Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant is the lowest
commissioned rank in many armed forces.
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
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.
|
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." The corresponding
United States Coast Guard and
United States Navy rank is
Ensign.
*
Afghanistan:
Dvahom Baridman*
Albania:
Nëntoger*
Arabic-speaking countries except
Bahrain,
Oman,
Sudan,
Yemen and former French colonies in North Africa: ملازم (
Mulazim)
*
Argentina,
Cuba,
Nicaragua,
Paraguay and
Peru:
Teniente*
Armenia: լեյտենանտ (
Leytenant)
*
Azerbaijan and
Uzbekistan:
Leytenant*
Bahrain,
Oman,
Sudan and
Yemen: ملازم ثان (
Mulazim Thani)
*
Belgium:
Sous-Lieutenant (French);
Onderluitenant (Dutch)
*
Bhutan:
Deda Wom*
Bolivia,
Chile,
Colombia,
Ecuador,
El Salvador,
Guatemala,
Honduras and
Panama:
Subteniente*
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Podporucnik*
Brazil and
Angola:
Segundo Tenente*
Cambodia:
Ak-no-say-ney-trey*
Cape Verde and
Guinea-Bissau:
Tenente*
People's Republic of China and
Taiwan: 少尉 (
Shaowei)
*
Imperial China: 下等第三级 (
Xie jun xiao)
*
Croatia:
Poručnik*
Czech Republic,
Slovakia and
Czechoslovakia:
Poručík*
Denmark:
Løjtnant*
Dominican Republic:
Segundo Teniente*
Estonia:
Nooremleitnant*
Finland:
Vänrikki*
France and all
French-speaking non-European countries:
Sous-Lieutenant*
Georgia: ლ"იტ"ნანტი (
Leytenanti)
*
Germany and
Austria:
Leutnant;
Untersturmführer (
SS)
*
Greece and
Cyprus:
Anthypolochagos (army);
Anthyposminagos (air force)
*
Hungary:
Hadnagy*
Indonesia:
Letnan Dua*
Iran: ستوان دوم (
Setvan Dovom)
*
Republic of Ireland: Second Lieutenant (English);
Dara-Lefteanant (Irish)
*
Israel: ס'ן משנ" (
Segen mishne)
*
Italy:
Sottotenente*
Japan:
Santō Rikui (or
San'i) (modern);
Shōi (historical)
*
North Korea and
South Korea:
Sowi*
Laos:
Roitrïäkäd*
Latvia:
Lietnants*
Lithuania:
Leitenantas*
Luxembourg:
Lieutenant*
Malaysia:
Leftenan Muda*
Nepal:
Sahayak-Senani*
Netherlands and
Suriname:
Tweede-Luitenant*
Norway:
Fenrik*
Ottoman Empire:
Mülazım*
Poland:
Podporucznik*
Portugal and
Mozambique:
Alferes*
Romania:
Sublocotenent (modern);
Locotenent (former)
*
Russia,
Belarus,
Bulgaria,
Kazakhstan,
Ukraine and
Soviet Union: Лейтенант (
Leytenant)*
Russian Empire: Подпоручик (
Podporuchik); Kорнет (
Kornet) (cavalry)
*
Serbia,
Republic of Macedonia and
Yugoslavia: Лотпоручник (
Potporucnik)
*
Slovenia:
Poročnik*
Spain and
Equatorial Guinea:
Alférez*
Sweden:
Fänrik*
Switzerland:
Leutnant (German);
Lieutenant (French);
Tenente (Italian)
*
Thailand:
Roi Tri*
Turkey:
Teğmen*
Uruguay:
Teniente Segundo*
Venezuela:
Subteniente (army);
Alférez (air force)
*
Vietnam:
Thieu Uy*
Comparative military ranks*
British Army officer rank insignia*
U.S. Army officer rank insignia*
Cornet (military rank)
