Second lieutenant

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Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned rank in many armed forces

United Kingdom and Commonwealth

In British English the word is pronounced second /lɛf'tɛnənt/, in American English it is pronounced second /lu'tɛnənt/. The rank was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of Ensign (Cornet in the cavalry), although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and Fusilier regiments. At first the rank bore no distinct insignia. In 1902 a single bath star (sometimes referred to as a pip) was introduced; the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain had their number of stars increased by one to (respectively) two and three. The rank is also used by the Royal Marines.

In the Royal Air Force the comparable rank is Pilot Officer. The Royal Navy has no exactly equivalent rank, and a Second Lieutenant is senior to a Royal Navy Midshipman but junior to a Sub-Lieutenant. The Royal New Zealand Navy - breaking with Royal Navy tradition - uses the Ensign grade for this rank equivalent. The Royal Australian Navy also breaks tradition in the sense that it has the equivalent rank of Ensign, but it is titled "Acting Sub Lieutenant."

The Canadian Forces adopted the rank with insignia of a single gold ring around the service dress uniform cuff for both army and air personnel upon unification in 1968. For a time, naval personnel used this rank but reverted to the Royal Canadian Navy rank of Acting Sub-Lieutenant, though the CF Green uniform was retained until the mid-1980s.

A UK Second Lieutenant is normaly paid between £52.65 and £64.95, UK Pounds

United States of America

Insignia of a United States Air Force Second Lieutenant
Insignia of a United States Air Force Second Lieutenant

In the United States, Second Lieutenant is typically the entry-level rank for most Commissioned Officers. A Second Lieutenant typically leads a platoon-size element (16 to 44 soldiers).

In the United States Army, the rank bore no insignia until December of 1917, when a gold bar was introduced to contrast with the silver bar of a First Lieutenant. The rank is also used in the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps. As a result of the gold color of the bars, second lieutenants are often referred to colloquially as "Butterbars" or "Nuggets." The corresponding United States Coast Guard and United States Navy rank is Ensign.

Non-English speaking countries

See also

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