Editing Officer cadet (section)

== United States ==<!-- This section is linked from [[Wesley Clark]] -->
The [[United States Army]] and [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] use the rank "cadet" for officer candidates in the Army and Air Force [[Reserve Officer Training Corps]] (ROTC) programs at civilian colleges and universities and for cadets at the [[United States Military Academy]] (USMA), [[United States Air Force Academy]] (USAFA), [[United States Coast Guard Academy]] (USCGA), and [[Air Force Officer Training School]] (OTS).  The [[United States Navy]] uses the rank of "[[midshipman]]" for officer candidates in the [[Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps]] at civilian colleges or universities or [[United States Naval Academy]] (USNA) who are pursuing commissions as officers in both the [[United States Navy|Navy]] and the [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]], as well as those enrolled in the [[United States Merchant Marine Academy]], the latter at USMMA typically being commissioned as Reserve officers for service in either the active duty Navy or in the [[United States Navy Reserve|Navy Reserve]].

High school students who, with few exceptions, are under the age of 18 in the [[Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps]] in U.S. high schools and preparatory schools, the [[United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps]], and the Cadet Program of the [[Civil Air Patrol]] are also addressed as cadet, but have no actual military status.

The term "[[officer candidate]]" is used for others seeking a commission as an officer. The term "officer candidate" is generally used for officer candidates who are seeking their commission by means other than [[Reserve Officer Training Corps|ROTC]] or a service academy, such as through Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard [[Officer Candidate School#United States|Officer Candidate School]] (OCS).  This includes civilian college and university students in the Marine Corps' Platoon Leader Class (PLC) program, the Coast Guard's Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) where students attend those services' respective officer candidate schools.  It also previously included the Navy's since discontinued [[Officer Candidate School (United States Navy)|Aviation Officer Candidate School]] (AOCS) for civilian college and university graduates and its Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate Program (AVROC) program for college/university seniors and college graduates, the latter having been embedded in the AOCS program.  Another term, "officer trainee", was previously used by the Air Force's OTS program until that term was changed to cadet in 2015.

Officers commissioned in to the [[United States Space Force|Space Force]] are typically accessed via USAF commissioning programs such as the U.S. Air Force Academy, Air Force ROTC, and Air Force Officer Training School.

The term "cadet" may also be used generally to refer to students at a private military academy, or members of a youth group associated with the military who are receiving preliminary training with the intention of possibly joining the military, sometimes at a younger age than they would be able to do otherwise.

Officer cadets are generally paid below the standard pay rates for junior officers, but receive some of the rights and responsibilities of a junior officer during their training. Academy cadets and midshipmen are considered Geneva Conventions Category III personnel, the same as warrant officers and junior officers/company grade officers below the rank of major in the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force and below the rank of lieutenant commander in the Navy and Coast Guard.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prim.osd.mil/Documents/JEBPDFReports/CHRIS470.PDF |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-06-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222173220/http://www.prim.osd.mil/Documents/JEBPDFReports/CHRIS470.PDF |archive-date=22 December 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

=== Reserve Officers' Training Corps ===
[[File:ROTCFTX1.jpg|thumb|Army ROTC cadets on a [[field training exercise]] in March 2005]]
Cadets and midshipmen in the ROTC programs generally hold training ranks equivalent to their branch's enlisted ranks during their first three years of training and officer-equivalent ranks during their senior year, except in the Air Force where they hold officer-equivalent rank during their junior and senior years.  In addition, a small amount of NROTC midshipmen 2/C may hold officer ranks, limited by the amount of available billets. Cadets or midshipmen holding cadet-enlisted rank must salute cadet or midshipman officers within their own branch of the service.

Cadet officer ranks<ref>[http://www.gruntsmilitary.com/arotcrank.shtml Cadet officer] ranks</ref> in US Army ROTC are denoted by "pips" – one to three circular insignia denoting the company-grade equivalents, one to three diamond-shaped insignia denoting the field-grade equivalents.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ume.maine.edu/~ArmyROTC/Cadet%20Handbook/670-1/Chap%203/chapter_3.htm#3-9 |title=Chapter 3 insignia |access-date=12 July 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050319020259/http://www.ume.maine.edu/~ArmyROTC/Cadet%20Handbook/670-1/Chap%203/chapter_3.htm#3-9 |archive-date=19 March 2005 |url-status=dead }}</ref> For [[Midshipman#U.S. Navy midshipman class and rank insignia|midshipman ranks]], both junior and senior officer equivalents wear from one to six 1/4" gold stripes or bars.

[[Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps#Cadet Rank|US Air Force]] cadets wear rank shoulder boards or lapel insignia which carry miniature insignia identical to those worn by officer trainees at USAF [[Officer Training School]].

=== Service academies ===
Each U.S. service academy has its own set of insignia, different from their corresponding ROTC program.

==== U.S. Military Academy (West Point) ====
[[File:2014 West Point Graduation and Commissioning (Image 7 of 24) (14298167084).jpg|thumb|Cadets of the [[United States Military Academy]] celebrate at the completion of their graduation and commissioning ceremony]]
United States Military Academy "class insignia" are worn on the collar and epaulets of certain uniforms.  An enameled shield bearing a Greek sword surmounted by the helmet of Pallas, worn on the left collar or above cadet rank stripes/bars on epaulets, is the standard class insignia for third-class (yellow shield), second-class (grey shield), or first-class (black shield) cadets.  On traditional "dress grey" and "full dress grey" uniforms and overcoats, the class insignia is indicated by the number of service stripes (one to three) denoting completed years at the academy.  These stripes are located on the lower sleeve for the under two classes and on the upper sleeve for the upper two classes. Visitors are sometimes confused to see cadets early in the academic year wearing the insignia of cadet private first class - such cadets are often reduced in rank (for any of a variety of reasons), but have already completed their first year and as such are no longer cadet privates ("plebes").

Rank within the Corps of Cadets is denoted by collar insignia "railroad tracks", a number of black enamel bars with silver outline, or epaulet stripes from one (for cadet corporal) to six (for cadet captain in certain command and staff roles) on certain uniforms.  On the traditional dress-grey-based uniforms and overcoats, chevrons denote rank in the Corps.  A cadet corporal wears two chevrons on the lower sleeve.  A cadet sergeant wears two chevrons on the upper sleeve, a cadet lieutenant three, and a cadet captain from four to six chevrons.  For cadets in the rank of cadet sergeant and up, various combinations of stars, diamonds, rockers or arcs, and other devices, are used on the sleeves to denote specific positions/jobs.  The title of cadet captain is used for all cadets wearing four or more stripes/bars.  The brigade commander, also called the first captain, wears six stripes/bars/sleeve chevrons with a gold star <ref>{{cite web |url=http://webpages.charter.net/usaihp/usma.html |title=United States Corps of Cadets |access-date=2008-03-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515234702/http://webpages.charter.net/usaihp/usma.html |archive-date=15 May 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==== U.S. Air Force Academy ====
[[File:USAFA Cadet Rank.png|thumb|[[United States Air Force Academy Cadet Insignia|Rank insignias used by United States Air Force Academy cadets]]]]
The [[United States Air Force Academy Cadet Insignia|rank of United States Air Force Academy cadets]] is denoted by the insignia on their shoulderboards in all "blues" uniforms, including "blues", [[service dress]], overcoats, [[mess dress]] and parade dress. All cadet shoulder boards carry the heraldic [[nebuly]] device, (commonly referred to as "clouds" by cadets). Third class cadets have one thin bar (ground) underneath the clouds; second and first class cadets wear two thin bars, one each above (horizon) and below the clouds. Additional chevrons denote cadet non-commissioned officer ranks, while additional bars denote cadet officer ranks.  An exception to this is the unranked cadets, who are on probation of some kind (academic, athletic, military, honor, etc.). For unranked third class cadets, only ground and cloud are present; for unranked second class cadets only ground, cloud, and horizon are present; for unranked first class cadets only ground, cloud, horizon and one thin bar are present. Vertical diamonds on the boards of second class cadets indicate either squadron or group superintendent positions. Horizontal diamonds on the same indicate squadron first sergeant positions. Stars on first class cadet boards indicate either flight, squadron, or group command positions. If multiple stars are present, the cadet is either the vice wing commander (two stars), or the wing commander (three stars), the senior cadet in the Wing. The only second class cadet rank with a star present is the Wing Command Chief, the senior second class cadet.

On the current [[Operational Camouflage Pattern]], Air Force Academy cadets wear soft spice brown rank insignia on the center of the chest. Formerly, Air Force Academy cadets wore metal blue bars or chevrons on the lapels of the (now retired) [[Battle Dress Uniform]] and [[Airman Battle Uniform]] to denote their rank. While fourth class cadets wear no insignia on combat uniforms, they are awarded a [[Prop and Wings]] after recognition, to be worn on the flight cap and on the lapels of service dress. Third class cadets wear one or two chevrons on each lapel, signifying that they are cadet/[[staff sergeant]]s or cadet/[[technical sergeant]]s, respectively. Second class cadets wear three to five chevrons, indicating ranks from cadet/[[master sergeant]] to cadet/[[Chief Master Sergeant (United States)|chief master sergeant]]. First class cadets function as cadet officers and wear one to six bars on their lapels, corresponding to ranks from cadet/[[second lieutenant]] to cadet/[[colonel]].

==== U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis) and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) ====
[[File:US_Midshipman_Insignia.svg|thumb|alt=United States Naval Academy/NROTC Rank Structure|Insignia used by USNA/NROTC Midshipmen]]
The [[Midshipman#United States Naval and Merchant Marine Academies|rank insignia of the United States Naval Academy and the United States Merchant Marine Academy]] is a combination of sleeve, shoulder and collar insignia, similar to that used by the Naval ROTC units.

==== United States Coast Guard Academy ====
There are two types of insignia used by Coast Guard Academy cadets.

The first is a metal pin-on device.  It is a colored shield with a gold anchor with a silver star above it.  The color of the background denotes the class. The colors are green for 4/c, red for 3/c, white for 2/c and blue for 1/c.  The colors all have historic meanings: red and green represent the running lights on a vessel; white signifies the white lights used as navigation lights, signifying the role as guides for the 4/c; blue represents the blue lights of law enforcement vessels that that 1/c are about to serve aboard.

The second type of insignia is shoulder boards.  All cadet shoulder boards have a slightly smaller version of the shield found on officer shoulder boards, and stripes denoting class year or 1/c leadership positions.  The 4/c have no stripes, 3/c 1 diagonal stripe, 2/c 2 diagonal stripes, and 1/c 1 horizontal stripe.  First class leadership positions have increasing numbers of horizontal stripes, up to six for the Regimental Commander or Summer Battalion Commander, as well as a matching number of sleeve stripes on the [[United States Coast Guard#Uniforms|Service Dress Blues]] and Parade Dress Blue uniforms.