First Lieutenant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
First Lieutenant is a military rank.
The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations (see comparative military ranks), but in all cases it is common for it to be divided.
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[edit] United Kingdom
In the British Army and Royal Marines, the rank is only Lieutenant, with no ordinal attached.
The Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and Fusilier regiments, the only branches which used Second Lieutenant (instead of Ensign or Cornet), did use the term First Lieutenant, but this ended when the whole Army switched to using Second Lieutenant in 1871.
In the Royal Navy, the rank of Lieutenant is equivalent to that of a Captain in the army, and First Lieutenant is a position rather than a rank.
In the days of sail, the Lieutenants in a ship were ranked according to their seniority (i.e. how long they had been a Lieutenant), with the senior being the First Lieutenant, followed by the Second Lieutenant, Third Lieutenant, etc. The First Lieutenant (familiarly known as the "Number One") was the second-in-command (unless the ship was big enough to carry a Commander as well as a Captain, which sometimes happened from the mid-19th century onwards). When this system was abolished in the late 19th century, the position of First Lieutenant (only) was retained, remaining as second-in-command of a smaller ship or third-in-command of a larger ship.
Today, the First Lieutenant often holds the rank of Lieutenant-Commander. In smaller ships he also holds the position of Executive Officer, although in larger ships he is the XO's deputy.
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Officer ranks of the  British Armed Forces |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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: | Mid | SLt | Lt | Lt Cdr | Cdr | Capt | Cdre | RAdm | VAdm | Adm | Adm of the Fleet | ||
| Royal Marines: | 2Lt | Lt | Capt | Maj | Lt Col | Col | Brig | Maj Gen | Lt Gen | Gen | |||
| Army: | OCdt | 2Lt | Lt | Capt | Maj | Lt Col | Col | Brig | Maj Gen | Lt Gen | Gen | FM | |
| Royal Air Force: | OC / SO | APO / Plt Off | Fg Off | Flt Lt | Sqn Ldr | Wg Cdr | Gp Capt | Air Cdre | AVM | Air Mshl | Air Chf Mshl | MRAF | |
[edit] United States
[edit] US Army, US Air Force, US Marine Corps
In the United States Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, First Lieutenant (O-2) is the second-lowest ranking commissioned officer. It is one grade above the rank of Second Lieutenant (O-1), and promoted after 18 (Army) to 24 (Air Force, Marine Corps) months of commissioned service. It is a common perception that a First Lieutenant may have increased duties and responsibilities. In reality, the difference between the two ranks of Lieutenant is minimal, the primary difference being experience. It is not uncommon to see officers moved to positions requiring more experience sometime after promotion to First Lieutenant. For example, in the Army these positions can include leading a specialty platoon, or assignment as the Executive Officer for a company-sized unit (65-150 Soldiers). In the Air Force a First Lieutenant may be an element leader, although in the operations group a first lieutenant is generally a pilot fresh out of undergraduate pilot training and generally has few supervisory responsibilities.
[edit] US Navy and US Coast Guard
In the United States Navy, First Lieutenant is a position title and is held by the officer in command of the Deck department. On smaller ships, a First Lieutenant holds the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade or Ensign. On larger vessels, the position is held by a Lieutenant or, in the case of extremely large warships such as aircraft carriers, a Lieutenant Commander or even full Commander. However, on US submarines, where the deck department may only have a few junior sailors, the First Lieutenant may be a senior enlisted member, such as a first class petty officer or chief petty officer.
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| Student Officer |
O-1 | O-2 | O-3 | O-4 | O-5 | O-6 | O-7 | O-8 | O-9 | O-10 | O-11 (wartime only) |
Special Grade |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navy: | MIDN/OC | ENS | LTJG | LT | LCDR | CDR | CAPT | RDML | RADM | VADM | ADM | FADM | Admiral of the Navy |
| Marine Corps: | Midn | 2ndLt | 1stLt | Capt | Maj | LtCol | Col | BGen | MajGen | LtGen | Gen | (no equivalent) | (no equivalent) |
| Army: | CDT/OC | 2LT | 1LT | CPT | MAJ | LTC | COL | BG | MG | LTG | GEN | General of the Army |
General of the Armies |
| Air Force: | Cadet | 2nd Lt | 1st Lt | Capt | Maj | Lt Col | Col | Brig Gen | Maj Gen | Lt Gen | Gen | General of the Air Force |
(no equivalent) |
| Coast Guard: | CDT | ENS | LTJG | LT | LCDR | CDR | CAPT | RDML | RADM | VADM | ADM | (no equivalent) | (no equivalent) |
[edit] Other countries
- Afghanistan: Lomri Baridman
- Albania: Toger
- Arabic-speaking countries except former French colonies in North Africa: Mulazim Awwal
- Argentina: Teniente Primero (army); Primer Teniente (air force)
- Azerbaijan: Baş Leytenant
- Belgium: Lieutenant (French); Luitenant (Dutch)
- Bhutan: Deda Gom
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Poručnik
- Brazil, Angola and Cape Verde: Primeiro Tenente
- Cambodia: Ak-no-say-ney-tor
- People’s Republic of China: 中尉 (Zhōngwèi)
- Imperial China (Qing Dynasty): 副軍校 (Fù jūn xiào)
- Croatia: Natporučnik
- Cuba and Dominican Republic: Primer Teniente
- Czech Republic, Slovakia and Czechoslovakia: Nadporučík
- Denmark: Premierløjtnant
- Estonia: Leitnant
- Finland: Luutnantti
- France and all other French-speaking countries: Lieutenant (Air Force/Army), Enseigne de vaisseau de première classe (Navy)
- Georgia: უფროსი ლეიტენანტი (Up’rosi Leytenanti)
- Germany and Austria: Oberleutnant
- Greece and Cyprus: Ypolokhagos (army); Yposminagos (air force)
- Hungary: Főhadnagy
- Indonesia: Letnant Satu
- Iran: ستوان یكم (Setvan Yekom)
- Republic of Ireland: Lieutenant (English); Lefteanant (Irish)
- Israel: סגן (Segen)
- Italy: Tenente
- Japan: Nitō Rikui (or Nii) (modern); Chūi (historical)
- North Korea and South Korea: 중위 (Jungwi)
- Laos: Roithõäkäd
- Latvia: Virsleitnants
- Lithuania: Vyresnysis Leitenantas
- Luxembourg: Premier Lieutenant
- Malaysia: Leftenan
- Nepal: Upa-Senani
- Serbia, Republic of Macedonia and Yugoslavia: Поручник (Poručnik)
- Netherlands: Eerste-Luitenant
- Nicaragua, Paraguay and Uruguay: Teniente Primero
- Norway: Løytnant
- Pakistan : Lieutenant (Army)
- Poland: Porucznik
- Portugal and Mozambique: Tenente
- Romania: Locotenent (current); Locotenet-Major (Warsaw Pact)
- Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Soviet Union: Cтарший Лейтенант (Starshiy Leytenant)
- Slovenia: Nadporočnik
- Spain and all other Spanish-speaking countries except Argentina, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Uruguay: Teniente
- Suriname: Luitenant
- Sweden: Löjtnant
- Switzerland: Oberleutnant (German); Premier Lieutenant (French); Primotenente (Italian)
- Taiwan: 中尉(Chungwei)
- Thailand: Roi Tho
- Turkey: Űsteğmen
- Uzbekistan: Katta Leytenant
- Vietnam: Trung Uy
