Equivalents and abbreviations. This rank is abbreviated as "Cpl" (plural: corporals ). In some military branches, a corporal is also referred to as a bombardier , and it is equivalent to the navy’s leading seaman . What is a Corporal? The corporal is the lowest-ranking non-commissioned officer (NCO) in the military hierarchy. It is the entry-level leadership rank and marks the first level of authority over other enlisted personnel. Uniform of a Corporal. The corporal’s uniform typically includes a two-chevron insignia , which may be worn on the chest, shoulder, or sleeve. Classifications of the corporal rank Some countries divide the corporal rank into multiple grades : i) Indonesia : second corporal, first corporal, and master corporal ii) Belgium and France : corporal, master corporal, and first master corporal iii) Argentina (Navy) : corporal second class, corporal first class, and first master corporal In the Argentine Army , there are two corpor...