cap and/or the patrol caps which replaced in 2017 the use of the red (college) or blue (academy) military berets used by the corps, with green berets also formerly worn on certain occasions by the academy cadets, similar to US Army Green Berets and Royal Marine Commandos. Recently, baseball caps are beginning to be worn during practice drills. Academically, the school is organized into six classes, plus College Freshmen and College Sophomores. The academy classes are as follows: First Class: Seniors (12th Grade); Second Class: Juniors (11th Grade); Third Class: Sophomores (10th Grade); Fourth Class: Freshmen (9th Grade); Fifth Class: 8th Grade; and Sixth Class: 7th Grade. Thus, the system is somewhat "inverted" from the "Form" system in use at some schools and more closely parallels West Point and the other FSAs. Faculty and Staff Officers generally wear military uniforms and generally wear United States Army officer rank insignia save for those who are a part of the United States Air Force, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard and wear their respective rank insignia. Those with Academy Commissions wear the letters "VF" in place of the "U.S." insignia and school crests as branch insignia and unit crest. Reserve, National Guard, and Retired Officers and NCOs, serving in their respective ranks, wear the rank and accouterments of their respective service arm. VFMAC also employs several British ex-Military personnel, most of whom wear the uniform and rank insignia of their respective British service. The faculty currently includes Royal Navy, Royal Marines Commandos, and Royal Marines Band Service personnel, especially in the academy's regimental band and also as staff and tactical officers. Ranks used by the VFMAC Corps of Cadets This is the complete list of ranks used by the Corps of Cadets of the VFMAC. Former, unused, and honorary ranks are in italics. Cadet Officers Cadet Enlisted and NCO's Component units of the Corps of Cadets Former units and assignments are indicated in italics. A Company (Academy) B Company (Academy) C Company (Academy) D Troop (Academy and College combined cavalry unit, formerly depends on branch, reformed in 2009) (Disbanded in 2020) E Battery (Formerly E Company and later the Machine Gun Company under Academy, transformed to artillery battery in 1940 school year) F Company (Formerly Academy [1930's] and College, reformed in 2014 under the Academy) G Company (Academy and College depending on the year) H Company