Colonel (United States) Colonel (United States) In the United States Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force, colonel () is the most senior field grade military officer rank, immediately above the rank of lieutenant colonel and immediately below the rank of brigadier general. It is equivalent to the naval rank of captain in the other uniformed services. The pay grade for colonel is O-6. The insignia of the rank of colonel, as seen on the right, is worn on the officer's left side (a mirror-image version is worn on the right side, such that the eagle always faces forward to the wearer's front; the
Argentine Army officer rank insignia Argentine Army officer rank insignia Argentine Army officers wear their rank insignia in shoulderboards. Generals and Senior Colonels may be distinguished for the red trim of their shoulderboards and around the suns denoting their rank; they also wear golden wreath leaves in their coat lapels. The suns for officers below the rank of Senior Colonel are metallic; Senior Colonels and Generals have gold-braid suns. The highest rank an Army officer may reach is "Teniente General" (Lieutenant General(Argentine Army)). This rank is held only by the Chief of the General Staff of the Army. The only exception is the Chief of