Commandant (, , ; ) is a

military rank Military ranks is a system of hierarchy, hierarchical relationships within armed forces, police, Intelligence agency, intelligence agencies, paramilitary groups, and other institutions organized along military organisation , military lines, such ...

used in many - typically

Francophone The Francophonie or Francophone world is the whole body of people and organisations around the world who use the French language regularly for private or public purposes. The term was coined by Onésime Reclus in 1880 and became important a ...

Hispanophone Hispanophone refers to anything related to the Spanish language. In a cultural, rather than merely linguistic sense, the notion of "Hispanophone" goes further than the above definition. The Hispanic culture is the legacy of the vast and prolonge ...

- countries, where it is usually equivalent to the rank of major.

Canada

was the Canadian French term for the air force rank of

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

(prior to the 2014 amendment of the

National Defence Act The ''National Defence Act'' (NDA; ; ''LDN'') is an Act of the Parliament of Canada, which is the primary enabling legislation for organizing and funding the military of Canada. The Act created the Department of National Defence, which merged ...

). The rank of squadron leader itself had not been held by active duty personnel in the Canadian Forces since 1968 when it was replaced by major.

Ireland

Commandant (Comdt) () is a military rank in both the

Irish Army The Irish Army () is the land component of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Republic of Ireland, Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. ...

and

Irish Air Corps The Air Corps () is the air force of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Organisationally a military branch of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Ireland, the Air Corps utilises a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft to carry out ...

. It is equivalent to major and

. In the Irish Naval Service, the equivalent rank is lieutenant commander. Image:IE-Army-OF3.png, Irish Army commandant's subdued rank slide File:Ireland-AirForce-OF-3.svg, Irish Air Corps rank insignia File:IE-Aircorps-OF3.png, Irish Air Corps rank insignia (green)

India

Commandant is a rank in the

Central Armed Police Forces The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) consist of seven armed police organizations under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, tasked with maintaining internal security, law and order, counterinsurgency, and protecting borde ...

of India ( BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB). It is equivalent to the rank of

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Group Captain Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence. Group cap ...

. Commandant rank officers generally command battalions in the CAPFs. In the

Indian Coast Guard The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and Exclusive economic zone of India, exclusive economic zone. It was st ...

, ranks of Commandant and Commandant (Junior grade) exist. While Commandant is equivalent to Colonel/Captain/Group Captain, Commandant (Junior grade) is equivalent to Lieutenant Colonel/Commander/Wing Commander.

France

Commandant is an officer-grade rank of the

Military of France The French Armed Forces (, ) are the military, military forces of France. They consist of four military branches – the French Army, Army, the French Navy, Navy, the French Air and Space Force, Air and Space Force, and the National Gendarmerie. ...

, specifically the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

and the

French Air and Space Force The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the French Air F ...

, in both of which it has NATO level ''OF-3'': equivalent to major or lieutenant-commander. In this context, it is shortened form of the previous rank : i.e. a "captain commanding (a battalion)". The is also styled ("battalion leader") in the

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

, ("squadrons leader") in the

armoured cavalry Armoured cavalry are military units using armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) instead of horses. They began to replace horse cavalry in the heavy shock and the light reconnaissance, skirmishing and exploitation/pursuit roles in most armies com ...

and ("squadron leader") in the

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

and the . They are all addressed as either ''Mon commandant'', or ''Commandant''.

French Army

The French Army is divided into "horse troops" (troupes à cheval, with silver braids) and "foot troops" (troupes à pied - with golden braids) * ''Troupes à cheval'' (horse troops): ** cavalry, tanks : chef d'escadrons ** transportation units, artillery : chef d'escadron * ''Troupes à pied'' (foot units): ** infantry, combat engineers : chef de bataillon

Gendarmerie

The Gendarmerie, while not part of the Army, uses a comparable rank system * Gendarmerie line officers: chef d'escadron - four silver (white) braids for the Departmental Gendarmerie, four golden (yellow) braids for the Mobile Gendarmerie and the

Republican Guard A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...

* Gendarmerie administrative corps: commandant - four silver (white) braids

Air and Space force

* Air and Space force: commandant

Navy

In the

French Navy The French Navy (, , ), informally (, ), is the Navy, maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the four military service branches of History of France, France. It is among the largest and most powerful List of navies, naval forces i ...

, is a appointment or operational command, rather than a rank, namely, the commanding officer (CO) of a ship, e.g. (vessel), (

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

), (

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

) or . As such, it can refer to the holders of several ranks. They are all adressed as ''commandant'', regardless of rank or sex.

Note on Majors in the French armed forces

While the most frequent equivalent of Commandant is Major in English-speaking courntries, the word

Major (France) () is the seniormost non-commissioned officer rank in France and other Francophone countries. Unlike most other countries which use the old European rank system, France uses as its lowest ranking Senior officer#France, senior officer. While t ...

has had - and still has - an entirely different meaning in the French Armed forces. Prior to the French Revolution, the was the officer appointed by the

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

to keep track of the expenditures and readiness of a regiment. He could have a deputy (an ) and could be either a commoner or a nobleman. A major was graded as a commissar, not an officer. Since the lieutenant-colonel rank had been abolished by the Revolution, during the

Napoleonic Period The Napoleonic era is a period in the history of France and history of Europe, Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly (French Revoluti ...

, it was replaced by the rank of Major. The Major was second in command of a regiment and frequently in charge of the ''bataillon de dépot'' or the ''escadron de dépot'' training recruits in the rear. The officer at commandant rank level was the or . Nowadays, is the most senior

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a Military rank, rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ...

rank, above .

Other uses

Commandant is also a rank in the National Police and in other civilian administrations. File:commandant.png , French infantry - chef de bataillon File:Commandant des armes à cheval.png , French cavalry - chef d'escadron(s) File:French Air Force-commandant.svg , French Air and Space Force commandant File:Ingénieur de l'AE 7-10e échelon.png , Commandant des Eaux et Forêts

Spain

In the

Spanish Army The Spanish Army () is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest Standing army, active armies – dating back to the late 15th century. The Spanish Army has existed ...

and

Spanish Air Force The Spanish Air and Space Force () is the aerial and space warfare branch of the Spanish Armed Forces. History Early stages Hot air balloons have been used with military purposes in Spain as far back as 1896. In 1905, with the help of Al ...

, the rank of is senior to a captain and junior to a lieutenant colonel, making it equivalent to the rank of major or squadron leader in English-speaking countries.

Latin America

("commandant") is a military officer rank used in some

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

n countries. The

Chilean Air Force The Chilean Air Force () is the air force of Chile and branch of the Chilean military. History The first step towards the current FACh is taken by Lieutenant Colonel, Teniente Coronel training as a pilot in France. Although a local academy was c ...

uses the rank of ("squadron commandant") as a rank equivalent to the British rank of squadron leader. The

Peruvian Air Force The Peruvian Air Force (, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Military of Peru, Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of aerial warfare, air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding i ...

uses the rank of as an equivalent to lieutenant-colonel or wing commander. can be translated into English either as "commandant" or as "commander". The rank may also be found in numerous

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 ...

and

guerrilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...

organizations, such as the Sandinistas and the

Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces The Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces (; FAR) are the military forces of Cuba. They include Cuban Revolutionary Army, Revolutionary Army, Cuban Revolutionary Navy, Revolutionary Navy, Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force, Revolutionary A ...

. File:Fach escu.gif, Chilean Air Force squadron commandant rank insignia (epaulette) File:Comandante de Escuadrilla (FACH).png, Chilean Air Force squadron commandant rank insignia (sleeve)

South Africa

In South Africa, commandant was the title of the commanding officer of a

commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

(militia) unit, initially in the

Cape Colony The Cape Colony (), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope. It existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with three ...

and later also in the Boer republics. From 1950 to 1994 commandant was the official designation of the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the

South African Army The South African Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servi ...

South African Air Force The South African Air Force (SAAF) is the air warfare branch of South African National Defence Force, with its headquarters in Pretoria. The South African Air Force was established on 1 February 1920. The Air Force saw service in World War II a ...

, and

South African Medical Service The South African Medical Service (SAMS) was a branch of the South African Defence Force (SADF). In 1994 when the SADF was merged with various other military and armed resistance forces as part of the post-apartheid reforms the SAMS became the Sout ...

. From 1950 to 1957, the rank insignia for a commandant ( in

Afrikaans Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...

) was a crown over a five-pointed star. In 1957 the crown was replaced by a pentagonal castle device based on the floor plan of the

Castle of Good Hope A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This i ...

in Cape Town, South Africa's oldest military building. In 1994, the rank of commandant / reverted to lieutenant colonel. From 1968 to 1970, a related rank, chief commandant (), existed in the Commando Forces he rural part-time, territorial reserve, roughly equivalent to a National Guard or Home Guard This rank of chief commandant existed purely in the army and slotted in between commandant and colonel. The rank was only used by officers commanding commando groups (i.e. a small formation consisting of two or more commando units).

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom the term ''commandant'' usually refers to an appointment, not a rank. However, between 1922 and 1928 the rank of brigadier-general was replaced by colonel-commandant. This was not well received, and was replaced by brigadier. Later, senior commandant and chief commandant were

Auxiliary Territorial Service The Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS; often pronounced as an acronym) was the women's branch of the British Army during the World War II, Second World War. It was formed on 9 September 1938, initially as a women's voluntary service, and existe ...

ranks equivalent to major and lieutenant-colonel respectively used between 1939 and May 1941, when they were replaced by senior and chief commander. The Commanding Officers of individual battalions of the Brigade of Gurkhas was designated a Commandant, rather than a commanding officer; and so with the Bermuda Militia Artillery (1895-1965). These ranks were also used in the

Women's Auxiliary Air Force The Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), whose members were referred to as WAAFs (), was the female auxiliary of the British Royal Air Force during the World War II, Second World War. Established in 1939, WAAF numbers exceeded 181,000 at its peak ...

until December 1939, when they were replaced by squadron officer and wing officer (equating to

and

wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr or W/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Wing commander is immediately se ...

) respectively. The rank was also used for senior commanders of the

Ulster Special Constabulary The Ulster Special Constabulary (USC; commonly called the "B-Specials" or "B Men") was a quasi-military Military reserve, reserve special constable police force in what would later become Northern Ireland. It was set up in October 1920, short ...

(B Specials).

Gallery

Army insignia

File:10.AlgA-MAJ.svg,

( Algerian Land Forces) File:Benin Army OF-3.svg,
( Benin Army) File:11. Burkina Faso Army - MAJ.svg,
( Burkina Faso Ground Forces) File:Cameroon-Army-OF-3.svg,
( Cameroon Ground Forces) File:13.CAGF-MAJ.svg,
( Central African Ground Forces) File:Chad-Army-OF-3.svg,
( Chadian Ground Forces) File:Comoros-Army-OF-3.svg,
( Comorian Army) File:11-ROCongo Army-MAJ.svg,
( Congolese Ground Forces) File:Djibouti-Army-OF-3.svg,
(

Djiboutian Army The Djiboutian National Army is the largest branch of the Djibouti Armed Forces and is based in the Djiboutian capital of Djibouti. Djibouti has upgraded its Ground Forces with advanced additions from domestic engineering and modifications. It mu ...

) File:10. EGLF-MAJ.svg,
( Army of Equatorial Guinea) File:Army-FRA-OF-03.svg,
(

) File:14.GLF-MAJ.svg,
(

Gabonese Army The Armed Forces of Gabon (), officially the Gabonese Defense and Security Forces (), is the national professional military of Gabon, divided into the Army, Air Force, Navy, and a National Gendarmerie, consisting of about 5,000 personnel. The arme ...

) File:Mali-Army-OF-3.svg,
( Guinea Ground Forces) File:Ireland-Army-OF-3.svg, Commandant

(

) File:Ivory Coast-Army-OF-3.svg,
( Ivory Coast Ground Forces) File:Madagascar-Army-OF-3.svg,
( Madagascar Ground Forces) File:09.Mali Army-MAJ.svg,
(

Mali Army The Malian Armed Forces (, FAMa) consists of the Army (), Republic of Mali Air Force (), and National Guard. They number some 7,000 and are under the control of the Minister of Armed Forces and Veterans. The Library of Congress as of January 200 ...

) File:13-Moroccan Army-MAJ.svg,
(

Royal Moroccan Army The Royal Moroccan Army ( ''Al-Quwwat al-Bariyah al-Malakiyah al-Maghribiyah'', ''tasrdast tagldant'') is the branch of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Royal Moroccan Army is about 215,000 t ...

) File:Blank.svg,
(

Niger Army The Niger Armed Forces (, FAN) includes military armed force service branches (#Niger Army, Niger Army and #Niger Air Force, Niger Air Force), paramilitary services branches (Gendarmerie Nationale (Niger), National Gendarmerie of Niger and Nati ...

) File:Senegal-Army-OF-3.svg,
( Senegalese Army) File:Spain-Army-OF-3.svg,
(

) File:Togo-Army-OF-3.svg,
( Togolese Army) File:Grade Terre tunisienne O4.png,

(

Tunisian Army The Tunisian Land Army (, ) is the ground component of the Tunisian Armed Forces . The Land Forces Command is located in Bizerte. The TAF itself was created on June 30, 1956. The Land Army is the largest service branch within the Tunisian Armed ...

)

Notes

References

{{reflist, 2 Military ranks Military ranks of Ireland Military ranks of France Police ranks