Junior officer, company officer or company grade officer refers to the lowest operational
commissioned officer category of ranks in a
military or
paramilitary
A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934.
Overview
Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...
organization, ranking above
non-commissioned officers and below
senior officers.
Duties
Junior officers are responsible for commanding small groups of enlisted personnel. Depending on their branch and specialty, junior officers may operate and maintain complex systems, such as weapons, vehicles, communication systems, or aircraft. They manage teams, oversee daily operations, and ensure the welfare and discipline of their subordinates. Junior officers are often tasked with planning, coordinating, and supervising tasks or missions. This might involve logistics, tactical oversight, or administrative tasks. Since Junior officers are in the early stages of their careers they are expected to develop leadership, strategic thinking, and operational expertise through experience and formal training.
Countries
United States
The terms company officer or company-grade officer are used more in the Army, Air Force, or
Marine Corps as the ranks of
captain,
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
grades and other
subaltern ranks originated from the officers in command of a company or equivalent (Cavalry
troop and
artillery battery). In many armed forces, a junior officer is specifically a
commissioned officer holding rank equivalent to a naval
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
, an army
captain or a
flight lieutenant or below. In the
United States Armed Forces, the term junior officer is used by the
Navy,
Coast Guard,
Public Health Service, and
NOAA Corps for officers in the ranks of
chief warrant officer (W-2 to W-4),
ensign (O-1),
lieutenant (junior grade) (O-2), and
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
(O-3).
See also
*
Enlisted rank
**
Non-commissioned officer
*
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an Military, armed force or Uniformed services, uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warra ...
**
Field officer
**
General officer
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
**
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
grades
**
Subaltern
*
Warrant officer
References
Military ranks
Military terminology
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