Editing Officer cadet (section)

=== 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.