AF101 · Lesson 136 of 142
Officer Rank Structure
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Commissioned officers exercise command over military units. Becoming an officer requires at least a bachelor's degree, with commissioning paths through Air Force ROTC, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and Officer Training School (OTS). Officer pay grades run from O-1 to O-10. On the service dress uniform the rank is a metal device worn on the shoulders or epaulets. On the OCP combat uniform it is spice brown, except First Lieutenant and Lieutenant Colonel insignia, which are black for visibility.
Officers fall into four categories.
Company Grade Officers (O-1 to O-3)
| Pay Grade | Rank | Abbreviation | Insignia |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-1 | Second Lieutenant | 2d Lt | One gold bar |
| O-2 | First Lieutenant | 1st Lt | One silver bar |
| O-3 | Captain | Capt | Two silver bars connected |
Field Grade Officers (O-4 to O-6)
| Pay Grade | Rank | Abbreviation | Insignia |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-4 | Major | Maj | Gold oak leaf |
| O-5 | Lieutenant Colonel | Lt Col | Silver oak leaf |
| O-6 | Colonel | Col | Silver eagle |
General Officers (O-7 to O-10)
| Pay Grade | Rank | Abbreviation | Insignia |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-7 | Brigadier General | Brig Gen | One silver star |
| O-8 | Major General | Maj Gen | Two silver stars |
| O-9 | Lieutenant General | Lt Gen | Three silver stars |
| O-10 | General | Gen | Four silver stars |
Forms of address: use the full rank or its short form. "Lieutenant" covers both 2d Lt and 1st Lt, "Colonel" covers both Lt Col and Col, and "General" covers any general officer.
Warrant Officers (W-1 to W-5)
After more than 60 years without them, the Air Force reintroduced warrant officers in 2024. The first cohort graduated from the U.S. Air Force Warrant Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, on December 6, 2024. Warrant officers are technical specialists who hold a separate pay grade tier between enlisted Airmen and commissioned officers. For now the program is limited to the information technology and cyber career fields.
By law (10 U.S.C. § 571), the authorized grades run from W-1 through W-5. A W-1 serves under a warrant; on promotion to W-2 and above, a chief warrant officer holds a presidential commission.
| Pay Grade | Rank | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| W-1 | Warrant Officer 1 | WO1 |
| W-2 | Chief Warrant Officer 2 | CW2 |
| W-3 | Chief Warrant Officer 3 | CW3 |
| W-4 | Chief Warrant Officer 4 | CW4 |
| W-5 | Chief Warrant Officer 5 | CW5 |
Forms of address: WO1 is addressed as "Warrant Officer"; W-2 through W-5 are addressed as "Chief Warrant Officer" or simply "Chief."
Note: Because the program is new and aimed at experienced technical Airmen, initial appointments to date have been made in the chief warrant officer grades (W-2 through W-5) rather than at W-1.
Special Officer Positions
- Chaplain: addressed as "Chaplain" regardless of rank, or by a denominational title such as Father, Rabbi, or Imam.
- Doctor: addressed by military rank or as "Doctor."
Space Force note: Guardian officers share the same pay grades and titles, with differences only in insignia styling.