Trooper (rank)

Enlisted military rank

For other uses, see Trooper.

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|

Comparative military ranks

| |  Armies,
air forces
(non-Commonwealth)|  Navies,
coast guards|  Air forces
(Commonwealth system)

|
|
|

General officers, Flag officers, Air officers
|  Marshal or
field marshal|  Admiral of the fleet|  Marshal of the air force
|  General or
colonel general or
army general|  Admiral|  Air chief marshal
|  Lieutenant general or
army corps general|  Vice admiral|  Air marshal
|  Major general or
divisional general|  Rear admiral or
counter admiral|  Air vice-marshal
|  Brigadier or
brigadier general|  Commodore or
flotilla admiral|  Air commodore
Senior officers
|  Colonel|  (Ship-of-the-line)
Captain|  Group captain
|  Lieutenant colonel|  Commander or
frigate captain|  Wing commander
|  Major or
commandant|  Lieutenant
commander or corvette captain|  Squadron leader
Junior officers
|  Captain|  Lieutenant|  Flight lieutenant
|  First lieutenant or
lieutenant|  Lieutenant
junior grade or
sub-lieutenant|  Flying officer
|  Second lieutenant or
junior lieutenant|  Ensign or
midshipman|  Pilot officer
Non-commissioned officers
|  Warrant officer or
sergeant major|  Warrant officer or
chief petty officer|  Warrant officer
|  Sergeant|  Petty officer|  Sergeant
|  Corporal or
bombardier|  Leading seaman|  Corporal
Enlisted ranks
|  Lance corporal or
Lance bombardier or
specialist|  Able seaman|  Leading aircraftman or
Air specialist
|  Private or
gunner or
trooper or
sapper|  Seaman|  Aircraftman or
airman or
aviator

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Gravestone of Trooper G. Graham, Nottinghamshire Yeomanry.

Trooper (abbr. Tpr) from the French "troupier" is the equivalent rank to private in a regiment[1] with a cavalry tradition in the British Army and many other Commonwealth armies, including those of Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand; it is also used by the Irish Army.

In the British Army the Royal Tank Regiment, although not a former cavalry unit also uses the term Trooper[2] as do the Special Air Service and Honourable Artillery Company. Airtrooper (Atpr) is used in the Army Air Corps.

Cavalry units are organized into squadrons, further divided into troops, hence a trooper is a member of a troop. "Trooper" can also be used colloquially to mean any cavalry soldier (although not usually an officer).

In the United States Cavalry and airborne forces, "trooper" is a colloquialism that has traditionally been used not as a rank, but rather as a general term for any enlisted soldier.[3]

Cavalry Troopers are generally considered to be socially a cut above other soldiers. This distinction stems from the days when cavalry needed to supply their own horses and equipment, and so would need to be reasonably wealthy and a gentleman of sorts. In addition cavalry regiments were seen to be relatively fashionable and dashing, often having colourful or even garish uniforms.

In the United States many states have a state branch of law enforcement that serves as a highway patrol. Many state highway patrols refer to their officers as troopers.

## See also

[edit]

* Sowar
* Knight

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Army Be The Best". The British Army. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
2. ^ "The Battle of Cambrai". Royal Tank Regiment. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
3. ^ "Merriam-Webster". Trooper Definition and Meaning. Merriam-Webster Editor. Retrieved 1 April 2022.

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