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Second lieutenant

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Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces.

Contents

United Kingdom and Commonwealth

The rank was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of Ensign (Cornet in the cavalry), although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and Fusilier regiments. At first the rank bore no distinct insignia. In 1902 a single star (sometimes referred to as a pip) was introduced; the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain had their number of stars increased by one to (respectively) two and three. The rank is also used by the Royal Marines.

In the Royal Air Force the comparable rank is Pilot Officer. The Royal Navy has no exactly equivalent rank, and a Second Lieutenant is senior to a Royal Navy Midshipman but junior to a Sub-Lieutenant. The Royal New Zealand Navy - breaking with Royal Navy tradition - uses the Ensign grade for this rank equivalent. The Royal Australian Navy also breaks tradition in the sense that it has the equivalent rank of Ensign, but it is titled "Acting Sub Lieutenant."

The Canadian Forces adopted the rank with insignia of a single gold ring around the service dress uniform cuff for both army and air personnel upon unification in 1968. For a time, naval personnel used this rank but reverted to the Royal Canadian Navy rank of Acting Sub-Lieutenant, though the CF Green uniform was retained until the mid-1980s.

British officer ranks

  Student Officer OF(D) OF-1 OF-2 OF-3 OF-4 OF-5 OF-6 OF-7 OF-8 OF-9 OF-10
Royal Navy: O/C Mid SLt Lt Lt Cdr Cdr Capt Cdre RAdm VAdm Adm Adm of the Fleet
Royal Marines: OCdt 2Lt Lt Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Maj Gen Lt Gen Gen
Army: OCdt 2Lt Lt Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Maj Gen Lt Gen Gen FM
Royal Air Force: OC / SO APO / PO FO Flt Lt Sqn Ldr Wg Cdr Gp Capt ACdre AVM AM ACM MRAF

United States of America

In the United States, Second Lieutenant is typically the entry-level rank for most Commissioned Officers. A Second Lieutenant typically leads a platoon-size element (16 to 44 soldiers).

In the United States Army, the rank bore no insignia until December of 1917, when a gold bar was introduced to contrast with the silver bar of a First Lieutenant. The rank is also used in the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps. As a result of the gold color of the bars, second lieutenants are often referred to colloquially as "Butterbars." The corresponding United States Coast Guard and United States Navy rank is Ensign. 
U.S. commissioned officer ranks
  Student Officer O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6 O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10 O-11 (wartime only) Special Grade
United States Navy: MIDN/OC ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR CAPT RDML RADM VADM ADM FADM Admiral of
the Navy
United States Marine Corps: Midn 2ndLt 1stLt Capt Maj LtCol Col BGen MajGen LtGen Gen (no equivalent) (no equivalent)
United States Army: CDT/OC 2LT 1LT CPT MAJ LTC COL BG MG LTG GEN General of
the Army 		General of the Armies
United States Air Force: Cadet 2nd Lt 1st Lt Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Gen Maj Gen Lt Gen Gen General of
the Air Force 		(no equivalent)
United States Coast Guard: CDT ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR CAPT RDML RADM VADM ADM (no equivalent) (no equivalent)

Non-English speaking countries

See also

 

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