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Brazilian Armed Forces
Components
Army Air Force Navy Military Police
Ranks
Military ranks of Brazil
History
Military history of Brazil

This article presents the insignia and ranks of the Brazilian military. The insignia and ranks of the Brazilian military are defined by Act no. 6880 of December 9, 1980.

Air Force ranks date from 1941, when the Brazilian Air Force (Força Aérea Brasileira) was organized as a merger of the Navy's Aeronaval Force and the Army's Aviation Service.

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

The shoulder epaulette pads from Navy and Air Force indicate both rank and specialty branch. The air force examples below are shown without branch designation marks on the epaulettes, with the exception of the ranks of Marshal of the Air Force and Air Chief Marshal, which can only be occupied by aviators. Army shoulder pads do not represent branch, as this is indicated elsewhere in the uniform like on the cuff and sleeves of the dress and everyday uniforms.

The Military Police alongside the Military Firefighters Corps are classed as an auxiliary and reserve forces of the Army and thus carry insignia similar to that service.

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Brazilian Army v t e
	Marechal		General de exército		General de divisão		General de brigada				Coronel		Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Primeiro tenente			Segundo tenente
Brazilian Navy v t e
	Almirante		Almirante de esquadra		Vice-almirante		Contra-almirante				Capitão de mar e guerra		Capitão de fragata		Capitão de corveta		Capitão-tenente		Primeiro-tenente			Segundo-tenente
Brazilian Marine Corps v t e
			Almirante-de-esquadra fuzileiro naval		Vice-almirante fuzileiro naval		Contra-almirante fuzileiro naval				Capitão-de-Mar-e-Guerra fuzileiro naval		Capitão-de-Fragata fuzileiro naval		Capitão-de-corveta fuzileiro naval		Capitão-tenente fuzileiro naval		Primeiro-tenente fuzileiro naval			Segundo-tenente fuzileiro naval
Brazilian Air Force v t e
	Marechal-do-ar		Tenente-brigadeiro do Ar		Major-brigadeiro		Brigadeiro				Coronel		Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Primeiro-tenente			Segundo-tenente
Brazilian Military Police v t e
							Comandante geral		Comandante adjunto		Coronel		Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Primeiro tenente			Segundo tenente
Military Firefighters Corps v t e
							Comandante Geral		Comandante segundo		Coronel		Tenente-coronel		Major		Capitão		Primeiro tenente			Segundo tenente
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers

Flags of the Brazil Armed Forces

Personal Flags

In Brazil, federal civilian cabinet organizations are called Ministries. Secretaries are used by state and city cabinets

	Flags
Ministry of Defense
	Flag of Minister of Defence of Brazil
Chairman
	Flag of Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces	Flag of the Commander of The Brazilian Army	Flag of the Commander of the Brazilian Air Force	Flag of the Commander of the Brazilian Navy	Flag of the Commandant General of the Marine Corps (Subordinate to the navy)

Officer Flags

Rank	Flag of Chief of the Staff	General / Flag Officers				Senior Officers
Brazilian Army
Brazilian Navy
Brazilian Air Force

Students Commissioned Officers

Each branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces has its own institutions for training commissioned officers (COs) and non-commissioned officers (NCOs). The academies responsible for officer training in each branch are:

• Army: AMAN, IME and CPOR
• Navy: EN and CIAW
• Air Force: AFA and CPORAER

For police forces, each state has its own academies; however, the most famous is the Barro Branco Academy in the state of São Paulo.

It is worth noting that the Brazilian system includes a preparatory stage before entering the military academy. Known as preparatory schools, students who graduate from these institutions are guaranteed access to their respective academies, as follows:

• Army: EsPCEx(1 year) provides a guaranteed place at AMAN.
• Navy: Naval College (CN) (3 years, combined with high school) provides a guaranteed place at the Naval School (EN).
• Air Force: EPCAr (3 years, combined with high school) provides a guaranteed place at the Air Force Academy (AFA).

Rank group	Junior officer	Student officer/Cadets					Cadets (Preparatory Shools)
Brazilian Army
		Cadete 4º ano (AMAN)	Cadete 3° Ano (AMAN)	Cadete 2º ano (AMAN)	Cadete 1º ano (AMAN)		Aluno EsPCEx
		Cadete 5° Ano (IME)	Cadete 4° Ano (IME)	Cadete 3° Ano (IME)	Cadete 2° Ano (IME)	Cadete 1° Ano (IME)
	Aspirante a oficial
		Aluno (CPOR)
Brazilian Navy
	Guarda-marinha	Cadete 4° Ano (EN)	Cadete 3° Ano (EN)
Brazilian Marine Corps
	Guarda-marinha	Cadete 4° Ano (EN)	Cadete 4° Ano (EN)	Cadete 2° Ano (EN)	Cadete 1° Ano (EN)		Alunos CN
Brazilian Air Force
		Cadete 4°ano (AFA)	Cadete 3°ano (AFA)	Cadete 2°ano (AFA)	Cadete 1°ano (AFA)		Alunos EPCAR
	Aspirante	Aluno 2°Periodo (CPORaer)			Aluno 1°Periodo (CPORaer)
Brazilian Military Police
	Aspirante a oficial	Aluno 3° ano	Aluno 2° ano	Aluno 1° ano	Aluno CSTAPM
Military Firefighters Corps
	Aspirante
Rank group	Student officer

Non-commissioned Officers

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Brazilian Army v t e
	Subtenente										Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento			Terceiro-sargento			Taifeiro-mor		Cabo				Taifeiro primeira classe						Taifeiro segunda classe	Soldado
Brazilian Navy v t e
	Suboficial										Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento			Terceiro-sargento			Cabo						Marinheiro
Brazilian Marine Corps v t e
	Suboficial fuzileiro naval										Primeiro-sargento fuzileiro naval						Segundo-sargento fuzileiro naval			Terceiro-sargento fuzileiro naval			Cabo fuzileiro naval						Soldado fuzileiro naval
Brazilian Air Force v t e
	Suboficial										Primeiro-Sargento						Segundo-Sargento			Terceiro-Sargento			Cabo		Taifeiro-mor				Soldado			Taifeiro primeira classe			Soldado segunda classe	Taifeiro segunda classe
Brazilian Military Police v t e
	Subtenente										Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento			Terceiro-sargento			Aluno sargento		Cabo				Soldado primeira classe						Soldado segunda classe
Military Firefighters Corps v t e
	Subtenente										Primeiro-sargento						Segundo-sargento			Terceiro-sargento			Cabo						Bombeiro primeira classe						Bombeiro segunda classe
Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted

Students Non-commissioned officers

Unlike officers, future NCOs are not classified as Cadets but rather as Students (Aluno in PT). Additionally, the term "Student" is followed by the rank for which they are being trained. For example, for corporals: Student-Corporal; and for sergeants: Student-Sergeant.

in other Portuguese-speaking countries, you can find the term "instruendo", which translates to "being instructed."

The academies responsible for NCO training in each branch are:

• Army: ESA (The course lasts for two years, and graduates are commissioned as Third Sergeants
• Navy: EAM and CIAA (It lasts 2 months to be a Sergeant, but you must have completed the Apprentice (11 months) and Corporal (4 Months) courses beforehand to be eligible).
• Air Force: EEAR(The course lasts for two years, and graduates are commissioned as Third Sergeants).

For police forces, each state has its own academies. In São Paulo State, the Escola Superior de Sargentos (ESSgt) can be translated as Sergeants' Advanced School or Higher School for Sergeants.

It is worth mentioning that there are other courses for training sergeants and corporals, as well as advanced training courses. One of these courses is the CFST (Temporary Sergeant Training Course), which allows the NCO to remain in an active military career for a maximum of 8 years.

Students who graduate from sergeant courses can attain the positions of Sub-Lieutenant (in the army or police) or Sub-Officer (in Navy, Air Force and Marines). However, depending on the NCO's performance and additional courses completed, they may rise to the rank of Captain.

Rank group	Sargeants candidates				Corporal candidates
Brazilian Army
	Sargento-Aluno (ESA)		Aluno-Sargento (ESA)
	Sargento-Aluno (CFST)		Sargento-Aluno (CFST)		Cabo-Aluno (CFC)	Cabo-Aluno (CFC)
Brazilian Air Force
	Aluno 4° Período (EEAR)	Aluno 3° Período (EEAR)	Aluno 2° Período (EEAR)	Aluno 1° Período (EEAR)		(Enlisted) Aluno-Taifeiro

Generalissimo

On January 15, 1890, Deodoro da Fonseca was acclaimed by the troops as "Generalissimo de Terra e Mar" (Generalissimo of Land and Sea), thus becoming the only six-star general officer in Brazil.

See also

• Military ranks of the Empire of Brazil
• Military ranks of Portugal

Notes

1. Act no. 6880 of December 9, 1980.
2. Instituto Histórico e Cultural da Aeronáutica. História geral da aeronáutica brasileira [General history of Brazilian aeronautics] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Vol. 3.
3. ^ "Postos e Graduações - Exército". eb.mil.br (in Portuguese). Brazilian Army. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
4. ^ "Postos e Graduações". marinha.mil.br (in Portuguese). Brazilian Navy. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
5. ^ "Postos e Graduações". fab.mil.br (in Portuguese). Brazilian Air Force. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
6. ^ "Insígnias". Polícia Militar do Estado de São Paulo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 February 2021.
7. "Normas para a Feitura de Insígnias de Comando, Chefia ou Direção" (in Brazilian Portuguese). 4 July 1980.
8. "Portaria No 368 /MB, de 30 de Novembro de 2016". Boletim da Marinha do Brasil. I (Administrativo) Nº 12/2016. 30 November 2026.
9. "Símbolos Heráldicos da Aeronáutica". Publicada no BCA nº 180, de 5 de outubro de 2020. file:///D:/Downloads/180-BCA-ANEXO%201%20-%20ICA%20903-1.pdf. 2020-09-22.
10. ^ "Portaria Nº 1.424, de 8 de outubro de 2015". www.sgex.eb.mil.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2025-01-19.
11. ^ MARINHA DO BRASIL, SECRETARIA-GERAL DA MARINHA. "Regulamento de Uniformes da Marinha do Brasil (RUMB) - VOLUME I - Normas Gerais e Básicas sobre os Uniformes da MB" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on April 24, 2024.
12. "Portaria – C Ex Nº 2.259, de 5 de junho de 2024". Diário da União. 5 June 2024.
13. "Os Atos do Governo Provisório". Prefeitura de Marechal Deodoro. Retrieved 17 January 2025.

External links

• "Postos e Graduações - Exército" [Ranks and Grades - Army]. eb.mil.br (in Portuguese). Brazilian Army. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
• "Postos e Graduações" [Ranks and Grades]. marinha.mil.br (in Portuguese). Brazilian Navy. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
• "Postos e Graduações" [Ranks and Grades]. fab.mil.br (in Portuguese). Brazilian Air Force. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
• Insígnias E Acessórios Força Aérea Brasileira [Insignia and Accessories Brazilian Air Force] (in Portuguese). Retrieved 29 August 2021.

v t e Military of Brazil
Army Navy Air Force Military Police Military Firefighters Corps National Public Security Force
Leadership	Presidency Ministry of Defence Joint Staff of the Armed Forces Army High Command Navy Command Air Force Command
History and traditions	History Ranks Conscription Military bases National Defense Council Brazil and nuclear weapons
General staff	Army General Staff Navy General Staff Air Force General Staff
Commands	Aerospace Marine Corps Army Aviation Naval Aviation Submarine Force
Military regions	Amazon Eastern Northeastern Northern Planalto Southeastern Southern Western
List of equipment	Army Ships Aircraft Marine Corps
Future	Future of the Brazilian Armed Forces

• Military ranks of Brazil