Na svete snáď neexistuje lepší príklad ukážky vertikálneho usporiadania štruktúr spoločnosti, ako vojenská a policajná hierarchia. There is probably no better example of a vertical arrangement of societal structures in the world than the military and police hierarchy.
Military Rank
Military rank serves to identify the position and determine the authority of individual members of the armed forces within the hierarchical arrangement of the internal structure of the army.
It is used primarily to determine the relationship of superiority and subordination, where a person with a higher assigned rank is superior to a person with a lower rank, although in special cases this hierarchy can be temporarily overridden. This applies especially when superiority arises from specific powers – for example, a regional commander-in-chief is, by virtue of the assigned task, superior to all assigned units regardless of rank.
Another specific feature of the hierarchy is the case in which two people hold the same rank – in that case, the one who has served longer is hierarchically superior. Obtaining a higher rank is called a promotion, and its removal is a demotion. A person can be promoted by one rank level at a time. In the case of performing a heroic act, or carrying out a successful military operation, by several levels at once. A person can also be promoted to a rank in memoriam.
Members of the army wear rank insignia (the so-called insignia) in prescribed dimensions in a predetermined, clearly visible place on the service uniform – on shoulder boards, as well as patches on sleeves or chest. In reduced form, also on headgear or smaller pieces of the service uniform.
Ranks and the manner of their assignment are regulated by the relevant service regulation of the minister of defense and also by law, with regard to the local specifics of each country. In our conditions, they are also tied to age or the number of years served – moving up the hierarchical ladder is only possible after serving the appropriate number of years and reaching the minimum age for the given rank.
Ranks in the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic
Within the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic (OS SR), we currently (since 1 January 2016) recognize 3 categories of ranks (rank groups) including enlisted personnel, non-commissioned officers and officers.
Table of enlisted personnel ranks:
On the military walking-out uniform, the ranks of enlisted personnel (private, private first class, corporal) are marked with a blackened push-button, a blackened branch-of-service insignia, and the appropriate number of silver rank buttons.
The rank of private 1st class is held by persons undergoing basic military training, during which they acquire the relevant qualification, all skills and military habits.
After successfully completing training, a person is awarded the rank of private 2nd class. Their responsibilities include primarily accountability for their own readiness, assigned equipment, and diligent fulfillment of assigned tasks. They should be capable of leading combat with a weapon and operating light military vehicles or machinery.
Corporal may already command a purpose-formed team while carrying out a combat task. They are also responsible for supervision and guard duty of subordinate personnel.
The highest rank within the enlisted category is held by the senior corporal. Their responsibilities include primarily direct accountability for the moral and combat readiness of the unit. They oversee the training process and command the crew, team, or station.
Table of non-commissioned officer ranks:
The main tasks of the non-commissioned officer corps include primarily commanding the assigned unit, responsibility for technical equipment and the operational readiness of military technology, and supervision of the preparation and training of soldiers in the assigned group. The tasks of the highest non-commissioned officer rank, the sergeant major, also include commanding a training facility.
Table of officer ranks:
The largest group of ranks is formed by the officer corps, which includes as many as 10 rank levels in total. The lowest rank in this category is the rank of lieutenant. They are in charge of specialized professional activities, which also frequently include cooperation with entities at headquarters or staff level. One level higher stands the first lieutenant, who performs independent professional activities according to an individually established procedure.
Next in order is the captain, whose duties consist mainly of ensuring specialized activities linked to various sections at the battalion or brigade level. They also command a company.
On the military service uniform, the military formal uniform, and also on the ceremonial uniform, the military ranks of officers (lieutenant, first lieutenant, captain) are marked with a golden pin-on button, a golden branch-of-service insignia, and the appropriate number of golden stars for officer ranks.
Designation of the rank of CAPTAIN:
Next in the rank hierarchy comes the major, who commands a battalion or squadron. They are a specialized organizational component at headquarters or staff level at the brigade and operational command level.
Lieutenant colonel is in charge of more complex specialized activities and commanding the staff at the brigade level, and also commands a battalion or squadron.
One level higher stands the colonel, whose job description includes commanding the staff of the operational command, a military unit, office, or facility with an impact on the entire army.
In the higher parts of the rank hierarchy are the brigadier general and major general, whose rank entitles them to command a ground forces brigade, an international operational command, or to command an office within foreign structures. They also bear responsibility for the emergence of general threats and for irreparable and moral damages that may arise from the activities of the army units they command.
Lieutenant General is the second-to-last officer rank and falls within the scope of national and transnational security matters of the Slovak Republic. At the top of the ranking stands General, who commands the entire armed forces.
Since these are the highest ranks, the marking of general ranks on the military service uniform, on the military social uniform and also on the ceremonial uniform is a bit more complex and contains more elements. The military ranks of Major General, Lieutenant General and General are marked with a golden pin-on button, a golden branch insignia, a laurel branch for general ranks with the state emblem of the Slovak Republic, a golden aiguillette and the corresponding number of golden stars for general ranks.
Marking of the rank GENERAL:
A professional soldier is appointed to the rank of general by the President of the Slovak Republic. This always happens on the basis of a submitted proposal for appointment, which is presented to the government at the proposal of the Minister of Defence.
A politician as captain
The granting of ranks, and especially promotion to higher ranks, is regulated in Slovakia by the Act on the Armed Forces No. 321/2002. Until recently, the act also included the promotion of soldiers in reserve. However, after several scandals involving the granting of ranks to public officials and politicians, the act was amended at the end of 2021, according to which promotion in reserve will only be possible in cases where the person being promoted is transferred to active reserve. It also follows from this that the president may grant a higher rank to retired soldiers and war veterans only in cases where these persons do not act as public officials.
Ranks within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Within NATO, there are only 2 rank groups of army members:
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Officer Ranks marked OF1 – OF 10
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Other Ranks marked OR1 – OR9
Within these groups, the designations are further divided according to the type of military force (navy, air force, ground forces). And since NATO is an association of multiple states, slight variations arose in the designations used by the armed forces of member states. In order to harmonize the designations, individual markings were therefore standardized by a standard designated STANAG 2116. In Slovakia, the designations of the OS SR (Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic) in relation to NATO soldier designations are, apart from the mentioned standard, also regulated by Act No. 346/2005 and Decree of the Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic No. 20/2006.
Correlation table of NATO and OS SR designations (enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers):
Correlation table of NATO and OS SR designations (officers and generals):
Police ranks
Situácia ohľadom hodností v policajnom zbore je z hľadiska hierarchie a vnútorného usporiadania štruktúr podobná situácii v armáde a niet sa veru čo diviť - The situation regarding ranks in the police force is, in terms of hierarchy and internal structural organization, similar to the situation in the army, and there is really nothing to wonder about - police ranks are in fact based precisely on military ones. Since the first half of the 19th century, when the first militarily organized security forces began to emerge, up to the present day, members of the police force in our region have worn uniforms. In a later period, also with ranks.
Compared to ranks in the army, however, there is one significant difference here – police ranks do not start at the enlisted level. The first rank is the non-commissioned officer rank of sergeant (strážmajster). The difference is also that police officers, unlike the army, have only one general's rank.
The current form of police ranks is further regulated by Act No. 73/1998 on the State Service of Members of the Police Force, the Slovak Information Service, the Corps of Prison and Court Guard of the Slovak Republic, and the Railway Police, specifically §20.
Police officers are granted ranks according to the number of years of service, following this key:
In the warrant officer rank:
In the officer rank:
In the general's rank:
For the ranks of senior warrant officer, colonel and general, the length of service in the rank is not established.
Overview of individual ranks including abbreviations:
A police officer who was previously in a service relationship with the armed forces may, upon acceptance into the service relationship, be appointed to a previously attained rank, if such a rank also exists in the police force, or otherwise to a rank of equivalent level. If a person with complete secondary education joins the police force, they are appointed and start with the rank of sergeant. If a person with a first-degree university education joins, their rank is second lieutenant. If it concerns second-degree university education, the police officer starts with the rank of lieutenant.
Ranks tied to education
An important qualifying aspect for promotion (appointment to a higher rank) in the case of police ranks is also the level of education attained. For warrant officer ranks, a combination of complete secondary education with basic police education is required. For officer ranks, on the other hand, completed complete secondary education combined with specialized police education is required.
The officer ranks of captain and major require first-degree university education, and to attain the officer ranks of lieutenant colonel and colonel, second-degree university education is required. For all 4, specialized police education must also be added.
