Officer cadet
As officer cadets are appointed to their positions, they are technically superior to some other ranks, although they will typically not have direct subordinates.
Initial officer training can occur through either single-service institutions, such as the Royal Australian Naval College, Royal Military College, Duntroon, or the Officers' Training School RAAF, or through the tri-service Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA).
Officer cadets are also appointed to the Australian Army Reserve where training is conducted on a part-time basis at various University Regiments around the country.
Australian Army Reserve officer cadets must pass various training courses (conducted at different barracks around Australia) throughout their training with the final module completed at the Royal Military College, Duntroon before being commissioned.
In the Canadian Armed Forces, the rank of officer cadet (OCdt), or élève-officier (élof) in French, is held by beginning officers, as well as students attending the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, the Royal Military College Saint-Jean, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, or a civilian university through the Regular Officer Training Plan.
A narrow pearl grey braid (6 mm) is used in the Royal Canadian Air Force, which is worn on the cuff of the service dress jacket, and on the slip-ons of all other uniforms.
While both positions are quite comparable, aspirant is an actual rank, meaning the officer-in-training can hold effective authority, if ordered, on non-commissioned members of the military.
GCs undergo a two-year military training program at PMA Kakul, equally divided into four semesters.
Officer cadets and midshipmen wear one, two, or three white stripes on their shoulderboards to denote their seniority.
Exercise appointment-holders wear yellow rank insignia appropriate to the appointment of the officer cadet.
Royal Navy officer cadets wear shoulder flashes with a white square after they complete the Militarisation phase of training (15 weeks).
The No.1 uniform bears the rank the cadet will hold upon completing initial officer training.
Cadets in the University Officers' Training Corps[9] wear zero to three horizontal bars on the rank slide.
[1] Royal Air Force officer cadets wear differing rank tabs displaying each term.
Members of all squadrons who are injured are moved to E Flight/Section and wear a white band on the rank tab.
However, gorget patches (rectangular white tabs with one triangular end) are worn on both lapels.
The United States Army, Coast Guard and Air Force use the rank "cadet" for officer candidates in the Army and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs at civilian colleges and universities and for cadets at the United States Military Academy (USMA), United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), and Air Force Officer Training School (OTS).
The United States Navy uses the rank of "midshipman" for officer candidates in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at civilian colleges or universities or United States Naval Academy (USNA) who are pursuing commissions as officers in both the Navy and the Marine Corps, as well as those enrolled in the United States Merchant Marine Academy, the latter at USMMA typically being commissioned as Reserve officers for service in either the active duty Navy or in the Navy Reserve.
Academy cadets and midshipmen are considered Geneva Conventions Category III personnel, the same as warrant officers and junior officers/company grade officers below the rank of major in the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force and below the rank of lieutenant commander in the Navy and Coast Guard.
[17] For midshipman ranks, both junior and senior officer equivalents wear from one to six 1/4" gold stripes or bars.
US Air Force cadets wear rank shoulder boards or lapel insignia which carry miniature insignia identical to those worn by officer trainees at USAF Officer Training School.
United States Military Academy "class insignia" are worn on the collar and epaulets of certain uniforms.
An exception to this is the unranked cadets, who are on probation of some kind (academic, athletic, military, honor, etc.).
Vertical diamonds on the boards of second class cadets indicate either squadron or group superintendent positions.
Stars on first class cadet boards indicate either flight, squadron, or group command positions.
On the current Operational Camouflage Pattern, Air Force Academy cadets wear soft spice brown rank insignia on the center of the chest.
While fourth class cadets wear no insignia on combat uniforms, they are awarded a Prop and Wings after recognition, to be worn on the flight cap and on the lapels of service dress.
First class leadership positions have increasing numbers of horizontal stripes, up to six for the Regimental Commander or Summer Battalion Commander, as well as a matching number of sleeve stripes on the Service Dress Blues and Parade Dress Blue uniforms.
