Commander

This article is about the military rank. For the honorific title of chivalric orders, seeCommander (order).For other uses, seeCommander (disambiguation).

Commander(commonly abbreviated asCmdr.) is a commonnavalofficer rankas well as a job title in manyarmies.Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including severalpoliceforces. In several countries this naval rank is termedfrigate captain.

Commander is also a generic term for an officer commanding any armed forces unit, for example "platoon commander","brigadecommander "and"squadroncommander ". In the police, terms such as"boroughcommander "and"incident commander"are used.

Commander as a naval and air force rank

Commander is a rank used innavies,but is very rarely used as a rank inarmies.In most armies, the term "commander" is used as a job title. For example, in theUS Army,an officer with the rank ofcaptain(NATO rank code OF-2) may hold the title of "companycommander",whereas an officer with the rank oflieutenant colonel(NATO rank code OF-4) typically holds the title of "battalioncommander ".

The title, originally "master and commander", originated in the 18th century to describe naval officers who commanded ships of war too large to be commanded by a lieutenant but too small to warrant the assignment of apost-captainand (before about 1770) asailing master;the commanding officer served as his own master. In practice, these were usually unratedsloops-of-warof no more than 20 guns. TheRoyal Navyshortened "master and commander" to "commander" in 1794; however, the term "master and commander" remained (unofficially) in common parlance for several years.The equivalent American rankmaster commandantremained in use until changed tocommanderin 1838.

A corresponding rank in some navies isfrigate captain.In the 20th and 21st centuries, the rank has been assigned theNATO rank codeof OF-4.

Various functions of commanding officers were also styledcommander.In the navy of theDutch Republic,anyone who commanded a ship or a fleet without having an appropriate rank to do so could be called aCommandeur.This includedad hocfleet commanders and acting captains (Luitenant-Commandeur). In the fleet of theAdmiralty of Zeelandhowever,commandeurwas a formal rank, the equivalent ofSchout-bij-nacht(rear-admiral) in the other Dutch admiralties. The Dutch use of the title as a rank lives on in theRoyal Netherlands Navy,as the equivalent ofcommodore.In theRoyal Netherlands Air Force,however, this rank is known by the English spelling ofcommodorewhich is the Dutch equivalent of the Britishair commodore.

Australia

The rank of commander in theRoyal Australian Navy(RAN) is identical in description to that of a commander in the BritishRoyal Navy.RAN chaplains who are in divisions 1, 2 or 3 (of five divisions) have the equivalent rank standing of commanders. This means that to officers and NCOs below the rank of commander, lieutenant colonel, or wing commander, the chaplain is a superior.

To those officers ranked higher than commander, the chaplain is subordinate. Although this equivalency exists, RAN chaplains who are in divisions 1, 2 or 3 do not actually wear the rank of commander, and they hold no command privilege.

Canada

Main article:Commander (Canada)

Scandinavia

Commander is a naval rank in Scandinavia (Kommandørin Danish and Norwegian,Kommendörin Swedish) equivalent to the Anglo-American naval rank of captain. The Scandinavian rank of commander is immediately above "commander-captain" (Norwegian:Kommandørkaptein,Swedish:Kommendörkapten,Danish:Kommandørkaptajn), which is equivalent to the Anglo-American naval rank of commander.

Denmark

Main article:Ranks and insignia of Royal Danish Navy

In Denmark, the rank of commander exists askommandørkaptajn(commander captain or commanding captain), which is senior toorlogskaptajn(captain) andkommandør(commander), which is senior tokommandørkaptajn.Kommandørkaptajnis officially translated into Englis as "Commander, Senior Grade", whileorlogskaptajnis officially translated as ' "Commander."

United Kingdom

Royal Navy

Main article:Commander (Royal Navy)

A commander in the Royal Navy is above the rank oflieutenant commander,below the rank ofcaptain,and is equivalent in rank to alieutenant colonelin the army. A commander may command afrigate,destroyer,submarine,aviation squadron or shore installation, or may serve on a staff.

Royal Air Force

Since the BritishRoyal Air Force's mid-rank officers' ranks are modelled on those of theRoyal Navy,the termwing commanderis used as a rank, and this is the equivalent of alieutenant colonelin the army or a commander in the navy. The rank of wing commander is above that ofsquadron leaderand below that ofgroup captain. In the formerRoyal Naval Air Service,which was merged with theRoyal Flying Corpsto form the Royal Air Force in 1918, the pilots held appointments as well as their normal ranks in the Royal Navy, and they wore insignia appropriate to the appointment instead of the rank. A flight commander wore a star above a lieutenant's two rank stripes, squadron commander wore two stars above two rank stripes (less than eight years' seniority) or two-and-a-half rank stripes (over eight years seniority), and wing commander wore three rank stripes. The rank stripes had the usual Royal Navy curl, and they were surmounted by an eagle.

United States

Main article:Commander (United States)

In theUnited States Navy,United States Coast Guard,United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps,andNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps,commander (abbreviated "CDR" ) is a senior-grade officer rank, with the pay grade of O-5. Commander ranks abovelieutenant commander(O-4) and belowcaptain.(O-6). Commander is equivalent to the rank oflieutenant colonelin theUnited States Army,United States Air Force,United States Marine Corps,andUnited States Space Force.Notably, commander is the first rank at which the holder wears an embellished cap, whereas officers of the other military services are entitled to embellishment of similar headgear at O-4 rank.

Promotion to commander in the U.S. Navy is governed byUnited States Department of Defensepolicies derived from theDefense Officer Personnel Management Act(DOPMA) of 1980 or its companionReserve Officer Personnel Management Act(ROPMA). DOPMA/ROPMA guidelines suggest that 70% of lieutenant commanders should be promoted to commander after serving a minimum of three years at their present rank and after attaining 15 to 17 years of cumulative commissioned service, although this percentage may vary and be appreciably less for certain officer designators (i.e., primary "specialties" ) depending on defense budgets, force structure, and the needs of the service.

Gallery

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  Commander
  (Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard)
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  Commander
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  Commander
  (Royal Bahamas Defence Force)
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  Commander
  (Bangladesh Navy)
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  Komander
  (Royal Brunei Navy)
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  Commander
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  Commander
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  Commander
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  Kommandør
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  Commander
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  Komentaja
  Swedish:Kommendör
  (Finnish Navy)
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  Commander
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  Commander
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  Commander
  (Guyana Coast Guard)
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  Commander
  Hindi:कमांडर,romanized:kamaandar
  (Indian Navy)
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  Commander
  Irish:Ceannasaí
  (Irish Naval Service)
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  Commander
  (Jamaican Coast Guard)
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  Commander
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  Komandoras
  (Lithuanian Naval Force)
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  Komander
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  Commander
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  Commandeur
  (Royal Netherlands Navy)
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  Commander
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  Commander
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  Kommandør
  (Royal Norwegian Navy)
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  Commander
  Urdu:کمانڈر,romanized:commander
  (Pakistan Navy)
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  Komandor
  (Polish Navy)
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  Comandor
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  Commander
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  Commander
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  Commander
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  Commander
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  Kommendör
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  Commander
  (Tanzania Naval Command)
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  Commander
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  Commander
  (Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard)
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  Commander
  (Royal Navy)
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  Commander
  (United States Navy)
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  Commander
  (United States Coast Guard)

Commander as a military appointment

For instance, as in various small colonial settlements (such as variousCaribbeanislands) commanding thegarrisonwas the crux of the top job, the military titleCommandeurcould be used instead of a civilian gubernatorial style, not unlike the Portuguesecaptain-major.

British Army

In theBritish Army,the term "commander" is officially applied to thenon-commissioned officerin charge of asection(section commander), vehicle (vehicle commander) or gun (gun commander), to thesubalternorcaptaincommanding aplatoon(platoon commander), or to thebrigadiercommanding abrigade(brigade commander). Other officers commanding units are usually referred to as theofficer commanding(OC),commanding officer(CO),general officer commanding(GOC), orgeneral officer commanding-in-chief(GOC-C), depending on rank and position, although the term "commander" may be applied to them informally.

In theFirst Aid Nursing Yeomanrycommander is a rank equivalent tomajor.

Netherlands

Commandeuras title of colonial office was the case on the island ofTobagoin the Dutch colony ofNieuw Walcheren.

New Zealand Army

The usage is similar/identical to theBritish Army,with the term "commander" having been applied to the colonel who was Commander, 2 Land Force Group, Linton Camp, and now to Commander,1 Brigade.

Spanish Armed Forces andGuardia Civil

In theSpanish Army,theSpanish Air Forceand themarine infantry,the term commander is the literal translation ofcomandante,the Spanish equivalent of a Commonwealthmajor.TheGuardia Civilshares the army ranks, and the officer commanding a house-garrison (usually an NCO or a lieutenant, depending on the size) is addressed as thecomandante de puesto(post commander).

United States Army

In theUnited States Army,the term "commander" is officially applied to thecommanding officerof army units; hence, there arecompany commanders,battalion commanders,brigade commanders,and so forth. At the highest levels ofU.S. militarycommand structure, "commander" also refers to what used to be calledcommander-in-chief,or CINC, until October 24, 2002, although the term CINC is still used in casual speech.

United States Air Force

In theUnited States Air Force,the term "commander" (abbreviated "CC" in office symbols, i.e. "OG/CC" for "operations group commander" ) is applied officially to thecommanding officerof an Air Force unit; hence, there areflightcommanders,squadroncommanders,groupcommanders,wingcommanders,numbered air forcecommanders, and commanders ofmajor commands.In rank, a flight commander is typically alieutenantorcaptain,asquadroncommander is typically amajororlieutenant colonel,agroupcommander is typically acolonel,awingcommander is typically a senior colonel or abrigadier general,a numbered air force commander is amajor generalorlieutenant general,and the commander of a major command is ageneral.

United States Space Force

In theUnited States Space Force,the term "commander" is applied officially to the commanding officer of a Space Force unit; hence, there aresquadroncommanders,deltacommanders, and commanders offield commands.In rank, a squadron commander is alieutenant colonel,a delta commander is acolonel,and the commander of a field command is amajor generalorlieutenant general.

Commander as a non-military rank or title

NASA rank

In NASA spacecraft missions since the beginning ofProject Gemini,one crew member on each spacecraft is designated as mission commander. The commander is the captain of the ship, and makes all real-time critical decisions on behalf of the crew and in coordination with the Mission Control Center (MCC).

Use in aviation

The title of aircraft commander is used in civil aviation to refer to thepilot in command(commonly referred to as "captain", which is technically an airline rank and not related to the commander's role on board the aircraft).

British police rank

Epaulette of a commander in the Metropolitan Police

Within theBritish police,Commander is achief officerrank in the two police forces responsible for law enforcement withinLondon,theMetropolitan PoliceandCity of London Police.In both forces, the rank is senior tochief superintendent;in the Metropolitan Police it is junior todeputy assistant commissionerand in the City of London Police it is junior toassistant commissioner.In forces outside London, the rank equates toassistant chief constablewhich bears the same insignia.

Epaulette of a commander in the City of London Police

The Metropolitan Police introduced the rank in 1946, after the rank of deputy assistant commissioner was split in two, with senior DACs keeping that rank and title and junior DACs being regraded as commanders. The Metropolitan Police also used the rank ofdeputy commander,ranking just below that of commander, between 1946 and 1968.

Officers in charge of the twelve geographicalBasic Command Unitsare referred to as "BCU commander". However, the officers do not hold the rank of commander but instead hold the rank of chief superintendent. Prior to organisational change merging boroughs in to BCUs, officers in charge of policing each of theLondon's boroughswere given the title "borough commander". A previous exception to this was the borough commander ofWestminster,who held the rank of commander due to the size, complexity, and high-profile nature of the borough.

The Metropolitan Police Service announced that by summer 2018 the rank would be phased out, along with that ofchief inspector.However, in August 2017 it was announced that the new CommissionerCressida Dickhad cancelled the plan to phase them out.

The rank badge worn by a commander or an assistant chief constable consists of crossedtipstaveswithin awreath.Within the Metropolitan Police Service, the tips of the tipstaves are blue and not red, unlike other forces. Until the abolition of the rank of deputy commander in 1968, however, a commander wore the same badge of rank as a deputy assistant commissioner.

Australian police rank

In Australia, commander is a rank used by the Victorian,Tasmanian, Western Australian,South Australian, andAustralian Federal policeforces. The insignia consists of a crown over three bath stars in a triangular formation, equivalent to abrigadierin the army. In all four forces, it is junior to the rank ofassistant commissioner,and senior to the rank ofchief superintendent,with the exception of Western Australia and Victoria where it is senior to the rank ofsuperintendent.

In New South Wales the position of commander is instated to officers (usually superintendents) in charge of a command or unit.

American police rank

Main article:Police ranks of the United States § Ranks

Some large police departments and sheriff's offices in the US have a commander rank. Most commonly, this is the next rank above captain. Examples of this include theChicago Police Department,Los Angeles Police Department,San Francisco Police Department,Portland Police BureauandRochester Police Department.In others, such as thePhoenix Police DepartmentandSaint Paul Police Department,a commander rank is the next rank above lieutenant, and is equivalent to captain. In the Northport, Florida's police department, however, commanders are below captains.

A commander in the LAPD is equivalent to aninspectorin other large US departments (such as theNYPD); the LAPD rank was originally called inspector as well, but was changed in 1974 to commander. TheMetropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbiaalso uses the rank of commander, which is a grade above inspector and two grades above captain. In theMontgomery County, MD police departmenta commander is acaptainassigned to command a police district.

The insignia worn is commonly every insignia betweenmajorand major general, depending on the police or sheriff's department. Albuquerque Police Department commanders are captain equivalents, however, with the brass version of the captain's insignia. In some other police or sheriff's departments where the captains have brass insignias instead of silver, such as Florida's Lee County Sheriff's Department, commanders are above captains, and below majors, with the insignia being brass captain's bars with wreathes around. Northport's police commanders have the insignia of second lieutenants. Commander is also used as a title in certain circumstances, such as the commander of a squad of detectives, who would usually be of the rank of lieutenant, and in some police or sheriff's departments where commanders are ranks, officers or deputies of separate ranks are also referred to as commander by title.

Canadian police rank

The Montreal police force,Service de police de la Ville de Montréal,uses the rank of commander(Commandant).

Incident Command System

In theIncident Command Systemthe incident commander is in charge of the response to an emergency. The title may pass from person to person as the incident develops.

Chivalric orders

Main article:Commander (orders)

The title of commander is used in chivalric orders such as theSovereign Military Order of Maltafor a member senior to aknight.The title of knight commander is often used to denote an even higher rank. These conventions are also used by most of the continental orders of chivalry. The United Kingdom uses different classifications.

In most of the British orders of knighthood, the grade of knight (or dame) commander is the lowest grade of knighthood, but is above the grade of companion (which does not carry a knighthood). In theRoyal Victorian Orderand theOrder of the British Empire,the grade of commander is senior to the grade of lieutenant or officer, but junior to that of knight or dame commander. In the BritishVenerable Order of Saint John,a commander ranks below a knight.

See also

• Comparative military ranks