Line officer
Encyclopedia
In the United States armed forces
, the term line officer or officer of the line refers to an officer
who is trained for command
— that is, to be the commanding officer
of a warship
, ground combat unit, combat aviation unit, or combat support unit.
Officers who are not line officers are those whose primary duties are in non-combat specialties including chaplain
s, attorneys
, supply and civil engineering officers and medical
, medical service, dental and nurse officers. Line officers may also be assigned non-combat roles. Non-line officers are often assigned to tasks normally given to line officers. Also, non-line officers at the squadron or Group level (and higher) are also issued "G-Series" orders which gives them the same relative power of 'line officers' of equivalent rank. In operational circumstances line officers may hold positional authority over non-line officers of higher rank given the circumstance but is often ignored in modern wartime symbiotic military relationships.
practice of employing sail-powered warships in line formations to maximize the effectiveness of side-mounted cannons. The ships were called ships of the line
and their officers were termed line officers. The term also derives from "walking the line" and in many military circles is believed to have come from a "line in the sand" which two groups of officers once used in a political argument to gain power.
, Line officers are divided into unrestricted line officer
s and restricted line officer
s. Line officers wear an inverted gold star above their rank stripes on their dress blue uniforms and. in the case of Captains and below, on their shoulder boards in whites. When wearing khakis or utility/working uniforms, they wear their rank insignia on both collar points. The Navy refers to non-line officers as Staff Corps officers. Both Line and Staff Corps officers may be assigned as "staff officers" serving on the staff of a senior officer. Staff Corps officers wear their corps insignia, rather than the line officer's star, placed over their sleeve/shoulder board stripes on blues and whites and on their left collar point on khakis and utility/working uniforms.
In the United States Marine Corps
, all officers including warrant officer
s and limited duty officer
s (LDOs) are line officers, trained to command combat units. Unlike the Navy, the Marine Corps does not have Staff Corps, consequently all Marine Engineer, Supply, and Judge Advocates are line officers.
Except for medical officers and chaplains
, all other officers of the United States Air Force
are line officers.
All officers of the United States Coast Guard
are considered line officers and wear the Coast Guard shield in lieu of the inverted star.
and commonwealth
affiliates, Officers trained in the "Executive Department" of a warship are the only ones trained for command.
In the Canadian Navy, officers in the Maritime Surface/Sub-Surface (MARS) occupation hold a similar function, but are not distinguished by any identifiable badge.
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
, the term line officer or officer of the line refers to an officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
who is trained for command
Command (military formation)
A command in military terminology is an organisational unit that the individual in Military command has responsibility for. A Commander will normally be specifically appointed into the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed...
— that is, to be the commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of a warship
Warship
A warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
, ground combat unit, combat aviation unit, or combat support unit.
Officers who are not line officers are those whose primary duties are in non-combat specialties including chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
s, attorneys
Judge Advocate General's Corps
Judge Advocate General's Corps, also known as JAG or JAG Corps, refers to the legal branch or specialty of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. Officers serving in the JAG Corps are typically called Judge Advocates. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard do not maintain separate JAG Corps...
, supply and civil engineering officers and medical
Military medicine
The term military medicine has a number of potential connotations. It may mean:*A medical specialty, specifically a branch of occupational medicine attending to the medical risks and needs of soldiers, sailors and other service members...
, medical service, dental and nurse officers. Line officers may also be assigned non-combat roles. Non-line officers are often assigned to tasks normally given to line officers. Also, non-line officers at the squadron or Group level (and higher) are also issued "G-Series" orders which gives them the same relative power of 'line officers' of equivalent rank. In operational circumstances line officers may hold positional authority over non-line officers of higher rank given the circumstance but is often ignored in modern wartime symbiotic military relationships.
History
The expression "officer of the line" is possibly rooted in the 18th- and 19th-century Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
practice of employing sail-powered warships in line formations to maximize the effectiveness of side-mounted cannons. The ships were called ships of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
and their officers were termed line officers. The term also derives from "walking the line" and in many military circles is believed to have come from a "line in the sand" which two groups of officers once used in a political argument to gain power.
United States forces
In the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, Line officers are divided into unrestricted line officer
Unrestricted Line Officer
Unrestricted Line Officers are commissioned Officers of the Line in the United States Navy who are qualified to command at sea the Navy's warfighting combatant units such as warships, submarines, aviation squadrons and SEAL Teams...
s and restricted line officer
Restricted Line Officer
Restricted Line Officers in the United States Navy and Navy Reserve are line officers who are not eligible for Command at Sea. There are many different types and communities, including Engineering Duty Officers, Aerospace Engineering Duty Officers, Aerospace Maintenance Duty Officers, Naval...
s. Line officers wear an inverted gold star above their rank stripes on their dress blue uniforms and. in the case of Captains and below, on their shoulder boards in whites. When wearing khakis or utility/working uniforms, they wear their rank insignia on both collar points. The Navy refers to non-line officers as Staff Corps officers. Both Line and Staff Corps officers may be assigned as "staff officers" serving on the staff of a senior officer. Staff Corps officers wear their corps insignia, rather than the line officer's star, placed over their sleeve/shoulder board stripes on blues and whites and on their left collar point on khakis and utility/working uniforms.
In the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, all officers including warrant officer
Warrant Officer (United States)
In the United States military, the rank of warrant officer is rated as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1...
s and limited duty officer
Limited Duty Officer
A Limited Duty Officer is an officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps who was selected for commissioning based on his/her skill and expertise, and is not required to have a bachelor's degree. They are employed in situations where it is desirable to have an officer with...
s (LDOs) are line officers, trained to command combat units. Unlike the Navy, the Marine Corps does not have Staff Corps, consequently all Marine Engineer, Supply, and Judge Advocates are line officers.
Except for medical officers and chaplains
United States Air Force Chaplain Corps
The Chaplain Corps of the United States Air Force consists of enlisted chaplain assistants and clergy who become commissioned Air Force officers, endorsed and ordained by their particular religious organization...
, all other officers of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
are line officers.
All officers of the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
are considered line officers and wear the Coast Guard shield in lieu of the inverted star.
Other forces
The expression "line officer" is no longer current in the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
affiliates, Officers trained in the "Executive Department" of a warship are the only ones trained for command.
In the Canadian Navy, officers in the Maritime Surface/Sub-Surface (MARS) occupation hold a similar function, but are not distinguished by any identifiable badge.