Senior colonel Senior colonel Senior colonel is an army officer rank placed between a regular colonel and a major general. The rank typically exists in militaries that do not maintain a rank of brigadier general or brigadier. In Nazi Germany, a rank equivalent to senior colonel, "Oberführer", was used by both the SA and SS. In the branches of the "Allgemeine SS" (General SS) and "Waffen-SS" (Armed SS) the rank of "Oberführer" was widely used. The rank did not exist in the army ("Heer"), although the "Kriegsmarine" (navy) maintained the equivalent rank of "Kommodore". After World War II, armies in Asia, especially
Lieutenant colonel (United States) 1791, there was only one lieutenant colonel in the US Army (Josiah Harmar), who acted as the army's commanding officer. In the Continental Army aides to the Commander in Chief, viz., Lieutenant General George Washington, were lieutenant colonels. Additionally, certain officers serving under the Adjutant General, Inspector General, and Judge Advocate General, ranked as lieutenant colonels. During the 19th century, lieutenant colonel was often a terminal rank for many officers, since the rank of "full colonel" was considered extremely prestigious reserved only for the most successful officers. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, the rank of lieutenant colonel became