Ensign (rank)
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Ensign (/ˈɛnsən/;[1] Late Middle English, from Old French enseigne (transl. mark, symbol, signal; flag, standard, pennant), from Latin insignia (plural)) is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the regimental colours, the rank acquired the name. This rank has generally been replaced in army ranks by second lieutenant.[2] Ensigns were generally the lowest-ranking commissioned officer, except where the rank of subaltern existed.[3] In contrast, the Arab rank of ensign, لواء, liwa', derives from the command of units with an ensign, not the carrier of such a unit's ensign, and is today the equivalent of a major general.
In Thomas Venn's 1672 Military and Maritime Discipline in Three Books, the duties of ensigns are to include not only carrying the colour but assisting the captain and lieutenant of a company and in their absence, have their authority.[4]
"Ensign" is enseigne in French, and
Canada
In the Royal Canadian Navy, as explained below, the ranks Enseigne de vaisseau de 1re classe and Enseigne de vaisseau de 2e classe are the French translation for Sub-Lieutenant and Acting Sub-Lieutenant, respectively.
In the Canadian Army, Ensign (Enseigne) is the distinctive rank for Second-Lieutenant in the Guards Regiments.
Estonia
In Estonian Defence Forces the equivalent of “ensign” is lipnik. It is used mainly as a rank for reserve officers.
French speaking countries
During the
Within many French speaking countries, the rank is still used in the naval forces. The ranks are usually split into a first and second class (Enseigne de vaisseau de 1re classe and Enseigne de vaisseau de 2e classe respectively).
New Zealand
The Royal New Zealand Navy, unlike the Royal Navy – whose uniforms, insignia, and traditions it inherited – created the ensign grade to equal the lowest commissioned RNZAF grade of pilot officer and the New Zealand Army grade of second lieutenant. It ranks above the grade of midshipman. Like the grade of pilot officer, it uses a single thin strip of braid.
The fact that the Royal Navy has no real equivalent to the lowest commissioned Royal Air Force and British Army grades was one of the driving factors behind the RNZN's decision to create the ensign grade. Another was that, at the time, New Zealand was actively involved with the United States Armed Forces, so it made sense to balance the rank system out with that used by the United States Navy.
United Kingdom
Until 1871, when it was replaced by
-
1856 to 1871 British Ensign's collar rank insignia
United States
Ensign | |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Service branch | |
Abbreviation | ENS |
Rank group | Junior officer |
NATO rank code | OF-1 |
Pay grade | O-1 |
Formation | 1789 (Army) 1862 (Navy) |
Abolished | 1815 (Army) |
Next higher rank | Lieutenant (junior grade) |
Next lower rank | Master chief petty officer |
Equivalent ranks | Second lieutenant |
Army
The rank of ensign was established in the U.S. Army by the act of September 29, 1789, (the first act of legislation after the adoption of the
With the organization of the Legion of the United States authorized by the act of March 5, 1792, ensigns were retained in the companies of infantry and were included in the authorized strength of companies of rifles; in addition, cornets were added to the companies of dragoons.[6]: 562
The ranks of ensign and
In the
Where a newly commissioned ensign is assigned in the Navy is dependent on status as either an unrestricted line, restricted line, or staff corps officer. For unrestricted line officers, depending on assignment to which
Restricted Line officers, depending on designator, may train, qualify and be assigned as naval intelligence officers, naval cryptographic officers, aircraft maintenance duty officers, meteorologists/oceanographers, information professionals, human resources professionals, public affairs officers, or a host of other specialties.
Still others may become staff corps officers in the Supply Corps, Civil Engineering Corps, Nurse Corps, Medical Service Corps, or be law school students or medical or dental school students in the Judge Advocate General's Corps, Medical Corps or Dental Corps, respectively.
Coast Guard
While the Coast Guard does not categorize its officers as unrestricted line, restricted line or staff corps, a similar career sorting and training process also takes place, ranging from those in operational fields such as cuttermen aboard Coast Guard cutters, Naval Aviators in Coast Guard Aviation, specialists in maritime safety and inspections, and a host of other Coast Guard officer career fields.
All ensigns will become branch officers or division officers in their first operational assignments, responsible for leading a group of
Navy and Coast Guard ensigns wear collar insignia of a single gold bar and because of this share the nickname "butterbars" with Army, Air Force, Space Force, and Marine Corps second lieutenants, who wear the same insignia.
Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
In the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps – a uniformed service in the United States Public Health Service — those wearing the rank of ensign are part of a commissioned officer student training, and extern program (COSTEP), either junior, for those with more than a year remaining of education in a commissionable degree (JRCOSTEP), or senior, for those within one year of graduating with a commissionable degree (SRCOSTEP).[12] Some officers may hold a permanent rank of ensign based on their experience and education, but then can hold the temporary rank of lieutenant, junior grade.
NOAA Corps
In the
Gallery
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Ensign
(Belize Coast Guard) -
Ensign
(Republic of Fiji Navy) -
Ensign
(Philippine Navy) -
Ensign
(Tanzania Naval Command) -
Ensign
(United States Coast Guard) -
Ensign
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps))
(United States
French-speaking countries
See also
- U.S. Navy officer rank insignia
- Comparative military ranks
- Sub-lieutenant
- Signifer
- Vexillarius
References
- ^ "ensign". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
- ^ "Subaltern". Ranks. Southern Gunners. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ^ Troy, Michael. "Rank of Ensign in Revolutionary Army". All Experts: U.S. History. About.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ^ Venn, Thomas; Tacquet, Andrew & (tr) Lacey, John (translator) Military and Maritime Discipline in Three Books R. Pawlet, 1672
- cornet) and the dragoon regiments used guidon.
- ^ a b c d Heitman, Francis B. (1903). Historical register and dictionary of the United States Army : from its organization, September 29, 1789, to March 2, 1903. Vol. 2 (1 ed.). p. 1. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
This is the unofficial work of a private compiler, purchased and published by direction of Congress
- ^ p. 970 Tucker, Spencer C. The Encyclopedia Of the War Of 1812 ABC-CLIO, 25/04/2012
- ^ "New Navy Career Path for Surface Warfare Officers Stresses Fundamentals -". 28 June 2018.
- ^ "Become a Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer – Navy.com". www.navy.com.
- ^ "Navy Pilot & Flight Officer (NFO) Careers – Navy.com". www.navy.com.
- ^ "How to Become a SEAL Officer". Navy SEALs.
- ^ "Student Opportunities". Archived from the original on 24 July 2010. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
- ^ "Defense Act of 2008" (PDF). 3 September 2008. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ^ "Government Notice" (PDF). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. Vol. 4547. 20 August 2010. pp. 99–102. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
- ^ "Badges of Rank". nzdf.mil.nz. New Zealand Defence Force. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
- ^ "U.S. Military Rank Insignia". defense.gov. Department of Defense. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Ranks and appointment". canada.ca. Government of Canada. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
- ^ a b "LOI N° 96-029 portant Statut Général des Militaires" (PDF). defense.gov.mg (in French). Ministry of Defence (Madagascar). 15 November 1996. p. 2. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- Division Officer's Guide. James Stavridis and Robert Girrier. Naval Institute Press, 2004. ISBN 1-59114-799-9.