Air Marshal

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Common military ranks
Navies1 Armies2 Air Forces3
Admiral of
the Fleet		 Field Marshal Marshal of
the Air Force
Admiral General Air Chief Marshal
Vice Admiral Lt. General Air Marshal
Rear Admiral Major General Air Vice-Marshal
Commodore Brigadier Air Commodore
Captain Colonel Group Captain
Commander Lt. Colonel Wing Commander
Lt. Commander Major Squadron Leader
Lieutenant Captain Flight Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant Lieutenant Flying Officer
Warrant Officer Sergeant Major Warrant Officer
Petty Officer Sergeant Sergeant
Leading Rate Corporal Corporal
Seaman Private Aircraftman
1 in the English-speaking world          2 also some Air Forces
3 In many Commonwealth countries
This article is about the air force rank. Air marshal (or sky marshal) is also the term given to American federal security agents who travel undercover aboard commercial airliners.
For information on air force officers in the rank of Marshal, see Marshal of the Air Force.

Air Marshal (Air Mshl or AM) is an air officer rank in the Royal Air Force[1] as well as in air forces of many Commonwealth nations. Officers in the ranks of Air Chief Marshal and Air Vice-Marshal are sometimes considered generically to be air marshals.

Contents

[edit] Seniority

Air Marshal is equivalent to a 3 star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-8, equivalent to a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy or a Lieutenant-General in the British Army or the Royal Marines.

The rank of Air Marshal is immediately senior to the rank of Air Vice-Marshal and immediately subordinate to the rank of Air Chief Marshal.

[edit] Origins

Prior to the adoption of RAF-specific rank titles in 1919, it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy's officer ranks, with the word "Air" inserted before the naval rank title. For example, the rank that later became Air Marshal would have been Air Vice-Admiral. The Admiralty objected to any use of their rank titles, including this modified form, and so an alternative proposal was put forward: Air Officer ranks would be based on the term "Ardian", which was derived from a combination of the Gaelic words for "chief" (ard) and "bird" (eun), with the term "Wing Ardian" being used specifically for the rank equivalent to a Vice-Admiral and Lieutenant-General. However, Air Marshal was preferred and was adopted on 1 August 1919. The rank of Air Marshal has been used continuously since 11 August 1919.

[edit] RAF Insignia, command flag and star plate

The rank insignia consists of two narrow light blue bands (each on a slightly wider black band) over a light blue band on a broad black band. This is worn on the both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform.

The command flag for an Air Marshal is defined by the single broad red band running in the centre of the flag.

The vehicle star plate for an Air Marshal depicts three white stars (Air Marshal is equivalent to a three star rank) on an air force blue background.

An RAF air marshal's sleeve/shoulder insignia

An RAF air marshal's command flag

An RAF air marshal's star plate

[edit] Other air forces

The rank of Air Marshal is also used in a number of the air forces in the Commonwealth, including the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF), Indian Air Force (IAF), Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). It is also used in the Egyptian Air Force, Nigerian Air Force, Ghana Air Force, Hellenic Air Force, Air Force of Zimbabwe and the Royal Thai Air Force. In the Indonesian Air Force,Malaysia Air Force the equivalent rank is Marsekal Madya (literally "Vice Marshal") which is often translated as Air Marshal in English.

An RAAF air marshal's sleeve/shoulder insignia

A Royal Thai Air Force Air Marshal's rank insignia

[edit] Royal Australian Air Force

Main article: Air Marshal (Australia)

In Australia, there are four appointments available for Air Marshals: the Chief of Air Force (CAF) and, at times when they are occupied by an Air Force officer, the Vice Chief of Defence Force (VCDF), the Chief of Joint Operations (CJOPS), and the Chief of the Capability Development executive (CCDE).

[edit] Canadian Air Force

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) used the rank until the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, when Army-type rank titles were adopted and an Air Marshal became a Lieutenant-General.

[edit] See also

Look up Air Marshal in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ranks and Badges of the Royal Air Force. Royal Air Force (2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
v • d • e
Commissioned Officer ranks of the Flag of the United Kingdom British Armed Forces
Student Officer OF(D) OF-1 OF-2 OF-3 OF-4 OF-5 OF-6 OF-7 OF-8 OF-9 OF-10
Royal Navy O Cdt Mid SLt Lt Lt Cdr Cdr Capt Cdre RAdm VAdm Adm Adm of the Fleet
Royal Marines 2Lt Lt Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Maj-Gen Lt Gen Gen
Army O Cdt 2Lt Lt Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Maj-Gen Lt Gen Gen FM
Royal Air Force OC APO / Plt Off Fg Off Flt Lt Sqn Ldr Wg Cdr Gp Capt Air Cdre AVM Air Mshl Air Chf Mshl MRAF