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Lieutenant commander (United States)

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(Redirected from Lieutenant Commander (United States)) Naval rank of the United States
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Lieutenant commander
Insignia of the rank of lieutenant commander
Country United States
Service branch
Rank groupJunior officer
NATO rank codeOF-3
Pay gradeO-4
Next higher rankCommander
Next lower rankLieutenant
Equivalent ranksMajor
A lieutenant commander providing medical care aboard USNS Comfort (T-AH 20)

Lieutenant commander (LCDR) is a junior officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps), with the pay grade of O-4 and NATO rank code OF-3. Lieutenant commander ranks above lieutenant and below commander. The rank is also used in the United States Maritime Service . The rank is equivalent to a major in the United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, and United States Space Force.

When introducing a lieutenant commander, their full rank should always be used; however, in general conversation they are usually called "commander" even though they are not "full" commanders (which is one rank higher). Simply "lieutenant" is never used because it is one rank lower.

Promotion to lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy is governed by United States Department of Defense policies derived from the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act of 1980. DOPMA guidelines suggest 80% of lieutenants should be promoted to lieutenant commander after serving a minimum of three years as lieutenants and after attaining nine to eleven years of cumulative commissioned service.

While lieutenant commander is the U.S. Navy's first commissioned officer rank to be selected by a board, lieutenant commanders are still considered to be junior officers due to their origin as "lieutenant, commanding". This can be seen by lieutenant commanders not wearing the headgear embellishment (colloquially known as "scrambled eggs") on their combination covers.

The U.S. Coast Guard used its own rank system until World War I. In 1916, discontent grew among Coast Guard captains: By law, they ranked below a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy despite similar roles and duties. Pursuant to the Appropriations Act of 1918, the Coast Guard adopted the U.S. Navy rank structure to prevent disagreements over seniority.

There are two insignia used by lieutenant commanders. On service khakis and all working uniforms, lieutenant commanders wear a gold oak leaf collar device, similar to the ones worn by majors in the United States Air Force and United States Army, and identical to that worn by majors in the United States Marine Corps. In all dress uniforms, they wear sleeve braid or shoulder boards bearing a single gold quarter-inch stripe between two gold half-inch strips (nominal size). In the case of officers of the U.S. Navy, above or inboard of the stripes, they wear their specialty insignia, notably a star for officers of the line, crossed oak leaves for Civil Engineer Corps.

See also

References

  1. "Lieutenant Commander". Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  2. J. G. Ballinger to Commodore Bertholf. Letter Received 19 April 1916. USCG Records
  3. Navy Circular 28762-115
  4. "United States Department of Defense". www.defenselink.mil. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
United States uniformed services commissioned officer and officer candidate ranks
Pay grade / branch of service Officer
candidate 		O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6 O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10 Wartime
grade 		Special
grade
Insignia alt=alt=Second lieutenant / Ensign alt=alt=First lieutenant / Lieutenant (junior grade) alt=alt=alt=Captain / Lieutenant alt=alt=Major / Lieutenant commander alt=alt=Lieutenant colonel / Commander alt=alt=Colonel / Captain alt=alt=Brigadier general / Rear admiral (lower half) alt=alt=Major General / Rear admiral alt=alt=Lieutenant general / Vice admiral alt=alt=General / Admiral alt=alt=General of the Air Force / General of the Army / Fleet Admiral
Army CDT / OC 2LT 1LT CPT MAJ LTC COL BG MG LTG GEN GA GAS
Marine Corps Midn / Cand 2ndLt 1stLt Capt Maj LtCol Col BGen MajGen LtGen Gen
Navy MIDN / OC ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR CAPT RDML RADM VADM ADM FADM
Air Force Cdt / OT 2d Lt 1st Lt Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Gen Maj Gen Lt Gen Gen GAF
Space Force Cdt / OT 2d Lt 1st Lt Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Gen Maj Gen Lt Gen Gen
Coast Guard CDT / OC ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR CAPT RDML RADM VADM ADM
PHS Corps OC ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR CAPT RDML RADM VADM ADM
NOAA Corps OC ENS LTJG LT LCDR CDR CAPT RDML RADM VADM
No universal insignia for officer candidate rank
No official insignia and not currently listed by the Army as an obtainable rank. John J. Pershing's GAS insignia: General of the Armies (collar) General of the Armies (epaulettes)
These ranks are reserved for wartime use only, and are still listed as ranks within their respective services
Grade is authorized by the U.S. Code for use but has not been created
Grade has never been created or authorized
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