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Commander (commonly abbreviated asCmdr.) is a commonnavalofficer rank as well as a job title in manyarmies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including severalpolice forces. In several countries, this naval rank is termed as afrigate captain.
Commander is also a generic term for an officer commanding any armed forces unit, such as "platoon commander", "brigade commander" and "squadron commander". In the police, terms such as "borough commander" and "incident commander" are used.
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Commander is a rank used primarily innavies, and 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 "battalion commander".
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-captain and (before about 1770) asailing master; the commanding officer served as his own master. In practice, these were usually unratedsloops-of-war of no more than 20 guns. TheRoyal Navy shortened "master and commander" to "commander" in 1794; however, the term "master and commander" remained (unofficially) in common parlance for several years.[1] The equivalent American rankmaster commandant remained in use until changed tocommander in 1838.
A corresponding rank in some navies isfrigate captain. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the rank has been assigned theNATO rank code of 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 hoc fleet commanders and acting captains (Luitenant-Commandeur). In the fleet of theAdmiralty of Zeeland however,commandeur was 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 ofcommodore which is the Dutch equivalent of the Britishair commodore.
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.
The rank of commander (Comandor in Romanian) is used by both theRomanian Air Force andRomanian Naval Forces. It is equivalent to the army rank ofColonel (OF-5). In both cases, the rank is aboveCăpitan-comandor (lit. 'Captain-commander', OF-4). In the air force,Comandor is below the rank ofGeneral de flotilă aeriană (lit. 'Air flotilla general'), while in the navy it is belowContraamiral de flotilă (lit. 'Flotillacounter admiral').[2][3] The rank was also used in theRoyal Romanian Air Force and Navy untilthe proclamation of the Republic.[4]
Commander is a naval rank in Scandinavia (Kommandør in Danish and Norwegian,Kommendör in 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.[5]
In Denmark, the rank of commander exists askommandørkaptajn (commander captain or commanding captain), which is senior toorlogskaptajn (captain) andkommandør (commander), which is senior tokommandørkaptajn.Kommandørkaptajn is officially translated into English as "Commander, Senior Grade", whileorlogskaptajn is officially translated as '"Commander."[6]
A commander in the Royal Navy is above the rank oflieutenant commander, below the rank ofcaptain, and is equivalent in rank to alieutenant colonel in the army. A commander may command afrigate,destroyer,submarine, aviation squadron or shore installation, or may serve on a staff.
Since the BritishRoyal Air Force's mid-rank officers' ranks are modeled on those of theRoyal Navy, the termwing commander is used as a rank, and this is the equivalent of alieutenant colonel in the army or a commander in the navy. The rank of wing commander is above that ofsquadron leader and below that ofgroup captain.In the formerRoyal Naval Air Service, which was merged with theRoyal Flying Corps to 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.
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 colonel in 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 Defense policies 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.
![Commander (Antigua and Barbuda Coast Guard)[7]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aGeneric-Navy-6.svg)
![Kommandør (Royal Danish Navy)[13]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aGeneric-Navy-8.svg)
![Komentaja Swedish: Kommendör (Finnish Navy)[14]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aFinland-Navy-OF-4.svg)
![Commander Irish: Ceannasaí (Irish Naval Service)[16]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aGeneric-Navy-(star)-O5.svg)
![Komandoras (Lithuanian Naval Force)[19]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aGeneric-Navy-7.svg)
![Commandeur (Royal Netherlands Navy)[22]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aNetherlands-Navy-OF-6.svg)
![Komandor (Polish Navy)[27]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aGeneric-Navy-12.svg)
![Comandor (Romanian Naval Forces)[28]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aRomania-Navy-OF-5-Sleeve.svg)
![Comandor (Romanian Air Force)[28]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aRomania-AirForce-OF-5_Sleeve.svg)
![Commander (United States Navy)[35]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aUS_Navy_O5_insignia.svg)
![Commander (United States Coast Guard)[35]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fwikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aUSCG_O-5_insignia.svg)
For instance, as in various small colonial settlements (such as variousCaribbean islands) commanding thegarrison was the crux of the top job, the military titleCommandeur could be used instead of a civilian gubernatorial style, not unlike the Portuguesecaptain-major.
In theBritish Army, the term "commander" is officially applied to thenon-commissioned officer in charge of asection (section commander), vehicle (vehicle commander) or gun (gun commander), to thesubaltern orcaptain commanding aplatoon (platoon commander), or to thebrigadier commanding 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 Yeomanry commander is a rank equivalent tomajor.
Commandeur as a title of colonial office was the case on the island ofTobago in the Dutch colony ofNieuw Walcheren.
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.
In theSpanish Army, theSpanish Air Force and themarine infantry, the term commander is the literal translation ofcomandante, the Spanish equivalent of a Commonwealthmajor. TheGuardia Civil shares 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).
In theUnited States Army, the term "commander" is officially applied to thecommanding officer of army units; hence, there arecompany commanders,battalion commanders,brigade commanders, and so forth. At the highest levels ofU.S. military command 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.
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 officer of an Air Force unit; hence, there areflight commanders,squadron commanders,group commanders,wing commanders,numbered air force commanders, and commanders ofmajor commands. In rank, a flight commander is typically alieutenant orcaptain, asquadron commander is typically amajor orlieutenant colonel, agroup commander is typically acolonel, awing commander is typically a senior colonel or abrigadier general, a numbered air force commander is amajor general orlieutenant general, and the commander of a major command is ageneral.
In theUnited States Space Force, the term "commander" is applied officially to the commanding officer of a Space Force unit; hence, there aresquadron commanders,delta commanders, 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 general orlieutenant general.
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).
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).
Within theBritish police, Commander is achief officer rank in the two police forces responsible for law enforcement withinLondon, theMetropolitan Police andCity of London Police. In both forces, the rank is senior tochief superintendent; in the Metropolitan Police it is junior todeputy assistant commissioner and in the City of London Police it is junior toassistant commissioner. In forces outside London, the rank equates toassistant chief constable which bears the same insignia.
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 Units are 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 boroughs were 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.[36] However, in August 2017 it was announced that the new CommissionerCressida Dick had cancelled the plan to phase them out.[37]
The rank badge worn by a commander or an assistant chief constable consists of crossedtipstaves within 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.
In Australia, commander is a rank used by the Victorian,[38] Tasmanian, Western Australian,[39] South Australian, andAustralian Federal police forces. The insignia consists of a crown over three bath stars in a triangular formation, equivalent to abrigadier in 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.
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 Bureau andRochester Police Department. In others, such as thePhoenix Police Department andSaint 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 aninspector in 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 Columbia also uses the rank of commander, which is a grade above inspector and two grades above captain. In theMontgomery County, MD police department a commander is acaptain assigned to command a police district. TheJacksonville Sheriff's Office replaced the Assistant Chief rank with commander.[40]
The insignia worn is commonly every insignia betweenmajor and 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.
The Montreal police force,Service de police de la Ville de Montréal, uses the rank of commander(Commandant).[41]
In theIncident Command System the incident commander is in charge of the response to an emergency. The title may pass from person to person as the incident develops.
The title of commander is used in chivalric orders such as theSovereign Military Order of Malta for 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 Order and 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.
