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Officer ranks in the United States military consist of commissioned
officers and warrant officers. The commissioned ranks are the highest in
the military. These officers hold presidential commissions and are
confirmed at their ranks by the Senate. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps
officers are called company grade officers in the pay grades of O-1 to
O-3, field grade officers in pay grades O-4 to O-6 and general officers
in pay grades O-7 and higher. The equivalent officer groupings in the
Navy are called junior grade, mid-grade and flag.
Warrant officers hold warrants from their service secretary and are
specialists and experts in certain military technologies or
capabilities. The lowest ranking warrant officers serve under a warrant,
but they receive commissions from the president upon promotion to chief
warrant officer 2. These commissioned warrant officers are direct
representatives of the president of the United States. They derive their
authority from the same source as commissioned officers but remain
specialists, in contrast to commissioned officers, who are generalists.
There are no warrant officers in the Air Force.
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Naval officers wear distinctively different rank devices
depending upon the uniform they're wearing. The three basic uniforms and
rank devices used are: khakis, collar insignia pins; whites, stripes on
shoulder boards; and blues, stripes sewn on the lower coat sleeves.
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| W1 |
Warrant Officer 1
WO1
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Warrant Officer 1
W-1
* The grade of Warrant Officer W-1 is no longer in use.
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Warrant Officer 1
WO
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NO
WARRANT |
| W2 |
Chief Warrant Officer 2
CW2
|
Chief Warrant
Officer 2
CWO2
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Chief Warrant Officer 2
CWO2
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NO WARRANT
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| W3 |
Chief Warrant Officer 3
CW3
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Chief Warrant
Officer 3
CWO3
 |
Chief Warrant Officer 3
CWO3
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NO
WARRANT |
| W4 |
Chief Warrant Officer 4
CW4
 |
Chief Warrant
Officer 4
CWO4
 |
Chief Warrant Officer 4
CWO4
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NO
WARRANT |
| W5 |
Chief Warrant Officer
CW5
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NO
CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER
CWO5 |
Chief Warrant Officer 5
CWO5
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NO
WARRANT |
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| O1 |
Second Lieutenant
2LT
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Ensign
ENS
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Second Lieutenant
2nd Lt.
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Second Lieutenant
2nd Lt.
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| O2 |
First Lieutenant
1LT
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Lieutenant Junior Grade
LTJG
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First Lieutenant
1st Lt.
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First Lieutenant
1st Lt.
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| O3 |
Captain
CPT
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Lieutenant
LT
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Captain
Capt.
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Captain
Capt.
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| O4 |
Major
MAJ
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Lieutenant Commander
LCDR
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Major
Maj.
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Major
Maj.
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| O5 |
Lieutenant Colonel
LTC
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Commander
CDR
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Lieutenant Colonel
Lt. Col.
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Lieutenant Colonel
Lt. Col.
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| O6 |
Colonel
COL
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Captain
CAPT
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Colonel
Col.
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Colonel
Col.
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| O7 |
Brigadier General
BG
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Rear Admiral
Lower Half
RADM (LH)
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Brigadier General
Brig. Gen.
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Brigadier General
Brig. Gen.
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| O8 |
Major General
MG
|
Rear Admiral
Upper Half
RADM (UH)
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Major General
Maj. Gen.
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Major General
Maj. Gen.
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| O9 |
Lieutenant
General
LTG
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Vice Admiral
VADM
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Lieutenant
General
Lt. Gen.
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Lieutenant
General
Lt. Gen.
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| O10 |
General
GEN
Army Chief of Staff
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Admiral
ADM
Chief
of Naval Operations
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General
Gen.
Commandant of the
Marine Corps
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General
Gen.
Air Force
Chief of Staff
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General of the Army
(Reserved for wartime only)
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Fleet Admiral
(Reserved for wartime only)
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General of the Air Force
(Reserved for wartime only)
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