Colonel
Colonel, a commissioned army, air force, or marine officer ranking above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general. The comparable naval rank is captain. As insignia of rank a colonel in the U.S. armed forces wears a silver eagle on each shoulder. A colonel in the U.S. Army or Marine Corps normally commands a unit larger than a battalion but smaller than a division; an Air Force colonel commands a wing. A colonel may also hold a staff office.