Editing Commanding officer (section)

{{Short description|Officer in command of a military unit}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2017}}
[[File:The Cooperation of the Allied Forces on the Western Front, 1914-1918 Q7179.jpg|thumb|275px|[[Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig|Douglas Haig]] and [[Ferdinand Foch]] inspecting the [[Gordon Highlanders]], 1918]]
The '''commanding officer''' ('''CO''') or '''commander''', or sometimes, if the incumbent is a [[general officer]], '''commanding general''' ('''CG'''), is the officer in [[Command and control|command]] of a [[Military organization|military unit]]. 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]]. In this respect, commanding officers have significant responsibilities (for example, the [[Use of force in international law|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).

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. 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]]. Larger units may also have [[Staff (military)|staff officers]] responsible for various responsibilities.