Lieutenant Colonel

A field grade commissioned officer of the US Army, O-5 and NATO OF-4, traditionally commanding a battalion.

Overview

Lieutenant Colonel wears a silver oak leaf and, in the classic pattern, commands a battalion of five hundred to eight hundred soldiers, the largest unit a commander can know by name. Selection for battalion command is competitive and comes through a centralized board, a command screening list, and assumption orders. LTCs otherwise serve as deputy commanders, senior staff officers, and service school instructors. The rank emerged in the seventeenth century as the colonel deputy: the lieutenant colonel led the battalion in line while the colonel commanded the regiment. Historically many were purchasing patrons of their commissions.