Major (United States)

{{short description|Field-grade military officer rank}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox military rank | name = Major | native_name = | image = US-O4 insignia.svg | image_size = 10px | alt = | caption = U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force insignia of the rank of Major. Style and method of wear vary between the services. | image2 = {{nobreak| 50px 50px 50px 50px }} | image_size2 = | alt2 = | caption2 = Shoulder boards | image3 = | image_size3 = | alt3 = | caption3 = | country = United States | service branch = {{army|United States|name=U.S. Army}}<br />{{marines|United States|name=U.S. Marine Corps}}<br />{{air force|United States|name=U.S. Air Force}}<br />{{space force|United States|name=U.S. Space Force}} | abbreviation = MAJ {{small|(Army)}}<br />Maj {{small|(Marine Corps / Air Force / Space Force)}} | rank group = Field Grade Officer | rank = | NATO rank = OF-3 | Non-NATO rank = | pay grade = O-4 | formation = | abolished = | higher rank = Lieutenant colonel | lower rank = Captain | equivalents = Lieutenant commander (U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard) | history = }}

In the United States Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force, '''major''' is a field officer above the rank of captain and below the rank of lieutenant colonel.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=U.S. Military Rank Insignia|url=https://www.war.gov/Resources/Insignias/|website=U.S. Department of War|access-date=2025-11-30|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251008231411/https://www.war.gov/Resources/Insignias/|archive-date=2025-10-08|language=en-US}}</ref> It is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant commander in the Navy and Coast Guard. Although lieutenant commanders are considered junior officers by their services, majors are senior officers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Stop Calling Lieutenant Commanders Junior Officers|url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2017/december/stop-calling-lieutenant-commanders-junior-officers|website=U.S. Naval Institute|date=2017-12-01|access-date=2025-11-30|language=en}}</ref>

The pay grade for the rank of major is O-4.<ref name=":0" /> The insignia for the rank consists of a golden oak leaf, with slight stylized differences between the versions of the different services. Promotion to the rank of major is governed by the Department of Defense policies derived from the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act of 1980.

== Army == [[File:Maj Roger Donlon.jpg|thumb|Major Roger Donlon, US Army. Note golden oak leaf insignia on shoulder board.]] A major in the U.S. Army typically serves as a battalion executive officer (XO)<ref>{{Cite web|title=First 100 Days: XO/S3 Handbook|url=https://www.army.mil/article/288132/first_100_days_xos3_handbook|website=www.army.mil|date=2025-08-27|access-date=2025-11-30|language=en}}</ref> or as the battalion operations officer (S3). Majors can also serve as company commanding officers, a major can also serve as a primary staff officer for a regiment, brigade<ref>{{Cite web|title=U.S. Army Ranks|url=https://www.army.mil/ranks|website=www.army.mil|access-date=2025-11-30|language=en}}</ref> or task force in the areas concerning personnel, logistics, intelligence, and operations. A major will also be a staff officer / action officer on higher staffs and headquarters. In addition, majors command augmented companies in Combat Service and Service Support units. U.S. Army majors also command special operations companies, such as U.S. Army Special Forces companies, Civil Affairs companies, Military Information Support Operations companies, and certain types of separate, numbered vice lettered, Military Intelligence companies.

In the 1830s, the Army selected an oak leaf as the rank insignia for a major, though the rationale for the choice remains unclear. Oak leaves and acorns were used in the early American army on high ranking officer's headwear and may have come from the British or Germans as oak leafs and acorns were used in German uniforms in the 18th Century. The Army and US Air Force oak leaf is a stylized gold leaf that does not represent any individual tree.<ref name="Major">{{cite web |title=Major |url=https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/w/naval-traditions-names-of-rank/officer/major.html |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=Naval History and Heritage Command}}</ref>

Selected majors in the United States Army attend the 10-month Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth,<ref>{{Cite web|title=CGSS {{!}} Army University|url=https://armyuniversity.edu/cgsc/cgss/cgss|website=armyuniversity.edu|access-date=2025-11-30|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250814053252/https://armyuniversity.edu/cgsc/cgss/cgss|archive-date=2025-08-14|language=en}}</ref> with a greater number attending satellite schools administered by Fort Leavenworth at Fort Belvoir, Virginia and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.<ref>{{cite web |author=CGSC |title=About the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College |work=www.cgscfoundation.org |date=5 January 2011 |url=http://www.cgscfoundation.org/about/the-college/ |access-date=11 August 2013}}</ref> 960 graduated from the Leavenworth course in 2009, at the time the largest class in Army history.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bower |first=Melissa |date=18 June 2009 |title=Largest CGSC-ILEAca,!E+class graduates |publisher=United States Army |work=www.army.mil |url=https://www.army.mil/article/22946/largest-cgsc-ileclass-graduates/ |access-date=11 August 2013}}</ref>

=== American Revolution === The Continental Army mostly followed the organization and rank structure of the British Army.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Brigades and Regiments - Morristown National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)|url=https://www.nps.gov/morr/learn/historyculture/brigades-and-regiments.htm|website=www.nps.gov|access-date=2025-11-30|language=en}}</ref> A regiment consisted of eight companies with three officers (a captain, lieutenant and ensign) and about 60 enlisted men each. The field-grade officers of a regiment were the colonel, the lieutenant colonel and a major.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Continental Army {{!}} American Revolutionary War|url=https://revolutionarywar.us/continental-army/|access-date=2025-11-30|language=en-US}}</ref> The major was the regiment's third in command and, at least in theory, would command one of the regiment's two battalions if the regiment were divided for tactical purposes. A Revolutionary War major was usually the executive officer - in charge of daily life in camp. He would be in charge of drill, discipline and duties.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bROJ27T1_iE |title=How was it organized? A Continental Army Regiment |date=2025-07-03 |last=Revere0311 |access-date=2026-03-09 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

=== American Civil War === thumb|U.S. Army major rank insignia during the 1860s During the American Civil War the Union Army continued to use the existing titles of rank and rank insignia established for the U.S. Army. After the Southern states seceded and became the Confederacy, the Confederate army retained the same titles of rank as its U.S. counterpart,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Civil War Army Organization|url=https://www.nellaware.com/blog/civil-war-army-organization-and-order-of-rank.html|website=www.nellaware.com|access-date=2025-11-30}}</ref> but developed a new system of rank identification and insignia for its officers.

While U.S. officers continued to wear their rank insignia on their shoulder straps,<ref>{{Cite web|title=1861 General Order 6: Uniforms & Dress Regulations|url=http://www.usregulars.com/genorder6.html|website=www.usregulars.com|access-date=2025-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215222851/http://www.usregulars.com/genorder6.html|archive-date=2008-02-15}}</ref> Confederate officers wore their rank insignia on the collar (one, two, or three horizontal gold bars for lieutenants and captains; one, two, or three gold stars for field grade officers; and three gold stars surrounded by a wreath for all general officers),<ref>{{Cite book|title=Uniform and dress of the army of the Confederate States|url=http://archive.org/details/62430330R.nlm.nih.gov|publisher=Richmond : Chas. H. Wynne, printer|date=1861|others=U.S. National Library of Medicine|last=Confederate States of America. Adjutant and Inspector-General's Office|first2=E.|last2=Crehen|first3=Charles H.|last3=Wynne}}</ref> as well as rows of gold lace forming an Austrian knot pattern on each sleeve. The number of rows of gold lace increased with the rank of the officer.

=== Post–Civil War === thumb|upright|1957 to 2015 U.S. Army major rank insignia In the late 1800s the US Army changed from the traditional ten-company regiment to one of twelve companies<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Post-Civil War Frontier American Army|url=https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/the-post-civil-war-frontier-american-army/|website=Warfare History Network|date=2019-02-09|access-date=2025-11-30|language=en-US|first=Carl|last=Gnam}}</ref> organized into three four-company battalions, each commanded by a major.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digitalcommons.law.ou.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=9426&context=indianserialset|title=REORGANIZATION OF THE LINE OF THE ARMY|date=1897|website=University of Oklahoma College of Law Digital Commons}}</ref> After World War I, battalion commanders became lieutenant colonels.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Wayback Machine|url=https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/OrderofBattle4.pdf|website=www.armyupress.army.mil|access-date=2025-11-30|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250526110345/https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/combat-studies-institute/csi-books/OrderofBattle4.pdf|archive-date=2025-05-26}}</ref> The basic regimental organization remained standard until after the Korean War, when regiments with organic battalions were no longer used as tactical units. Battalions attached to brigades replaced the regiment. Battalions commanded by lieutenant colonels became the US Army's basic tactical unit. As a result, there were only a limited number of command positions for majors although Medical<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2023/05/03/844ac285/20220223-medical-service-corps.pdf|title=Medical Service Corps|date=May 3, 2023|website=US Army}}</ref>, Special Forces and Aviation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2022/08/03/8d0a3936/1-av-branch-da-pam-600-3-as-of-20210630.pdf|title=Aviation Branch|date=June 30, 2021|website=US Army}}</ref> companies are usually commanded by majors.

== Marine Corps== left|thumb|150x150px|US Army/Air Force style major insignia on the left and US Marine Corps on the right Within the Marine Corps, a major is a commissioned officer who will usually serve in roles such as battalion executive officer, weapons company commander, or as members of regimental or brigade staff.<ref>{{Cite web | title=Marine Corps Ranks {{!}} Marines | url=https://www.marines.com/about-the-marine-corps/roles/ranks.html | access-date=2025-10-04 | website=www.marines.com}}</ref> The USMC majors wear an oak leaf insignia that differs slightly from the US Army/US Air Force. The naval services version is styled similar to a southern live oak leaf grown in the Naval Live Oaks Reservation in the 19th Century.

== Air Force == A major in the Air Force typically has duties as a senior staff officer at the squadron and wing level.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Air Force Career Progression - Officer {{!}} BogiDope|url=https://bogidope.com/air-force-career-progression-officer/|website=bogidope.com|date=2020-10-12|access-date=2025-11-30|language=en-US}}</ref> In flying squadrons majors are generally flight commanders or assistant directors of operations. In the mission support and maintenance groups majors may occasionally be squadron commanders. In the medical corps, a major may be the head of a clinic or flight.

==Space Force== A major in the Space Force typically has duties as a senior staff officer<ref>{{Cite web|title=Space Force Ranks: A Complete Guide to Enlisted and Officer Ranks|url=https://www.military.com/space-force/ranks.html|website=Military.com|date=2025-09-23|access-date=2025-11-30|language=en|first=Tiffini Theisen,Stephen|last=Bajza}}</ref> at the squadron and delta levels.

== Law enforcement == {{unsourcedsection|date=July 2025}} Many law enforcement agencies use major as a rank, including nearly every state police agency, many sheriff's offices, and some county and municipal police departments, as well as Correctional facilities (Chief of Security). Examples include the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, DeKalb County Police Department, and Baltimore Police Department. Majors in law enforcement agencies usually command a precinct or a larger element, such as a division or bureau (i.e., Patrol Division, Detective Bureau, Kansas Dept of Corrections, etc.).

==Insignia== <gallery> File:US Army O4 (Army greens).svg|U.S. Army rank insignia of a major. File:US Marine O4 shoulderboard vertical.svg|U.S. Marine Corps rank insignia of a major. File:US Air Force O4 shoulderboard.svg|U.S. Air Force rank insignia of a major. File:US Space-force O4.svg|U.S. Space Force rank insignia of a major. </gallery>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3905/is_200305/ai_n9293572 Confederate Army rank insignia: A guide] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20040603124003/http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/insignias/officers.html#O4 Officer rank insignia] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070510190847/http://www.agd.state.tx.us/stateguard/air/rank_history.asp Rank history]

{{US officer ranks}}

Category:Military ranks of the United States Army Category:Military ranks of the United States Marine Corps Category:Officer ranks of the United States Air Force Category:Officer ranks of the United States Space Force