US Navy and Coast Guard Rank Abbreviations
31 abbreviations · part of Military Abbreviations
Rank abbreviations of the US Navy and US Coast Guard, which share one rank structure, from Seaman Recruit (SR) to Fleet Admiral (FADM). Enlisted sailors below chief are identified by a "rate" that joins their rating (job) to their pay grade, so a second class petty officer who is a boatswain's mate is written BM2. Navy style writes officer abbreviations in capitals (LCDR, CAPT), which matters because a Navy CAPT is an O-6 while an Army, Air Force or Marine Corps captain is an O-3.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ADM | Admiral | Highest active Navy and Coast Guard rank, pay grade O-10, worn as four stars. |
| AN | Airman (US Navy) | Navy E-3 rank for apprentices in the aviation group, marked by three green diagonal stripes. |
| CAPT | Captain (US Navy and Coast Guard) | Senior officer rank at pay grade O-6 in the Navy and Coast Guard, insignia a silver eagle or four gold sleeve stripes. |
| CDR | Commander | Navy and Coast Guard officer rank at pay grade O-5, shown by a silver oak leaf or three gold sleeve stripes. |
| CMDCM | Command Master Chief | Navy master chief assigned as the senior enlisted leader of a ship, submarine, squadron or shore command, advising the commanding officer on enlisted matters. |
| CN | Constructionman | Navy E-3 rank for apprentices in the construction group, the junior Seabees who train toward ratings such as builder, equipment operator, steelworker and utilitiesman. |
| CPO | Chief Petty Officer | Senior enlisted rank at pay grade E-7 in the Navy and Coast Guard. |
| CWO | Chief Warrant Officer | Commissioned warrant officer title used by the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard for pay grades W-2 to W-5, written CWO2, CWO3, CWO4 and CWO5. |
| ENS | Ensign | Lowest commissioned officer rank in the US Navy and Coast Guard, pay grade O-1, worn as a gold bar or a single half-inch gold sleeve stripe. |
| FADM | Fleet Admiral | Five-star US Navy rank created in December 1944, equal to General of the Army. |
| FN | Fireman | Engineering-group apprentice rank at pay grade E-3 in the Navy and Coast Guard, recognized by three red diagonal stripes. |
| HN | Hospitalman | Navy E-3 rank for junior members of the Hospital Corps, the enlisted medical force. |
| LCDR | Lieutenant Commander | Mid-grade officer rank, O-4, in the Navy and Coast Guard, insignia a gold oak leaf or two gold sleeve stripes with a narrow stripe between them. |
| LDO | Limited Duty Officer | Navy and Marine Corps commissioned officer selected from senior enlisted members or warrant officers to serve as a technical manager in a specific field. |
| LT | Lieutenant (US Navy and Coast Guard) | Sea-service officer rank at pay grade O-3 in the Navy and Coast Guard, worn as two silver bars or two gold sleeve stripes, equal to a captain in the Army, Air Force and… |
| LTJG | Lieutenant Junior Grade | Navy and Coast Guard officer rank at pay grade O-2, shown by a single silver bar or one wide and one narrow gold sleeve stripe. |
| MCPO | Master Chief Petty Officer | Highest regular Navy and Coast Guard enlisted rank, pay grade E-9, shown by two stars above the eagle. |
| MCPOCG | Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard | Senior enlisted position of the US Coast Guard, adviser to the Commandant on enlisted personnel matters and the service's top enlisted leader. |
| MCPON | Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy | Single most senior enlisted position in the US Navy, advising the chief of naval operations on sailors' welfare, training and policy. |
| MIDN | Midshipman | Title and abbreviation for students at the US Naval Academy and in Naval ROTC who are training to become Navy or Marine Corps officers. |
| PO | Petty Officer | Generic title for Navy and Coast Guard enlisted members in pay grades E-4 to E-6, the naval equivalent of noncommissioned officers. |
| PO1 | Petty Officer First Class | Senior petty officer grade, E-6, worn in both the Navy and Coast Guard as three chevrons below the eagle. |
| PO2 | Petty Officer Second Class | Pay grade E-5 for Navy and Coast Guard petty officers, shown by two chevrons beneath the eagle and rating badge. |
| PO3 | Petty Officer Third Class | First petty officer grade in the Navy and Coast Guard, pay grade E-4, worn as an eagle over one chevron and the sailor's rating badge. |
| RADM | Rear Admiral (upper half) | Two-star flag officer rank of the Navy and Coast Guard, pay grade O-8, commanding major strike groups, naval regions, systems commands and large staffs. |
| RDML | Rear Admiral (lower half) | Navy and Coast Guard one-star flag officer rank, pay grade O-7. |
| SA | Seaman Apprentice | Navy and Coast Guard enlisted rank at pay grade E-2 in the seaman (deck and administrative) apprenticeship group, shown by two diagonal stripes. |
| SCPO | Senior Chief Petty Officer | E-8 rank of the Navy and Coast Guard, created in 1958 together with master chief. |
| SN | Seaman | Third enlisted grade (E-3) for Navy and Coast Guard sailors in the seaman apprenticeship group, worn as three diagonal stripes. |
| SR | Seaman Recruit | Entry enlisted rank in the US Navy and Coast Guard, pay grade E-1, held by most recruits during boot camp. |
| VADM | Vice Admiral | Three-star flag officer grade, O-9, in the Navy and Coast Guard, held by numbered fleet commanders, Navy deputy chiefs and senior joint commanders. |
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