Belgian Armed Forces ranks

The status and designations of the ranks of the Belgian Armed Forces were established by a law of February 28, 2007.

Since January 2nd, 2002 the Belgian armed forces have had a unitary structure. Under this unit structure there are different branches of the armed forces: Army , Air Force , Medical Service and Navy .

Officer ranks in the Belgian armed forces

The German terms are freely translated. Attempts have been made to match them as closely as possible to the French or Dutch original.

NATO - rank	army	medical corps	air force	marine
Generals (fr. Officier général , nl. Opperofficier )
OF-10	In Belgium there are no ranks at the OF-10 level
OF-9	General fr. Général nl. General	No OF-9 in the medical service.	General fr. Général nl. General	Admiral fr. Amiral nl. Admiraal
OF-8	Lieutenant General fr. Lieutenant-général nl. Luitenant-generaal	No OF-8 in the medical service.	Lieutenant General fr. Lieutenant-général nl. Luitenant-generaal	Vice Admiral fr. Vice-amiral nl. Vice-admiraal
OF-7	Major General fr. Général-major nl. Generaal-majoor	Major General fr. Général-major nl. Generaal-majoor	Major General fr. Général-major nl. Generaal-majoor	Division Admiral fr. Amiral de division nl. Divisieadmiraal
OF-6	Brigadier General fr. General de brigade nl. Brigade-general	Brigadier General fr. General de brigade nl. Brigade-general	Brigadier General fr. General de brigade nl. Brigade-general	Flotilla admiral fr. Amiral de flottille nl. Flottieljeadmiraal
Staff officers (fr. Officier supérieur , nl Hoger officier )
OF-5	Colonel fr. Colonel nl. Colonel	Colonel fr. Colonel nl. Colonel	Colonel fr. Colonel nl. Colonel	Sea captain fr. Capitaine de vaisseau nl. Captain ter zee
OF-4	Lieutenant Colonel fr. Lieutenant-colonel nl. Luitenant colonel	Lieutenant Colonel fr. Lieutenant-colonel nl. Luitenant colonel	Lieutenant Colonel fr. Lieutenant-colonel nl. Luitenant colonel	Frigate captain fr. Capitaine de frégate nl. Fregatkapitein
OF-3	Major fr. Major nl. Majoor	Major fr. Major nl. Majoor	Major fr. Major nl. Majoor	Corvette Captain fr. Capitaine de corvette nl. Korvetkapitein
Subalternoffiziere (French Officier subalterne , nl. Lagere officieren )
OF-3	Chief of Staff fr. Capitaine-commandant nl. Captain-commandant	Chief of Staff fr. Capitaine-commandant nl. Captain-commandant	Chief of Staff fr. Capitaine-commandant nl. Captain-commandant	Liner lieutenant 1st class fr. Lieutenant de vaisseau de première classe nl. Luitenant-ter-zee 1st class
OF-2	Captain fr. Capitaine nl. Captain	Captain fr. Capitaine nl. Captain	Captain fr. Capitaine nl. Captain	Liner lieutenant fr. Lieutenant de vaisseau nl. Luitenant-ter-zee
OF-1	Lieutenant fr. Lieutenant nl. Lieutenant	Lieutenant fr. Lieutenant nl. Lieutenant	Lieutenant fr. Lieutenant nl. Lieutenant	Sea flag fr. Enseigne de vaisseau nl. Vaandrig-ter-zee
OF-1	Sub-lieutenant fr. Sous-lieutenant nl. Onderluitenant	sub-lieutenant fr. Sous-lieutenant nl. Onderluitenant	Sub-lieutenant fr. Sous-lieutenant nl. Onderluitenant	Seefahnrich 2nd class fr. Enseigne de vaisseau de seconde class nl. Vaandrig-ter-zee 2nd class

NCO ranks in the Belgian Armed Forces

The German terms are freely translated. Attempts have been made to match them as closely as possible to the French or Dutch original. Any equivalent in the Bundeswehr between brackets. The French major does not mean the rank of major, but is derived from major-d'état = staff, the French chef can be translated as Ober-.

NATO - Ranks	army	medical corps	air force	marine
Senior NCOs (French Sous-officier supérieur , nl. Hoofdonderofficieren )
OR-9	Staff adjutant ( Oberstabsfeldwebel ) fr. Adjudant-major nl. Adjudant-majoor	Major adjutant fr. Adjudant-major nl. Adjudant-majoor	Major adjutant fr. Adjudant-major nl. Adjudant-majoor	Chief Master ( Oberstabsbootsmann ) fr. Maître principal chef nl. Oppermeester boss
OR-9	Senior Adjutant ( Oberstabsfeldwebel ) fr. Adjudant-chief nl. Adjudant chief	Chief adjutant fr. Adjudant-chief nl. Adjudant chief	Chief adjutant fr. Adjudant-chief nl. Adjudant chief	Chief Master ( Oberstabsbootsmann ) fr. Maître principal nl. Oppermeester
Elite NCOs (French Sous-officier d'élite , nl. Keuronderofficieren )
OR-8	Adjutant ( staff sergeant ) fr. Adjudant nl. Adjudant	Adjutant fr. Adjudant nl. Adjudant	Adjutant fr. Adjudant nl. Adjudant	First chief master ( staff boatman ) fr. Premier maître-chef nl. 1e meester boss
OR-7	First Sergeant Major ( Hauptfeldwebel ) fr. Premier sergent-major nl. 1e sergeant-majoor	First Sergeant Major fr. Premier sergent-major nl. 1e sergeant-majoor	First Sergeant Major fr. Premier sergent-major nl. 1e sergeant-majoor	First master (chief boatman ) fr. Premier maître nl. 1st meester
Subaltern Unteroffiziere (French Sous-officier subalterne , nl. Lagere onderofficieren )
OR-6	First Sergeant Chief ( Oberfeldwebel ) fr. Premier sergent chef nl. 1st sergeant chief	First Sergeant Chief fr. Premier sergent chef nl. 1st sergeant chief	First Sergeant Chief fr. Premier sergent chef nl. 1st sergeant chief	Master Chief ( Oberbootsmann ) fr. Maître-chef nl. Meester chef
OR-6	First Sergeant ( Feldwebel ) fr. Premier sergent nl. 1st sergeant	First Sergeant fr. Premier sergent nl. 1st sergeant	First Sergeant fr. Premier sergent nl. 1st sergeant	Master ( boatswain ) fr. Maître nl. Meester
OR-5	Sergeant ( NCO ) fr. Sergent nl. sergeant	Sergeant fr. Sergent nl. sergeant	Sergeant fr. Sergent nl. sergeant	Second master ( mate ) fr. Second maître nl. Tweede meester

Volunteers

The German terms are freely translated. Attempts have been made to match them as closely as possible to the French or Dutch original. Any equivalent in the Bundeswehr between brackets.

NATO - Ranks	army	medical corps	air force	marine
Main volunteers (fr. Volontaires supérieurs , nl. Hoofdvrijwilligers )
Unknown	Corporal Major ( Oberstabsgefreiter ) fr. Caporal major nl. Corporal majoor	Corporal Major fr. Caporal major nl. Corporal majoor	Corporal Major fr. Caporal major nl. Corporal majoor	Head quartermaster (Oberstabsgefreiter) fr. Quartier-maître principal nl. Opperkwartiermeester
Elite volunteers (fr. Volontaire d'élite , nl. Keurvrijwilligers )
OR-4	First Corporal Chief ( Oberstabsgefreiter ) fr. Premier caporal-chef nl. 1st corporal chief	First corporal chief fr. Premier caporal-chef nl. 1st corporal chief	First corporal chief fr. Premier caporal-chef nl. 1st corporal chief	First Chief Quartermaster (Oberstabsgefreiter) fr. Premier Quartier-Maître-Chef nl. First kwartiermeester boss
OR-4	Corporal boss ( Corporal ) Fri. Caporal-Chef nl. Corporal chief	Corporal chief fr. Caporal-Chef nl. Corporal chief	Corporal chief fr. Caporal-Chef nl. Corporal chief	Quartermaster (Corporal) fr. Quartier-maître-chef nl. Kwartiermeester boss
Unknown	First Corporal ( Corporal ) Fri. Premier caporal nl. First corporal	First corporal fr. Premier caporal nl. First corporal	First corporal fr. Premier caporal nl. First corporal	First Quartermaster (Corporal) fr. Premier quartier-maître nl. First kwartiermeester
Subalterne Volunteers (fr. Volontaire subalterne , nl. Lagere Vrijwilligers )
OR-3	Corporal ( private ) fr. Caporal nl. Corporal	Corporal fr. Caporal nl. Corporal	Corporal fr. Caporal nl. Corporal	Quartermaster (private) fr. Quartier-maître nl. Kwartiermeester
OR-2	First soldier fr. Premier soldier nl. 1st soldier	First soldier fr. Premier soldier nl. 1st soldier	First soldier fr. Premier soldier nl. 1st soldier	First seaman fr. Premier matelot nl. First matroos
OR-1	Soldier fr. Soldier nl. Soldier	Soldier fr. Soldier nl. Soldier	Soldier fr. Soldier nl. Soldier	Sailor fr. Matelot nl. Matroos