Commodore (rank)
Encyclopedia
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 (although the latter may also correspond to rear admiral).
It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always regarded as a flag rank.
It is sometimes abbreviated as Cdre, CDRE or COMO.
commandeur, which was one of the highest ranks in orders of knight
hood, and in military orders the title of the knight in charge of a commenda (a local part of the order's territorial possessions).
also used the rank of commandeur
from the end of the 16th century for a variety of temporary positions, until it became a conventional permanent rank in 1955. The Royal Netherlands Air Force
has adopted the English spelling of commodore for an equivalent rank.
The rank of commodore was at first a position created as a temporary title to be bestowed upon captains who commanded squadrons
of more than one vessel. In many navies, the rank of commodore was merely viewed as a senior captain
position, whereas other naval services bestowed upon the rank of commodore the prestige of flag officer
status - commodore is the highest rank in the Irish Naval Service
, for example, and is held by only one person. In the Royal Navy, the position was introduced to combat the cost of appointing more admirals - a costly business with a fleet as large as the Royal Navy's at that time.
and United States Coast Guard
, but revived during World War II. It was discontinued as a rank in these services during the postwar period, but as an appointment, the title "commodore" was then used to identify senior U.S. Navy captains who commanded squadrons of more than one vessel or functional air wings or air groups that were not part of a carrier air wing or air group. Concurrently, until the early 1980s, U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard captains selected for promotion to the rank of rear admiral
(lower half), would wear the same insignia as rear admiral (upper half), i.e., two silver stars for collar insignia or sleeve braid of one wide and one narrow gold stripe, even though they were actually only equivalent to one-star officers.
To correct this inequity, the rank of commodore as a single star flag officer was reinstated by both services in the early 1980s. This immediately caused confusion with those senior U.S. Navy captains commanding destroyer squadrons, submarine squadrons, functional air wings and air groups, and so on., who held the temporary "title" of commodore. As a result of this confusion, the services soon renamed the new one-star rank as commodore admiral
(CADM) within the first six months following the rank's reintroduction. This was considered an awkward title and the rank was renamed a few months later to its current title of rear admiral (lower half), or RDML.
The "title" of commodore continues to be used in the U.S. Navy for those senior captains in command of organizations consisting of groups of ships or submarines organized into squadrons
, air wings or air groups of aviation squadrons
other than carrier air wings, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD
) and special warfare (SEAL
) groups, and construction battalion (SeaBee
) regiments. Although not flag officers, modern day commodores in the U.S. Navy rate a blue and white command pennant that is normally flown at their headquarters facilities ashore or from ships they are embarked aboard.
. This rank is the equivalent of a colonel
in the Argentine Army
, and a colonel or group captain
in other air forces of the world. The Argentine rank below commodore is the rank of vice-commodore (Spanish vicecomodoro) equivalent to a lieutenant-colonel in the Argentine Army, and a lieutenant-colonel or wing commander
in other air forces.
Commodore is a rank in the Royal Netherlands Air Force
. It is a one-star rank and has essentially the same rank insignia as the British air commodore
.
Many air forces, use the rank of air commodore
. This rank was first used by the Royal Air Force
and is now used in many countries such as India, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Thailand, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Nigeria. It is the equivalent rank to the navy rank of "commodore", and the army ranks of brigadier
and brigadier general
.
The German air force used the concept of a unit commodore, although this was a unit command appointment rather than a rank.
will have a ranking officer—sometimes an active-duty naval officer, at other times a civilian
master
or retired naval officer—designated as the convoy commodore. This title is not related to the individuals military rank (if any), but instead is the title of the senior individual responsible for the overall operation of the merchant ships and naval auxiliary ship
s that make up the convoy. The convoy commodore does not command the convoy escort forces (if any), which are commanded by a naval officer who serves as escort commander.
, the senior elected officer of the organization is the National Commodore, also there are commodores elected for the individual district commands of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. They hold the title of District Commodore. There are also appointed commodores who are the senior office holder for the areas within the organizational directorate.
In the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary - PCGA, each of the directors in command of the 10 Coast Guard Auxiliary districts are commodores, as well as most of the Deputy National Directors (some may be rear admirals). Commodore is appreviated to COMMO in the PCGA.
Vanderbilt University
's intercollegiate athletics teams are nicknamed "the commodores", a reference to Cornelius Vanderbilt
's self-appointed title (he was the master of a large shipping fleet).
In the U.S. Sea Scouting
program (which is part of the Boy Scouts of America
), all National, Regional, Area, and Council committee chairs are titled as commodore, while senior committee members are addressed as vice commodore. Ship committee chairs do not hold this recognition.
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
used in many navies
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral
Flotilla Admiral
Flotilla admiral is the lowest flag rank, a rank above captain, in the modern navies of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden. It corresponds to the ranks of commodore or rear admiral ....
or counter admiral
Counter Admiral
Counter admiral is a rank found in many navies of the world, but no longer used in English-speaking countries, where the equivalent rank is rear admiral...
as an equivalent (although the latter may also correspond to rear admiral).
It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always regarded as a flag rank.
It is sometimes abbreviated as Cdre, CDRE or COMO.
Etymology
The rank of commodore derives from the FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
commandeur, which was one of the highest ranks in orders of knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
hood, and in military orders the title of the knight in charge of a commenda (a local part of the order's territorial possessions).
History
The Royal Netherlands NavyRoyal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
also used the rank of commandeur
Commandeur
Commandeur is a title in French and Dutch , usually rendered in English as Commander, with different uses. The literal meaning is he who commands, parallel to Commandant. In most senses the German equivalent is Kommandeur....
from the end of the 16th century for a variety of temporary positions, until it became a conventional permanent rank in 1955. The Royal Netherlands Air Force
Royal Netherlands Air Force
The Royal Netherlands Air Force , Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht , is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army was founded on 1 July 1913, with four pilots...
has adopted the English spelling of commodore for an equivalent rank.
The rank of commodore was at first a position created as a temporary title to be bestowed upon captains who commanded squadrons
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
of more than one vessel. In many navies, the rank of commodore was merely viewed as a senior captain
Senior Captain
Senior Captain is a rare military rank which is used in some countries armed forces.-Army:In some armies of the world, the senior captain is a rank between a regular Captain and a Major. The rank is often only found in armies and air forces...
position, whereas other naval services bestowed upon the rank of commodore the prestige of flag officer
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
status - commodore is the highest rank in the Irish Naval Service
Irish Naval Service
The Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....
, for example, and is held by only one person. In the Royal Navy, the position was introduced to combat the cost of appointing more admirals - a costly business with a fleet as large as the Royal Navy's at that time.
United States
In 1899 the substantive rank of commodore was discontinued in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, but revived during World War II. It was discontinued as a rank in these services during the postwar period, but as an appointment, the title "commodore" was then used to identify senior U.S. Navy captains who commanded squadrons of more than one vessel or functional air wings or air groups that were not part of a carrier air wing or air group. Concurrently, until the early 1980s, U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard captains selected for promotion to the rank of rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
(lower half), would wear the same insignia as rear admiral (upper half), i.e., two silver stars for collar insignia or sleeve braid of one wide and one narrow gold stripe, even though they were actually only equivalent to one-star officers.
To correct this inequity, the rank of commodore as a single star flag officer was reinstated by both services in the early 1980s. This immediately caused confusion with those senior U.S. Navy captains commanding destroyer squadrons, submarine squadrons, functional air wings and air groups, and so on., who held the temporary "title" of commodore. As a result of this confusion, the services soon renamed the new one-star rank as commodore admiral
Commodore Admiral
Commodore Admiral was a short lived military rank of the United States Navy that existed for less than 11 months during the year 1982. The rank of Commodore Admiral was established as the Navy's one-star admiral rank after nearly forty years of all Navy captains receiving promotion directly to the...
(CADM) within the first six months following the rank's reintroduction. This was considered an awkward title and the rank was renamed a few months later to its current title of rear admiral (lower half), or RDML.
The "title" of commodore continues to be used in the U.S. Navy for those senior captains in command of organizations consisting of groups of ships or submarines organized into squadrons
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
, air wings or air groups of aviation squadrons
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
other than carrier air wings, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD
EOD
EOD may refer to:* Explosive Ordnance Disposal, the disposal of bombs* End Of Day, a financial markets term* Evolve Or Die, A Political Party, started in Montana, with the beliefs that humanity must move forward or die out...
) and special warfare (SEAL
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
) groups, and construction battalion (SeaBee
Seabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
) regiments. Although not flag officers, modern day commodores in the U.S. Navy rate a blue and white command pennant that is normally flown at their headquarters facilities ashore or from ships they are embarked aboard.
Argentina
In the Argentine Navy, the rank of commodore was created in the late 1990s, and is usually—but not always—issued to senior captains holding rear-admirals' positions. Its equivalent in the army is colonel-major, and has no equivalent in the air force. It´s usually—but incorrectly—referred to as "navy commodore", to avoid confusion with the "air force commodore", which is equivalent to the navy´s captain and army´s colonel. The sleeve lace is identical to that of the Royal Navy, and wears one star on the shoulder strap.Naval rank
The following articles deal with the rank of commodore (or its equivalent) as it is employed in various countries.| Comandor | Romania |
| Commandeur Commandeur Commandeur is a title in French and Dutch , usually rendered in English as Commander, with different uses. The literal meaning is he who commands, parallel to Commandant. In most senses the German equivalent is Kommandeur.... |
Netherlands |
| Commodore (Canada) Commodore (Canada) Commodore is the lowest of the flag officer ranks in the Royal Canadian Navy; it is equivalent to Brigadier General in the Army and Air Force. It is junior to Rear Admiral and Major General, and senior to Captain and Colonel.... |
Canada |
| Commodore (Finland) Commodore (Finland) Commodore is a rank of Finnish Navy equal to Captain in English-speaking navies being above Commander and below Flotilla Admiral , equal Army rank is Colonel.... |
Finland |
| Commodore (Royal Navy) Commodore (Royal Navy) Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:... |
United Kingdom |
| Commodore (United States) | United States |
| Comodoro | Portugal |
| Komodor | Bulgaria, Croatia |
| Kommodore Kommodore Kommodore is a German rank equivalent to Commodore. Kommodore originated as a title used by some Captains in World War I. A German Commodore could hold any naval rank between Lieutenant and Captain and the title of Commodore was held by those officers who held tactical control over more than one... |
Germany |
Air force ranks
Commodore, in Spanish comodoro, is a rank in the Argentine Air ForceArgentine Air Force
The Argentine Air Force is the national aviation branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic. , it had 14,606 military and 6,854 civilian staff.-History:...
. This rank is the equivalent of a colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the Argentine Army
Argentine Army
The Argentine Army is the land armed force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of the country.- History :...
, and a colonel or group captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
in other air forces of the world. The Argentine rank below commodore is the rank of vice-commodore (Spanish vicecomodoro) equivalent to a lieutenant-colonel in the Argentine Army, and a lieutenant-colonel or wing commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
in other air forces.
Commodore is a rank in the Royal Netherlands Air Force
Royal Netherlands Air Force
The Royal Netherlands Air Force , Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht , is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army was founded on 1 July 1913, with four pilots...
. It is a one-star rank and has essentially the same rank insignia as the British air commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
.
Many air forces, use the rank of air commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
. This rank was first used by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and is now used in many countries such as India, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Thailand, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Nigeria. It is the equivalent rank to the navy rank of "commodore", and the army ranks of 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....
and brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
.
The German air force used the concept of a unit commodore, although this was a unit command appointment rather than a rank.
Merchant and boating rank
Commodore is also a title held by the senior captain within a shipping company and by the senior officer of many yacht clubs and boating associations.Convoy commodore
During wartime, a shipping convoyConvoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
will have a ranking officer—sometimes an active-duty naval officer, at other times a civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
master
Master mariner
A Master Mariner or MM is the professional qualification required for someone to serve as the person in charge or person in command of a commercial vessel. In England, the term Master Mariner has been in use at least since the 13th century, reflecting the fact that in guild or livery company terms,...
or retired naval officer—designated as the convoy commodore. This title is not related to the individuals military rank (if any), but instead is the title of the senior individual responsible for the overall operation of the merchant ships and naval auxiliary ship
Auxiliary ship
An auxiliary ship is a naval ship which is designed to operate in any number of roles supporting combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliaries are not primary combatants, although they may have some limited combat capacity, usually of a self defensive nature.Auxiliaries are extremely...
s that make up the convoy. The convoy commodore does not command the convoy escort forces (if any), which are commanded by a naval officer who serves as escort commander.
Other uses
In the United States Coast Guard AuxiliaryUnited States Coast Guard Auxiliary
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard and was established on June 23, 1939 by an act of Congress as the United States Coast Guard Reserve, and was re-designated as the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary on February 19, 1941...
, the senior elected officer of the organization is the National Commodore, also there are commodores elected for the individual district commands of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. They hold the title of District Commodore. There are also appointed commodores who are the senior office holder for the areas within the organizational directorate.
In the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary - PCGA, each of the directors in command of the 10 Coast Guard Auxiliary districts are commodores, as well as most of the Deputy National Directors (some may be rear admirals). Commodore is appreviated to COMMO in the PCGA.
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
's intercollegiate athletics teams are nicknamed "the commodores", a reference to Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt
Cornelius Vanderbilt , also known by the sobriquet Commodore, was an American entrepreneur who built his wealth in shipping and railroads. He was also the patriarch of the Vanderbilt family and one of the richest Americans in history...
's self-appointed title (he was the master of a large shipping fleet).
In the U.S. Sea Scouting
Sea Scouts (Boy Scouts of America)
Sea Scouting is a part of the Venturing program that the Boy Scouts of America offers for young men and women. Along with Cub Scouting for younger boys and Boy Scouting for older boys, Venturing and Sea Scouting provide a program for religious, fraternal, educational, and other community...
program (which is part of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
), all National, Regional, Area, and Council committee chairs are titled as commodore, while senior committee members are addressed as vice commodore. Ship committee chairs do not hold this recognition.