Sa (rank)
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Sa (Japanese: 佐; Korean: 좌; Hanja: 佐; RR: jwa; Vietnamese: tá) is the rank held by field-grade officers in the militaries of Japan, Vietnam, and North Korea.
Japan
[edit]The only difference between rank names are the use of morphemes, which are riku (Japanese: 陸, lit. 'land'), kai (Japanese: 海, lit. 'sea') or kū (Japanese: 空, lit. 'air').[1]
| Rank group | Senior officers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1等佐 (Ittō sa) |
2等佐 (Nitō sa) |
3等佐 (Santō sa) | ||
| Literal translation | Aide first class | Aide second class | Aide third class | |
 Japanese Ground Forces[2]
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| U.S. equivalent[3] | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | |
 Japanese Navy[2][4]
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| U.S. equivalent[3] | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander | |
 Japanese Air Force[2][5]
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| U.S. equivalent[3] | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | |
| 1等佐 (Ittō sa) |
2等佐 (Nitō sa) |
3等佐 (Santō sa) | ||
| Rank group | Senior officers | |||
North Korea
[edit]| Jwa | |
| Hangul | 좌 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 佐 |
| Revised Romanization | jwa |
| McCune–Reischauer | chwa |
| Rank group | Senior officers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hangul | 대좌 | 상좌 | 중좌 | 소좌 |
| Hanja | 大佐 | 上佐 | 中佐 | 少佐 |
| Romanization | Daechwa | Sangjwa | Chungjwa | Sojwa |
| Literal translation | Great assistant | Upper assistant | Middle assistant | Small assistant |
 Korean People's Army Ground Force[6]
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| U.S. equivalent[6] | None | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
 Korean People's Navy[6]
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| U.S. equivalent[6] | None | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander |
 Korean People's Army Air Force[6]
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| U.S. equivalent[6] | None | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| 대좌 Daechwa |
상좌 Sangjwa |
중좌 Chungjwa |
소좌 Sojwa | |
| Rank group | Senior officers | |||
Vietnam
[edit]| Rank group | Senior officers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnamese | Đại tá | Thượng tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá |
| Chữ Hán | 大佐 | 上佐 | 中佐 | 少佐 |
| Literal translation | Grand assistant | Upper assistant | Middle assistant | Lower assistant |
 Vietnam People's Ground Force[7]
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| Translation[8] | Senior colonel | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
 Vietnam People's Navy[7]
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| Translation[8] | Upper captain | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander |
 Vietnam People's Air Force[7]
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 Vietnam Border Guard[7]
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 Vietnam Coast Guard[7]
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| Translation[8] | Senior colonel | Junior Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| Vietnamese | Đại tá | Thượng tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá |
| Rank group | Senior officers | |||
South Vietnamese variant
[edit]| Rank group | Senior officers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnamese | Đại tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá |
| Chữ Hán | 大佐 | 中佐 | 少佐 |
| Literal translation | Grand assistant | Middle assistant | Lower assistant |
 Army of the Republic of Vietnam(1967-1975)[9] |
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| Translation[9] | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
 Republic of Vietnam Navy(1967-1975)[9] |
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| Translation[9] | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander |
 Republic of Vietnam Marine Division(1967-1975) |
|
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| Translation | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
 Republic of Vietnam Air Force(1967-1975)[9] |
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| Translation[9] | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major |
| Vietnamese | Đại tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá |
| Rank group | Senior officers | ||
See also
[edit]Ranks used in Chinese character-using countries
- General officer: Jiang (rank)
- Senior officer: Sa (rank), Xiao (rank), Lyeong
- Junior officer: Wei (rank)
- Non-commissioned officers: Shi (rank)
- Enlisted ranks: Bing (rank), Shi (rank)
References
[edit]- ^ "自衛隊の階級" [Ranks of the JSDF]. 平成16年版 防衛白書 [Defense of Japan 2004] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japanese Defense Agency. 2004. p. 266. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-07-27. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
- ^ a b c "自衛官の階級" [Self-Defense Forces rank]. mod.go.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ a b c Dolan, Roland E. (1992). "National Security". In Dolan, Roland E.; Worden, Robert L. (eds.). Japan: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 448–449. ISBN 978-0-8444-0731-9. LCCN 91029874. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ "Rank of Insignias" (PDF). yokota.af.mil. Yokota Air Base. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Minnich, James M. (2008). "National Security". In Worden, Robert L. (ed.). North Korea: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 266, 268. LCCN 2008028547. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Quy định quân hiệu, cấp hiệu, phù hiệu và lễ phục của Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam". mod.gov.vn (in Vietnamese). Ministry of Defence (Vietnam). 26 August 2009. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ a b c Pike, Douglas (1989). "National Security". In Cima, Ronald J. (ed.). Vietnam: a country study. Area Handbook (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 256. LCCN 88600482. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Armed Forces Information and Education (1968). Uniforms of Seven Allies (DOD GEN-30). Department of Defense. pp. 26–28. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
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