In the colonial forces, which closely followed the practices of the British military, the rank of second lieutenant began to replace ranks such as ensign and cornet from 1871.
New appointments to the rank of second lieutenant ceased in the regular army in 1986.[2] Immediately prior to this change, the rank had been effectively reserved for new graduates from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea which closed in 1985. (Graduates of the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) and the Royal Military College, Duntroon (RMC-D) are commissioned as lieutenants.).[3][4] The rank of second lieutenant is only appointed to officers in special appointments such as training institutions, university regiments and while under probation during training. Trainees undertaking Special Service Officer (SSO) training are appointed at their officer rank prior to undertaking the training (usually as lieutenants or captains). This is different to General Service Officer (GSO) trainees who start off at the rank of officer cadet (ADFA/Australian Army Reserve officer trainees) or staff cadet (Royal Military College, Duntroon).[5]
The Canadian Forces adopted the rank with insignia of a single gold ring around the service dress uniform cuff for both army and air personnel upon unification in 1968 until the late 2000s.[6][7] For a time, naval personnel used this rank but reverted to the Royal Canadian Navy rank of acting sub-lieutenant, though the CF green uniform was retained until the mid-1980s. Currently, the Canadian Army insignia for second lieutenant is a pip and the Royal Canadian Air Force insignia for lieutenant is one thick braid. The equivalent rank for the Royal Canadian Navy is acting sub-lieutenant. Also known as an Ensign in the Foot Guards units (Canadian Grenadier Guards & Governor General's Foot Guards).
France
Sous-lieutenant is the most junior commissioned rank in the modern French Army, Airforce and Gendarmerie. It dates historically from the late XVIth Century in the reign of Henry II of France. In 1674 this designation replaced that of ensign in the French infantry. By 1791 there were two sous-lieutenants in each company. After 1781 entry to this rank and beyond required four quartering of nobility - that is for all four grandparents to be recognised members of the aristocracy. The French Revolution substituted election by popular vote and later, under Napoleon, by graduation from officers' military schools or after four years of service as a sous-officer (NCO).
Until World War I sous-lieutenants were distinguished by a single gold fringed epaulette worn on the right shoulder (silver for cavalry).[8] Modern rank insignia is reduced to a single braid stripe on each shoulder strap and (when worn) kepi.[9]
In Indonesia, "second lieutenant" is known as letnan dua (letda) which is the most junior ranked officer in the Indonesian Military. Officers in the Indonesian National Armed Forces are commissioned through one of four major commissioning programs. Upon graduation the candidates are promoted to the rank of second lieutenant, thus becoming commissioned officers. The four programs are:
National Armed Forces Academy (Akademi TNI): a four-year undergraduate program that emphasizes instruction in the arts, sciences, and professions, preparing men and women to take on the challenge of being officers in the armed forces (Army: Military Academy, Navy: Naval Academy, Air Force: Air Force Academy);
Career Officer Program for college graduates: a 7–8 month program that is designed to recruit civilian professionals (e.g., doctors, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists) into the armed forces;
Pilot Short Service School: a 34-month program to train pilots to serve in the armed forces.
However, the Royal New Zealand Navy breaks with British tradition and uses the name ensign for its most junior commissioned officer rank (rather than the usual equivalents, such as acting sub-lieutenant or second lieutenant).
United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries
The rank of second lieutenant (2Lt) was introduced throughout the British Army in 1877 to replace the short-lived rank of sub-lieutenant, although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, Fusilier and Rifleregiments. At first the rank bore no distinct insignia. The rank was abolished in 1881 but reintroduced in 1887.[10] In 1902, a single Bath star was introduced; the ranks of lieutenant and captain had their number of stars increased by one to (respectively) two and three. The rank is also used by the Royal Marines.
New British Army officers are normally commissioned as second lieutenants at the end of their commissioning course at RMA Sandhurst, and continue with specific training with their units. Progression to lieutenant rank usually occurs after about a year. In the British armed forces, second lieutenant is a rank which is not used as a form of address. Instead a second lieutenant named, for example, Smith is addressed and referred to as Mr Smith, with the exception that the alternative titles ensign (Foot Guards) and cornet (in the Blues and Royals[11] and Queen's Royal Hussars[12]) are still used.
In the Royal Air Force, the comparable rank is pilot officer. The equivalent in the Royal Navy is midshipman.
In the Army and Marine Corps, a second lieutenant typically is a platoon leader who leads a platoon-size element, usually consisting of 16 to 44 soldiers or marines. A rifle platoon is composed of several squads with each squad led by a non-commissioned officer as squad leader. The second lieutenant is usually assisted by a platoon sergeant who advises and supports the platoon's commanding officer in leading the unit.
In the Army, until December 1917, the rank bore no insignia other than a brown sleeve braid on blouses and an officer's cap device and hat cord.[citation needed] In December 1917, a gold-colored bar similar to the silver-colored bar of a first lieutenant was introduced. In U.S. military slang, the rank is sometimes called "butterbar" or "brown bar" in reference to the insignia.[13]
^"Archived copy"(PDF). Archived(PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^"The Household Cavalry Command Structure - Forms of Address". householdcavalry.info. Enasec Ltd. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016. In The Blues And Royals, the most junior Officer rank (equivalent to 2nd Lieutenant) is known as "Cornet".
^Antigua & Barbuda Defence Force. "Paratus"(PDF). Regional Publications Ltd. pp. 12–13. Archived from the original(PDF) on 7 June 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
^"Badges of rank"(PDF). defence.gov.au. Department of Defence (Australia). Retrieved 31 May 2021.
^"Ranks & insignia". joinbangladesharmy.army.mil.bd. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
^ ab"Insignias". mide.gob.do (in Spanish). Ministry of Defense (Dominican Republic). Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
^ abc"Pangkat Harian". tni.mil.id (in Indonesian). Indonesian National Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
^"Badges of Rank"(PDF). nzdf.mil.nz. New Zealand Defence Force. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
^Smaldone, Joseph P. (1992). "National Security". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Nigeria: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 296–297. LCCN92009026. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
^"Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces Act"(PDF). The Uganda Gazette. CXII (46). Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation: 1851–1854. 18 September 2019. Archived from the original(PDF) on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
^"Rank structure". army.mod.uk. British Army. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
^"U.S. Army Ranks". army.mil. United States Army. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
^ abHudson, Rex A.; Meditz, Sandra W., eds. (1992). "Chapter 5. National Security". Uruguay: A Country Study(PDF) (2nd ed.). Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. pp. 222–223. ISBN0-8444-0737-2. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
^Ehrenreich, Frederick (1983). "National Security". In Nelson, Harold D. (ed.). Zimbabwe: a Country Study. Area Handbook (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 267. ISBN978-0-16-001598-4. LCCN83-11946. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
^"ރޭންކް ސްޓްރަކްޗަރ". mndf.gov.mv (in Divehi). Maldives National Defence Force. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
^"Ranks". marines.mil. U.S. Marine Corps. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
^"Postos e Graduações". marinha.mil.br (in Portuguese). Brazilian Navy. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
^"Grados Militares". ccffaa.mil.pe (in Spanish). Joint Command of the Armed Forces of Peru. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
^"Os Postos". marinha.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2021.
^"Postos e Graduações". fab.mil.br (in Portuguese). Brazilian Air Force. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
[1] No universal insignia for officer candidate rank [2] No official insignia and not currently listed by the Army as an obtainable rank. John J. Pershing's GAS insignia: (collar) (epaulettes) [3] These ranks are reserved for wartime use only, and are still listed as ranks within their respective services [4] Grade is authorized by the U.S. Code for use but has not been created [5] Grade has never been created or authorized