national armed forces of ...
as well as the rank insignia used today. The system of rank insignia is a direct descendant of various systems used throughout history by the
Polish Army
The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stret ...
. Some of the grades trace their name back to the Middle Ages, for instance the rank of literally means a ''flag bearer'' or an
Ensign
An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
.
Names of Polish ranks are often of foreign origin, like the ones introduced by the 17th-century mercenaries serving for the Polish Crown. These include the rank of , which is a derivative of the Italian - much like the English equivalent of
corporal
Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...
.
As the structure of Polish rank names substantially differs from the English one, it seems more appropriate to give the U.S. or U.K. equivalent ranks, based on the
common NATO codes, rather than to provide a literal translation which can lead to numerous misinterpretations.
Origins
Most rank titles are cognates to the ones in English, with some exceptions. Notably ''colonel's'' literal meaning is ''regimental-leader'', likewise means ''platoon-leader''. Also, the title equivalent to petty officer is identical to the word for
boatswain
A boatswain ( , ), bo's'n, bos'n, or bosun, also known as a deck boss, or a qualified member of the deck department, is the most senior rate of the deck department and is responsible for the components of a ship's hull. The boatswain supervi ...
, so a may or may not be a .
Until
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, each of the branches of the Land Forces used a set of different names for the same grades. For instance a
sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
was called in the
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
, (literally ''master of fire'') in the
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
and (from German , or ''Master of the Guards'') in the
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
. This is similar to the German army calling a cavalry officer which is equivalent to
Hauptmann
is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...
a
Rittmeister
__NOTOC__
(German and Scandinavian for "riding master" or "cavalry master") is or was a military rank of a commissioned cavalry officer in the armies of Germany, Austria-Hungary, Scandinavia, and some other countries. A ''Rittmeister'' is typic ...
Modern Polish military practices were heavily influenced by Prussian/German and Russian traditions, as most founding officers after 1918 independence were veterans of those respective armies.
Marshal of Poland
Marshal of Poland
Marshal of Poland ( pl, Marszałek Polski) is the highest rank in the Polish Army. It has been granted to only six officers. At present, Marshal is equivalent to a Field Marshal or General of the Army (OF-10) in other NATO armies.
History
To ...
() is the highest rank in the Polish Armed Forces. Note that unlike the remaining ranks, it does not belong to any particular service but to the armed forces as a whole. So far only six individuals have been promoted to this rank. With the death of the last surviving holder,
Michał Rola-Żymierski
Michał Rola-Żymierski (; 4 September 189015 October 1989) was a Polish high-ranking Polish United Workers' Party, Communist Party leader, communist military commander and NKVD secret agent. He was appointed as Marshal of Poland by Joseph Stalin ...
in 1989 the rank of Marshal of Poland has been vacant.
Customs
The Polish language requires the use of a prior honorific before stating the addressee's rank e.g. '' (''Sir Captain...''). This is directly equivalent to French practice where the possessive is pre-pended to the addressee's rank. During the communist period use of the formal 'Pan' (''Sir'') was frowned upon and 'Obywatel' (''Citizen'') (as in: ) was used. This has reverted to prior style in the post-communist era.
It is customary to include other titles when referring to an officer in writing. This can lead to some interesting abbreviations. For example, a Lt. Col. in the airforce by the name Nowak who is a pilot and has an
MSc in engineering would be written (LtCol plt MEng Nowak).
Uniquely, Polish forces use a
two-fingered version of the salute, and the saluting custom does not allow saluting with the fingers to the head without having headgear on (cap/beret or helmet).
Land Forces, Territorial Defence Force and Special Forces
Commissioned Ranks
Non-Commissioned Ranks and Privates
Military Gendarmerie
;Officers
;Enlisted
Air Force
Commissioned Ranks
Non-Commissioned Ranks and Airmen
Navy
Commissioned Ranks
Petty Officers and Seamen
Obsolete Ranks
Ranks Discontinued on 1 July 2004
Other changes after July 1, 2004
Until 2004 the ranks of (OR-9 and OR-8) constituted a separate group, roughly corresponding to U.S.
Warrant Officer
Warrant officer (WO) is a 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 ranks, the mos ...
s. On July 1, 2004, the number of these ranks was reduced and they were included in the group of non-commissioned ranks.
Pay Grade changes on July 1, 2004
*: OR-8 to OR-9
*: OR-8 to OR-7
*: OR-3 to OR-4
On January 1, 2014, all reserve NCOs, holders of the rank of and were promoted to the rank of ; holders of the rank of and were promoted to the rank of ; and holders of the rank of were promoted to the rank of .
Thus the ranks discontinued on July 1, 2004, were officially abolished in the Polish Armed Forces.
Historical Ranks in the Polish Armed Forces
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See also
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Certified officer, a title in Polish Armed Forces
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Police ranks of Poland
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Ranks and insignia of NATO Armies
Ranks and insignia of NATO are combined military insignia used by the member countries of the NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The rank scale is used for specifying posts within NATO.
Definitions
NATO maintains a "standard rank scal ...
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Comparative military ranks
This article is a list of various nations' armed forces ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. Several of these lists mention '' ...
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Polish Scouts rank insignia
Notes
References
Polish Armed Forces Insignia in the International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polish Armed Forces Rank Insignia
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