Line Officer - United States Forces

United States Forces

Officers of the United States Navy
  • Unrestricted Line Officer and Restricted Line Officer
  • Line officers and Staff corps
  • Limited Duty Officer
  • Chief Warrant Officer
  • List of Naval Officer Designators

In the United States Navy, Line officers are divided into unrestricted line officers and restricted line officers. Line officers wear an inverted gold star above their rank stripes on their dress blue uniforms and, in the case of Captains and below, on their shoulder boards in whites. When wearing khakis or utility/working uniforms, they wear their rank insignia on both collar points. The Navy refers to non-line officers as Staff Corps officers. Both Line and Staff Corps officers may be assigned as "staff officers" serving on the staff of a senior officer. Staff Corps officers wear their corps insignia, rather than the line officer's star, placed over their sleeve/shoulder board stripes on blues and whites and on their left collar point on khakis and utility/working uniforms.

In the United States Marine Corps, all officers including warrant officers and limited duty officers (LDOs) are line officers, trained to command combat units. Unlike the Navy, the Marine Corps does not have Staff Corps, consequently all Marine Engineer, Supply, and Judge Advocates are line officers.

In the United States Air Force, officers assigned to the Medical, Judge Advocate, Nurse, Medical Services (healthcare administration), Biosciences, and Chaplain Corps are professional officers. All other officers belong to the Line of the Air Force (LAF).

All officers of the United States Coast Guard are considered line officers and wear the Coast Guard shield in lieu of the inverted star.

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