Members of the Foreign Service consist of five groups, including Foreign Service Officers and Foreign Service Specialists. Like officers in the U.S. military, Foreign Service Officers are members of the Foreign Service who are commissioned by the President. Foreign Service Specialists are technical leaders and experts, commissioned by the Secretary of State. Ranks descend from the highest, FS‑1, equivalent to a full Colonel in the military, to FS‑9, the lowest rank in the U.S. Foreign Service personnel system. (Most entry-level Foreign Service members begin at the FS‑5 or FS‑6 level.) Personal rank is distinct from and should not be confused with the diplomatic or consular rank assigned at the time of appointment to a particular diplomatic or consular mission.