Commanding officer

<h2 id="commonwealth">Commonwealth</h2>
<h3>Army and Royal Marines</h3>
<p>In the <a href="/facts/British_Army/StuY9Jy2">British Army</a>, <a href="/facts/Royal_Marines/2HmTrRnx">Royal Marines</a>, and many other <a href="/facts/Commonwealth_of_Nations/TcIRQnNq">Commonwealth</a> military and <a href="/facts/Paramilitary/mevWLG3M">paramilitary</a> organisations, the commanding officer of a unit is appointed. Thus the office of CO is an appointment.
The appointment of commanding officer is exclusive to commanders of major units (<a href="/facts/Regiment/cBBUAaKg">regiments</a>, <a href="/facts/Battalion/AohlXDhb">battalions</a> and similar sized units). It is customary for a commanding officer to hold the rank of <a href="/facts/Lieutenant_colonel_(United_Kingdom)/nNwjfLUI">lieutenant colonel</a>, and they are usually referred to within the unit simply as "the colonel" or the CO. "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. However, the rank of the appointment holder and the holder's appointment are separate. That is, not all lieutenant colonels are COs, and although most COs are lieutenant colonels, that is not a requirement of the appointment.
</p><p>Sub-units and minor units (<a href="/facts/Company_(military_unit)/xguxWmlh">companies</a>, <a href="/facts/Squadron_(army)/1ngGjcgT">squadrons</a> and <a href="/facts/Artillery_battery/lf2pfXQv">batteries</a>) and formations (brigades, divisions, corps and armies) do not have a commanding officer. The officer in command of a minor unit holds the appointment of officer commanding (OC). Higher formations have a commander (e.g. brigade commander) or a <a href="/facts/General_officer_commanding/HJAJKIJt">general officer commanding</a> (GOC). Area commands have a commander-in-chief (e.g. C-in-C Land Army, C-in-C British Army of the Rhine). The OC of a sub-unit or minor unit is today customarily a <a href="/facts/Major_(United_Kingdom)/7aFU5lWd">major</a> (although formerly usually a <a href="/facts/Captain_(BARM)/mQwAWyN0">captain</a> 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.
</p><p>In some cases, independent units smaller than a sub-unit (e.g. a military police platoon that reports directly to a formation such as a brigade) will also have an OC appointed. In these cases, the officer commanding can be a captain or even a lieutenant. The commanders of administrative organisations, such as schools or wings, may also be designated officers commanding or commanders.
</p><p>Appointments such as CO and OC may have specific powers associated with them. For example, they may have statutory powers to promote soldiers or to deal with certain disciplinary offences and award certain punishments. 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 three days' restriction of privileges.
</p><p>Commanders of units smaller than sub-units (e.g. <a href="/facts/Platoon/DdNeljkg">platoons</a>, <a href="/facts/Troop/vlfdFXgm">troops</a> and <a href="/facts/Section_(military_unit)/7NV6AD0F">sections</a>) are not specific appointments and officers or NCOs who fill those positions are simply referred to as the commander or leader (e.g. platoon commander, troop leader, section commander/leader, etc.).
</p>
<h3>Air force</h3>
<p>In the <a href="/facts/Royal_Air_Force/P10CbL5H">Royal Air Force</a>, the title of commanding officer is reserved for station commanders or commanders of independent units, including flying squadrons. As with the British Army, the post of a commander of a lesser unit such as an administrative <a href="/facts/Wing_(military_aviation_unit)/AAo0Jwmp">wing</a>, <a href="/facts/Squadron_(aviation)/T9fKSuHj">squadron</a> or <a href="/facts/Flight_(military_unit)/9oysDITb">flight</a> is referred to as the officer commanding (OC).
</p>
<h3>Navy</h3>
<p>In the <a href="/facts/Royal_Navy/Xdy8YCH7">Royal Navy</a> and many others, commanding officer is the official title of the commander of any ship, unit or installation. However, they are referred to as "the captain" no matter what their actual rank, or informally as <a href="/facts/Skipper_(boating)/e7avxJYM">"skipper"</a> or even "boss".
</p>
<h2 id="united-states">United States</h2>

<p>In the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>, the status of commanding officer is duly applied to all commissioned officers who hold lawful command over a military unit, ship, or installation.
</p>
<h3>Army</h3>
<p>The commanding officer of a <a href="/facts/Company_(military_unit)/xguxWmlh">company</a>, usually a <a href="/facts/Captain_(armed_forces)/cqlntj0j">captain</a>, is referred to as the <a href="/facts/Company_commander/2bAPLAwm">company commander</a> (or the <a href="/facts/Artillery_battery/lf2pfXQv">battery</a>/troop commander for <a href="/facts/Artillery/GLpMYG9o">artillery</a>/<a href="/facts/Cavalry/BstsEn1G">cavalry</a>) units. The commanding officer of a <a href="/facts/Battalion/AohlXDhb">battalion</a> (or <a href="/facts/Squadron_(army)/1ngGjcgT">squadron</a> of <a href="/facts/Cavalry/BstsEn1G">cavalry/armored cavalry</a>) is usually a <a href="/facts/Lieutenant_colonel/Ep9T6K8V">lieutenant colonel</a>. The commanding officer of a <a href="/facts/Brigade/UEvdyao1">brigade</a>, a <a href="/facts/Colonel_(United_States)/eva6u8ok">colonel</a>, is the <a href="/facts/Brigade_commander/UEvdyao1">brigade commander</a>. At the <a href="/facts/Division_(military)/5T3WumCd">division</a> level and higher, however, the commanding officer is referred to as the <a href="/facts/General_officer/0xmYEU4a">commanding general</a>, as these officers hold <a href="/facts/General_officer/0xmYEU4a">general officer</a> rank.
</p><p><a href="/facts/Warrant_officer_(United_States)/Aby5oxgf">Warrant officers</a> in the <a href="/facts/United_States_Armed_Forces/NHVsU9Id">United States Armed Forces</a> are single career-track officers that can, and occasionally do, hold command positions within certain specialty units, i.e. <a href="/facts/Special_Forces_(United_States_Army)/jT2G7KWy">Special Forces</a> and <a href="/facts/United_States_Army_Aviation_Branch/NwX5c9kn">Army Aviation</a>. However, warrant officers usually do not command if a commissioned officer is present; normally they serve as <a href="/facts/Executive_officer/NXUK7sW7">executive officer</a> (<a href="/facts/Second-in-command/fCABu5Yy">2IC</a>).
</p>
<h3>Marine Corps</h3>

<p>The commanding officer of a <a href="/facts/Company_(military_unit)/xguxWmlh">company</a>, usually a <a href="/facts/Captain_(armed_forces)/cqlntj0j">captain</a>, is referred to as the <a href="/facts/Company_commander/2bAPLAwm">company commander</a> or the <a href="/facts/Artillery_battery/lf2pfXQv">battery</a> commander (for <a href="/facts/List_of_United_States_Marine_Corps_battalions/nYg58F9Q">field artillery</a> and <a href="/facts/List_of_United_States_Marine_Corps_battalions/nYg58F9Q">low altitude air defense units</a>). The commanding officer of a <a href="/facts/Battalion/AohlXDhb">battalion</a> or a <a href="/facts/United_States_Marine_Corps_Aviation/jpQIXDex">squadron</a> (<a href="/facts/United_States_Marine_Corps_Aviation/jpQIXDex">Marine aviation</a>), is usually a <a href="/facts/Lieutenant_colonel/Ep9T6K8V">lieutenant colonel</a>. The commanding officer of a <a href="/facts/Regiment/cBBUAaKg">regiment</a>, <a href="/facts/United_States_Marine_Corps_Aviation/jpQIXDex">aviation group</a>, or <a href="/facts/Marine_air-ground_task_force/NnDnrRxC">Marine Expeditionary Unit</a> (MEU) is a <a href="/facts/Colonel_(United_States)/eva6u8ok">colonel</a>. At the <a href="/facts/Marine_air-ground_task_force/NnDnrRxC">Marine Expeditionary Brigade</a> (MEB), <a href="/facts/List_of_United_States_Marine_Corps_logistics_groups/drJW9y1U">Marine Logistics Group</a> (MLG), <a href="/facts/List_of_United_States_Marine_Corps_divisions/ayF1fL7p">Marine Division</a> (MARDIV), <a href="/facts/United_States_Marine_Corps_Aviation/jpQIXDex">Marine Aircraft Wing</a> (MAW), <a href="/facts/Marine_air-ground_task_force/NnDnrRxC">Marine Expeditionary Force</a> (MEF), and <a href="/facts/Fleet_Marine_Force/YMXgt13v">Fleet Marine Force</a> (FMF) levels; however, the commanding officer is referred to as the <a href="/facts/General_officer/0xmYEU4a">commanding general</a>, as these officers hold <a href="/facts/General_officer/0xmYEU4a">general officer</a> rank.
</p>
<h3>Navy and Coast Guard</h3>
<p>In the <a href="/facts/United_States_Navy/xYK0fUou">United States Navy</a> and <a href="/facts/United_States_Coast_Guard/6d7SWTP9">United States Coast Guard</a>, commanding officer is the official title of the commander of a ship, but they are usually referred to as "<a href="/facts/Sea_captain/e7avxJYM">the Captain</a>" regardless of their actual rank: "Any naval officer who commands a ship, submarine or other vessel is addressed by naval custom as 'captain' while aboard in command, regardless of their actual rank."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> They may be informally referred to as "Skipper", though allowing or forbidding the use of this form of address is the commanding officer's prerogative.
</p><p>A prospective commanding officer (PCO) is a U.S. Navy officer who has been selected for his/her own command.  The term is used in correspondence or in reference to the officer before they assume command of the unit (ship, squadron, unit, etc.).
</p><p>If the sailor in command of a unit is an enlisted member, rather than a commissioned or <a href="/facts/Warrant_officer/wAWeHPkM">warrant officer</a>, he or she is referred to as the "officer in charge" rather than "commanding officer".  In the Coast Guard it is common for smaller cutters to be commanded by a <a href="/facts/Chief_petty_officer/m9bHIPeG">chief petty officer</a>.
</p>
<h3>Air Force</h3>
<p>In the <a href="/facts/United_States_Air_Force/7MxWBYlc">United States Air Force</a>, the commanding officer of a unit is similarly referred to as the unit commander, such as <a href="/facts/Squadron_(aviation)/T9fKSuHj">squadron</a> commander, <a href="/facts/Group_(military_aviation_unit)/C3XWoLD0">group</a> commander, <a href="/facts/Wing_(military_aviation_unit)/AAo0Jwmp">wing</a> commander, and so forth. Squadron commanders (the base unit of the United States Air Force) are usually majors or lieutenant colonels. Group commanders (made up of two or more squadrons) are usually colonels, while wing commanders may be colonels (typical wings) or generals (larger wings).
</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Command_and_control/t1huKNbX">Command and control</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Staff_(military)/RdHIuRR8">Staff (military)</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>America's Navy: Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet: Navy Officer Titles: Captain, [1]
 <a href="https://archive.today/20170302062327/http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/Pages/Navy-Officer-Titles.aspx" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20170302062327/http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/Pages/Navy-Officer-Titles.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Commanding officer open-in-new

Commanding officer