Lieutenant-colonel (Canada)

Last updated

In the Canadian Forces, lieutenant-colonel (LCol, French: lieutenant-colonel or lcol) is a rank for officers who wear army or air force uniform, equal to commander for officers who wear navy uniform. Lieutenant-colonel is the second-highest rank of senior officer. A lieutenant-colonel is senior to a major or lieutenant-commander, and junior to a colonel or naval captain.

The rank insignia for a lieutenant-colonel on air force uniforms is three 1-cm stripes of braid, worn on the cuffs of the service-dress jacket, and on slip-ons on other uniforms. On army uniforms, the rank insignia is one pip and a crown.

Lieutenant-colonels are addressed by rank and name and thereafter by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am".

In the Canadian Army, lieutenant-colonels are often employed as commanding officers of battalion-sized groups, such as infantry battalions, armoured regiments, artillery field regiments, engineer field regiments, signal regiments, field ambulances and service battalions.

In the Royal Canadian Air Force, lieutenant-colonels are often the commanding officer of flying or ground squadrons.

Before unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, rank structure and insignia followed the British pattern.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aide-de-camp</span> Personal assistant or secretary to a person of high rank

An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant or secretary to a person of high rank, usually a senior military, police or government officer, or to a member of a royal family or a head of state.

This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Canadian Armed Forces. As the Canadian Armed Forces is officially bilingual, the French language ranks are presented following the English.

The United States Air Force officer rank insignia in use today.

Chief warrant officer is a senior warrant officer rank, used in many countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mess dress uniform</span> Formal evening dress worn by military personnel

Mess dress uniform is the most formal type of evening-wear uniform used by military personnel, police personnel, and other uniformed services members. It frequently consists of a mess jacket, trousers, white dress shirt and a black bow tie, along with orders and medals insignia. Design may depend on regiment or service branch, e.g. army, navy, air force, marines, etc. In modern Western dress codes, mess dress uniform is the supplementary alternative equivalent to the civilian black tie for evening wear. Mess dress uniforms are typically less formal than full dress uniform, but more formal than service dress uniform.

Colonel is a Canadian Forces rank used by commissioned officers who wear army, air force or special operations uniform. Captain(N) is the equivalent rank for officers who wear navy uniform. A colonel is senior to the army and air force rank of lieutenant-colonel or the naval rank of commander, and junior to the army and air force rank of brigadier-general or the naval rank of commodore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Full dress uniform</span> Uniform for wear on formal occasions

Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, including private ones such as marriages and funerals. Full dress uniforms typically include full-size orders and medals insignia. Styles tend to trace back to uniforms used during the 19th century, although the 20th century saw the adoption of mess dress-styled full-dress uniforms. Designs may depend on regiment or service branch. In Western dress codes, full dress uniform is a permitted supplementary alternative equivalent to the civilian white tie for evening wear or morning dress for day wear – sometimes collectively called full dress – although military uniforms are the same for day and evening wear. As such, full dress uniform is the most formal uniform, followed by the mess dress uniform.

In the United States Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force, major is a field officer above the rank of captain and below the rank of lieutenant colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of lieutenant commander in the other uniformed services. Although lieutenant commanders are considered junior officers by their services, the rank of major is that of a senior officer in the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps, and the United States Air Force.

Master warrant officer (MWO) is a senior military rank in the Bangladesh Armed Forces, the Canadian Forces, Singapore Armed Forces, the South African National Defence Force and the Israel Defense Forces.

The uniforms of the Canadian Armed Forces are the official dress worn by members of Canada's military while on duty.

Lieutenant-general is a Canadian Forces rank used by commissioned officers of the Canadian Army or Royal Canadian Air Force. Vice-admiral is the equivalent rank in the Royal Canadian Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major (Canada)</span>

Major is a rank of the Canadian Armed Forces. The rank insignia of a major in the Royal Canadian Air Force is two half-inch stripes with a quarter-inch stripe between. The rank insignia in the Canadian Army is a crown. Majors fill the positions of company/squadron/battery commanders, or deputy commanders of a battalion/regiment; in the Air Force they are typically squadron second-in-command, or commander of a detached helicopter flight embarked onboard Canadian naval vessels. The naval equivalent rank for major is lieutenant-commander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoulder mark</span> Cloth insignia worn on the shoulder of a uniform

A shoulder mark, also called rank slide, or slip-on, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform. It may bear rank or other insignia. A shoulder mark should not be confused with a shoulder board, shoulder knot or epaulette, although these terms are often used interchangeably.

In the United States uniformed services, captain is a commissioned-officer rank. In keeping with the traditions of the militaries of most nations, the rank varies between the services, being a senior rank in the naval services and a junior rank in the ground and air forces. Many fire departments and police departments in the United States also use the rank of captain as an officer in a specific unit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorget patches</span>

Gorget patches are an insignia in the form of paired patches of cloth or metal on the collar of a uniform (gorget), used in the military and civil service in some countries. Collar tabs sign the military rank, the rank of civil service, the military unit, the office (department) or the branch of the armed forces and the arm of service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General (Canada)</span>

General is a military rank used by the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force typically held by the officer who is serving as the chief of the Defence Staff – the senior uniformed officer of the Canadian Forces – if they belong to those elements. Admiral is the equivalent rank in the Royal Canadian Navy.

The rank of admiral in Canada is typically held by only one officer whose position is Chief of the Defence Staff and the senior uniformed officer of the Canadian Forces. It is equivalent to the army and air force rank of general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commodore (Canada)</span> General officer military rank, Canadian Navy

Commodore is a Canadian Forces rank used by commissioned officers of the Royal Canadian Navy. Brigadier-general is the equivalent rank in the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force.

In the Royal Canadian Navy, the rank of commander is a naval rank equal to a lieutenant-colonel of the army or air force. A commander is senior to a lieutenant-commander or an army or air force major, and junior to a captain or colonel.

In the Royal Canadian Navy, the rank of lieutenant-commander (LCdr) is the naval rank equal to major in the army or air force and is the first rank of senior officer. Lieutenant-commanders are senior to lieutenants (N) and to army and air force captains, and are junior to commanders and lieutenant colonels.