major; lieutenant commander; wing commander
Military rank used in the army (major), navy (lieutenant commander), and air force (wing commander). The exact equivalent depends on the branch of service.
He was promoted to major in the army.
The navy lieutenant commander stood on the bridge.
Major Yamada returned to the base.
He was promoted to major in three years.
大佐 (colonel) is two ranks above 少佐 (major), and the identical 佐 suffix in both words causes confusion about which is higher.
From 少 (shō, 'lesser') + 佐 (sa, 'assistant'), a Sino-Japanese compound used in modern military rank terminology.