commissioned officers
Formally appointed commanders
Commissioned officers are military personnel who hold their rank by formal commission from a head of state or government, distinguishing them from enlisted ranks and warrant officers.
They typically include lieutenants, captains, majors, colonels, and generals in armies, with equivalent ranks in navies and air forces.
The commission grants authority to command and carries responsibilities for leadership and discipline: Three commissioned officers oversaw the battalion's operations.
One who commands
- lieutenantJunior commissioned officer
- colonelSenior military officer
- majorOf chief importance
- generalWidespread, not specialized
admiral · commander · brigadier · ensign · commodore · lieutenant colonel · major general · rear admiral
Required moral task
- deploymentOrganized distribution of resources
- uniformIdentical throughout
- saluteGestural sign of honor
- oathFormal binding promise
ceremony · honors · medals · posting · tour of duty · active duty · reserve · retirement
Power to enforce obedience
- leadershipAbility to direct others
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
- directionWay something faces
decision-making · strategy · delegation · orders · chain of command · briefing · debriefing · tactical
Moral soundness and consistency
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- disciplineTrained self-control or specialty
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
responsibility · professionalism · bearing · decorum · code of conduct · military justice · court-martial · conduct unbecoming
captain
One who commands
- lieutenantJunior commissioned officer
- colonelSenior military officer
- majorOf chief importance
general · admiral · commander · brigadier · ensign · commodore · lieutenant colonel · major general · rear admiral · vice admiral
duty
Required moral task
- deploymentOrganized distribution of resources
- uniformIdentical throughout
- saluteGestural sign of honor
oath · ceremony · honors · medals · posting · tour of duty · active duty · reserve · retirement · promotion
authority
Power to enforce obedience
- leadershipAbility to direct others
- commandAuthoritative instruction given
- oversightSupervision or inadvertent omission
direction · decision-making · strategy · delegation · orders · chain of command · briefing · debriefing · tactical · operational
integrity
Moral soundness and consistency
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- disciplineTrained self-control or specialty
ethics · responsibility · professionalism · bearing · decorum · code of conduct · military justice · court-martial · conduct unbecoming
platoon
Small infantry formation
division · corps · squadron · company · fleet · garrison · detachment · task force · infantry · artillery
- military personnelsoldiers, soldier, midshipmen, troops, ensigns
- military academiesmilitary academy, Annapolis, Sandhurst, cadets, VMI
- Union ArmyUnion Army, federal troops, bluecoats, Army of the Potomac, regulars
- PHS CorpsSurgeon General, rear admiral, rank structure
- militarysoldiers, army, troops, navy, generals
- military trainingfield manual, drill instructor, training manual, combat drills, drilling
commissioned officersenlisted personnel
Non-commissioned military members
enlisted men · non-commissioned officers · enlisted soldiers · NCOs · sergeants
commission, commissioned, officer, officers, commissioning, commissions, commissioner, commissioners, commit