The ultimate leadership system

Why is a Major General below a Lieutenant General? 10 military ranks

The structure of the United States military relies on a hierarchy designed to maintain operational discipline and distribute leadership across every level of command. Examining 10 main U.S. Military ranks in sequential order reveals the language behind the names.

The rank of Private represents the entry-level enlisted tier in the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. At this level, service members focus on basic training, mastering tactical skills, and executing orders issued by superior officers.

Etymologically, "private" is short for "private soldier", designating an individual without public office or independent military command. Historical records note that some of the earliest documented uses of the term in the American military context appear in the personal correspondence of George Washington.

A Corporal is responsible for leading small tactical units, such as fireteams or squads. Corporals oversee the daily discipline, appearance, and fundamental skills training of junior soldiers.

The word derives from the French corporal, which stems from the Latin caput (meaning "head"). Over time, the term was influenced by the Latin corpus ("body") and the French military term corps, blending roots for "head" and "body" into the modern word corporal.

A Sergeant is a key frontline leader who typically commands a squad or section and directly supervises daily operations. Sergeants hold direct responsibility for troop welfare, equipment maintenance, and tactical execution.

The word shares its Latin root (serviens, meaning "servant") with the word servant. In medieval times, a "sergeant at arms" served as an armed retainer to a feudal lord. As military structures modernized, the sergeant evolved into the link between commissioned officers and enlisted troops.

The rank of Lieutenant serves as the entry point for commissioned leadership. Lieutenants typically command platoons consisting of 16 to 40 service members alongside an experienced platoon sergeant.

The term comes directly from the French lieu tenant, which literally translates to "place holding". A lieutenant is a placeholder or deputy tasked with standing in for or assisting a superior commander.

A Captain typically commands a company, battery, or troop consisting of 60 to 200 service members. Captains represent one of the oldest military designations in the English language, used as a general term for a military leader since the 1400s. Derived from French and rooted in the Latin caput ("head"), a captain is the "head" of an organized military unit.

A Major serves as a field-grade officer, often functioning as a battalion executive officer or primary staff supervisor. Interestingly, the rank of major is a historical abbreviation of sergeant major. During the 16th and 17th centuries, a sergeant major was a commissioned field officer ranking above a captain. As the boundary between non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers solidified in the 1700s, the "sergeant" prefix was dropped, leaving "Major" as a distinct officer rank.

A Colonel commands brigade-sized formations (1,500 to 3,200 soldiers) or fills critical senior staff positions. The title originates from the Italian colonnello, meaning the leader of a column (colonna) of troops. The unusual English pronunciation ("kernel") occurred because English borrowed the word from French, which had adopted the Italian word but altered its pronunciation, while English retained the French spelling.

A Brigadier General is a one-star general officer who commands a brigade or serves as a deputy commander for a division. The title derives directly from brigade, denoting an operational military unit composed of multiple regiments or battalions.

A Major General is a two-star general who typically commands a force of 10,000 to 15,000 personnel. This rank has a historical quirk: despite a Major ranking above a Lieutenant, a Major General ranks below a Lieutenant General. This is because the rank was originally called sergeant major general before the 1700s. Because a "sergeant major general" was subordinate to a "lieutenant general", the order remained intact even after "sergeant" was removed from the title.

A General is a four-star officer holding the highest operational rank in peacetime. Four-star generals command unified combatant commands, geographic theaters, or serve as service branch chiefs of staff. Rooted in the Latin generalis (meaning "pertaining to all" or "universal"), the title signifies overarching authority across all branches and arms of command.

ECHOES OF GENIUS

10 Hit Songs That Sound Suspiciously Similar

Image: Clem Onojeghuo

They say that bad artists imitate, but it takes a great artist to make something new out of the work of others. In the world of music, the thin line between inspiration and plagiarism is often full of controversy, even when the similarities were not intended.

Whether it's a coincidence or something more deliberate, these 10 hit songs bear striking resemblances to each other, making us wonder if imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery.

Image: Christopher Hopper

Is a sample plagiarism? Well, this iconic case brought the discussion to the mainstream in the early 90s, when there still wasn’t any legal protocol established to let artists reuse portions of others' recordings. To the bemusement of Queen members, Vanilla Ice lifted the entire bass line from Queen’s hit "Under Pressure" for his single "Ice Ice Baby." After the ensuing legal battle settled, Brian May declared that the whole thing might actually have been good in the end for the band, as it exposed them to a younger audience.

Image: Danny Lechanteur, CC BY-SA 3.0

Another early case of sampling gone wrong, The Verve brought the ire of the Rolling Stones on themselves after using a part of an orchestral rendition of The Rolling Stones' "The Last Time" for their hit song "Bitter Sweet Symphony." The songwriter was actually denied any royalties for two decades due to the dispute. Kind of a tragic outcome since the band turned out to be a one-hit-wonder.

Image: Jim Summaria, CC BY-SA 3.0

This one was mostly hyped by the media, but the similarities between the two songs got fans wondering if the legendary rock band would take legal action against the popular boy band. Both songs feature the same chords and a prominent synthesizer riff that drives the melody, creating an anthemic feel. But the Who were quick to dismiss the drama, arguing that all pop music sounds similar since its beginnings, and even joked on their website:

"It’s unlikely that die-hard Who fans will consider ‘Best Song Ever’ to be the best song ever, even if it is. Nor, though, is it likely that many will cry or raise an eye at this story. It is, after all, only Tweet Age Wasteland."

Image: Brothers Le, CC BY 2.0

Bruno Mars's "Locked Out of Heaven" is more a case of channeling the spirit of a beloved band than of plagiarism. Critics were quick to notice the similarities, and Bruno Mars outright admitted to being a fan of Sting’s electrifying songwriting, but stated that he didn’t intend to sound like him. And being influenced, at least in part, by the same musical genres - reggae, pop rock, new wave, and funk - comparisons were natural.

Image: United Press International

Sublime's "What I Got" quite obviously draws inspiration from The Beatles' 1968 single "Lady Madonna," particularly in its rhythm-driven structure and main melody. However, while The Beatles' track exudes a vintage rock 'n' roll charm, Sublime infuses their ska punk sensibilities into the mix, resulting in a fresh yet familiar sound. In any case, they weren’t the first nor the last band to be heavily influenced by the legendary Fab Four.

Image: Leeann Cafferata from Washington DC and Akershus, Norway, CC BY 2.0

Though it may come as a surprise to many, Dolly Parton is actually a big fan of Led Zeppelin.

The lead chord progression of her 1975 hit "We Used To" mirrors Zeppelin’s most famous song, "Stairway to Heaven", even sharing some of the melancholic themes of the original song. Fortunately for Parton’s fans, the band never took legal action against her, and in 2002 she received the band’s blessing to record a cover of the song, showing that they are on good terms.

Image: Takahiro Kyono from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0

While Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Dani California" differ in lyrical content and vocal style, both tracks share a gritty, bluesy rock sound. But what raised some eyebrows is the fact that Frusciante’s guitar part sounds highly similar to the Heartbreakers piece. However, Tom Petty himself put the matter to bed soon after the song was released, doubting that there was any malicious intent behind the similarities, and pointing out that a lot of great rock songs sound alike.

Image: Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0

Right after release, Coldplay's anthemic "Viva la Vida" drew comparisons to Joe Satriani's "If I Could Fly," leading to much speculation and a subsequent lawsuit. The case received a lot of attention in the media, and Coldplay straight out denied any intentional plagiarism, going as far as to say that Satriani’s song was the one that lacked originality. Ultimately, the demand was settled under an unknown arrangement, with Coldplay not having to acknowledge Satriani’s song as an influence, suggesting that the similarities were likely just a coincidence.

Image: chrisweger, CC BY-SA 2.0

Both Madonna's "Express Yourself" and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" are anthems of empowerment and self-expression. Gaga's track, however, drew criticism for its similarities to Madonna's hit, both in terms of musical structure and thematic content, sparking heated online debates about the difference between a homage and a ripoff. While the Queen of Pop teased Gaga for the similarities on a few occasions, she eventually recognized that it was likely more of a loving nod to her work than any form of plagiarism.

Image: Kåre Eide, CC0

Shania Twain's "C'est la Vie" quite clearly echoes the infectious disco groove of ABBA's "Dancing Queen," with both songs featuring an almost identical hook. However, this was hardly concealed by the artist, a huge ABBA fan herself. As a matter of fact, she even reached out to Björn Ulvaeus, one of ABBA’s original members, to co-produce a musical out of her songs.