Military ranks of Cape Verde

A colonel, pictured in 2019 Enlisted men of the ranks of segundo-cabo (left) and Sargento-principal (right)

Military ranks of Cape Verde are the insignia used to denote rank in the Cape Verdean Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Coast Guard.

## Background

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The Cape Verdean Armed Forces have existed since independence from Portugal in 1975. The currently comprise 1,200 personnel in the National Guard, plus 200 Coast Guard and 100 in the Air Force (which organisationally comes under the Coast Guard). The structure and organisation is defined by the Decree-Law no. 30/2007 of August 20. The National Guard and Coast Guard have their own headquarters which are responsible to the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, a colonel. The Chief of Staff also has responsibility for the armed forces' Staff Command and Logistics Command.[1] The chief of staff is supported by a deputy, also a colonel. The Coast Guard use the same rank structure as the land forces and have been commanded by an officer with the rank of major (2013) or lieutenant-colonel (2011).[2][3]

The organisation is headed by a General Chief of Staff who, in 2015, held the rank of Major-General.[4] The armed forces as a whole come under the control of the civilian government.[1]

## Commissioned officer ranks

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The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group  | General / flag officers  | Senior officers  | Junior officers

|
|
|

Cape Verdean National Guard[5]

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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Major-general | Brigadeiro-general | Coronel | Tenente-coronel | Major | Capitão | Primeiro tenente | Tenente | Subtenente
Cape Verdean Coast Guard[6]

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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Capitão–de–mar | Capitão–de–navio | Capitão-de–patrulha | Capitão-tenente | Primeiro-tenente | Tenente | Guarda-marinha

### Student officer ranks

[edit]

Rank group | Student officer

|

Cape Verdean National Guard[5] |
Aspirante
Cape Verdean Coast Guard[6] |
Aspirante à oficial

## Enlisted

[edit]

This table illustrates the rank insignia of enlisted members of the national guard and coast guard.

Rank group  | Senior NCOs  | Junior NCOs  | Enlisted

|
|
|

Cape Verdean National Guard[5]

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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia
Sargento-mor | Sargento-chefe | Sargento-principal | Primeiro-sargento | Segundo-sargento | Sargento | Furriel | Instruendo curso de sargento | Cabo-principal | Cabo de Secção | Cabo-adjunto | Primeiro-cabo | Segundo-cabo | Instruendo curso de cabo | Soldado
Cape Verdean Coast Guard[6]

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|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sargento-mor | Sargento-chefe | Sargento-principal | Primeiro-sargento | Segundo-sargento | Furriel | Segundo-furriel | Cabo-principal | Cabo de secção | Cabo-adjunto | Primeiro-cabo | Segundo-cabo

## Former ranks

[edit]

Officers
Rank group  | General / flag officers  | Senior officers  | Junior officers

|
|
|

Cape Verdean National Guard
(1992–2012) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Colonel
Coronel | Lieutenant Colonel
Tenente-coronel | Major
Major | Captain
Capitão | First Lieutenant
Primeiro tenente | Lieutenant
Tenente | Second Lieutenant
Subtenente | Officer Cadet
Aspirante
Cape Verdean National Guard
(1975–1992) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Brigade Commandant
Comandante de brigada | First Commandant
Primeiro comandante | Commandant
Comandante | Major
Major | Captain
Capitão | First Lieutenant
Primeiro tenente | Lieutenant
Tenente | Second Lieutenant
Subtenente | Officer Cadet
Aspirante}

Enlisted
Rank group  | Senior NCOs  | Junior NCOs  | Enlisted

|
|
|

Cape Verdean National Guard
(1992–2012) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia
Sergeant-major
Sargento-mor | Chief sergeant
Sargento-chefe | Master sergeant
Sargento-principal | First sergeant
Primeiro-sargento | Second sergeant
Segundo-sargento | Sergeant
Sargento | Lance sergeant
Furriel | Master corporal
Cabo-adjunto | First corporal
Primeiro-cabo | Second corporal
Segundo-cabo | Soldado
Cape Verdean National Guard
(1975–1992) |  |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia
First sergeant
Primeiro-sargento | Second sergeant
Segundo-sargento | Lance sergeant
Terceiro-sargento | First soldier
Primeiro-soldado | Soldado

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Cape Verde's Armed Forces". Global Security. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
2. ^ Worldwide Government Directory with Intergovernmental Organizations 2013. CQ Press. 2013. p. 308\. ISBN 978-1-4522-9937-2.
3. ^ "Nigeria: Groups Meet Over Illegal Fishing, Piracy in WECA". Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
4. ^ "Angola: Chief of Staff of Cape Verde's Army in Luanda". All Africa. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
5. ^ a b c "Patente". fa.gov.cv (in Portuguese). Cape Verdean Armed Forces. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
6. ^ a b c "Anexo A". Boletim Oficial (in Portuguese). 1 (4). Government of Cape Verde: 133–136. 18 January 2017.

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Military ranks and insignia by country

* List of comparative military ranks

Africa|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* DR Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

States with
limited recognition|

* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
* Somaliland

Former|

* People's Republic of Angola
* Biafra
* Bophuthatswana
* Ciskei
* Kingdom of Egypt
* Ethiopian Empire
* Katanga
* People's Republic of Mozambique
* Rhodesia
* South West Africa
* Transkei
* Venda
* Zaire

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Apartheid States in Southern Africa

Americas|

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Argentina
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Canada
* Chile
* Colombia
* Cuba
* Dominican Republic
* Ecuador
* El Salvador
* Guatemala
* Guyana
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Suriname
* Trinidad and Tobago
* United States
* Officers:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Enlisted:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Other:
* Marine Corps
* Space Force
* Warrant officer
* Opposing forces
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Former|

* Canada (pre-Unification)
* Confederate States of America
* Union
* Army
* Navy
* Costa Rica
* Empire of Brazil
* Panama
* Republic of Texas
* Army
* Navy
* United States Army enlisted
* World War I
* World War II

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Asia|

* Afghanistan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* PR of China
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* East Timor
* India
* Army
* Air Force
* Navy
* Coast Guard
* Border Roads Organisation
* Paramilitary forces
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Korea
* North
* South
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Marines
* Civil Armed Forces
* Maritime Security Agency
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

States with
limited recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Artsakh
* Palestine
* South Ossetia
* Taiwan (Republic of China)

Former|

* China
* Empire
* Republic (1912–1949)
* Dutch East Indies
* East Turkestan (Second Republic)
* People's Republic of Kampuchea
* Imperial Iran
* Imperial Japan
* Army
* Navy
* Korea
* Empire
* Liberation Army
* Kingdom of Laos
* Manchukuo
* Mengjiang
* Mongolian People's Republic
* Vietnam
* State
* South
* South Yemen
* Tibet
* Tuva

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Europe|

* Albania
* Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Home Guard
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Army
* Navy
* Gendarmerie
* Air and Space Force
* Foresters
* Germany
* Georgia
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Land Forces
* Coast Guard
* Ireland
* Italy
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Carabinieri
* Finance Guard
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* North Macedonia
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Cossacks
* Between 1994 and 2010
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* Army officers
* Army other ranks
* Navy officers
* Navy ratings
* Air Force officers
* Air Force other ranks
* Vatican

States with
limited recognition|

* Kosovo
* Northern Cyprus
* Transnistria

Former|

* Albania
* Kingdom
* People's Socialist Republic
* Austria–Hungary
* Army
* Navy
* Bulgaria
* Kingdom
* People's Republic
* Independent State of Croatia
* Czechoslovakia
* German Empire
* Weimar Republic
* Nazi Germany
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* East Germany
* Kingdom of Greece
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* France
* Napoleonic Grand Army
* Hungary
* Kingdom
* People's Republic
* Italy
* Kingdom
* Social Republic
* Ottoman Empire
* Polish People's Republic
* Republika Srpska
* Romania
* Kingdom
* Socialist Republic
* Russian Empire
* White Movement
* Slovakia (First Republic)
* Soviet Union
* 1918–35
* 1935–40
* 1940–43
* 1943–55
* 1955–91
* Spain
* 2nd Republic
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* State
* Yugoslavia
* Kingdom
* Socialist Federal Republic
* Federal Republic

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Oceania|

* Australia
* Fiji
* New Zealand
* Papua New Guinea
* Tonga
* Vanuatu

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Language|

| Anglophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

|

Arabophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Francophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Hispanophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Lusophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Military police
* Officers
* Enlisted

Post-Soviet states|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Commonwealth of Nations|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

European Union|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

NATO|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air Force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Comparative ranks of

* Highest ranks
* Star ranking
* Officers of World War I
* Officers of World War II
* Women's Services in World War II
* Marine forces
* Space forces
* Gendarmeries
* UK and US

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