How are officer ranks visually indicated on insignia in the U.S. Army?

• A. Badges depicting stars.
• B. Bars and leaves: Second Lieutenant gold bar, First Lieutenant silver bar, Captain two bars, Major gold oak leaf, Lieutenant Colonel silver oak leaf, Colonel silver eagle.
• C. Colors on patches.
• D. Rows of stripes on shoulders.

Answer: (B)

Officer ranks are shown on U.S. Army insignia by specific devices that sit on the shoulder or collar. The design uses bars, oak leaves, and an eagle to signal rank progression at a glance. The sequence from junior to senior is a gold bar for second lieutenant, a silver bar for first lieutenant, two parallel bars for captain, a gold oak leaf for major, a silver oak leaf for lieutenant colonel, and a silver eagle for colonel. The colors and shapes distinguish not just rank but the general category of officer as you move up the line. For context, general officers are identified with stars on their insignia, while unit patches or shoulder colors indicate the unit or branch rather than rank. Rows of stripes on shoulders aren’t used to indicate these officer ranks on standard uniforms.