| Private |
Initial rank upon entry into the Canadian Forces
Assigned field positions for this portion of a soldier's career
Is considered a Non-commissioned Member and has no actual authority over other personnel |
| Corporal |
First NCO rank in the Canadian Forces
Assigned minor responsibilities such as squad leader
At this point in a soldiers career you may now apply for the Basic Officer Course or the NCO course
This is the deciding point of a soldiers career path |
| Master Corporal |
This rank is achieved after a soldier has completed his Sergeant's Qualification
Hold more senior positions within a platoon |
| Sergeant |
First Senior NCO rank in the Canadian Forces
Sergeants fill support roles for this portion of their career to broaden their skills |
| Warrant Officer |
There is a maximum of one WO per platoon
This rank is reserved for the ranking NCO of a platoon
As a WO you will return to field or training positions |
| Master Warrant Officer |
This rank is generally filled by the Company Sergeant Major
Other than CSM, MWO's fill vital NCO head positions |
| Chief Warrant Officer |
The highest NCO rank in the Canadian Forces
There is a limit of one CWO in a Regiment
The CWO is generally the Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) |
| Command Chief Warrant Officer |
This is an appointment (not a rank) for a Chief Warrant Officer commanding a base |
| Chief Warrant Officer of the Canadian Forces |
This appointment is the highest achievable for an NCO
Only one CWO may hold this position at any time
The CWO holding this position will work in a support role |
| Officer Cadet |
This rank refers to a member who has completed the first phase of BOC |
| 2nd Lieutenant |
Upon Completition of BOC, you are automatically promoted to this rank
As a new officer you will spend the first part of your career in a support role |
| Lieutenant |
Once an officer achieves this rank, they will do their first field duty tour
Generally this will be done as a Platoon Leader |
| Captain |
To achieve this rank you must have your Captain's Qualification
Generally these officers are Company Commanders or Deputy Commanders |
| Major |
This is the first field grade officer rank
As a Major you will hold much more important positions |
| Lieutenant Colonel |
This rank is the start of your second support tour |
| Colonel |
This is considered a very priveledged rank to achieve
Reserved primarily for Regiment Commanders, you will now resume in a field position |
| Brigadier General |
This is the first general officer rank in the CF
It is also the last field serving rank you can achieve
Generally reserved for brigade commands |
| Major General |
This is the last support role rank an officer can recieve
Generally this rank is reserved for Chiefs of Staff |
| Lieutenant General |
This is the FIRST command role rank any member can recieve
This rank is limited to the Vice Chief of Defense Staff |
| General |
The highest rank achievable in the Canadian Forces
Only one person may hold this rank at any time
This rank is reserved for the Chief of Defense Staff |