Lieutenant commander (United States)

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 Corps, lieutenant commander (LCDR) is a junior officer rank, with the pay grade of O-4. Lieutenant commander ranks above lieutenant and below commander. Lieutenant commander is equivalent to the rank of major in the other uniformed services.

While the gold oak leaf collar insignia worn by United States Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps Majors is also worn by lieutenant commanders, they also wear on various uniforms the two medium and one narrow sleeve and shoulder braid stripe insignia like their counterparts in the Royal Navy, though with a specialty insignia instead of a loop. In this illustration, the inverted star of a line officer is used.

In both the US Navy and US Coast Guard, the three classes of commissioned officers: flag, senior, and junior differ slightly from their Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force counterparts of General, Field Grade, and Company Grade. In the Navy and Coast Guard, the lieutenant commander is the most senior of the junior officer ranks. [cite website| url=http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/insignias/officers.html | title=The United States Military Officer Rank Insignia |publisher= U.S. Department of Defense |accessdate= 2007-08-05]

While a lieutenant commander is paid the same as a major with the same years of service, he or she does not rate the same privileges. In the land and air forces, a major rates better billeting, housing, or berthing than a captain (O-3). The Major's accommodations and privileges are of the same class as a Lieutenant Colonel's and Colonel's. A Lieutenant Commander's is not the same as that of a Commander's or Captain's. The most visible sign is the lack of gold leaves on the brim of the combination cover (or peaked hat). In both the Coast Guard and Navy, the peak is plain patent leather. In the land and air forces, respectively, a Major's peak has gold leaves or silver clouds upon it.

In US Naval Aviation, this difference shows up occasionally in two areas, on board aircraft carriers and in flight training. On US Navy aircraft carriers, Marine Corps Majors with embarked aviation units are assigned senior officer single occupancy staterooms when they are available, while lieutenant commanders are assigned to either two or four man staterooms, but rarely to the 8 man "JO Jungles." In flight training, Air Force and Marine Majors on Navy bases rate senior officer housing. US officer ranks

ee also

* Military unit
* Comparative military ranks
* U.S. Navy officer rank insignia

References