Editing Commanding officer

{{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.

==Commonwealth==
===Army and Royal Marines===
In the [[British Army]], [[Royal Marines]], and many other [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] military and [[paramilitary]] 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 ([[regiment]]s, [[battalion]]s and similar sized units). It is customary for a commanding officer to hold the rank of [[Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom)|lieutenant colonel]], 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.

Sub-units and minor units ([[company (military unit)|companies]], [[Squadron (army)|squadrons]] and [[artillery battery|batteries]]) 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 [[general officer commanding]] (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 [[Major (United Kingdom)|major]] (although formerly usually a [[captain (BARM)|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.

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.

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.

Commanders of units smaller than sub-units (e.g. [[platoon]]s, [[troop]]s and [[Section (military unit)|section]]s) 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.).

===Air force===
In the [[Royal Air Force]], 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 [[Wing (military aviation unit)|wing]], [[Squadron (aviation)|squadron]] or [[Flight (military unit)|flight]] is referred to as the officer commanding (OC).

===Navy===
In the [[Royal Navy]] 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 [[Skipper (boating)|"skipper"]] or even "boss".

==United States==
[[File:Schwarzkopf speaks with troops 1992.jpg|thumb|250px|right|General [[Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.]] speaks with American troops during the [[Gulf War]].]]
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.

===Army===
The commanding officer of a [[company (military unit)|company]], usually a [[Captain (armed forces)|captain]], is referred to as the [[company commander]] (or the [[Artillery battery|battery]]/troop commander for [[artillery]]/[[cavalry]]) units. The commanding officer of a [[battalion]] (or [[squadron (army)|squadron]] of [[cavalry|cavalry/armored cavalry]]) is usually a [[lieutenant colonel]]. The commanding officer of a [[brigade]], a [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]], is the [[brigade commander]]. At the [[Division (military)|division]] level and higher, however, the commanding officer is referred to as the [[general officer|commanding general]], as these officers hold [[general officer]] rank.

[[Warrant officer (United States)|Warrant officers]] in the [[United States Armed Forces]] are single career-track officers that can, and occasionally do, hold command positions within certain specialty units, i.e. [[Special Forces (United States Army)|Special Forces]] and [[United States Army Aviation Branch|Army Aviation]]. However, warrant officers usually do not command if a commissioned officer is present; normally they serve as [[executive officer]] ([[second-in-command|2IC]]).

===Marine Corps===
[[File:Dark Horse Battalion welcomes new commanding officer DVIDS420318.jpg|thumb|250px|[[3rd Battalion, 5th Marines|Dark Horse Battalion]] welcomes new commanding officer]]
The commanding officer of a [[company (military unit)#Marine Corps|company]], usually a [[Captain (armed forces)|captain]], is referred to as the [[company commander]] or the [[Artillery battery#United States Marine Corps|battery]] commander (for [[List of United States Marine Corps battalions#artillery battalions|field artillery]] and [[List of United States Marine Corps battalions#low altitude air defense battalions|low altitude air defense units]]). The commanding officer of a [[Battalion#United States Marine Corps|battalion]] or a [[United States Marine Corps Aviation#Squadrons|squadron]] ([[United States Marine Corps Aviation|Marine aviation]]), is usually a [[lieutenant colonel]]. The commanding officer of a [[Regiment#United States Marine Corps|regiment]], [[United States Marine Corps Aviation#Groups|aviation group]], or [[Marine air-ground task force#Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)|Marine Expeditionary Unit]] (MEU) is a [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]]. At the [[Marine air-ground task force#Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB)|Marine Expeditionary Brigade]] (MEB), [[List of United States Marine Corps logistics groups|Marine Logistics Group]] (MLG), [[List of United States Marine Corps divisions|Marine Division]] (MARDIV), [[United States Marine Corps Aviation#Wings|Marine Aircraft Wing]] (MAW), [[Marine air-ground task force#Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF)|Marine Expeditionary Force]] (MEF), and [[Fleet Marine Force]] (FMF) levels; however, the commanding officer is referred to as the [[general officer|commanding general]], as these officers hold [[general officer]] rank.

===Navy and Coast Guard===
In the [[United States Navy]] and [[United States Coast Guard]], commanding officer is the official title of the commander of a ship, but they are usually referred to as "[[Sea captain|the Captain]]" 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."<ref>America's Navy: Commander Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet: Navy Officer Titles: Captain, [https://archive.today/20170302062327/http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/Pages/Navy-Officer-Titles.aspx] </ref> 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.

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.).

If the sailor in command of a unit is an enlisted member, rather than a commissioned or [[warrant officer]], 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 [[chief petty officer]].

===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 (aviation)|squadron]] commander, [[Group (military aviation unit)|group]] commander, [[Wing (military aviation unit)|wing]] 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).

==See also==
*[[Command and control]]
*[[Staff (military)]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Military and war}}


[[Category:Command and control]]
[[Category:Military ranks]]
[[Category:Titles]]