Talk:Captain (United States O-3)

Marine Shoulderboard

Not sure how to edit the image, but the marine shoulderboard has the wrong version of the Captain insignia on it. 24.192.250.124 (talk) 20:03, 6 June 2016 (UTC)

Fixed now. – Illegitimate Barrister (talk • contribs), 07:54, 7 December 2018 (UTC)

Major?

I heard army/marine captains are called major on a ship. Is this true? – Illegitimate Barrister (talk • contribs), 08:04, 7 December 2018 (UTC)

Yes, it is naval custom and tradition that regardless of actual grade of rank title there may only be one "captain" on a U.S. Navy ship--the commanding officer (CO). The CO of a ship is given the courtesy title of "captain," again, regardless of his actual grade of rank. In other words an LSD-class amphibious warship called a "landing ship dock," or alternately, "dock landing ship" usually has a commander (O-5) assigned as the CO, and he/she is still entitled to be addressed as "captain" aboard the ship. LSDs typically form one of the three amphibious warships of an amphibious ready group (ARG) that embarks, transports, supports, lands, and recovers a Marine Corps amphibious/expeditionary task force called a "Marine Expeditionary Unit" (MEU. The MEU normally contains over 2,200 embarked Marines, including several dozen Marine Corps captains (O-3). To prevent confusion aboard the ships and to honor naval custom and tradition, the Marine Corps (as well as any Army or Air Force captains who may also be on board for any number of reasons) captains are addressed as "major," a grade of rank title that does not exist within the U.S. Navy (or Coast Guard). However, they continue to wear the insignia of two silver bars, so there is no confusion as to their "actual" grade of rank. Major (O-4) is actually one grade higher than captain (O-3), so there is no slight or insult to the Marine Corps, or other services, captains by giving them this shipboard courtesy title and the O-3 captains and the "real" majors, still know and abide by their required "pecking order." Besides, the MEU typically contains only about a dozen "real" majors (O-4), so everyone knows who's who and the O-4 majors are wearing their gold oak leave grade of rank insignia, anyway, so there is no confusion as to who is "in charge" or senior, as it were, between a "real" malor and a "courtesy" major aboard ship.

Even on larger warships wherin the CO is a Navy captian (O-6) there is still only one "captain" aboard ship--any other Navy (or Coast Guard) captains are addressed by their "billet" (i.e., position) title rather than as "captain." For example, it is common practice aboard the largest warships, which currently are aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships (essentially small "helicopter" carriers") such as the LHA and LHD-classes, that the ship's executive officer, viz., the second-in-command of the ship, is also a captain (O-6). However, back to the "one captain" rule, the executive officer is called either the "exec" or "XO," and never "captain." Also, especially on an aircraft carrier, there are usually a few other Navy captains aboard, such as the commanding officer of the embarked "carrier air wing," the "chief of staff" to the rear admiral commanding the carrier strike group, and the commanding officer of the destroyer squadron escorting the carrier. Each of these officers has a unique position title, specifically, "CAG" (for commander, air group--a legacy title form when current "wings" were called "groups"); "chief of staff," and "commodore" (another "courtesy/legacy" title for a senior captain commanding two or more ships), respectively.

So, yes, Marine Corps and Army (as well as Air Force) captains aboard U.S. Navy ships are indeed addressed as "major."

Thanks for the speedy, detailed response! – Illegitimate Barrister (talk • contribs), 09:56, 8 December 2018 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress

There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Captain (United States O-6) which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 17:48, 30 November 2022 (UTC)