Second Lieutenant
The first commissioned officer rank of the US Army, O-1 and NATO OF-1, typically a platoon leader.
Overview
Second Lieutenant wears a single gold bar and receives a commission from the President with Senate confirmation, via West Point, ROTC, or Officer Candidate School. The new lieutenant typically leads a platoon of thirty to forty soldiers, paired with a platoon sergeant twenty years their senior who teaches command while the lieutenant learns it. The rank dates to the eighteenth century, when lieutenants were deputies: the word derives from French lieu tenant, one who holds the place of a superior. Gold bars mark the newest officers across most services.
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