The commanding officer (CO) is the officer in command of a military unit. An officer is a member of an armed force who holds a position of authority A military organization is a way of structuring the armed forces of a State as a need to offer Military capability required by the National defence policy Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law. Military law is a distinct legal system to which members of Armed forces are subject 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 Geneva Conventions consist of four Treaties formulated in Geneva, Switzerland, that set the standards for International law for humanitarian In tort law, a duty of care is a legal obligation imposed on an individual requiring that they adhere to a reasonable Standard of care while performing any acts Punishment is the practice of imposing something unpleasant or aversive on a person or animal usually in response to disobedient or morally wrong behavior
In some countries, commanding officers may be of any commissioned rank; 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, and in theory only goes to the best officers. 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. While executive officer literally refers to a person responsible for the performance of duties involved in running an Organization, the exact meaning of the role is variable For the film see Second in Command. The Second-in-Command ( 2i/c or 2IC) is the deputy commander of any British Army Larger units may also have staff officers of various responsibilities.
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United Kingdom
Army
In the British Army, Royal Marines, and many other Commonwealth military and paramilitary organisations, the title of commanding officer is reserved for commanders of major units (regiments, battalions and similar sized units), almost invariably holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and usually referred to within the unit simply as "the Colonel". The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Royal Marines ( RM) are the marine corps and amphibious Infantry of the United Kingdom and along with the Royal Navy A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status A regiment is a Military unit, composed of a variable number of Battalions – commanded by a Colonel. A battalion is a Military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel ( Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grade 's spelling is a rank of Commissioned officer in the armies The post of a commander of a minor unit (company, squadron or battery) is collectivelly referred to as the Officer Commanding (OC). A company is a Military unit, typically consisting of 75-200 Soldiers Most companies are formed of three to five Platoons although the exact number may vary A squadron is a small unit or formation of Cavalry, armour, Aircraft (including Balloons) or Warships Army In Military organizations an artillery battery is a unit of Guns mortars or Rockets so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield The Officer Commanding ( OC) is the commander of a sub-unit or minor unit (smaller than Battalion size in widespread military usage More specifically they are referred to as the Company Commander, Squadron Leader, etc. Officers and NCOs in charge of platoons, troops and sections are just referred to as Commanders (Platoon Commander, Troop Leader, Section Commander/Leader, etc). A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or Squads and containing about 30 to 50 soldiers A troop is a Military unit, originally a small force of Cavalry, subordinate to a Squadron and headed by the troop leader A section is a small Infantry unit first introduced in the British Army.
Air Force
In the Royal Air Force, the title of Commanding Officer is reserved for Station Commanders or commanders of independent units. A Royal Air Force Station is a permanent Royal Air Force operations location.
Navy
In the Royal Navy, Commanding Officer is the official title of the commander of any ship, unit or installation. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) However, they are referred to as "the Captain" no matter what their actual rank, or informally as "Skipper" or even "Boss". A skipper is a person who has Command of a Boat or Ship, more or less equivalent to " captain.
United States
In the United States, the status of commanding officer is duly applied to all commissioned officers who hold lawful command over a military unit, ship, or installation. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
Army
In the United States Army, the commanding officer of a platoon is referred to as a Platoon Leader. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or Squads and containing about 30 to 50 soldiers A platoon leader ( US Army) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the USMC) is the officer in command of a The commanding officer of a company is referred to as a Company Commander, the commanding officer of a battalion is referred to as a Battalion Commander, and the commanding officer of a brigade is referred to as a Brigade Commander. A company is a Military unit, typically consisting of 75-200 Soldiers Most companies are formed of three to five Platoons although the exact number may vary In the United States Army and United States Marine Corps, the Commanding officer of a company is a Company Commander. A battalion is a Military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel A battalion is a Military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel A brigade is a Military unit Echelon: is A brigade is a Military unit Echelon: is At the division level and higher, however, the commanding officer is referred to as the Commanding General, as these officers are normally of general rank. A division is a large Military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to thirty thousand soldiers
Air Force
In the United States Air Force, the commanding officer of a unit is similarly referred to as the unit commander, such as squadron commander, group commander, wing commander, and so forth. A squadron is a small unit or formation of Cavalry, armour, Aircraft (including Balloons) or Warships Army Wing Commander ( Wg Cdr in the RAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, W/C in the former RCAF) is a commissioned
Navy
In the United States Navy, commanding officer is the official title of the commander of a ship, but they are usually referred to as "the Captain" regardless of their actual rank, or informally referred to as "Skipper". A skipper is a person who has Command of a Boat or Ship, more or less equivalent to " captain.
See also
Command responsibility, sometimes referred to as the Yamashita standard or the Medina standard, is the doctrine of hierarchical accountability in cases of See also Military History Antiquity Albania Agron ( 250 BC - 230 BC) The first king to unite the IllyrianDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic