USPS Rank and Grade

In official publications, USPS members are usually referred to by rank, name, and grade. This practice recognizes and pays tribute to a member's voluntary service to the operation of a squadron, district or the national organization, and to his or her educational achievement. These letter combinations can be very confusing to a non-member or new member of the organization unfamiliar with their meanings. For those newly acquainted with the USPS, here is an explanation of these notations, which frequently accompany a member's name in print.

Rank

If a member holds or has held an elected office or one of most appointed offices on the squadron, district, or national level, his or her present or past rank will be indicated preceding his or her name.

At the squadron and district levels there is a commander. The squadron commander is designated by the abbreviation "Cdr", while the district commander is designated with the abbreviation "D/C". The top elected officer at the national level is the chief commander, designated by "C/C". Former, or "past" squadron, district, and chief commanders are designated by "P/C", "P/D/C", and "P/C/C" respectively.

At the squadron and district levels there are also lieutenant commanders who have been elected to head the executive, educational, administrative, secretarial, and treasury areas of their organization. While the bridge positions they have been elected to fill are referred to as executive officer, educational officer, administrative officer, secretary, and treasurer, they all hold the equal rank of lieutenant commander. At the squadron level, a lieutenant commander is designated by "Lt/C" preceding his or her name, while at the district level he or she is designated by "D/Lt/C".

The national executive, educational, and administrative officers, as well as the national secretary and treasurer, are each vice commanders and designated with "V/C" before their names. While it is less common for former squadron and district lieutenant commanders to be designated as "past" ("P/Lt/C" or "P/D/Lt/C") officers, former national vice commanders are generally designated as "P/V/C".

Assistants to the educational officer, secretary, and treasurer are frequently elected on all levels too. Those elected to these positions on the squadron and district levels are referred to as first lieutenants and designated as "1st/Lt" and "D/1st/Lt".

Those appointed to head squadron and district committees hold the rank of lieutenant. The designation for a squadron lieutenant is "Lt", while a district lieutenant is designated by "D/Lt".

At the national organization, both elected assistants to the educational officer, secretary, treasurer, and those appointed to head the various committees and sub-groups who help to run USPS hold the rank of rear commander. The designation which precedes their names is "R/C", and former holders of these offices are designated by "P/R/C".

Assistants on national committees have the rank of staff commander, with the designation of "Stf/C".

All individuals are generally designated by either their present rank, or the highest previous rank held if higher.

Grade

Following a member's name in print, his or her highest Advanced Grade course completion is indicated, provided he or she has also successfully completed all the preceding courses in the series.

Members who have completed the Seamanship course but not Piloting are recognized by the letter "S" following their name and are referred to as holding the grade of "Seaman". Those who have completed both Seamanship and Piloting are designated by the letter "P" and hold the grade of "Pilot".

Members who have passed the Seamanship, Piloting, and Advanced Piloting courses are designated by the notation "AP" following their names and are referred to as "Advanced Pilot"

To attain the grade of "Junior Navigator", designated by "JN" following his or her printed name, a member must have successfully completed the Seamanship, Piloting, Advanced Piloting, and Junior Navigation courses.

Those who have completed the Navigation course, as well as all of the preceding Advanced Grade courses, are referred to as "Navigator" and are designated by the letter "N" following their name. Additionally, any member who has successfully completed not only all five Advanced Grade courses, but also all of the then currently offered Elective course has earned the grade of "Senior Navigator". Those members are designated by the letters "SN" following their names in print.

This explanation should now allow you to readily identify and understand a member's rank and grade.