This is a list of naval officer designators in the United States Navy. In the United States Navy, all active and reserve component officers are assigned to one of four officer communities, based on their education, training, and assignments: Line Officers (divided into Unrestricted Line or URL, Restricted Line or RL, and Restricted Line Special Duty or RL SD), Staff Corps Officers, Limited Duty Officers (LDO), or Warrant Officers (WO/CWO). Each community is further subdivided by primary occupation. Each occupation is identified by a designator.
Definition The officer billet designator codes are four-digit numbers used to identify the primary naval specialty qualifications required of the billet incumbent and to administratively categorize officer billets for proper management and identification. They serve as a manpower management tool when used in conjunction with the officer designator codes. These codes are entered in the Manpower Authorizations (OPNAV Form 1000/2) to indicate the categories of officers required for the billets.
The first digit identifies the officer's community. First Digit Community 1 Line (unrestricted and restricted) 2 Staff Medical & JAG 3 Supply Corps 4 Chaplain Corps 5 Civil Engineer Corps 6 Limited duty 7 Warrant
The second and third digits denote the officer's area of specialization within the line, staff corps, LDO, or warrant officer community.
The final (fourth) digit denotes the officer's current type of commission. Fourth Digit Commission 0 An officer of the Regular Navy whose permanent grade is ensign or above. 1 An officer of the Regular Navy whose permanent status is warrant officer or chief warrant officer (note that warrant officer [pay grade W-1] is not currently used in the U.S. Navy; all U.S. Navy warrant officers are commissioned as chief warrant officer-2 [pay grade W-2]; only designator 7840, cyber warrant officer of the line, is coded in manpower and personnel records for warrant officer-1 [pay grade W-1], as "Code P" per section 3, part A, of NAVPERS 15839I, of July 2018). 2 A temporary officer of the Regular Navy whose permanent status is enlisted. 3 An officer of the Regular Navy who is on the retired list, i.e., is on the permanent or temporary list of retired officers of the Regular Navy. 4 No longer used. 5 An officer of the Navy Reserve, in either the Ready Reserve or the Standby Reserve category (NOTE: this code excludes designators with a 4th digit of 7, 8, or 9, i.e., those reserve officers who are not currently serving on the Training and Administration of the Reserve (TAR) Program, or appointed from the Naval Reserve Integration Program, or a member of the Retired Reserve, see immediately below). 7 An officer of the Navy Reserve on active duty in the Training and Administration of the Reserve (TAR) Program (previously known as the Full Time Support [FTS] program); includes officers of the TAR program rotated to other than TAR billets. 8 An officer of the Navy Reserve who was appointed in the Naval Reserve Integration Program from enlisted status or whose permanent status is chief warrant officer, warrant officer, or enlisted. 9 An officer of the Navy Reserve who is on the retired list, i.e., the Retired Reserve category of the Navy Reserve.
Between fiscal year 1992 and fiscal year 2005, all officers entering the U.S. Navy were awarded a Reserve commission (commissioned as Ensign, USNR). Legislation was signed that all Reserve officers on full-time active duty, previously designated by a "5" in the last digit of the designator, would be converted to a Regular Navy commission by the close of fiscal year 2006.
Per the National Defense Authorization Act of 2005, all officers commissioned via the U.S. Naval Academy or via Naval ROTC programs on scholarship, were once again awarded Regular commissions as Ensign, USN or 2nd Lieutenant, USMC upon graduation as appropriate and retroactively to serving officers of those programs not previously augmented to the Regular Navy or Regular Marine Corps. Non-scholarship (i.e., "contract) graduates of Naval ROTC as well as those of the Navy's Officer Candidate School continued to be awarded Reserve commissions entering active duty, eligible for augmentation at a later date.
There is no distinction between USN and USNR officers, no matter what the commissioning source. All hold the same ranks, have the same responsibilities and authority, and enjoy the same privileges. As part of the U.S. Navy's Active–Reserve Integration (ARI) initiative that "operationalized" the Navy's Reserve component, the term "U.S. Naval Reserve" was superseded by "U.S. Navy Reserve", and the term USNR was discontinued as a matter of Total Force policy in 2005. All officers in the U.S. Navy now use the term USN with their rank titles.
As used above, Training and Administration of the Reserve (TAR) program officers are reserve officers serving on either fixed or indefinite periods of active duty, while remaining reserve officers, under the authority of 10 USC 12310. The Training and Administration of the Reserve program exists to provide TAR for training, administration, recruiting, organization, and equipping the reserve components.
(1xxx) Line Officers Fully Warfare Qualified Unrestricted Line (URL) Officers Unrestricted Line Officers (URL Officers) are commissioned Officers of the Line in the United States Navy, both Regular Navy and Navy Reserve, who are not restricted in the performance of duty, and are qualified to Command at Sea the Navy's warfighting combatant units such as warships, submarines, aviation squadrons, and SEAL Teams. They are also qualified to command the higher echelons of those units, known as "major commands," such as destroyer and submarine squadrons, aviation wings and groups, and special warfare groups. At the Flag Officer level, they also command carrier strike groups, expeditionary strike groups, task forces, and Fleet and Force commands. URL officers are also eligible to command shore installations, facilities and activities directly supporting the Navy's warfare mission.Mack, VADM William P. and Paulsen, CAPT Thomas D., The Naval Officer's Guide, 9th ed., Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, c1983Knott, CAPT Richard C., The Naval Aviation Guide, 4th ed., Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, c1985Mack, VADM William P. and Stavridis, CAPT James, Command at Sea, 5th ed., Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, c1999 111X URL Officer qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer. 112X URL Officer qualified as a Submarine Warfare Officer. 113X URL Officer qualified as a Special Warfare Officer (SEAL). 114X URL Officer qualified as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Warfare Officer. 131X URL Officer qualified for duty involving piloting heavier-than-air, or heavier and lighter-than air types of aircraft as a Naval Aviator. Includes Naval Aviator-Astronaut. 132X URL Officer qualified for duty involving flying heavier-than-air, or heavier and lighter-than-air type aircraft as a Naval Flight Officer. Includes Naval Flight Officer-Astronaut.
Non-Warfare Qualified Unrestricted Line (URL) Officers 110X General URL Officer without warfare qualifications (NOTE: Those Fleet Support Officers (FSO) without warfare qualifications were merged into URL officer designator 110X after 2010, after RL SD designator 170X was phased out, per the 2010 NAVPERS 15839I, Manual of Navy Officer Manpower and Personnel Classifications, Vol. 1, Part A).
130X URL Officer previously qualified Naval Aviator or Naval Flight Officer whose operational flight rating has been terminated for aviation medical or flight performance reasons, or by the individual's personal resignation.
Training Designators For Unrestricted Line Officers 116X URL Officer in training for Surface Warfare Officer qualification. 117X URL Officer in training for Submarine Warfare Officer qualification. 118X URL Officer in training for Special Warfare qualification. 119X URL Officer in training for EOD/Diver qualification. 137X URL Officer in training for duty involving flying as a Student Naval Flight Officer. 139X URL Officer in training for duty involving flying as a Student Naval Aviator (pilot).
Restricted Line (RL) Officer designators Officers of the line of the Regular Navy and Navy Reserve who are restricted in the performance of duty by having been designated for aviation duty, engineering duty, aerospace engineering duty, or special duty. RL officers are authorized to command ashore within their particular speciality, but are not eligible for combatant command at sea, which remains strictly within the purview of URL officers. 121X RL Officer - Nuclear Propulsion Training Officer (Nuclear Power School Instructor). 122X RL Officer - Nuclear Engineering Officer (Naval Reactors Engineer). 1230 RL Officer - Permanent Military Professor (Pay grades O-5 through O-6 only). 144X RL Officer - Engineering Duty Officer who is qualified as a Ship Engineering specialist. 150X RL Officer - Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer, Engineering or Maintenance (NOTE: Designators 151X and 152X merge into 150X at pay grade O-6). 151X RL Officer - Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer, Engineering (AEDO). 152X RL Officer - Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer, Maintenance (AMDO and AMO). 154X RL Officer - Aviation Duty Officer (ADO Naval Aviator).
Restricted Line Special Duty (RL SD) Officers 120X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty) Human Resources Officer.128XRL SD Officer - (Special Duty) Permanent Professional Recruiter Officer (LT and LCDR only) 165X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Public Affairs Officer. 166X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Strategic Sealift Officer (SSO) (NOTE: Formerly designators 162X, 166X, 167X, and 169X (Merchant Marine)). 168X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Reserve Recruiting. 170X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Fleet Support Officer (NOTE: Designator phased out by 2010, per NAVPERS 15839I, Manual of Navy Officer Manpower and Personnel Classifications, Vol. 1, Part A, and those FSO's without warfare qualifications were merged into URL officer designator 110X). 171X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Foreign Area Officer (FAO). 180X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Meteorology/Oceanography Officer. 181X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Cryptologic Warfare Officer (NOTE: Former designators 161X and 164X merged and redesignated effective Oct 2010 under Information Warfare Community). 182X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Information Professional Officer (NOTE: Formerly designator 160X; redesignated effective October 2010 under Information Warfare Community). 183X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Intelligence Officer (NOTE: Formerly designator 163X, redesignated effective October 2010 under Information Warfare Community). 184X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Cyber Warfare Engineer. 186X RL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Information Warfare Community (IWC) Flag Officer (NOTE: RDML/O-7 and above)187xRL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Maritime Space Officer188xRL SD Officer - (Special Duty Officer) Maritime Cyber Warfare Officer
Training designators For Restricted Line (RL) and Restricted Line Special Duty (RL SD) Officers 146X RL Officer - in training for Engineering Duty Officer (EDO) (NOTE: Designator converts to 144X upon completion of qualification requirements).
([2-5]x0x) Staff Corps Designators Officers, Regular and Reserve, of all staff corps of the Navy. The eight staff corps (and one Flag Officer) designators are: