|
Pay Grade |
Insignia |
Abbreviation |
NATO Code |
Rank |
|
O-1 |
 |
2nd Lt |
OF-1 |
Second
Lieutenant |
|
O-2 |
 |
1st Lt |
OF-2 |
First
Lieutenant |
|
O-3 |
 |
Capt |
OF-3 |
Captain
|
|
O-4 |
 |
Maj |
OF-4 |
Major
|
|
O-5 |
 |
Lt Col |
OF-5 |
Lieutenant
Colonel |
|
O-6 |
 |
Col |
OF-6 |
Colonel
|
|
O-7 |
 |
Brig Gen |
OF-7 |
Brigadier
General |
|
O-8 |
 |
Maj Gen |
OF-8 |
Major General
|
|
O-9 |
 |
Lt Gen |
OF-9 |
Lieutenant
General |
|
O-10 |
 |
Gen |
OF-10 |
General
|
|
special |
 |
Gen-USAF |
OF-11 |
General of the
Air Force |
The ranks are divided into three sections: company grade, field
grade, and general officers. Company grade are those officers of
grades O-1 to O-3. Field grade officers are those of grades O-4 to
O-6. General officers are those of O-7 and above.
Currently, promotion from 2d Lt to 1st Lt is virtually guaranteed
after two years of service. The promotion from 1st Lt to Captain is
likewise virtually guaranteed after successfully completing another
two years of service.
Promotion to Captain and above is through a board process. An
officer's record is reviewed by a selection board at the Air Force
Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
This process occurs at approximately three years for promotion to
Captain, and between the nine- and eleven-year mark where a certain
percentage will be selected for Major. This process will repeat at
the 13-16 year mark for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and then
around the twenty-year mark for promotion to Colonel.
Although the value of gold is higher than that of silver, the color
silver outranks gold in United States officer insignia. This is
because silver was originally the only color used, and when it was
decided that additional colors were to be added, silver was chosen
to outrank gold because there were more colonels with silver eagles
than colonels with gold eagles.
|
