The designation Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, usually abbreviated to NCOIC (or NCO I/C), signifies an individual in the enlisted ranks of a

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

unit who has limited command authority over others in the unit. An example would be a

squad leader ''Squad Leader'' is a tactical wargames, tactical level board war game originally published by Avalon Hill in 1977. It was designed by John Hill (game designer), John Hill and simulates on infantry combat in Europe during World War II. One of th ...

who may have 6-12 people under his or her command. Another might be a

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...

sergeant who can have 45-70 people under his or her command. Generally, an NCOIC is both an administrative leader as well as a combat leader. Only NCOs and SNCOs may serve as NCOICs. In the United States Air Force enlisted members in the grades of E-1 through E-4 cannot hold the position or title of NCOIC until promoted to the grade of E-5 and above.

See also