United States Air Force officer rank insignia

This process occurs approximately between the nine- and eleven-year mark, where a certain percentage of Captains will be selected for Major.

Unlike the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, metal rank insignia for general officers consists of separate rather than conjoined stars.

The Flight Duty Uniform (FDU) features subdued cloth rank insignia sewn onto the shoulders.

Officers wear a bright metal rank insignia toward the front edge of the (wearer's) left side of the flight cap.

On the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) uniform rank is worn as a velcro patch on the center of the chest.

Subdued rank insignia, as worn on the OCP and FDU, are designed to reduce visibility of the wearer under field conditions.

The subdued versions of silver insignia are embroidered in dark blue thread on an olive-drab backing.

The insignia have been essentially unchanged since then, except for a brief period during the 1990s, when then-Air Force Chief of Staff General Merrill A. McPeak redesigned the service dress uniform.

[5] Officer grades up to lieutenant colonel reflect progression in training and organizational seniority, rather than command authority.

Except for a few exceptional cases, senior members are only promoted to the grade of CAP colonel upon appointment as a Region Commander, responsible for overseeing multiple states, or Wing Commander, responsible for the administration of CAP units across an entire state.