Senior colonel Senior colonel Senior colonel is an army officer rank placed between a regular colonel and a major general. The rank typically exists in militaries that do not maintain a rank of brigadier general or brigadier. In Nazi Germany, a rank equivalent to senior colonel, "Oberführer", was used by both the SA and SS. In the branches of the "Allgemeine SS" (General SS) and "Waffen-SS" (Armed SS) the rank of "Oberführer" was widely used. The rank did not exist in the army ("Heer"), although the "Kriegsmarine" (navy) maintained the equivalent rank of "Kommodore". After World War II, armies in Asia, especially
Major Major Major is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicators, major is one rank senior to that of an army captain, and one rank subordinate or below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is considered the most junior of the field officer ranks. Majors are typically assigned as specialised executive or operations officers for battalion-sized units of 300 to 1,200 soldiers. In some militaries, notably France and Ireland, the rank of major is referred to as "commandant", while in others