Line officers (or officers of the line) derive their name from the 18th-century tactic of employing warships in a line of battle to take advantage of cannon on each side of the ship.There are also a small number of direct commissioned officers, primarily staff corps officers in the medical, dental, nurse, chaplain and judge advocate general career fields.Ĭommissioned officers can generally be divided into line officers and staff corps:

The official term for this process is a promotion.Ĭommissioned naval officers originate from the United States Naval Academy, the United States Merchant Marine Academy, other Service Academies (United States Military Academy, United States Coast Guard Academy, or United States Air Force Academy), Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), Officer Candidate School (OCS), the since-disestablished Aviation Officer Candidate School (AOCS), and a host of other commissioning programs such as the 'Seaman to Admiral-21' program and the limited duty officer/ chief warrant officer (LDO/CWO) selection program. If an officer demonstrates superior performance and proves themselves capable of performing at the next higher pay grade, then they are given an increase in pay grade. The last living fleet admiral, Chester W. All five-star officers are, technically, unable to retire from active duty. However, the rank of fleet admiral still remains listed on official rank insignia precedence charts and, if needed, this rank could be reestablished at the discretion of Congress and the President.

It was awarded to four officers during World War II and has not been authorized since.

Fleet admiral was a five-star flag officer rank.

O-7 through O-10 are flag officers: rear admiral (lower half) ( one star), rear admiral ( two stars), vice admiral ( three stars), and admiral ( four stars).

O-5 and O-6 are senior officers: commander and captain.

O-1 through O-4 are junior officers: ensign, lieutenant (junior grade), lieutenant, and lieutenant commander.

Officers appointed to these grades are done via commission. Chief warrant officers (CWO2 to CWO5) are appointed via commission.

W-2 to W-5 for chief warrant officers.

Warrant officers appointed to this grade are normally done via a warrant from the Secretary of the Navy.

Civil War U.S. Navy enlisted ranks