Lieutenant
[The pronunciation of ''lieutenant'' is generally split between , , generally in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Commonwealth countries, and , , generally associated with the United States. See ]lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
. (abbreviated Lt, LT (U.S.), LT(USN), Lieut and LEUT, depending on nation) is a
commissioned officer rank in many English-speaking nations'
navies and
coast guards. It is typically the most senior of
junior officer ranks. In most navies, the rank's insignia may consist of two medium gold braid stripes, the uppermost stripe featuring an
executive curl in many
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, often referred to as the British Commonwealth or simply the Commonwealth, is an International organization, international association of member states of the Commonwealth of Nations, 56 member states, the vast majo ...
; or three stripes of equal or unequal width.
The now immediately senior rank of
lieutenant commander was formerly a senior naval lieutenant rank. Many navies also use a subordinate rank of
sub-lieutenant. The appointment of "first lieutenant" in many navies is held by a senior lieutenant.
This naval lieutenant ranks higher than an
army lieutenants; within
NATO countries the naval rank of lieutenant is a
OF-2 and is the equivalent rank of an
army captain. Other nations will use a naval
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
rank equivalent to an army lieutenant.
History
From at least 1580,
[ the lieutenant on a ship had been the officer immediately subordinate to the captain. Before the ]English Restoration
The Stuart Restoration was the reinstatement in May 1660 of the Stuart monarchy in Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland. It replaced the Commonwealth of England, established in January 164 ...
, lieutenants were appointed by their captains, and this inevitably led to abuses and to the widespread appointment of men of insufficient qualification. In 1677, Samuel Pepys, while he was Chief Secretary to the Admiralty, introduced the first examination for lieutenant, and thereafter their seniority was dated from the passing of this examination.
A lieutenant was numbered by his seniority within the ship on which he served, so that a frigate (which was entitled to three) would have a first, a second, and a third lieutenant. A first-rate ship was entitled to six, and they were numbered accordingly. At first, a lieutenant's commission was given only for the particular ship in which he served, but after the loss of HMS ''Wager'' in 1741 and the subsequent mutiny, the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
changed its policy and lieutenants were given more general commissions upon passing their examination.
During the early days of the naval rank, some lieutenants could be very junior indeed, while others could be on the cusp of promotion to captain; those lieutenants ranged across present-day army ranks from a second lieutenant through to a lieutenant colonel. As the rank structure of navies stabilized, and the ranks of commander, lieutenant commander, and sub-lieutenant (or lieutenant, junior grade in the U.S. services) were introduced, the rank of naval lieutenant became less wide-ranging and is today the equivalent of an army captain.
Promotion
In the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
, promotion to lieutenant is governed by United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...
policies derived from the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA) of 1980. The United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
follows the same policy regarding promotion to lieutenant. DOPMA guidelines suggest that at least 95% of lieutenants (junior grade) should be promoted to lieutenant after serving a minimum of two years at the lower rank.
In the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
, promotion to lieutenant is done in line with seniority. Officers are typically promoted after serving as a sub-lieutenants (OF-1) for 30 months. However, promotion may be quicker if a candidate has previous naval service and commissions from the ranks (upper yardsman/senior upper yardsman).
"First lieutenant" in naval usage
The first lieutenant (1st Lt or 1LT) in the Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
and other Commonwealth navies, is a post or appointment, rather than a rank. Historically, the lieutenants in a ship were ranked in accordance with seniority, with the most senior being termed the first lieutenant and acting as the second-in-command. Although lieutenants are no longer numbered by seniority, the post of "first lieutenant" remains.
In minor war vessels, destroyers and frigates, the first lieutenant (either a lieutenant or lieutenant commander) is second in command, executive officer (XO) and head of the executive branch; in larger ships, where a commander of the warfare specialisation is appointed as the executive officer, a first lieutenant (normally a lieutenant commander) is appointed as his deputy. The post of first lieutenant in a shore establishment carries a similar responsibility to that of the first lieutenant of a capital ship.
In the U.S. Navy or U.S. Coast Guard, the billet of first lieutenant describes the officer in charge of the deck department or division, depending on the size of the ship. In smaller ships that have only a single deck division, the billet is typically filled by an ensign; while in larger ships, with a deck department consisting of multiple subordinate divisions, the billet may be filled by a lieutenant commander. On submarines and smaller Coast Guard cutters, the billet of first lieutenant may be filled by a petty officer.
Rank insignia
The insignia of a lieutenant in many navies, including the Royal Navy, consists of two medium gold braid stripes (top stripe with loop) on a navy blue or black background. This pattern was copied by the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps), and various air force
An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...
s (primarily those of the United Kingdom, British Commonwealth, and nations formerly aligned with the Crown) for their equivalent ranks and grades, except that the executive curl is removed (see flight lieutenant).
In the United States, contingent on the type of uniform worn, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, USPHS Commissioned Corps, and NOAA Corps lieutenants also wear pin-on metal collar, shoulder, or headgear insignia, or cloth shoulder, collar, tabbed, or headgear insignia identical to that of a United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...
captain and similar to that of a United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
, United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
, or United States Space Force captain.
Gallery
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Royal Australian Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-3.svg, Lieutenant
( Royal Bahamas Defence Force)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Bangladesh Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Barbados Coast Guard)
File:Belize_Coast_Guard_OF-2.svg, Lieutenant
( Belize Coast Guard)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg,
( Royal Brunei Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
(Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...
)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Republic of Fiji Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Gambian Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Ghana Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Guyana Coast Guard)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
(Indian Navy
The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...
)
File:Generic-Navy-(star)-O3.svg, Lieutenant
( Irish Naval Service)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Jamaican Coast Guard)
File:Generic-Navy-(star)-O3.svg, Lieutenant
( Liberian National Coast Guard)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg,
(Royal Malaysian Navy
The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN, ; Jawi alphabet, Jawi: ) is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defence operations. RMN's area of operation consists of 603,2 ...
)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Namibian Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
(Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; ) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of eight ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser , whi ...
)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Nigerian Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Pakistan Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Papua New Guinea Maritime Element)
File:PN LTSG BlkDr-Slv.svg, Lieutenant
( Philippine Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Saint Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Sierra Leone Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( South African Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
(Sri Lanka Navy
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) (; ) is the navy, naval arm of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is classed as the country's most vital defence force due to its island geography. It is responsible for the maritime defence of the Sri Lankan nation and its ...
)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Tanzania Naval Command)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Tongan Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
(Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
)
File:Generic-Navy-(star v2)-O3.svg, Lieutenant
(United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
)
File:US-CoastGuard-O3.svg, Lieutenant
(United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
)
File:Generic-Navy-4.svg, Lieutenant
( Vanuatu Maritime Wing)
See also
* Captain lieutenant
* List of comparative military ranks
Notes
References
{{US officer ranks, collapse=collapsed
Military ranks of the Royal Navy
Military ranks of the United States Navy
Military ranks of the United States Coast Guard
Naval ranks