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About This Quiz
It's early on a Monday morning, and you're rushing across base because you are about to be late reporting for work. Suddenly, you pass military personnel you don't recognize.
Keep yourself out of that position by knowing the military ranking system. Here's a quiz that will help you do just that. Why not give it a try?Â
The United States military, as with any military, is built upon structure. One of the most important components of that military structure is the system of command. Knowing that structure can make your life on a military base much easier, no matter which branch you choose to join.Â
If you're part of the military or just curious about military rankings, then here's a challenge for you. We'll give you two military ranks, and you pick who outranks the other. Are you up for the challenge? Because this isn't the easiest quiz in the world! If you are, then get started and find out how much you really know about the military ranks!
Technical sergeant and master sergeant
Technical​ sergeant
Master sergeant
The Continental Army nearly collapsed at the beginning of the war during the Battle of New York. Luckily, George Washington was able to lead one of the greatest retreats in U.S. military history.
Master sergeant and private first class
Master sergeant
The Secretary of Defense is the head of the Department of Defense. The only branch they don't lead is the Coast Guard.
Private first class
First sergeant and seaman
First sergeant
Veterans of the military are recognized on Veterans' Day. The date for the celebration is November 11.
Seaman
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Private and senior airman.
Private
Senior airman
There have been 44 presidents of the United States. Of those, 31 have served in the military.
Lance corporal and private
Lance corporal
The president of the United States is the commander in chief of the military. All decisions ultimately come down to their judgement.
Private
Specialist and staff sergeant
Specialist
Staff sergeant
The height of American nuclear weapons power was during the Cold War. Luckily, that nuclear arsenal has been cut back significantly over the years.
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Staff sergeant and command master chief petty officer
Staff sergeant
Command master chief petty officer
America fought Britain in a second war after the American Revolution. That war is known as the War of 1812.
Sergeant major of the army and senior chief petty officer
Sergeant major of the army
George Washington trained his soldiers during the winter at Valley Forge. The soldiers were undersupplied and almost didn't make it through the cold.
Senior chief petty officer
Technical sergeant and master chief petty officer
Technical sergeant
Master chief petty officer
The Confederate Army during the Civil War was led by Robert E. Lee. Lee was previously given a position in the Union Army until his home state of Virginia seceded​ from the Union.
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Sergeant first class and sergeant major of the army.
Sergeant first class
Sergeant major of the army
George Bush, the father of George W. Bush, served in the United States Naval Reserve. He was shot down during WWII.
Command master chief petty officer and sergeant first class.
Command master chief petty officer
Wars are brought about by tribe mentality. With tribe mentality, an "us" versus "them" complex is created, resulting in one side having to lose.
Sergeant first class
Sergeant major and technical sergeant
Sergeant major
When Texas sought to become part of the United States, it started a war with Mexico. The U.S. won the war, and negotiations included not only Texas but other Western territory.
Technical sergeant
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Corporal and first sergeant
Corporal
First sergeant
There are three categories for the employees of the military. Those categories are active duty, reserve and veterans.
Staff sergeant and airman first class
Staff sergeant
Over 600,000 soldiers died during the Civil War. That makes it the deadliest war in U.S. history.
Airman first class
Chief master sergeant and sergeant first class
Chief master sergeant
Each soldier requires around 22 gallons of fuel per day. This is a significant increase from WWII, where they only used one gallon per day.
Sergeant first class
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Sergeant and lance corporal.
Sergeant
There are five branches in the United States military. Those branches are the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard.
Lance corporal
Staff sergeant and corporal
Staff sergeant
The U.S. military runs through fuel like water. They use nearly 1 billion gallons of fuel each year.
Corporal
Petty officer first class and senior master sergeant
Petty officer first class
Senior master sergeant
The robot, the "Beetle," could hold 2,000 pounds. However, it never saw any official action.
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Corporal and airman
Corporal
Parachute packs in the U.S. military come with non-lubricated condoms. However, those condoms are used to hold water.
Airman
Senior chief petty officer and sergeant major of the Marine Corps
Senior chief petty officer
Sergeant major of the Marine Corps
During World War II, there was a supposed Japanese air attack over Los Angeles. Though the attack was false, there was a large artillery response from the United States military, apparently firing at nothing.
Chief petty officer and sergeant major
Chief petty officer
Sergeant major
Only during five major conflicts has the United States declared war. The first time was during the War of 1812.
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Staff sergeant and command chief master sergeant.
Staff sergeant
Command chief master sergeant
The United States Army owns a large portion of American land. If that land were combined together, it would be the 42nd largest state.
Private first class and seaman recruit
Private first class
Most of the soldiers who died during the Civil War died of disease. WWII was deadlier in terms of soldiers who died during battle.
Seaman recruit
Petty officer third class and staff sergeant
Petty officer
Staff sergeant
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest day in American history. During the battle, around 23,000 soldiers were killed or wounded.
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Gunnery sergeant and chief master sergeant
Gunnery sergeant
Chief master sergeant
Leading into the American Revolution, Britain had several conflicts going on elsewhere. The country's resources were stretched thin, which is one of the reasons the colonies won.
Chief master sergeant of the Air Force and master chief petty officer
Chief master sergeant of the Air Force
The Department of Defense is one of the largest employers in the country. It employs more people than Walmart.
Master chief petty officer
First sergeant and master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard
First sergeant
Master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard
The Cold War, of course, pitted the United States against the USSR. It ended as the USSR dissolved in the early '90s.
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Chief master sergeant and corporal
Chief master sergeant
The last president to serve in the military was George W. Bush. He was part of the Texas Air National Guard.
Corporal
First sergeant and petty officer third class
First sergeant
Dwight Eisenhower served as the 34th president of the United States. He was also the Supreme Allied Commander for the European campaign.
Petty officer third class
Master chief petty officer of the Navy and gunnery sergeant
Master chief petty officer of the Navy
War is viewed as an extension of politics. That's because they are waged by political entities.
Gunnery sergeant
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Private first class and senior airman
Private first class
Senior airman
The Department of Defense is housed in the Pentagon. The building for the Pentagon is characterized by its five-sided shape.
Private E-1 and airman
Private E-1
Airman
In 1968, North Korea captured a United States ship and held it captive. This was the only U.S. ship to ever be held captive in the 20th century.
First sergeant and staff sergeant
First sergeant
Two U.S. presidents earned the title of 5-star General. George Washington earned it after his death, while Dwight Eisenhower received​ the rank before becoming president.
Staff sergeant
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Seaman first class and airman
Seaman
The Department of Defense once used nearly 2,000 PlayStations to create a super computer. They considered it more cost-efficient.
Airman
You Got:
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