Sub-lieutenant facts for kids
A sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank. It is used in armies, navies, and air forces around the world.
In most armies, a sub-lieutenant is the lowest rank for a commissioned officer. A commissioned officer is someone who has officially received a document (a "commission") giving them authority to command. However, in Brazil, it's the highest rank for a non-commissioned officer. These officers are leaders who have risen through the ranks without a commission. In Spain, it's the second highest non-commissioned rank.
When used as a naval rank, a sub-lieutenant is one rank below a lieutenant.
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Sub-Lieutenants in Armies and Air Forces
In many countries, the sub-lieutenant is an important rank. They are often new officers learning to lead.
In France, a sub-lieutenant (called sous-lieutenant) is the most junior commissioned officer in the army or air force. They wear a special band on their uniform. The color of this band shows what part of the army they belong to. For example, gold is for infantry, and silver is for armored cavalry.
Other countries also use this rank:
- An Argentinian sub-lieutenant wears a single silver sun on each shoulder.
- Brazilian sub-lieutenants are the most senior non-commissioned officers. They wear a golden lozenge shape.
- In Mexico, the sub-lieutenant is the most junior officer. They wear a single gold bar.
- Thai sub-lieutenants wear a single star on each shoulder.
The British Army used the sub-lieutenant rank for a short time from 1871 to 1877. It replaced older ranks like ensign and cornet. Later, it was replaced by the rank of second lieutenant.
Army Rank Badges
Here are some examples of what sub-lieutenant rank badges look like in different armies:
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Sous lieutenant
(Algerian Land Forces) -
Sub-tenente
(Angolan Army) -
Sous-lieutenant
(Benin Army)
Air Force Rank Badges
This is an example of a sub-lieutenant rank badge in an air force:
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Sub-tenente
(National Air Force of Angola)
The rank of sub-lieutenant is also very common in navies.
In the British Royal Navy, a rank called "master's mate" used to exist. These were experienced sailors who helped the ship's master (the navigator). Over time, young officers who had finished their training as midshipmen also became master's mates while waiting for a promotion. This caused some confusion.
To make things clearer, in the early 1800s, the "master's" part was dropped for these young officers. They were just called "mate." Then, in 1861, the rank of mate was officially renamed sub-lieutenant.
Today, in the Royal Navy, all new officer cadets start as midshipmen. After about a year of training at the Britannia Royal Naval College, they are promoted to sub-lieutenant.
In the Royal Canadian Navy, new officers start as naval cadets. If they have a university degree, they are quickly promoted to acting sub-lieutenant after training.
In the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy, and Royal New Zealand Navy, sub-lieutenants wear one medium gold braid stripe. This stripe has a special loop at the top called an "executive curl."
The rank badges for sub-lieutenants in many Commonwealth navies look similar to the "ensign" rank in the United States Navy. However, the US Navy's equivalent rank to a sub-lieutenant is actually called lieutenant junior grade.
In the Royal Canadian Navy, an acting sub-lieutenant wears one medium stripe. A full sub-lieutenant adds a narrow stripe *below* the medium stripe. This helps keep the executive curl at the top.
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Sub-lieutenant
(Royal Canadian Navy) -
Sub-lieutenant
(Royal Navy)
Acting Sub-Lieutenant
Sometimes, a person might hold the rank of "acting sub-lieutenant." This means they are performing the duties of a sub-lieutenant but might not have received their full official commission yet. They are still addressed as "sub-lieutenant."
The rank of acting sub-lieutenant was used in the Royal Navy during the world wars. It was officially created in 1955 but later stopped being used around 1993. However, it still exists in some places, like the University Royal Naval Unit.
In many Commonwealth navies, like Canada and Australia, the acting sub-lieutenant rank is similar to a second lieutenant in the army. The full sub-lieutenant rank is similar to an army lieutenant.
The Royal New Zealand Navy, Republic of Fiji Navy, and South African Navy call their lowest commissioned officer an ensign.
See also
In Spanish: Subteniente para niños
- Comparative military ranks
- Lieutenant (junior grade), a similar rank in the United States Navy
