Under Officer
Encyclopedia
Under Officer is an appointment held by senior cadet
s at some Commonwealth
officer training establishments and in University Officers' Training Corps in the United Kingdom
, and also a rank used in some Commonwealth cadet forces.
uses the appointments of Senior Under Officer and Under Officer for senior Staff Cadets.
In the Australian Army Cadets
and Australian Air Force Cadets
, the rank of Cadet Under Officer is the highest cadet rank. They are saluted and addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by their subordinates but not by adult officers or instructors or members of the Australian Defence Force
.
AAC CUOs may hold many appointments, including National Cadet Under Officer
, Regional Cadet Under Officer
, Battalion
Cadet Under Officer, Quartermaster
, Company
Commander, and Platoon
Commander. The rank badge is a lozenge, which contains 27½ chevrons. The National Cadet Under Officer has red in the centre of the lozenge. Regional Cadet Under Officers have blue in the centre of the lozenge.
To become a CUO, a cadet must have completed the Senior Leaders Course Module Two, otherwise known as the CUO/WO Course, often held either at a mid or end of year session. The course runs for one week on a military base, and during this course a prospective CUO will learn platoon and company level command. To gain entry to the course the Cadet must have successfully completed the Senior Leaders Module One Course or the Sergeant
Course, which entitles them to bear ranks up to Staff Sergeant
.
The insignia for an AAFC CUO is a white stripe. To achieve the rank of CUO, an AAFC Cadet Sergeant, Cadet Flight Sergeant
or Cadet Warrant Officer
must complete the CUO course, which typically takes 3 weeks at a Royal Australian Air Force
base in their home state.
Cadet Under Officer is also a rank in the New Zealand Air Training Corps
and the New Zealand Cadet Corps
. It ranks between Cadet Warrant Officer/Cadet Warrant Officer Class 2 and Pilot Officer
NZCF/Second Lieutenant
NZCF, thus making it the highest rank a cadet can reach, although not actually itself a Cadet rank. Under Officers are normally aged between 18 and 21, and to be eligible for a commission one must be at least 20 years of age. Under Officers are Cadets who have received the necessary training and have the desire to become NZCF Officers. Hence, Under Officers are treated as understudy officers. There are 2 Under Officers' courses run each year, and provide training that Under Officers require to be efficient Understudy Officers within their Cadet Units, and skills which will be useful as a Commissioned Officer. They perform roles similar to commissioned officers, but do not have nearly the same legal responsibilities and are not to be saluted, but are referred to as "sir/Ma'am". Cadet Under Officers wear insignia similar to that worn by Officer Cadet
s, except that the thin blue braid is replaced by a piece of NCO
chevron cloth. This emphasises their official status as cadets rather than adult leaders.
To become an Under Officer, Cadets are required to:
s at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
(RMAS) and in the University Officers Training Corps (authough these latter are not strictly trainee officers), and is also the highest rank that can be held by cadets in the Combined Cadet Force
and Army Cadet Force
. There are two separate appointments: Junior Under Officer (JUO) and Senior Under Officer (SUO). They are usually addressed as "JUO" or "SUO" as appropriate, but are not saluted as they do not hold the Queen's Commission. RMAS typically appoint two JUOs per platoon in the final term of the Commissioning Course. The appointment of SUO is not currently used at RMAS. At RMAS and in the UOTCs, JUOs wear an Austrian Knot
above a single bar on their rank slide and SUOs wear an Austrian Knot above two bars.
The use of the term in CCF contingents is inconsistent, with some having JUOs and sometimes also SUOs, and others simply having Under Officers. The ACF only has the single appointment of Cadet Under Officer (CUO). The rank badge is a white bar on the rank slide.
The rank of Adult Under Officer (AUO) is an appointment used within ACF counties with adults who are progressing a commission. This appointment is at the discretion of the Cadet Commandant and is represented by a rank slide bearing a single white stripe. The form of address for all cadets, and adults at or below the rank of SMI is 'Sir' or 'Ma'am'.
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
s at some Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
officer training establishments and in University Officers' Training Corps in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and also a rank used in some Commonwealth cadet forces.
Australia
The Royal Military College, DuntroonRoyal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
uses the appointments of Senior Under Officer and Under Officer for senior Staff Cadets.
In the Australian Army Cadets
Australian Army Cadets
The Australian Army Cadets is a youth organisation that is involved with progressive training of youths in military and adventurous activities. The programme has more than 19,000 Army Cadets between the ages of 12½ and 19 based in 236 units around Australia...
and Australian Air Force Cadets
Australian Air Force Cadets
The Australian Air Force Cadets , known as the Air Training Corps until 2001, is a Federal Government funded youth organisation. The parent force of the AAFC is the Royal Australian Air Force...
, the rank of Cadet Under Officer is the highest cadet rank. They are saluted and addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by their subordinates but not by adult officers or instructors or members of the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
.
AAC CUOs may hold many appointments, including National Cadet Under Officer
National Cadet Advisory Council
The National Cadet Advisory Council is the link between cadets and officers in the Australian Army Cadets, system. The NCAC, as it is commonly known, endeavours in improve cadets and the standard of cadets any way it can. The NCAC generally meets once a year, with regional CAC's meeting at least...
, Regional Cadet Under Officer
National Cadet Advisory Council
The National Cadet Advisory Council is the link between cadets and officers in the Australian Army Cadets, system. The NCAC, as it is commonly known, endeavours in improve cadets and the standard of cadets any way it can. The NCAC generally meets once a year, with regional CAC's meeting at least...
, 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...
Cadet Under Officer, Quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
, Company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
Commander, and Platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
Commander. The rank badge is a lozenge, which contains 27½ chevrons. The National Cadet Under Officer has red in the centre of the lozenge. Regional Cadet Under Officers have blue in the centre of the lozenge.
To become a CUO, a cadet must have completed the Senior Leaders Course Module Two, otherwise known as the CUO/WO Course, often held either at a mid or end of year session. The course runs for one week on a military base, and during this course a prospective CUO will learn platoon and company level command. To gain entry to the course the Cadet must have successfully completed the Senior Leaders Module One Course or the Sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
Course, which entitles them to bear ranks up to Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
.
The insignia for an AAFC CUO is a white stripe. To achieve the rank of CUO, an AAFC Cadet Sergeant, Cadet Flight Sergeant
Flight Sergeant
Flight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure...
or Cadet Warrant Officer
Warrant Officer
A 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...
must complete the CUO course, which typically takes 3 weeks at a Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
base in their home state.
New Zealand
New Zealand Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps or ATC is one of the three corps in the New Zealand Cadet Forces, the other two being the New Zealand Cadet Corps and Sea Cadet Corps. It is funded in partnership between the RNZAF and communities, and its members are civilians. Members have no obligation to head into the...
and the New Zealand Cadet Corps
New Zealand Cadet Corps
The New Zealand Cadet Corps , is one of the three corps in the New Zealand Cadet Forces, the other two being the Air Training Corps, and Sea Cadet Corps. There is no reference to the Army within the official title of the NZCC, but an army theme is used for the NZCC. All of its members, from the...
. It ranks between Cadet Warrant Officer/Cadet Warrant Officer Class 2 and Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
NZCF/Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
NZCF, thus making it the highest rank a cadet can reach, although not actually itself a Cadet rank. Under Officers are normally aged between 18 and 21, and to be eligible for a commission one must be at least 20 years of age. Under Officers are Cadets who have received the necessary training and have the desire to become NZCF Officers. Hence, Under Officers are treated as understudy officers. There are 2 Under Officers' courses run each year, and provide training that Under Officers require to be efficient Understudy Officers within their Cadet Units, and skills which will be useful as a Commissioned Officer. They perform roles similar to commissioned officers, but do not have nearly the same legal responsibilities and are not to be saluted, but are referred to as "sir/Ma'am". Cadet Under Officers wear insignia similar to that worn by Officer Cadet
Officer Cadet
Officer cadet is a rank held by military and merchant navy cadets during their training to become commissioned officers and merchant navy officers, respectively. The term officer trainee is used interchangeably in some countries...
s, except that the thin blue braid is replaced by a piece of NCO
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...
chevron cloth. This emphasises their official status as cadets rather than adult leaders.
To become an Under Officer, Cadets are required to:
- Spend 6 months in the minimum rank of Staff SergeantStaff SergeantStaff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
/Flight SergeantFlight SergeantFlight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure... - Have completed at least 3 years of Cadet Forces training
- Be 18 Years of age
- Have the desire, Commitment & potential to become an NZCF Officer
- have been recommended by their Unit Commander and have the approval of AC CFTSU.
United Kingdom
Under Officer is an appointment held by senior Officer CadetOfficer Cadet
Officer cadet is a rank held by military and merchant navy cadets during their training to become commissioned officers and merchant navy officers, respectively. The term officer trainee is used interchangeably in some countries...
s at 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...
(RMAS) and in the University Officers Training Corps (authough these latter are not strictly trainee officers), and is also the highest rank that can be held by cadets in the Combined Cadet Force
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
and Army Cadet Force
Army Cadet Force
The Army Cadet Force is a British youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from military training to adventurous training and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9...
. There are two separate appointments: Junior Under Officer (JUO) and Senior Under Officer (SUO). They are usually addressed as "JUO" or "SUO" as appropriate, but are not saluted as they do not hold the Queen's Commission. RMAS typically appoint two JUOs per platoon in the final term of the Commissioning Course. The appointment of SUO is not currently used at RMAS. At RMAS and in the UOTCs, JUOs wear an Austrian Knot
Austrian knot
An Austrian Knot is an elaborate design of twisted cord or lace worn as part of a dress uniform, usually on the lower sleeve. It is usually a distinction worn by officers; the major exception is the hussars, in which Austrian knots are worn by all ranks...
above a single bar on their rank slide and SUOs wear an Austrian Knot above two bars.
The use of the term in CCF contingents is inconsistent, with some having JUOs and sometimes also SUOs, and others simply having Under Officers. The ACF only has the single appointment of Cadet Under Officer (CUO). The rank badge is a white bar on the rank slide.
The rank of Adult Under Officer (AUO) is an appointment used within ACF counties with adults who are progressing a commission. This appointment is at the discretion of the Cadet Commandant and is represented by a rank slide bearing a single white stripe. The form of address for all cadets, and adults at or below the rank of SMI is 'Sir' or 'Ma'am'.