Commandant
Encyclopedia
- For more information on commandant when used as a rank, see Commandant (rank)Commandant (rank)Commandant is a military or police rank. In the French, Spanish and Irish armed forces it is a rank equivalent to major. In South Africa for most of the second half of the 20th century, commandant was a rank equivalent to lieutenant-colonel in other countries.-Ireland:Commandant is a military...
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Commandant (icon or ˌ) is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations. In some non-English speaking countries it may be a military or police title or rank.
India and Pakistan
In the British Indian ArmyBritish Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
, the commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of a regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
or battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
was called the Commandant instead of the CO.
France
In the French Army and French Air Force, the term commandant is used as a rank equivalent to Major (NATO rank code OF-4). However, in the French Navy Commandant is the style, but not the rank, of the senior officers, specifically capitaine de corvette, capitaine de frégate and capitaine de vaisseau.South Africa
In South Africa, Commandant was the title of the commanding officer of a commando (militia) unit in the 19th and early 20th centuries.Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, the Commandant of the Volunteer Force is the head of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer ForceSri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
The Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force is the principal and Volunteer reserve force component of the Sri Lanka Army. It is a collective name for the reserve units and the Sri Lanka National Guard of the Sri Lankan Army. The SLAVF is made up of part-time Officers and soldiers paid at a similar rate,...
. Commandant is also the title used for the commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
(one-star rank) of military academies - Sri Lanka Military Academy
Sri Lanka Military Academy
The Sri Lanka Military Academy , commonly known simply as Diyatalawa, is the Sri Lanka Army's officer initial training centre located in the garrison town of Diyatalawa in the central highlands of Sri Lanka....
, Naval and Maritime Academy
Naval and Maritime Academy
Naval and Maritime Academy , Trincomalee, is the location of initial officer training in the Sri Lanka Navy, and is located within SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee. It received university status in 2001...
and Air Force Academy - and the commanding officer (two-star rank) of the Defence Services Command and Staff College
Defence Services Command and Staff College
The Defence Services Command and Staff College is situated at Batalanda, Makola 12 Kilometers away from Colombo and its aim to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of experienced officers of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy & the Sri Lanka Air Force to prepare them for the ranks...
. It is also the title of the de-facto vice-chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University located at Kandawala, Ratmalana, Colombo, is a joint services academy where cadets of the three wings Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force are trained before they go for their pre-commission training to their academies...
, usually an officer of two-star rank.
Colonel-Commandant is an honorary post in corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
of the army and the Sri Lanka National Guard
Sri Lanka National Guard
The Sri Lanka National Guard is the largest regiment in the Sri Lanka Army. It is a Volunteer Regiment made up of 32 battalions coming under the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force.-History:The Sri Lanka National Guard was founded by Lt. Col. D.W...
, similar to that of Colonel of the Regiment found in infantry regiments. The post of Centre Commandant is the commanding officer of a corps or regiment.
United Kingdom
In the British Armed ForcesBritish Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
, a Commandant is usually the commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of a training establishment, such as the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
or the Royal Air Force College Cranwell
Royal Air Force College Cranwell
The Royal Air Force College is the Royal Air Force training and education academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to be commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and is responsible for all RAF recruiting along with...
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Colonel-Commandant was an appointment which existed in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
between 1922 and 1928, and in the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
from 1755 to some time after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It replaced Brigadier-General in the Army, and was itself replaced by Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
in both the Army and the Marines. The Colonel-Commandant is also the ceremonial head of some Army corps and this position is usually held by a senior general.
Commandant was also the appointment, equivalent to Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
, held by the Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service
Women's Royal Naval Service
The Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
between 1951 and 1993.
United States
In the United States, 'Commandant' is an appointment, not a rank, and the following two appointments currently exist:- Commandant of the Marine CorpsCommandant of the Marine CorpsThe Commandant of the Marine Corps is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
- Commandant of the Coast GuardCommandant of the Coast GuardThe Commandant of the United States Coast Guard is the highest ranking member of the United States Coast Guard. The Commandant is normally the only four-star Admiral in the Coast Guard and is appointed for a four-year term by the President of the United States upon confirmation by the United...
Formerly, Admirals were appointed as commandants of Naval Districts.
The Commandant is the second most senior officer (after the Superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
) of United States Service academies, such as The Citadel
The Citadel
-Places:*The Citadel , a 201 m skyscraper in the United Arab Emirates*The Citadel , the old fortified city of Gozo, Malta*The Citadel , a shopping mall in Colorado*The Citadel , a diving spot in Martinique...
, West Point, Annapolis
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
, and the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
, equivalent to the Dean of Students at a civilian college. Commandant is also the title of the commanding officer of many units of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command
United States Army Training and Doctrine Command
Established 1 July 1973, the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command is an army command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is charged with overseeing training of Army forces, the development of operational doctrine, and the development and procurement of...
, including the Noncommissioned Officer Academies, whose commandants are typically command sergeants major.
Commandant is also the title of the ranking officer in charge of each War College
War College
A War College is a senior military academy which is normally intended for veteran military officers and whose purpose is to educate and 'train on' senior military tacticians, strategists, and leaders...
of the United States military, and is responsible for the administration, academic progress and success of the civilians and military officers assigned to the college. He is a model for all personnel, a military academy graduate of impeccable character and bearing who has demonstrated accomplishment in both academic excellence and active military service in the field.
They include the Navy War College, the Air War College
Air War College
The Air War College is a part of the United States Air Force's Air University, headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Air University's higher headquarters is Air Education and Training Command headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The Air War...
, the Army War College, the Marine Corps War College
Marine Corps University
The Marine Corps University reports to the United States Marine Corps Training And Education Command. It was established on August 1, 1989 by General Alfred M...
and the National War College
National War College
The National War College of the United States is a school in the National Defense University. It is housed in Roosevelt Hall on Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C., the third-oldest Army post still active. It was officially established on July 1, 1946, as an upgraded replacement for the...
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The title may also be used for the commander of a unit headquarters, who is usually responsible for administrative matters such as billeting and is called the Headquarters Commandant; this may also be a duty assigned to a staff officer in large headquarters.
New Zealand
In the New Zealand Defence ForceNew Zealand Defence Force
The New Zealand Defence Force consists of three services: the Royal New Zealand Navy; the New Zealand Army; and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Commander-in-Chief of the NZDF is His Excellency Rt. Hon...
, the term Commandant is used for the senior officer (or Commander) of garrisonned units that do not deploy and are not operational. This typically includes learning institutes such as the New Zealand Defence College
New Zealand Defence College
The New Zealand Defence College is the premier educational institute for the New Zealand Defence Force and is located at Trentham Military Camp, Upper Hutt . The New Zealand Defence College provides professional military education to New Zealand Defence Force officers...
and (formerly) the Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
. The title could also be used for other non-deploying units such as the Services Corrective Establishment (SCE) in Burnham, or Depot Level Engineering units.
The equivalent term for opertaional units is 'Commander'. Such as Commander Joint Force Headquarters New Zealand (COM JFHQ NZ).
Under the 2010 creation of the Training and Education Directorate (TED), an additional position of Commandant was established for the Training Institute to complement the Commandant of the Defence College.
See also
- Commandant general, in Fascist Italy, was the head of the (Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale (National Security Volunteer Militia or "BlackshirtsBlackshirtsThe Blackshirts were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II...
"), a position held by Benito MussoliniBenito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
.