If you spend a lot of time playing games like Call of Duty, you may have a decent handle on the US Military Ranks for Officers and Enlisted for one or maybe two branches of service. However, you can't rely on "gamer cred" to help you remember all of the ranks for all of the US military Service branches.
Here are some rank insignia charts for the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Learn 'em. It's good to know who your spouse salutes or who has to salute your spouse. Also, your spouse's pay is tied to rank, along with almost everything else. So, again, learn these.
(Oh, and gamers don't look for those high ranks and insignia that you see in Call of Duty. They're not real.)
Rank Insignia of the US Armed Forces - Officers
Rank Insignia of the US Armed Forces - Enlisted
Difference Between Officers and Enlisted
Other than the insignia, here is the "big-picture-view" difference between officers and enlisted.
"Enlisted personnel have specialties within the Military. They perform specific job functions and have the knowledge, skills and abilities to ensure the success of their unit's mission. Officers manage enlisted personnel; they plan missions, provide orders, and assign tasks."
What's the Difference?: Enlisted vs Officer - ASVAB CEP
Officers and Enlisted Rank and Responsibility
It may be easier and quicker to think of rank when it comes to "cominance", but don't overlook the responsibility. People often ask questions about rank to find out if one person "outranks" another, to find out who is more dominant. As a male military spouse, remember the responsibility that comes with your spouse's rank. Your journey together may be severely impacted, if you ignore your spouse's military responsibility byrank.l
