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Commissioned Officer Insignia, US Military

US Military Commissioned Officer Insignia O-1 Through O-10.

US Military Commissioned Officer Insignia O-1 Through O-10. US Department of Defense, 2022. GGA Image ID # 1b4b9e9656

The commissioned ranks are the highest in the military. These officers hold presidential commissions and are confirmed at their ranks by the Senate. Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps officers are called company grade officers in the paygrades of O-1 to O-3, field grade officers in paygrades O-4 to O-6, and general officers in paygrades O-7 and higher. The equivalent officer groupings in the Navy are called junior grade, mid-grade, and flag.

Naval officers wear distinctively different rank devices depending upon the uniform they're wearing. The three basic uniforms and rank devices used are:

  • Khakis, collar insignia pins.
  • Whites, stripes on shoulder boards.
  • Blues, stripes sewn on the lower coat sleeves.

US Army Shoulder Insignia

The rank of officers in the United States Army is indicated by insignia, usually made of metal, worn on the shoulders. There are three classes of United States Army officers: general officers, including a brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general, and general; field officers: major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel; company officers: second lieutenant, first lieutenant, and captain. General officers not wearing a coat wear rank insignia on both sides of a shirt collar. Other officers wear rank insignia on the right of the collar and the branch of service on the left.

US Navy Officer Shoulder Marks

The rank of officers in the Navy is shown by shoulder markings, sleeve markings, and collar devices. If an officer is a general duty or line officer, he wears a star in place of the branch insignia, as shown below.

"How to Identify United States Forces," The U.S. Office of War Information, US 724, July 1944.

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Commissioned Officer Insignia
GG Archives

Primary Military Collections

The Folks Behind the GG Archives

The GG Archives is the work and passion of two people, Paul Gjenvick, a professional archivist, and Evelyne Gjenvick, a curator. Paul earned a Masters of Archival Studies - a terminal degree from Clayton State University in Georgia, where he studied under renowned archivist Richard Pearce-Moses. Our research into the RMS Laconia and SS Bergensfjord, the ships that brought two members of the Gjønvik family from Norway to the United States in the early 20th century, has helped us design our site for other genealogists. The extent of original materials at the GG Archives can be very beneficial when researching your family's migration from Europe.