Junior Commissioned Officer
Encyclopedia
Junior commissioned officer (JCO) is a term describing a group of military ranks found in the Indian Army
, Pakistan Army
, Bangladesh Army
and Nepal Army
. Those soldiers holding JCO rank receive a commission from the President,
During British rule
, these officers were known as viceroy's commissioned officer
s (VCOs) except in Nepal
, which was never a British colony. Under the British, there was a clear colonial context, the VCOs being the highest rank that most Indians could achieve while most full commissioned officers were British – a distinction which disappeared with Indian independence.
Senior non-commissioned officer
s are promoted to JCO rank on the basis of merit and seniority, restricted by the number of vacancies. Junior commissioned officers are treated as a separate class, and hold many additional privileges. In the army, they have a separate mess
(the JCOs' mess) / (the CPOs mess) / (the WOs mess), get family quarters, and are authorized to travel in first class on the railways. With good pay and privileges, it is an ambition of most enlisted men to attain such rank.
JCOs often serve as platoon leaders in an infantry company, with a major as company commander and a captain as second-in-command.
Due to their long years of service, officers accord JCOs great respect and influence, especially in cases involving the enlisted ranks, their welfare and morale. Another custom religiously followed is that a JCO is never addressed using just his name or rank. The word saheb (master) is added as a suffix (e.g.: subedar saheb or <> saheb). It is said that even the president of India
/ president of Pakistan
has to follow this tradition. Status of JCO in comparison to civil officer is not justified. They can not be departmentally promoted to the rank of officers.
The JCO ranks in the Indian Army
/ Pakistan Army
(from highest to lowest) are:
The JCO equivalent (or chief petty) ranks in the Indian Navy
/ Pakistan Navy
are:
The JCO equivalent (or warranted) ranks in the Indian Air Force
/Pakistan Air Force
are:
While the army JCOs receive a commission from the president, naval chief petty officer ranks and the air force warrant officer ranks receive a president warrant on promotion to the rank of chief petty officer and junior warrant officer respectively. This is a certificate issued by the Commodore Bureau of Sailors or air marshal / AVM on behalf of the president of India / Pakistan to authenticate the promotion of a sailor to the chief rank, an air warrior to warrant rank as the CPO, MCPO II / FCPO, MCPO I / MCPO, JWO / AWO, WO, MWO / CWO ranks are classed as junior commissioned ranks. The warrant is made on pre-printed stationery written by hand.
Army JCOs, navy chief petty officers and air force warrant ranks (JWO to MWO) are group B officers with class II gazetted status. Army JCOs, navy chief petty officers and air force warrant officers & MWOs are authorised salutes (including rifle salutes if given by an armed soldier, sailor or air warrior) while Indian navy chief petty officers are not authorised any form of salute.
NOTE: "chief petty officer" means a person commissioned, gazetted or in pay as junior commissioned officer in Pakistan Navy.
Honorary commissioned officers may wear the appropriate rank insignia, but they do not become members of the officers' mess. They do, however, receive the pay and pension of their honorary rank. The honorary ranks in the various forces are:
Indian Army:
Indian Navy:
Indian Air Force:
Generally, in official documents the junior commissioned officer rank held by the officer is also added before the honorary commission rank. For example, subedar / hony. lt. or subedar major / hony. capt.
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
, Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
, Bangladesh Army
Bangladesh Army
The Bangladesh Army is the land forces branch and the largest of the three uniformed service of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The primary mission of the Army is to provide necessary forces and capabilities in support of Bangladesh's security and defense strategies including defense of the nation's...
and Nepal Army
Nepal Army
The Nepalese Army is the army of Nepal and a major component of the Military of Nepal. The NA includes the Nepalese Army Air Service and is considered to be superior to Nepalese Police Force. Service is voluntary and the minimum age for enrollment is 18 years...
. Those soldiers holding JCO rank receive a commission from the President,
During British rule
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, these officers were known as viceroy's commissioned officer
Viceroy's Commissioned Officer
A viceroy's commissioned officer was a senior Indian member of the British Indian Army. VCOs were senior in rank to warrant officers in the British Army, and held a commission issued by the viceroy...
s (VCOs) except in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, which was never a British colony. Under the British, there was a clear colonial context, the VCOs being the highest rank that most Indians could achieve while most full commissioned officers were British – a distinction which disappeared with Indian independence.
Senior non-commissioned officer
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
s are promoted to JCO rank on the basis of merit and seniority, restricted by the number of vacancies. Junior commissioned officers are treated as a separate class, and hold many additional privileges. In the army, they have a separate mess
Mess
A mess is the place where military personnel socialise, eat, and live. In some societies this military usage has extended to other disciplined services eateries such as civilian fire fighting and police forces. The root of mess is the Old French mes, "portion of food" A mess (also called a...
(the JCOs' mess) / (the CPOs mess) / (the WOs mess), get family quarters, and are authorized to travel in first class on the railways. With good pay and privileges, it is an ambition of most enlisted men to attain such rank.
JCOs often serve as platoon leaders in an infantry company, with a major as company commander and a captain as second-in-command.
Due to their long years of service, officers accord JCOs great respect and influence, especially in cases involving the enlisted ranks, their welfare and morale. Another custom religiously followed is that a JCO is never addressed using just his name or rank. The word saheb (master) is added as a suffix (e.g.: subedar saheb or <
President of India
The President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
/ president of Pakistan
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
has to follow this tradition. Status of JCO in comparison to civil officer is not justified. They can not be departmentally promoted to the rank of officers.
The JCO ranks in the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
/ Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
(from highest to lowest) are:
- Subedar-majorSubedar-MajorSubedar-Major is the senior rank of Junior Commissioned Officer in the Indian and Pakistani Armies, and formerly Viceroy's Commissioned Officer in the British Indian Army.nirmala...
(infantryInfantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and other arms) / risaldar-majorRisaldar-MajorRisaldar-major was originally a cavalry officer of the British Indian Army, the rank was created in 1886 - a risaldar-major was the most senior risaldar of the regiment...
(cavalryCavalryCavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and armour) / subedar major
- SubedarSubedarSubedar is a historical rank in the Indian Army, ranking below British commissioned officers and above non-commissioned officers. The rank was otherwise equivalent to a British lieutenant and was introduced in the East India Company's presidency armies, to make it easier for British officers to...
/ risaldarRisaldarRisaldar , meaning "the commander of a risala " in Persian, is a mid-level rank in cavalry and armoured units of the Indian Army. Risaldars generally command squadrons....
/ subedar - Naib subedar / naib risaldar / naib subedar
The JCO equivalent (or chief petty) ranks in the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
/ Pakistan Navy
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
are:
- Master chief petty officerMaster Chief Petty Officer- Master Chief Petty Officer :U.S. Coast GuardMaster ChiefPetty OfficerCap & Collar deviceU.S. Coast GuardMaster ChiefPetty OfficerinsigniaGood conductRating badgeMaster ChiefPetty OfficerCap & Collar Insignia...
Class 1 / master chief petty officer - Master chief petty officer Class 2 / fleet chief petty officer
- Chief petty officerChief Petty OfficerA chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
The JCO equivalent (or warranted) ranks in the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
/Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
are:
- Master warrant officerMaster Warrant OfficerMaster warrant officer is a senior military rank in the Canadian Forces, Singapore Armed Forces and the Israel Defense Forces.-Canadian Forces:...
/ chief warrant officer - Warrant officerWarrant OfficerA warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...
- Junior warrant officer / assistant warrant officer
While the army JCOs receive a commission from the president, naval chief petty officer ranks and the air force warrant officer ranks receive a president warrant on promotion to the rank of chief petty officer and junior warrant officer respectively. This is a certificate issued by the Commodore Bureau of Sailors or air marshal / AVM on behalf of the president of India / Pakistan to authenticate the promotion of a sailor to the chief rank, an air warrior to warrant rank as the CPO, MCPO II / FCPO, MCPO I / MCPO, JWO / AWO, WO, MWO / CWO ranks are classed as junior commissioned ranks. The warrant is made on pre-printed stationery written by hand.
Army JCOs, navy chief petty officers and air force warrant ranks (JWO to MWO) are group B officers with class II gazetted status. Army JCOs, navy chief petty officers and air force warrant officers & MWOs are authorised salutes (including rifle salutes if given by an armed soldier, sailor or air warrior) while Indian navy chief petty officers are not authorised any form of salute.
NOTE: "chief petty officer" means a person commissioned, gazetted or in pay as junior commissioned officer in Pakistan Navy.
Honorary commissions
There is also a custom of giving honorary commissions to deserving junior commissioned officers. Every year a list of eligible JCOs is drawn up and honorary commissions awarded to them. This could be at the time of retirement, or when still in service.Honorary commissioned officers may wear the appropriate rank insignia, but they do not become members of the officers' mess. They do, however, receive the pay and pension of their honorary rank. The honorary ranks in the various forces are:
Indian Army:
- Honorary lieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
- Honorary captain
Indian Navy:
- Honorary sub lieutenant
- Honorary lieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Indian Air Force:
- Honorary flying officerFlying OfficerFlying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
- Honorary flight lieutenantFlight LieutenantFlight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Generally, in official documents the junior commissioned officer rank held by the officer is also added before the honorary commission rank. For example, subedar / hony. lt. or subedar major / hony. capt.