§ 41. — Grades and ratings.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 14USC41]
TITLE 14--COAST GUARD
PART I--REGULAR COAST GUARD
CHAPTER 3--COMPOSITION AND ORGANIZATION
Sec. 41. Grades and ratings
In the Coast Guard there shall be an admiral, vice admirals; rear
admirals; rear admirals (lower half); captains; commanders; lieutenant
commanders; lieutenants; lieutenants (junior grade); ensigns; chief
warrant officers; cadets; warrant officers; and enlisted members.
Enlisted members shall be distributed in ratings established by the
Secretary.
(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 497; Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, Secs. 6,
53, 70A Stat. 620, 679; Pub. L. 86-474, Sec. 1(1), May 14, 1960, 74
Stat. 144; Pub. L. 92-451, Sec. 1(1), Oct. 2, 1972, 86 Stat. 755; Pub.
L. 97-417, Sec. 2(1), Jan. 4, 1983, 96 Stat. 2085; Pub. L. 98-557,
Sec. 15(a)(3)(B), (C), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2865; Pub. L. 99-145,
title V, Sec. 514(a)(2), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 628; Pub. L. 103-337,
div. A, title V, Sec. 541(f)(4), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2766.)
Historical and Revision Notes
1949 Act
Based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., Secs. 5, 9, 21 (Apr. 12, 1902,
ch. 501, Sec. 1, 32 Stat. 100; Jan. 28, 1915, ch. 20, Sec. 2, 38 Stat.
801; May 18, 1920, ch. 190, Sec. 8, 41 Stat. 603; June 5, 1920, ch. 235,
Sec. 1, 41 Stat. 879; Jan. 12, 1923, ch. 25, Secs. 1, 2, 42 Stat. 1130;
July 3, 1926, ch. 742, Secs. 3, 9, 10, 44 Stat. 815, 817).
The grades of vice admiral and rear admiral are added to make
provision for the commissioned officer personnel structure of the
service as provided for in this revision. The entire rating structure
for enlisted men is left to the administrative discretion of the
Secretary, as in the past, for reasons of flexibility.
The last two paragraphs of said section 5 are obsolete and have been
omitted.
Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress, House Report No.
557.
1956 Act
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Revised section Source (U.S. Code) Source (Statutes at Large)
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41................................... 14:41. Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, Sec. 1(41), 63
34:135a(a) (less last Stat. 497.
sentence, as applicable to May 29, 1954, ch. 249, Sec. 3(a) (less
temporary appointments). 3d and last sentences, as applicable to
temporary appointments), 68 Stat. 157.
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Amendments
1994--Pub. L. 103-337 substituted ``chief warrant officers; cadets;
warrant officers;'' for ``chief warrant officers, W-4; chief warrant
officers, W-3; chief warrant officers, W-2; cadets; warrant officers, W-
1;''.
1985--Pub. L. 99-145 substituted ``rear admirals (lower half)'' for
``commodores''.
1984--Pub. L. 98-557 substituted ``members'' for ``men'' in two
places.
1983--Pub. L. 97-417 inserted ``commodores;'' after ``rear
admirals;''.
1972--Pub. L. 92-451 substituted ``vice admirals'' for ``a vice
admiral''.
1960--Pub. L. 86-474 inserted the grade of admiral.
1956--Act Aug. 10, 1956, repealed and reenacted section by general
amendment thereby substituting ``chief warrant officers, W-4; chief
warrant officers, W-3; chief warrant officers, W-2'' for ``commissioned
warrant officers'', and ``warrant officers, W-1'' for ``warrant
officers''.
Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 103-337 effective on the first day of the
fourth month beginning after Oct. 5, 1994, see section 541(h) of Pub. L.
103-337, set out as a note under section 571 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
Effective Date of 1972 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 92-451 effective Oct. 2, 1972, except that
continuation boards may not be held until one year thereafter, see
section 3 of Pub. L. 92-451, set out as a note under section 290 of this
title.
