Commander (O-5)
Commander is a US Navy commissioned officer rank, pay grade O-5. On khakis the insignia is a silver oak leaf.
Easily confused with
How to read it
The uniform regulations give a commander a silver oak leaf, worn with its stem away from the collar, and on the sleeve three 13 mm (½ in) gold stripes. A Lieutenant commander (O-4) wears the same leaf in gold, and a Captain (O-6), one grade up, a silver eagle. Navy.com says commanders lead major departments, aviation squadrons, submarines, destroyers and shore activities. The Army equivalent, also O-5, is a lieutenant colonel.
Also searched as: CDR.
Ranks and insignia as the US Navy’s own uniform regulations and pages set them out. Pay grades are the Department of Defense’s.
The three-striper
The Naval History and Heritage Command records that commanders began wearing silver oak leaves in 1862 and became “three-stripers” in 1869.
Read next
More navy ranks
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with curves and waves.
Sources
- U.S. Military Rank Insignia, Resources: U.S. Military Rank Insignia (enlisted and officer insignia by paygrade), U.S. Department of Defense (defense.gov), Officer insignia; officer introduction
- 37 U.S.C. § 201: Pay grades, 37 U.S. Code § 201, Pay grades: assignment to; general rules, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, § 201(a)
- Navy Uniform Regulations, article 4101: Officer sleeve insignia, United States Navy Uniform Regulations (NAVPERS 15665J), art. 4101, Navy Personnel Command (MyNavy HR), art. 4101.3a
- Navy Uniform Regulations, article 4103: Shoulder insignia, United States Navy Uniform Regulations (NAVPERS 15665J), art. 4103, Navy Personnel Command (MyNavy HR), art. 4103.2c, 4103.4a
- U.S. Navy Ranks & Insignia, U.S. Navy Ranks & Insignia (navy.com), U.S. Navy Recruiting Command (navy.com), Commissioned Officer Ranks
- Naval Traditions: Names of Rank, “Commander”, Naval Traditions: Names of Rank, Officer, “Commander”, Naval History and Heritage Command, para. 4
- Navy Uniform Regulations, article 4104: Collar grade insignia, United States Navy Uniform Regulations (NAVPERS 15665J), art. 4104, Navy Personnel Command (MyNavy HR), art. 4104.2–3
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 30, 2026. How we research
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