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Coast Guard Lieutenant CommanderO-4 Junior Officer, U.S. Coast Guard |
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Coast Guard Ranks » Lieutenant Commander Rank • LCDR Pay • LCDR Rank History
History of the Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Rank
A Lieutenant Commander is a Junior Officer in the United States Coast Guard at DoD paygrade O-4.
The Lieutenant-Commander developed as an officer's rank in the US Navy, after naval lieutenants had served for some time as commanders of smaller naval vessels that did not require a senior officer, such as a captain, in command. These lieutenants were referred to a "lieutenants commanding". In 1862, the US Navy formalised a new rank, that of "lieutenant-commander". It was later adopted by other navies, but not by the US Revenue Cutter Service, predecessor of the US Coast Guard, which retained its original officer ranks. With the formation of the US Coast Guard in 1915 and the decision, in 1920, to align Coast Guard ranks with those of the US Navy, 34 captains were redesignated lieutenant-commanders in the Coast Guard.
Want to learn more? Read about the Coast Guard's Lieutenant Commander rank on Military-Ranks.org.
History of the Coast Guard
The Coast Guard has changed names several times over its 200+ year history, but it is largely the same organization as it was in 1790 as the Revenue Marine. Uniforms, culture, and professions are very similar to the Navy, but the mission is different. While the Navy ensures freedom of navigation internationally, the Coast Guard does so for our nation's coasts through vessel inspections, law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, maintenance of navigation aids, environmental protection and research, ice operations, and search-and-rescue. Sailors of the Navy and Coast Guard have a high respect for each other, knowing that one can do what the other cannot.