User blog comment:Phiniksa/Ranks, SRIs and the Navy/@comment-26581666-20160125065856/@comment-26581666-20160125090435

Yeah, Master's Mate was more of a post than a rank, you could call it "Sub-Ensign", or make Ensign the new name for the Acting Sub-Lieutenant and keep the name "Sub Lieutenant", or even remove it.

As for the Grand Admiral getting confused with Admiral of the Fleet/Fleet Admiral, it was more of a spur of the moment suggestion, as I originally had no idea what to rename it to. "Fleet Admiral" could have less of a chance to be confused than "Admiral of the Fleet", or maybe something like "Fleet Commodore" would work.

As for the idea I had on the Air Arm:

Air Arm (ideas for this are a mix of naval ranks, modern air force ranks and some inspiration from the Temeraire series of novels.)

Personally, I would seperate the Air Arm from the Navy itself sort of like how the US Marines are seperated from the US Navy, they're different branches but both under the Departement of the Navy. So they would be a seperate branch, but still commanded by the Grand Admiral. As for ranks:

Enlisted

Airman - Seaman equivalent

Leading Airman - Able Seaman equivalent

Junior Officers

Flying Officer - Petty Officer equivalent, lowest rank for aircraft/animal flying.

Chief Flying Officer - Chief Petty Officer equivalent

Warrant Officer - Warrant Officer equivalent

Officers

Midwingman - Midshipman equivalent

?????????? - Something based on whatever we're calling the Acting Sub Lieutenant

Ensign - Ensign/Sub Lieutenant equivalent

Flight Lieutenant - Lieutenant equivalent, commands a flight of aircraft/gryphons/whatever

Lieutenant Commander is a post, so doesn't get a special rank

Wing Commander - Commander equivalent

Sky Captain - Captain equivalent

Flag Officers

Sky Commodore - Commodore equivalent

Sky Rear Admiral - Rear Admiral equivalent (maybe not needed)

Sky Vice Admiral - Vice Admiral equivalent (maybe not needed)

Sky Admiral - Admiral equivalent

Air Arm uses the same rank insignia as the standard navy (maybe with anchors on the top of the epaulettes for Navy and something(propelers?) for Air Arm) and has dark blue/black uniforms

Marines and Naval Infantry

Here are the ideas I had for the marines and naval infantry

Enlisted

Recruit/Seaman - Cadet rank

Marine/Able Seaman - Basic rank

Corporal/Leading Seaman - Corporal equivalent

Sergeant/Petty Officer - Sergeant equivalent

Gunnery Sergeant/Chief Petty Officer - Master Sergeant equivalent

Gunnery Sergeant Major/Warrant Officer - Sergeant Major

Gunnery Sergeant Major of the Marines - A post, like the Command Chief Petty Officer

Officers

Cornet/Ensign - Serves as X.O to Majors

Lieutenant/Lieutenant - Lieutenant (Army and Navy, sort of in between them) equivalent, C.O of platoons

Major/Commander - Captain (Army) equivalent, C.O of companies

Senior Officers

Commandant/Captain - Commander (Army) equivalent, C.O of battalions

Commandant General/Commodore - The C.O of a Corps, one for each kingdom (Stormwind/Gilneas/etc)

Unit Sizes

Just some basic ideas, based on my fanon for the Rustridge Fleet

Section - Consists of a Corporal and around four Marines

Squad - Consists of a Sergeant/ and around two Sections, asigned to a Sloop (Anything with 20-28 guns)

Platoon - Consists of a Lieutenant, a Sergeant and around four Sections. Asigned to a Frigate (anything with 30-60 guns)

Company - Consists of a Major, an Ensign, a Gunnery Sergeant and at least four Platoons/eight Squads, asigned to a single Ship of the Line (anything with 64+ guns) or spread out among a flotilla of Frigates and/or Sloops.

Battalion - Consists of a Commandant, a Gunnery Sergeant Major and a fleet's worth of Companies. The Major of the Company aboard the fleet's flagship serves as the Battalion X.O

Corps - Consists of the Commandant General, the Gunnery Sergeant Major of the Marines and all the Battalions of a Kingdom. The Commandant General and Gunnery Sergeant Major of the Marines serve as the Commandant and Gunnery Sergeant Major of their kingdom's First Fleet (eg, King's Royal Fleet)