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:This article is about the military rank of Private. For alternative meanings see: Private (disambiguation).A Private, short for "private soldier", is a soldier of the lowest military rank.
Private insignia
(U.S. Army)
In the U.S. Army, Private refers to the two lowest enlisted ranks, just below Private First Class. The lowest rank (officially known as Private E-1 and sometimes referred to as recruit) wears no uniform insignia, while the second (Private E-2) wears the insignia shown here. Advancement to the higher version of private (with insignia) is currently automatic after six months time in service, but may get shortened to four months if given a waiver (but an automatic pay raise takes effect after four months of service, even absent advancement to Private E-2, meaning that the rank of Private E-1 has two separate pay grades).
In the U.S. Marine Corps, Private refers to the lowest enlisted rank, just below Private First Class. A marine corps private wears no uniform insignia.
In the British Army, many regiments and corps have distinctive (and descriptive) names for this rank:
- Trooper - Cavalry Regiments
- Sapper - Royal Engineers
- Craftsman - Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- Gunner - Royal Artillery
- Signaller - Royal Signals
- Musician - Military bands
- Guardsman - Foot GuardsFoot guards is a term used to describe elite infantry regiments. British and Commonwealth Units British Army The Foot Guards is a group of regiments in the Household Division of the British Army While regiments may have other distinguishing features, a si
- FusilierFusilier was originally the name of a soldier armed with a light flintlock musket called the fusil. The word was first used around 1680, and has later developed into a regimental designation. History Various forms of flintlock small arms had been used in - Fusilier regiments
- Rifleman - Rifle regiments
- Kingsman - The King's RegimentThe King's Regiment is a regiment of the British Army. It traces its history back to the 1600s, with the creation of the Princess Anne of Denmark's Regiment of Foot in 1685, which through the centuries became The King's Regiment (Liverpool), which then am
- Highlander - The HighlandersThe Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons are a British Army infantry regiment. The regiment was formed September 17 1994 by the amalgamation of the Queens' Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons) and The Gordon Highlanders. The regiment is currentl
In the Royal MarinesThe Royal Marines are the United Kingdom's amphibious forces and a core component of their Rapid Reaction Force. They are lightly equipped, able to operate independently in all terrains, and highly trained as a commando force. History The first unit of En the equivalent rank is Marine.
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