Modern soldiers.

The word "soldier" specifically refers to members of the army who are without officer's commission. In most armies of the world, soldiers who are not officers can work their way through the ranks to obtain a commission. rank. ... The Commonwealth of Nations (CN), usually known as The Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states all of which are former colonies of the United Kingdom, except for Mozambique and the United Kingdom itself. ... Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... An air marshals sleeve/shoulder insignia Air Marshal (Air Mshl or AM) is a rank in the Royal Air Force. ... Commodore is a military rank used in some navies for officers whose position exceeds that of a Captain, but is less than that of a Flag Officer. ... Brigadier(BRIG-uh-DEER) is a military rank, the meaning of which has a considerable variation. ... An Air Commodoress sleeve/shoulder insignia Air Commodore is the fourth most senior rank active in the Royal Air Force today, after the deactivation of Marshal of the Royal Air Force as a substantive rank in peacetime during defence cuts of the 1990s. ... . Captain, is the name most often given in naval circles to the NATO rank code of OF-5. ... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... A Group Captains sleeve/shoulder insignia A Group Captains command flag Group Captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. ... Commander is a military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... A Wing Commanders sleeve/shoulder insignia A Wing Commanders command flag Wing Commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. ... In the Royal Navy, United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, a lieutenant commander (lieutenant-commander or Lt Cdr in the RN) is a commissioned officer superior to a lieutenant and inferior to a commander. ... Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ... A Squadron Leaders sleeve/shoulder insignia Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in some air forces. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... . A Captain in armies, air forces and marine forces, is a rank an army or air force rank with a NATO rank code of OF-2. ... A Flight Lieutenants sleeve/shoulder insignia Flight Lieutenant (abbreviated as Flt Lt and pronounced as flight lef-tenant, see Lieutenant) is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. ... A Lieutenant, Junior Grade, is a division officer in the United States Navy. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... A Flying Officers sleeve/shoulder insignia Flying Officer (Fg Off in the RAF; FLGOFF in the RAAF; FGOFF in the RNZAF; F/O in the former RCAF) is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. ... Two Bermuda Regiment Warrant Officers. ... Two Bermuda Regiment Warrant Officers. ... Two Bermuda Regiment Warrant Officers. ... A Petty Officer is a noncommissioned officer or equivalent in many navies. ... Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organisations around the world. ... Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organisations around the world. ... Leading Rating (or Leading Rate) is the most senior of the junior rates in the British Royal Navy. ... Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries, police forces or other uniformed organizations around the world. ... Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries, police forces or other uniformed organizations around the world. ... This article is about a military rank. ... A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank (equivalent to Nato Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in). ... Aircraftman (AC) (or Aircraftwoman (ACW)) is the lowest rank in the Royal Air Force, ranking below Leading Aircraftman and having a NATO rank code of OR-1. ... A soldier is a person who has enlisted with, or has been conscripted into, the armed forces (usually only the army or land armed forces) of a country. ... The armed forces of a state are its government sponsored defense and fighting forces and organizations. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (638x850, 165 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Soldier ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (638x850, 165 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Soldier ... An officer is a member of a military or naval service who holds a position of responsibility. ... In military organizations, a commissioned officer is a member of the service who derives authority directly from a sovereign power, and as such holds a commission from that power. ...

A soldier who no longer serves in the armed forces is often called a veteran, a term which can also apply to a long-serving or experienced soldier who is still in the army. In the United States soldiers are identified as those serving or once served in the United States Army. Former crewmembers of the battleship Missouri pose for photos shortly after the Anniversary of the End of World War II ceremony, held aboard the famous ship. ... The United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...

Etymology

The word soldier is derived from an Old French word, itself a derivation of Solidarius, Latin for someone who served for pay, as opposed to warriors in tribal society where every grown man is automatically a member of his clan's fighting force. Solidare in Latin means "to pay"; Roman soldiers were paid in solidi, so-called because they were a new type of solid gold coin brought in after a reform of the Roman money system. The common origin for the words soldier and payment survives not only in French (soldat and solde) but also in other languages, like German (Soldat and Sold), Spanish (soldado and soldada), Portuguese (soldado and soldo) and Dutch (soldaat and soldij). Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories corresponding roughly to the northern half of modern France and parts of Belgium and Switzerland from around 1000 to 1300 A.D. It was known at the time as the langue doïl to distinguish it from the langue... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... 17th Century Brazilian Tapuia A warrior is a person habitually engaged in warfare. ... Area under Roman control  Roman Republic  Roman Empire  Western Empire  Eastern Empire Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a city-state founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Julian solidus, ca. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ...

See also

• Army
• List of soldiers
• Related terms: Mercenary, Guerrilla, Militant, Combatant
• Famous groups of soldiers: Praetorian Guard, Swiss Mercenaries, Swiss Guard, French Foreign Legion, Samurai.
• Types of soldiers: Cavalry, Commando, Dragoon, Infantry, Marine, Paratrooper, Ranger, Sniper, Special Forces, Combat Engineer, Sapper
• Military animals
• Toy soldier
• Military use of children

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Wikimedia Commons logo by Reid Beels The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This is a list of noted soldiers, organized for the country with which they are usually associated. ... A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict and is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that... Look up guerrilla in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The word militant has come to refer to any individual or party engaged in aggressive physical or verbal combat, normally for a cause. ... A combatant is a person who takes a direct part in the hostilities of an armed conflict who upon capture qualifies for prisoner of war under the Third Geneva Convention (GCIII). ... The Praetorian Guard of Augustus - 1st century. ... Swiss mercenaries crossing the Alps (Luzerner Schilling) Swiss mercenaries were soldiers notable for their service in foreign armies, especially the armies of the Kings of France, throughout the Early Modern period of European history, from the Later Middle Ages into the Age of the European Enlightenment. ... Papal Swiss Guards in traditional uniforms Swiss Guards are Swiss mercenary soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards and palace guards at foreign European courts from the late 15th century until the present day (in the form of the Papal Swiss Guard). ... Legionnaire (film) The French Foreign Legion (French: Légion étrangère) is a unique elite unit within the French Army established in 1831. ... Japanese samurai in armour, 1860s. ... Soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat are commonly known as cavalry (from French cavalerie). ... For other uses, see Commando (disambiguation). ... French dragoon, 1745. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ... A Marine is an elite warrior whose primary function is to serve aboard a ship and/or assault the land from the sea in amphibious warfare. ... An American Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ... In general, a ranger is a keeper, guardian, or soldier who ranges over a region to protect the area or enforce the law. ... Arkansas Army National Guard soldiers practice sniper marksmanship at their firing range near Baghdad, Iraq on February 15, 2005. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A US army combat engineer setting up a communications cable. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with combat engineering. ... Military animals are creatures that have been employed by humankind for use in warfare. ... 54mm Toy Soldiers by Imperial Productions of New Zealand A toy soldier is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier. ... April 20, 1945. ...

External link

• US Army from American Revolution to 2006