Ensign
The first commissioned officer rank of the US Navy, O-1 and NATO OF-1, typically a division officer aboard ship.
Overview
Ensign wears a single gold stripe and receives a commission through the Naval Academy, ROTC, or Officer Candidate School. New ensigns serve as division officers, responsible for thirty or more sailors and a chunk of ship machinery, learning from their chief. The word comes from the standard or ensign carried by military units, a rank title preserved from the era when officers literally bore the flag. The US rank was fixed in 1862 legislation. Ensigns qualify as officer of the deck in port and stand their first command watches under instruction.
Related Topics
Seaman
The Navy apprentice ladder runs Seaman Recruit E-1, Seaman Apprentice E-2, and Seaman E-3, marked by diagonal white stripes on the...
Petty Officer Third Class
Petty Officer Third Class wears an eagle above one chevron with a rating mark between, and the word petty enters English from Fren...
Petty Officer Second Class
Petty Officer Second Class wears the eagle and rating mark above two chevrons and typically runs a work center, a divisional shop ...
Petty Officer First Class
Petty Officer First Class wears three chevrons below the eagle and rating mark and is the senior technician of a division, often i...