Comprehensive List of Navy Officer Designators: 1 Minute to Understand Navy Officer Designators and Their Roles

In the United States Navy, officer designators are four-digit codes used to identify the primary specialty, community affiliation, and career field of commissioned officers. These designators help structure career paths and assign duties based on expertise and qualifications. Understanding Navy officer designators is essential for anyone considering a career as a Naval officer or those involved in personnel management and career planning.

Below is a comprehensive list of common Navy officer designator codes, grouped by community:

Unrestricted Line (URL) Officers

1. 1110 – Surface Warfare Officer
2. 1120 – Submarine Warfare Officer
3. 1130 – SEAL (Special Warfare) Officer
4. 1140 – Special Operations Officer (EOD, diving, salvage, etc.)
5. 1150 – Naval Aviator (Pilot)
6. 1160 – Naval Flight Officer (NFO)
7. 1170 – Surface Warfare Officer (Nuclear-Trained)

Restricted Line (RL) Officers

1. 1200 – Human Resources
2. 1440 – Engineering Duty Officer
3. 1510 – Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer (AEDO) – Aviator
4. 1520 – Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer (AEDO) – NFO
5. 1650 – Public Affairs Officer
6. 1710 – Foreign Area Officer (FAO)
7. 1810 – Information Warfare Officer (Cyber Warfare, Space, Cryptologic, Intelligence, Meteorology/Oceanography)

Staff Corps Officers

1. 2100 – Medical Corps (Physicians)
2. 2200 – Dental Corps
3. 2300 – Medical Service Corps
4. 2500 – Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps
5. 2900 – Supply Corps
6. 3100 – Chaplain Corps
7. 4100 – Civil Engineer Corps (CEC, Seabees)
8. 5100 – Nurse Corps

Limited Duty Officer (LDO) and Warrant Officer (WO) Designators

1. 61XX/62XX/63XX – LDOs (Surface/Submarine/Aviation Support functions)
2. 71XX/72XX/73XX/74XX – Chief Warrant Officers (CWO, various subspecialties based on technical expertise)

These codes are found on official naval records and personnel documents, guiding everything from assignments to qualification and training. A detailed understanding of designators not only helps in career planning but also in team composition, especially for collaborative or inter-disciplinary ship or command layouts. As a designer, when envisioning a collaborative operations center or an officer’s workspace, accounting for varied officer communities and specialties—reflected in these designators—maximizes both efficiency and ergonomics. For those seeking optimal workspace solutions that account for such role diversity, implementing a functional office layout planner can ease the process of accommodating diverse officer roles and their interaction within a unified environment.

Tips 1:

When working with or managing Navy personnel, familiarize yourself with officer designators to quickly identify roles and areas of expertise. This enables better team assignments, targeted communication, and a more harmonious command environment—similar to how space planning in interior design ensures various specialists have what they need for productivity.

FAQ

Q: What is a Navy officer designator?

A: A Navy officer designator is a four-digit code used to classify Naval officers based on their specialty or career field.

Q: What does the designator 1110 mean in the Navy?

A: The designator 1110 refers to a Surface Warfare Officer, an Unrestricted Line officer qualified for ship operations.

Q: Can a Navy officer change their designator?

A: Yes, officers may change designators through formal application processes like redesignation boards, typically aligning with their skills and qualifications.

Q: What is the difference between Unrestricted Line and Restricted Line designators?

A: Unrestricted Line officers are eligible for command at sea and in combat roles, while Restricted Line officers are specialists not eligible for such commands.

Q: How are designators used in Navy career management?

A: Designators guide assignments, promotion eligibility, and professional development paths for Navy officers.