from armynewsInteractive A Promotion from Our Past At the heart of every military is its rank structure, a chain of command that is crucial to ensure discipline, execution and ultimately the effectiveness of the armed force. The rank structure may also be a reflection of the armyÂ’s size and sophistication, evolving as the army transforms.
STARS OF THE PAST In Our Army, there used to be just a few ranks. Section Commanders at that time had a rank of Corporal, and attaining a Sergeant rank conferred some seniority. Certain promotions could take as long as ten years, making each promotion a long-awaited one.

Also very different in those days were the ranks worn by Officers and Warrant Officers. Lieutenants and Captains had diamond stars on the epaulettes, each embossed with a cross cut circle on which are emblazoned a crescent and five stars. Majors had one crest, but upon promotion, instead of gaining additional crests, they had stars added to their ranks – hence a Colonel would have one crest and two stars. Generals would have different combinations of stars, crests and a new symbol, a gold-crossed Chinese broadsword and kris surrounded by a laurel wreath, to mark their rank.
Warrant Officers at that time wore their rank on their right wrist. They also had a slightly different design for their rank, with Class I Warrant officers having an additional laurel wreath surrounding their crest.
1982: NEW UNIFORMS, NEW BADGES As the SAF introduced new uniforms for all three Services in 1982, the ranks themselves were changed. Replacing the more embellished diamonds and swords were simple bars for the Lieutenants and Captains, and genuine stars for the Generals. It was then, also, that female service personnel started wearing their miniature anodised rank insignias on their collars.
1992: REVAMPING THE NCO CORPS In 1992, there was a revamp in the rank structure of the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Corps. Where once the route of advancement went from Sergeant, Staff Sergeant to Warrant Officer Classes II and I, intermediate ranks were introduced and now there were nine different ranks from 3rd Sergeant to Senior Warrant Officer.
The reasons for this change was to acknowledge that NCOs formed the backbone of the Army, and to take into account the higher educational level of NCOs, which translated into greater job responsibilities and higher pay. With more ranks, and with each promotion meriting an increment, the new structure would give the NCOs something to look forward to every three or four years, instead of the eight to ten years previously. In the same year, a school to run the Joint Warrant Officer Course (JWOC) was set up to teach senior Specialists military-related subjects like military history, military law, and computer skills. This was in recognition of the new responsibilities of the NCO Corps in the army.
Furthermore, Warrant Officers would now display their ranks on the epaulettes, as opposed to their sleeves.
Today we have clear routes of advancement for both the Officer and Warrant Officer and Specialist Corps, and a simple progression in badges of rank. Yet all the intermediate ranks have not dimmed the significance of each promotion; each new rank comes with responsibilities, respect, and a highly decorated past of days gone by.