Public Affairs Officers are examples of which designation?

• A. Restricted Line (RL)
• B. Staff Corps (SC)
• C. Limited Duty Officers (LDOs)
• D. Chief Warrant Officers (CWOs)

Answer: (A)

Public Affairs Officers fall under the Restricted Line designation. In the Navy, Restricted Line officers focus on specialized staff roles that require particular expertise—in this case, communications, public affairs, and related functions—rather than traditional sea command. Their work centers on advising commanders, managing media relations, shaping messaging, and handling public and internal communications. This distinguishes them from Staff Corps, which covers professional communities like Medical, Dental, Nurse, Chaplain, and Civil Engineer Corps, and from Limited Duty Officers or Chief Warrant Officers, which follow different career paths focused on technical specialization and progression.