United States Armed Forces - Order of Precedence

Order of Precedence

Under current Department of Defense regulation, the various components of the Armed Forces have a set order of seniority. Examples of the use of this system include the display of service flags, placement of Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen in formation, etc. When the United States Coast Guard shall operate as part of the Navy, the cadets, United States Coast Guard Academy, the United States Coast Guard, and the Coast Guard Reserve shall take precedence, respectively, after the midshipmen, United States Naval Academy; the United States Navy; and Navy Reserve.

• Cadets, US Military Academy
• Midshipmen, US Naval Academy
• Cadets, United States Coast Guard Academy (when the Coast Guard shall operate as part of the Navy)
• Cadets, US Air Force Academy
• Cadets, United States Coast Guard Academy (when the Coast Guard shall operate as part of the Department of Homeland Security)
• Midshipmen, US Merchant Marine Academy
• United States Army
• United States Marine Corps
• United States Navy
• United States Coast Guard (when the Coast Guard shall operate as part of the Navy)
• United States Air Force
• United States Coast Guard (when the Coast Guard shall operate as part of the Department of Homeland Security)
• Army National Guard of the United States
• United States Army Reserve
• United States Marine Corps Reserve
• United States Navy Reserve
• United States Coast Guard Reserve (when the Coast Guard shall operate as part of the Navy)
• Air National Guard of the United States
• United States Air Force Reserve
• United States Coast Guard Reserve (when the Coast Guard shall operate as part of the Department of Homeland Security)
• Other training and auxiliary organizations of the Army, Marine Corps, United States Merchant Marine, Civil Air Patrol, and United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, as in the preceding order.

Note: While the United States Navy is actually older than the United States Marine Corps, the Marine Corps takes precedence over the Navy due to previous inconsistencies in the Navy's birth date. The Marine Corps has recognized its observed birth date on a more consistent basis. The Second Continental Congress established the Navy on 13 October 1775 and the Marine Corps on 10 November 1775. The Navy did not officially recognize 13 October 1775 as its birth date until 1972 when, then-Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt authorized it to be observed as such.