Commissioned Air Force Officer Ranks

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US DoD Pay Grade O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6 O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10 Special1
Insignia                      
Air Force Service Dress Uniform Insignia                      
Title Second Lieutenant First Lieutenant Captain Major Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Brigadier General Major General Lieutenant General General General of the Air Force
Abbreviation 2d Lt 1st Lt Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Ge Maj Ge Lt Ge Ge GAF
NATO Code OF-1 OF-1 OF-2 OF-3 OF-4 OF-5 OF-6 OF-7 OF-8 OF-9 OF-10
  • No periods are used in actual grade abbreviation, only in press releases to conform with AP standards.[citation needed]
  • 1 Honorary/War time rank.

This chart displays the United States Air Force officer rank insignia. The ranks are divided into three sections: company grade, field grade, and general officers. Company grade officers are those officers of grades O-1 to O-3. Field grade officers are those of grades O-4 to O-6. General officers are those of O-7 and above.

Currently, promotion from Second Lieutenant to First Lieutenant is virtually guaranteed after two years of satisfactory service. Promotion to Captain is virtually guaranteed after another two years of satisfactory service. Previously there was a Promotion Board to Captain, but that was discontinued in 2013.[1] An officer's record is reviewed by a selection board at the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. This process occurs approximately between the nine- and eleven-year mark, where a certain percentage of Captains will be selected for Major. This process will repeat at the 13-16 year mark for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and then around the twenty-year mark for promotion to Colonel.

The five-star grade General of the Air Force has only been held by General of the Air Force Henry H. Arnold. Federal law currently contains no provisions to promote an officer to five-star grade.

Commissioned Navy Officer Ranks

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Commissioned officer rank structure of the United States Navy[2]
US DoD Pay Grade O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6 O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10 Special Special
NATO Code OF-1 OF-1 OF-2 OF-3 OF-4 OF-5 OF-6 OF-7 OF-8 OF-9 OF-10 Special Grade
Insignia                        
Title Ensign Lieutenant
(junior grade)
[3][4]
Lieutenant Lieutenant Commander Commander Captain Rear Admiral (lower half) Rear Admiral[3][4] Vice Admiral Admiral Fleet Admiral[a] Admiral of the Navy[b]
Abbreviation ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR CAPT RDML RADM VADM ADM FADM AN

Enlisted Air Force Ranks

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US DoD Pay grade E-9 E-8 E-7 E-6 E-5 E-4 E-3 E-2 E-1
  United States Air Force[5]
                        No insignia
Command chief master sergeant First sergeant Chief master sergeant First sergeant Senior master sergeant First sergeant Master sergeant Technical sergeant Staff sergeant Senior airman Airman first class Airman Airman basic
Abbreviation CMSAF CCM CMSgt1 SMSgt1 MSgt1 TSgt SSgt SrA A1C Amn AB
NATO code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
1 The U.S. Air Force does not have a separate First Sergeant rank; it is instead a duty position denoted by a diamond within the upper field of the E-7/MSgt, E-8/SMSgt, E-9/CMSgt paygrades/chevrons/ranks and is abbreviated "CCF".

Enlisted Navy Ranks

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  1. ^ Ismirle, Candace. "SecAF approves captain's board cancellation". Air Force Personnel Center. USAF. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  2. ^ Rank Insignia of Navy commissioned and warrant officers
  3. ^ a b 10 USC 5501 Navy: grades above chief warrant officer, W–5
  4. ^ a b 37 USC 201 Pay grades: assignment to; general rules
  5. ^ "U.S. Military Rank Insignia". defense.gov. Department of Defense. Retrieved 13 January 2022.


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