Senior Member Rank Structure
DISCLAIMER: The information pertaining to grades/ranks on this page are applied in respect to Civil Air Patrol members assigned to the squadron level. Experiences and standards may vary at higher echelons (i.e., Group, Wing, Region, National levels).
Officer Grades
All senior members above the age of 21 years are eligible to hold an officer grade in Civil Air Patrol.
CAP's officer rank structure mirrors that of the U.S. Air Force as follows:
| Grade | Abbreviated As | Insignia | Addressed As (Spoken) | Skill Level Required | Time-in-Grade | Promoting Authority |
| Second Lieutenant | 2d Lt |  |
"Lieutenant" | Level 1 & Level 2, Part 1 |
6 months as a CAP member | Squadron Commander |
| First Lieutenant | 1st Lt |  |
"Lieutenant" | Level 2 | 18 months as a 2d Lt or TFO | Squadron Commander |
| Captain | Capt |  |
"Captain" | Level 3 | 30 months as a 1st Lt or SFO | Group Commander |
| Major | Maj |  |
"Major" | Level 4 | 4 years as a Captain | Wing Commander |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Lt Col |  |
"Colonel" | Level 5 | 5 years as a Major | Region Commander |
| Colonel | Col |  |
"Colonel" | --- | --- | Senior Advisory Group |
| Brigadier General | Brig Gen |  |
"General" | --- | --- | Board of Governors |
| Major General | Maj Gen |  |
"General" | --- | --- | Board of Governors |
NOTE: General grades are reserved for the National Commander (Major General) and National Vice Commander (Brigadier General). Colonel grades are reserved for Region and Wing Commanders.
NOTE: Advancement to Lieutenant Colonel requires service on Wing-level staff (or higher echelon), which may be conduct concurrently while also serving at the squadron level.
Flight Officer Grades
Adult members (at least 18 years of age) but not yet 21 may serve in Civil Air Patrol within the Flight Officer grades.
Flight Officers include:
-
Adults who join CAP under 21 years of age
-
Cadet members who elect to transition to become a senior member before the age of 21
NOTE: Cadets who elect to remain within the CAP Cadet Program after turning 18 may continue to serve as a cadet until age 21.
| Grade | Abbreviated As | Insignia | Addressed As (Spoken) | Skill Level Required | Time-in-Grade | Promoting Authority |
| Flight Officer | FO |  |
"Flight Officer" | Level 1 & Level 2, Part 1 |
6 months as a CAP member | Squadron Commander |
| Technical Flight Officer | TFO |  |
"Flight Officer" | Level 2 | 18 months as an FO | Squadron Commander |
| Senior Flight Officer | SFO |  |
"Flight Officer" | Level 3 | 30 months as a TFO | Squadron Commander |
NOTE: Time served as a Flight Officer will count toward Time-in-Grade (TIG) requirements for standard officer grades.
Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Grades
Current or prior military service members who held a pay grade of E-4 or higher (enlisted only on Active Duty or service in the Reserves or National Guard) are eligible to serve as NCOs in Civil Air Patrol.
Enlisted service members may also choose to hold officer grades at their discretion if electing not to pursue the NCO promotion pathway.
| Grade | Abbreviated As | Insignia | Addressed As (Spoken) | Skill Level Required | Time-in-Grade | Promoting Authority |
| Staff Sergeant | SSgt |  |
"Sergeant" | Level 1 & Level 2, Part 1 |
None | Squadron Commander |
| Technical Sergeant | TSgt |  |
"Sergeant" | Level 2 | 1 year as a SSgt | Squadron Commander |
| Master Sergeant | MSgt |  |
"Master Sergeant" | Level 3 | 2 years as a TSgt | Region Commander |
| Senior Master Sergeant | SMSgt |  |
"Master Sergeant" | Level 4 | 3 years as a MSgt | Region Commander |
| Chief Master Sergeant | CMSgt |  |
"Chief" | Level 5 | 4 years as a SMSgt | Region Commander |
NOTE: Only one (1) Master Sergeant is allowed to serve in a squadron as the Squadron NCO (duty position). Multiple NCO grades may continue to serve in the squadron in a non-command capacity (i.e., technical specialist/support role).
