What rank does three stars on uniform mean?

Shoulder straps They represent part of a serviceman’s clothing, and the arrangement of stars on shoulder straps is considered to be a sign of rank among colleagues. However, it is very important to know at what distance the stars should be on this part of the uniform, since punctuality, discipline and strict adherence to instructions play a huge role in the army. A soldier's appearance must always be impeccable.

The placement of stars on shoulder straps according to certain regulations also contributes to clear orientation, that is, another person or colleague will always be able to understand what rank a given serviceman has and what his position is at the present time. In fact, in this regard, shoulder straps provide almost exhaustive information. An important aspect is not only the number of stars, but also their location relative to each other.

How to properly attach stars

Shoulder insignia among military personnel are an integral attribute of a serviceman's appearance in the army, as well as in law enforcement agencies. These signs will not only help to distinguish a particular employee by rank, but also determine which specific department he belongs to.

Rank is distinguished, as a rule, by the size of the stars, their number on the shoulder strap, and also by their location on this part of the serviceman’s clothing. For citizens who decide to give their lives to service, it is necessary to know how to properly attach stars to shoulder straps .

All rules regarding this issue are provided for by special Regulations, which were drawn up and approved by the Ministry of Defense of our country, as well as in accordance with the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. All norms must be observed by both future military personnel and those already occupying certain positions.

If the distance between the stars on the shoulder straps differs from the distance prescribed in the relevant acts, then this will be interpreted as a violation of the rules for wearing military clothing.

Historical emergence of the distinctive features of the rank of major

According to numerous historical references, most military personnel in the distant past simply did not have shoulder straps . That is, the major did not have such insignia as stars on each of his shoulder straps For the most part, military personnel in earlier times were distinguished by the characteristics of their clothing. In Tsarist Russia, the uniform of military personnel had a lot of additional criteria by which the common man could understand the rank of a serviceman.

As a rule, senior officers and junior officers differed mainly in the external cut of their clothing and some stripes on their military uniforms. The reformation of military uniforms occurred only during the reign of Peter the Great after the great sovereign visited foreign countries and noted the differences between the clothing of military personnel in Western countries and Russian ones. After his return, Peter the Great established the so-called gorgets as an additional element in the military uniform of his soldiers. They were a kind of metal scarves that were worn on the chest and had some distinctive signs by which the rank of a particular serviceman could be recognized.

After this, senior officers , and later all officers of the Russian army, began to wear uniforms two centuries ago, since it was believed that this ennobles the appearance of those who devoted their lives to serving the Motherland. In addition, for the sake of beauty, many decorative elements were added, which had no practical significance, but were largely introduced with the aim of giving even greater pomp to the military personnel.

Among other things, the major insignia did not consist of shoulder straps, since they were simply not worn at that time, but of their analogues - epaulettes.

Many people are interested in how many stars were located on epaulettes in those days, as well as their location, and what was the distance from the edge of the shoulder straps and between the stars themselves. The fact is that in Tsarist Russia stars were completely absent as a distinctive sign. The major's shoulder straps acquired a modern, more austere look much later. This change occurred after the Great October Revolution, when Soviet power replaced the Tsarist regime.

At what distance

In the officer corps, both senior, junior and middle, the distance at which stars are placed on shoulder straps is almost the same. The only difference is the size and location on the shoulder straps.

In accordance with the rank, a serviceman must take into account such features, which are as follows:

• A serviceman with the rank of warrant officer or midshipman wears two stars, which are located along the red line of the shoulder straps . Each star is 1.3 cm, and the distance between them must be at least 2.5 cm.
• A serviceman who has received the rank of senior warrant officer or senior midshipman has one more star, that is, on his shoulder straps the number already reaches three. In this case, they should be located as follows: all three stars are attached on the same line, along the red central one. The distance and size are similar to the previous point.

• A serviceman with the rank of junior lieutenant wears one star, which is identical in size to the ensign's stars, but the distance is significantly greater than -4.5 cm. The star should be located on the red line of the shoulder strap .
• A soldier promoted to the rank of lieutenant has two stars, which are no different in size from the stars of a junior lieutenant. The distance between the stars on the shoulder straps is the same as for ensigns - 2.5 cm. They are located on both sides of the red center line of the shoulder straps .
• A serviceman with the rank of senior lieutenant already receives three stars, which are the same size as on the shoulder straps of a serviceman one step lower. The distance of the stars on the shoulder straps is similar, that is, 1.3 cm. Two stars are located on both sides of the red center line, and the third is slightly higher and is located directly on the red line itself.

• A serviceman at the rank of capital and lieutenant commander already has four stars, which also have the same size and similar distance as the senior lieutenant. The location is as follows: two stars on either side of the red line, just above two stars at the same distance.
• A serviceman with the rank of major or captain 3rd rank has one star, which is larger in diameter than those who have the rank of captain or lieutenant. The size of the star in this case is 2 cm. The distance of the stars on the shoulder straps is 4.5 cm. The star is located between two red parallel lines on the shoulder straps.
• A serviceman with the rank of lieutenant colonel or captain 2nd rank already has two stars of the same size and at the same distance as the major. Both stars are located on the red lines of the shoulder straps .

• A serviceman who has received the rank of colonel or captain 1st rank has three stars on his shoulder straps, which are also 2 cm in size, and the distance between the stars on the shoulder straps of the RF Armed Forces in this case is 4.5 cm. Two stars are located on the red lines of the shoulder straps , and one slightly above and in the middle between these lines. Moreover, strictly at the same distance from the edges of the shoulder element.
• The location of the stars on the shoulder straps of military personnel who have received the rank of major general or rear admiral is indicated on the center line of the shoulder . In this case, the distance increases to 5 cm, and the diameter of the star is already 2.2 cm. Military personnel who have received this rank have one star.
• A serviceman with the rank of lieutenant general or vice admiral has two stars located at the same distance as the major general, and their size is also identical. The stars are located on the center line.
• Military personnel with the rank of colonel general already have three stars, which are in one row on the shoulder strap, at the same distance, equal to 5 cm, and having the same diameter, that is, 2.2 cm. All stars are also located on the center line of the shoulder straps .
• A soldier who has received the highest rank in the hierarchy currently established by the government of our country, that is, army general , police or navy admiral , has one star, which reaches 4 cm in diameter.

The placement of stars on officers' shoulder straps is strictly prescribed by regulations, from which one cannot deviate. Moreover, the distance between the stars for each rank in this case is the same and is 2.5 cm.

Distinctive marks on the shoulder straps of junior personnel

Junior commanding officers, from the rank of junior sergeant to sergeant major, have shoulder insignia with horizontal or vertical yellow stripes (straps). Having remembered their location, it will not be difficult to distinguish the ranks of their owners:

1. A junior police sergeant wears a pair of narrow vertical (transverse) stripes.
2. A police sergeant wears three vertical stripes.
3. The senior police sergeant wears one wide cross stripe.
4. The police sergeant major has one wide horizontal stripe.

Among the members of this commanding staff, only the following have stars:

1. Police ensign . His shoulder insignia consists of two small stars placed horizontally.
2. Senior Police Warrant Officer . On his shoulders there are already three stars , also located horizontally.

How can I attach

Before attaching the stars to the shoulder straps , you need to arm yourself with a ruler, with the help of which it is important to take measurements and mark the places where the stars will be located. It is necessary to measure from the bottom of the shoulder straps up to the center of the first star attachment.

Then you need to mark this place. It is best to use a pen or pencil. After this, use an awl to make a hole in the chase, which will be located at the location of the intended point. After such a procedure, you can insert the star into this hole and bend the lower part so that the star is held as tightly as possible. Fixing the star as tightly as possible is essential to avoid accidental loss.

What is the best way to attach stars to false shoulder straps?

Due to the fact that during combat operations, when the serviceman was required to constantly be on the move and endure physical stress, the problem of attaching stars to shoulder straps faced the military especially seriously.

Several years ago, the government of our country decided that it was pointless to fasten the stars under these conditions, since it was impossible to completely eliminate situations in which they would never come off. For this reason, they decided to use embroidery in the process of making shoulder straps. That is, it was no longer necessary to attach stars to shoulder straps, since the embroidered elements more than compensated for the previous methods of attachment.

When attaching stars and lapel emblems to an officer's uniform, it is necessary to remember the size of the stars themselves. The distance between them is measured from the edge of one to the edge of the other, and not from their center. Therefore, preliminary measurements and marks must be made very carefully, taking into account such nuances. It is best to purchase several spare stars of the required size for a serviceman’s field uniform, since if one or more are lost, they can be easily replaced. Field stars need to be attached more firmly.

How are lapel emblems placed on shoulder straps?

The lapel insignia is another insignia in the army. As a rule, it is placed on the collar of outerwear, but similar distinctive features of a serviceman can also be found on his shoulder straps. Such distinctive signs are also intended to be worn to determine which type of military force a given military member belongs to. As a rule, they are made of gold-plated metal.

The lapel emblems are arranged as follows:

• on detachable shoulder straps they are located directly on the center line of the shoulder straps , generally at a distance of 5 cm from the top button to the top edge of the emblem itself (such symbolism was used on shoulder straps attached to outer clothing, but senior management did not use the emblem in this way);
• lapel emblems could also be placed on the collar of a military jacket, as well as jackets made of wool; the distance between the corner of the collar and the immediate middle part of the emblem, that is, the metal loop for fastening, is 2.5 cm.

Sewing on a lapel emblem is usually a more labor-intensive and difficult process, since it must be sewn through the buttonhole, while the star is attached using a simpler mechanism (legs that need to be pushed apart as much as possible to increase the strength of the attachment).

Moreover, such signs are divided into light and dark. As a rule, dark lapel emblems are used exclusively for field uniforms. This insignia is also important for orientation in the rank of a serviceman and what type of troops he belongs to.

Insignia on the shoulder straps of prosecutors

Employees of the prosecutor's office, as a rule, do not have titles, but have ranks. They are assigned depending on the position they occupy. The shoulder straps are distinguished by a bright blue tint (brighter than the shoulder straps of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs ) and turquoise stripes. An additional difference is the shape of the shoulder strap.

The holders of three stars on shoulder insignia are:

1. Lawyer 2nd class. In the middle of the shoulder strap there is one thin strip and a triangle of small stars.
2. Senior Adviser of Justice . Its stars are located similarly, but are larger in size. There are two gaps in the center.
3. State Counselor of Justice, 1st class. There are no stripes on the chase, but there is a border around the perimeter. The stars are large, located horizontally.