Brevet (military)
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In the military, a brevet (
The promotion would be noted in the officer's title (for example, "Bvt. Maj. Gen. Joshua L. Chamberlain" or "Bvt. Col. Arthur MacArthur").
It is not to be confused with a
France
In France, brevet is a word with a very broad meaning, which includes every document giving a capacity to a person. For instance, the various military speciality courses, such as
The more important brevet in the French military is the one of the
The French military does not use brevets to give officers a higher standing, employing
Germany
In the Prussian and German army and navy, it was possible to bestow a Charakter rank on officers that was in many respects similar to a brevet rank. For example, an Oberst could receive the Charakter als Generalmajor. Very often, German officers would be promoted to the next higher Charakter rank on the day of their retirement.
Spain
It was not uncommon during the 19th century to distinguish between empleo ("employed"), the permanent rank and graduación ("grade") the honorary, brevet rank. In the 1884 rank regulations (which with minor modifications were in force during the Spanish–American War) stars marked the rank whilst the actual post was reflected in gold lace on the cuffs.
As in practice both situations coincided the system was dropped in 1908 leaving only the starred system of denoting rank. Nevertheless, during the Spanish Civil War the system was revived in the Nationalist side due to the lack of trained officers because of the enlargement of the army. The breveted officers (known as habilitados or estampillados) wore their actual rank on the cuffs but their brevetted one in a rectangular black patch on the left breast of their coats or shirts.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom the brevet commission was only by courtesy. Officially, both titles were used, as: "Major and Brevet Lieutenant Colonel
The brevet conferred rank in the British Army overall, but importantly, not in the
In particular
United States
The Articles of War adopted by the United States Army in 1776 and slightly revised in 1806 established the use and significance of brevet ranks or awards in the U.S. Army. When first used, a brevet commission in the U.S. Army entitled the officer to be identified by a higher rank, but the award had limited effect on the right to higher command or pay. A brevet rank had no effect within the officer's current unit. When assigned duty at the brevet rank by the U.S. President, such an officer would command with the brevet rank and be paid at the higher rank.[5]
This higher command and pay would last only for the duration of that assignment. The brevet promotion would not affect the officer's seniority and actual permanent rank in the army.[5] Beginning on April 16, 1818, brevet commissions also required confirmation by the United States Senate, just as all other varieties of officer commissions did.[6]
Early use
Brevets were first used in the U.S. Army during the American Revolutionary War. Often, the nation's Continental Congress could not find suitable positions for foreign officers—mostly from France—who sought commissions. The first U.S. brevet was given to Jacques Antoine de Franchessin on July 20, 1776, allowing him to hold the rank of lieutenant colonel within the Continental Army. Franchessin and another 35 men of foreign birth would hold brevet commissions in the Army by the end of the war. By 1784, an additional 50 officers would receive brevets for "meritorious services" during the conflict.[5]
In the 19th-century U.S. Army, brevet promotions were quite common because the Army had many frontier forts to garrison and other missions to perform but could not always appoint appropriately ranked officers to command these forts or missions. The
For example, an officer might graduate from
American Civil War
During the American Civil War, almost all senior Union officers received some form of brevet award, mainly during the final months of the war. But these awards were made for gallantry or meritorious service, rather than for command. In addition to the authorization in a previous law for awards of brevet ranks to Regular Army officers, an act of Congress of March 3, 1863, authorized the award of brevet rank to officers of the United States Volunteers.[8] Thus, brevet awards became increasingly common later in the war.[9]
Some officers even received more than one award. Because of the existence of both Regular Army and United States Volunteers ranks, and the possibility that an officer could hold actual and brevet ranks in both services, some general and other officers could hold as many as four different ranks simultaneously. For example, by the end of the war, Ranald S. Mackenzie was a brevet major general of volunteers, an actual, full-rank brigadier general of volunteers, a brevet brigadier general in the United States Regular Army, and an actual Regular Army captain.[9]
Brevet rank in the Union Army, whether in the Regular Army or the United States Volunteers, during and at the conclusion of the American Civil War, may be regarded as an honorary title which conferred none of the authority, precedence, nor pay of real or full rank.[10] The vast majority of the Union Army brevet ranks were awarded posthumously or on or as of March 13, 1865, as the war was coming to a close.[10] U.S. Army regulations concerning brevet rank provided that brevet rank could be claimed "in courts-martial and on detachments, when composed of different corps" and when the officer served with provisional formations made up of different regiments or companies, or "on other occasions".[10] These regulations were vague enough to support the positions of some brevet generals who caused controversies by claiming supposed priorities or privileges of brevet ranks that had been awarded to them at earlier dates during the war.[10]
Some full-rank brigadier generals in the United States Volunteers (USV) in the American Civil War had been awarded brevet brigadier general rank in the USV before receiving full-rank promotions to brigadier general of United States Volunteers. Some full-rank brigadier generals in the USV were awarded the rank of brevet major general in the USV, but were not promoted to full-rank major generals in the USV. Some United States Regular Army officers who served with the USV in ranks below general officer were awarded brevet general officer rank in the USV, but were not promoted to full-rank general officers in the USV.
On the other hand, at least a few USV general officers also were awarded brevet general officer rank in the Regular Army in addition to their full-rank appointments or brevet general officer awards in the United States Volunteers. Many of the Regular Army officers of lower rank who became full-rank USV generals, however, received neither actual promotions to a general officer rank nor brevet general officer awards in the Regular Army in addition to their USV ranks or awards. Some of them who stayed in the United States Regular Army after the war did achieve general officer rank in later years.
In addition to the brevet awards to current (or future) full-rank United States Volunteers (USV) generals during the American Civil War, 1,367 other USV officers of lower ranks were awarded the rank of brevet brigadier general, brevet major general, or both, in the United States Volunteers, but not promoted to full-rank USV generals.[11] At least one enlisted man, Private Frederick W. Stowe, was brevetted as a second lieutenant in the Union Army during the Civil War.[12]
The Confederate States of America had legislation and regulations for the use of brevets in their armed forces, provided by Article 61 of the nation's Articles of War, and by their 1861 Army Regulations, which were based on the U.S. Army's 1857 version of their regulations. Although Article 61 was revised in 1862, it ultimately had no practical effect since the Confederate States Army did not use any brevet commissions or awards during its existence.[13]
The United States Marine Corps also issued brevets. After officers became eligible for the Medal of Honor, a rare Marine Corps Brevet Medal was issued to living officers who had been brevetted between 1861 and 1915.[14]
Modern usage
The practice of brevetting disappeared from the (regular)
The services differ in how they deal with officers who have been selected for promotion, but not yet promoted, as happens with a promotion list. An Army lieutenant colonel who has been selected for promotion to colonel uses lieutenant colonel (promotable), while in the Air Force, that officer would use colonel (select).
The promotion of an
The
Some states also confer brevets as part of their regular honors system. Georgia confers honorary ranks into its state police force. Kentucky is famous for
The 2019 John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provided the Army with 770 brevet positions. The U.S. Army Brevet promotion program selects officers for temporary promotion to serve at the next higher rank in a critical billet. A brevet promotion entitles an officer to be temporarily promoted to the next grade and to avail the pay and benefits of the higher rank. This program is one of the nine new authorities that provide the Army flexibility to determine the characteristics of a talent management system.[17]
See also
Notes
- ISBN 0-679-73392-2.
- ^ "Service historique de la Défense". Servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ Code de la Défense, art. L4134-2.
- ^ ISBN 0-00-257097-1.
- ^ a b c Hunt, "Introduction", p. v.
- ^ Eicher, p. 34.
- ^ ISBN 0-06-181261-7.
- ISBN 0-679-50013-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8071-0822-2.
- ^ a b c d Boatner, III, p. 84.
- ^ Warner, Generals in Blue, p. xxiv.
- ^ Faust, p .79.
- ^ Weinert, pp. 5–6; Faust, p. 79.
- ^ "Marine Corps Brevet Medal". Foxfall Medals. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
- ^ "Brevet – military rank". britannica.com.
- ^ Crane, Conrad (2020). "Temporary Promotions of U.S. Army Officers: A Brief Overview" (PDF). U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ "STAND-TO!". www.army.mil. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
References
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the New International Encyclopedia(1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.
- Boatner, Mark M., III. The Civil War Dictionary. David McKay Company, Inc., New York, 1959. ISBN 0-679-50013-8.
- Eicher, John H., and ISBN 0-8047-3641-3.
- Faust, Patricia L. (ed.). Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War. Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., New York, NY, 1986. ISBN 0-06-181261-7.
- Fry, James Barnet, The History and Legal Effect of Brevets in the Armies of Great Britain and the United States, D. Van Nostrand, 1877, Internet Archive link.
- Hunt, Roger D. and Brown, Jack R., Brevet Brigadier Generals in Blue, Olde Soldier Books, 1997, ISBN 1-56013-002-4.
- Warner, Ezra J. Generals in Blue. Louisiana State University Press, 1964. ISBN 0-8071-0822-7.
- Weinert, Richard P., Jr., The Confederate Regular Army, White Mane Publishing, 1991, ISBN 0-942597-27-3.
- National Park Service glossary of military terms
External links
- www.alia.org Brevet Union Generals of the Civil War.