Captain (Navy)

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In the Canadian Forces, the rank of Captain (Navy) or Captain (N) (Capt(N)) (French: Capitaine de vaisseau or capv) is a Naval rank equal to a Colonel of the Army or Air Force. Like Colonel, Captain (N) is the highest rank of Senior Officer. A Captain (N) is senior to a Commander or an Army or Air Force Lieutenant-Colonel, and junior to a Commodore or Brigadier-General.

Typical appointments for Captains (N) include:

Base Commander (BComd)
Commanding officer of a school or training establishment, such as that of the Canadian Forces Maritime Warfare Centre
Commander of a ship
Branch Advisor
Military attaché to foreign nations

The rank insignia for a Captain (N) is four ½" stripes, worn on the cuffs of the Service Dress jacket, and on slip-ons on other uniforms. On the visor of the service cap is one row of gold oak leaves along the edge. Captains wear the officers' pattern cap badge, which is an anchor on a black oval, surrounded by a wreath of maple leaves. Specialist officers in such branches as administration, medical, etc. wear their branch cap badge.

The "(Navy)" or "(N)" is a part of the rank descriptor, and is used in official publications and documents to distinguish a Captain (N) from a Captain in the Army or Air Force. It is also important to distinguish between the rank of Captain and the appointment of captain, meaning the commanding officer of a ship, regardless of his or her rank.

A Captain (N) is addressed initially as "Captain Bloggins", thereafter by superiors and peers as "Captain" and by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am". The "(Navy)" or "(N)" is not part of the address.

Note: Before Unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, rank structure and insignia followed the British pattern.

Navy uniform variations
Dress uniform tunic	Uniform shirts	shoulder boards for short-sleeve shirt and tropical white tunic	CADPAT uniform

Mess uniform variations
Number 2 mess uniform	Number 2A summer mess white uniform Shoulder Boards	Shoulder Boards for the Number 2C Shipboard mess uniform.	Sleeve Number 2D Canadian Forces Mess Standard for members that have joined the CF before 1987.