Lieutenant Colonel

In the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, lieutenant colonel is a senior officer, with the pay grade of O-5. Lieutenant Colonel ranks above major and below colonel. Lieutenant Colonel is equivalent to a commander in the other uniformed services. The rank of Lieutenant Colonel was first created during the Revolutionary War, when the position was held by aides to Regiment Colonel, and was sometimes known as "Lieutenant to the Colonel". The rank of Lieutenant Colonel had existed in the British Army since at least the 16th century. 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 of officers. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, the rank of Lieutenant Colonel became much more common and was used as a "stepping stone" for officers who commanded small regiments or battalions and were expected, by... full article at wikipedia