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Military & Defence vocabulary · Command, Orders & Communication

Commander

Meaning in military & defence, with examples

/kəˈmɑːndə/nounCore term

In military & defence, commander means: The officer in charge of a unit, ship, base or operation, who has the authority and responsibility to make decisions and give orders.

In Turkish: komutan

How it is used

Usually a job title rather than a rank: unit commander, company commander, base commander. In navies, Commander is also a rank equal to lieutenant colonel. Commanders take command of a unit and later hand over command.

Example sentences

  1. The new commander took command of the battalion at a short ceremony.

  2. All leave requests must be approved by the company commander.

Common collocations

  • unit commander
  • company commander
  • take command
  • hand over command
  • commander's intent
  • chain of commandThe official line of authority through which orders pass down from senior leaders to subordinates and reports pass back up, level by level.
  • orderAn official instruction from a superior that must be carried out; also a formal written document that sets out a plan or task.
  • officerA member of the armed forces who holds a commission, has authority over others and is trained to lead units and plan operations.
  • headquarters (HQ)The place, and the staff working in it, from which a commander directs a unit, a formation or a whole organisation.

More terms: Command, Orders & Communication

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