Lieutenant colonel - Definition and Overview

In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. In the U.S. Navy, the rank of lieutenant colonel is comparable to the rank of commander. The insignia for all four positions is a silver oak leaf.

In the British Army and Royal Marines, a lieutenant colonel wears a crown above a pip. The crown has varied in the past with different monarchs; the current one being the Crown of St Edward.

See also

• Comparative military ranks
• U.S. Army officer rank insignia
• British Army officer rank insignia

British commissioned officer ranks
	Student Officer	OF(D)	OF-1	OF-2	OF-3	OF-4	OF-5	OF-6	OF-7	OF-8	OF-9	OF-10
Royal Navy:	OCdt	Mid	SLt	Lt	Lt Cdr	Cdr	Capt	Cdre	RAdm	VAdm	Adm	Admiral of the Fleet
Royal Marines:	OCdt		2Lt - Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig	Maj Gen	Lt Gen	Gen
Army:	OCdt	OD	2Lt - Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig	Maj Gen	Lt Gen	Gen	Field Marshal
Royal Air Force:	OCdt	OD	PO - FO	Flt Lt	Sqn Ldr	Wg Cdr	Gp Capt	ACdre	AVM	AM	ACM	MRAF