Real Officers

Real Officers is a term sometimes used informally by Midshipmen and Cadets to describe Commissioned Officers. The term is sometimes used by a commissioned officer who has been ordered to teach a certain procedure to midshipmen when refering to themselves ("Let me show you how a real officer does this".)   In both cases, the person using that term might be subject to a reprimand.

During the first year as cadets, it's permissable for an instructor to use that term when correcting or encouraging a group of cadets.