Officer (armed forces)

In military organizations, an officer is a member of the service who holds a position of responsibility. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position. Commissioned officers are typically the only persons in a military able to exercise command (according to the most technical definition of the word) over a military unit. Non-commissioned officers in positions of authority can be said to have control or charge rather than command per se, although the use of the word command to describe any use of authority is widespread and often official.

Related Topics:
Military - Sovereign - Commission - Non-commissioned officers

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Having officers is one requirement for combatant status under the laws of war, though these officers need not have obtained an official commission or warrant. In such case, those persons holding offices of responsibility within the organization are deemed to be the officers, and the presence of these officers connotes a level of organization sufficient to designate a group as being combatant.

Related Topics:
Combatant - Laws of war

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