Military ranks of Brazil


This article presents the insignia and ranks of the Brazilian military. These ranks originate from those adopted upon Brazil's independence from Portugal in 1822. Nowadays they are defined by Act no. 6880 of December 9, 1980. The following ranks show Brazil's military insignia and its corresponding NATO codes.
Air Force ranks date from 1941, when the Brazilian Air Force was organized as a merger of the Navy's Aeronaval Force and the Army's Aviation Service.

Rank table

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.

Officers

NCO and enlisted grades