Adjutant - Non-Commissioned Rank - France

France

Adjutant (adjudant in French) is a class of NCO ranks in French Army, Air Force and Gendarmerie. These ranks are senior to the rank of sergeant and junior to the rank of major. Like the officers, the adjudants are entitled to the mon before their rank, as in "mon adjudant"

The adjutant ranks are, in order of seniority :

• Adjutant (adjudant) : equivalent to a U.S. master sergeant or a British Commonwealth Warrant Officer 2
• Chief Adjutant (adjudant-chef) : equivalent, but slightly junior, to a U.S. Sergeant Major or a British/Commonwealth Warrant Officer 1

In France, each corps has a colour (gold or silver). A French adjutant wears a band, with thin red line, in the opposite colour to that of his corps. A chief adjutant wears a band, with thin red line, in the colour of his corps. In order to distinguish an adjutant from a chief adjutant it is therefore necessary to know the arm's colour: This will be the colour of the cap badge e.g. gold cap badge for the infantry, silver cap badge for armoured cavalry.