Captain (United States O-6)

Captain
The insignia, shoulder boards, and sleeve stripes of a U.S. Navy captain
Country United States of America
AbbreviationCAPT
RankCaptain
NATO rank codeOF-5
Non-NATO rankO-6
Next higher rankRear admiral (lower half)
Next lower rankCommander
Equivalent ranksColonel (United States Army, Marine Corps, Space Force and Air Force)
U.S. Coast Guard Captain Jessica Rozzi-Ochs of USCGC Eagle, left, and U.S. Navy Commander Billie J. Farrell of USS Constitution, right, were the first female commanding officers of their respective ships.
Navy submarine captain Michael Bernacchi, serving as a chief of staff to a flag officer

In the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHS Corps), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps), captain is the senior-most commissioned officer rank below that of flag officer (i.e., admirals). The equivalent rank is colonel in the United States Army, Air Force, Space Force, and Marine Corps.

Reflecting its nautical heritage, the term captain is used as a military title by officers of more junior rank who command a commissioned vessel of the Navy, Coast Guard, or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of patrol boat size or greater. Officers below O-6 who command aviation squadrons (typically O-5 commanders) usually use the less formal title "skipper".