United States General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. However, they are referred to as 'the captain' no matter what their actual rank, or informally as 'skipper' or even 'boss'. In the Royal Navy and many others, commanding officer is the official title of the commander of any ship, unit or installation. As with the British Army, the post of a commander of a lesser unit such as an administrative wing, squadron or flight is referred to as the officer commanding (OC). In the Royal Air Force, the title of commanding officer is reserved for station commanders or commanders of independent units, including flying squadrons. platoon commander, troop leader, section commander/leader, etc.). platoons, troops and sections) are not specific appointments and officers or NCOs who fill those positions are simply referred to as the commander or leader (e.g. The CO of a unit may have the power to sentence an offender to 28 days' detention, whereas the OC of a sub-unit may have the power to sentence an offender to 3 days' restriction of privileges.Ĭommanders of units smaller than sub-units (e.g. For example, they may have statutory powers to promote soldiers or to deal with certain disciplinary offences and award certain punishments.

In these cases, the officer commanding can be a captain or even a lieutenant.Īppointments such as CO and OC may have specific powers associated with them. a military police platoon that reports directly to a formation such as a brigade) will also have an OC appointed. In some cases, independent units smaller than a sub-unit (e.g. Major-General Richard Gale, 6th Airborne Division, addresses his men, 4 June 1944 The OC of a sub-unit or minor unit is today customarily a major (although formerly usually a captain in infantry companies and often also in cavalry squadrons), although again the rank of the appointment holder and the holder's appointment are separate and independent of each other. C-in-C Land Army, C-in-C British Army of the Rhine). Area commands have a commander-in-chief (e.g. Higher formations have a commander (usual for a brigade) or a general officer commanding (GOC). The officer in command of a minor unit holds the appointment of ' officer commanding' (OC). Sub-units and minor units ( companies, squadrons and batteries) and formations (brigades, divisions, corps and armies) do not have a commanding officer.

That is, not all lieutenant colonels are COs, and although most COs are lieutenant colonels, that is not a requirement of the appointment. However, the rank of the appointment holder and the holder's appointment are separate. 'The colonel' may also refer to the holder of an honorary appointment of a senior officer who oversees the non-operational affairs of a regiment. It is customary for a commanding officer to hold the rank of lieutenant colonel, and they are usually referred to within the unit simply as 'the colonel' or the CO. The appointment of commanding officer is exclusive to commanders of major units ( regiments, battalions and similar sized units). In the British Army, Royal Marines, and many other Commonwealth military and paramilitary organisations, the commanding officer of a unit is appointed. Larger units may also have staff officers responsible for various responsibilities. The commanding officer is often assisted by an executive officer (XO) or second-in-command (2i/c), who handles personnel and day-to-day matters, and a senior enlisted advisor. Usually, there are more officers than command positions available, and time spent in command is generally a key aspect of promotion, so the role of commanding officer is highly valued. In some countries, commanding officers may be of any commissioned rank.

In this respect, commanding officers have significant responsibilities (for example, the use of force, finances, equipment, the Geneva Conventions), duties (to higher authority, mission effectiveness, duty of care to personnel), and powers (for example, discipline and punishment of personnel within certain limits of military law). The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as they see fit, within the bounds of military law. The commanding officer ( CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general ( CG) or general officer commanding ( GOC), is the officer in command of a military unit. JSTOR ( January 2017) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)ĭouglas Haig and Ferdinand Foch inspecting the Gordon Highlanders, 1918.Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: 'Commanding officer' – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.

What is a commander in chief