Commissioned officer
From open-encyclopedia.com - the free encyclopedia.
In the military, a commissioned officer is a member of the service who derives authority directly from a sovereign power, and as such holds a commission from that power.
Commissioned officers are authorized to use deadly force to carry out the lawful orders of their government, either directly or through orders to non-commissioned officers or soldiers.
Having officers is one requirement for combatant status under the laws of war, though these officers need not be commissioned.
In the United States, there are some uniformed commissioned officers who are not members of the military. See uniformed services of the United States, NOAA Corps, and United States Public Health Service.
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British and American Commissioned Officer Ranks
Many of the militaries of the world base their officer ranks upon the officer ranks of the British and American militaries. Officer ranks are typically differently titled but equivalent in rank between the army and navy. For more information, see Comparative military ranks.
British Commissioned Officer Ranks
Army/Royal Marines
- Second Lieutenant
- Lieutenant
- Captain
- Major
- Lieutenant-Colonel
- Colonel
- Brigadier
- Major-General
- Lieutenant-General
- General
- Field Marshal
The highest rank currently held by a Royal Marines officer is Major-General, although the ranks of Lieutenant-General and General still exist. The Royal Marines equivalent to Field Marshal is the Captain-General, a purely honorary rank currently held by the Duke of Edinburgh.
Royal Air Force
- Pilot Officer
- Flying Officer
- Flight Lieutenant
- Squadron Leader
- Wing Commander
- Group Captain
- Air Commodore
- Air Vice-Marshal
- Air Marshal
- Air Chief Marshal
- Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Royal Navy
- Sub-Lieutenant
- Lieutenant
- Lieutenant-Commander
- Commander
- Captain
- Commodore
- Rear-Admiral
- Vice-Admiral
- Admiral
- Admiral of the Fleet
US Commissioned Officer Ranks
Army / Air Force / Marine Corps
- Chief Warrant Officer (not in the air force)
- Second Lieutenant
- First Lieutenant
- Captain
- Major
- Lieutenant Colonel
- Colonel
- Brigadier General
- Major General
- Lieutenant General
- General
- General of the Army or General of the Air Force
- on war time only
- exclusive Army and Air Force rank
Navy / Coast Guard
- Chief Warrant Officer
- Ensign
- Lieutenant, junior grade
- or simply 'j.g'
- Lieutenant
- Lieutenant Commander
- Commander
- Captain
- Rear Admiral (Lower Half)
- Rear Admiral (Upper Half)
- Vice Admiral
- Admiral
- Fleet Admiral
- on war time only
- exclusive Navy rank
External link
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