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The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. Every officer is required to own a Service Dress Blue Uniform, Summer Whites and Working Khakis. The local uniform authority may prescribe you to wear various uniforms or uniform accessories. Uniforms are available through several sources:
Navy NEX (official uniform supplier)
AAFES (Army sweater and Woodland BDU’s)
(800) 527-2345 phone
UltraThin (PHS ribbons and nametags)
P.O. Box 7128
Moore, OK 73153
(800) 758-7265 phone
(800) 962-1451 fax
PHS Officer Supply and Device Center (insignia, covers, t-shirts, nametags, memorabilia, and plaques)
1770 Physicians Park Drive
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70816
(225) 756–3793 voice
(225) 756–3810 fax
For uniform questions, e-mail the Corps uniform helpdesk at phsccuniform@hhs.gov.
Ranks and Insignia
The Commissioned Corps is an elite all-officer organization. Each officer is assigned a permanent and a similar or higher temporary grade or rank upon call to active duty. The grades are coded with the letter O signifying officer, followed by a digit in the range of 1-1O. Grades have formal designations within the Commissioned Corps but, when referring to commissioned officers, they traditionally are referred to by the equivalent U.S. Navy ranks (see table). The exception to this is that the proper titles and abbreviations of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Surgeon General, and Deputy Surgeon General are always those of the U.S. Public Health Service. Officers holding temporary grades above O-6 are referred to as flag grade officers.
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