Navy Officer Rank Chart

Information courtesy of www.navy.mil

Rank Insignia—Navy Commissioned and Warrant Officers

Navy officers wear their rank devices in different places on their uniforms, depending on the uniform. The three basic uniforms and the type of rank devices are: khakis (a working uniform) — pins on the collar; whites — stripes on shoulder boards; and, blues — stripes sewn on the lower sleeve.

Shoulder boards are also worn on bridge coats and reefers. The collar devices are also worn on the right side of the garrison cap (a miniature officer's crest is worn on the left) and slightly larger devices are worn on the epaulets of the raincoat and working jacket.

Additionally, line officers wear a star above the stripes of the shoulder boards or sleeves but staff and warrant officers wear specialty insignia.

*The rank of Fleet Admiral has been reserved for war time use only. The last Fleet Admirals were in World War II. Fleet Admirals during that war were Chester W. Nimitz, William D. Leahy, Ernest J. King, and William F. Halsey.

* The grade of Warrant Officer (W-1) is no longer in use. W-5 was established in the Navy in 2002.

Specialty Insignia—Staff Corps

Commissioned officers in the Navy are either Line officers or Staff Corps officers. Those of the Staff Corps are specialists in career fields which are professions unto themselves, such as physicians, lawyers, civil engineers, etc. Staff Corps officers wear their specialty insignia on the sleeve of the dress blue uniforms and on their shoulder boards in place of the star worn by Line officers. On Winter Blue and khaki uniforms, the specialty insignia is a collar device worn on the left collar while the rank device is worn on the right.

Specialty Insignia—LDO and Warrant

Commissioned officers in the Navy are either Line officers or Staff Corps officers. Some have advanced through the enlisted rates and are designated for duty in certain technical fields. These are Limited Duty Officers (LDO) and commissioned warrant officers (CWO). CWOs and Staff corps LDOs wear their specialty insignia on the sleeve of the dress blue uniforms and on their shoulder boards in place of the star worn by Line officers. On Winter Blue and khaki uniforms, the specialty insignia is a collar device worn on the left collar while the rank device is worn on the right.