A roving commission details the duties of a

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent ...

or other official whose responsibilities are neither geographically nor functionally limited. Where an individual in an official position is given more freedom than would regularly be afforded to a person in the same role, they are described as having a ''roving commission''. Traditionally, a military officer receives a

commission In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position. A roving commission applies to

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

officers who are commissioned by their respective service without the requirement to serve at a specific

military base A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...

or on a specific

naval vessel A naval ship (or naval vessel) is a military ship (or sometimes boat, depending on classification) that is used by a navy. Naval ships are differentiated from civilian ships by construction and purpose. Generally, naval ships are Damage control ...

. Because officers with a roving commission are considered to have more freedom than other officers of a similar rank, they are often commissioned as such so that they can be moved between roles and responsibilities as a stop-gap measure.''A roving commission: naval reminiscences'' by Crawford Pasco

References

{{reflist Military terminology

See also

References