Commandant (rank)
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Commandant ( , , ; ) is a military rank used in many - typically Francophone or Hispanophone - countries, where it is usually equivalent to the rank of major.
Commandant ( , , ; ) is a military rank used in many - typically Francophone or Hispanophone - 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 (prior to the 2014 amendment of the National Defence Act). 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
, International Security Assistance Force) in Afghanistan, 2013. Note the crossed-swords rank insignia on his left breast.]] Commandant (Comdt) ( ) is a military rank in both the Irish Army and Irish Air Corps. It is equivalent to major and squadron leader. 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 of India (BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB). It is equivalent to the rank of Colonel/Captain/Group Captain. Commandant rank officers generally command battalions in the CAPFs. In the Indian Coast Guard, 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, specifically the French Army and the French Air and Space Force, 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, ("squadrons leader") in the armoured cavalry and ("squadron leader") in the artillery and the . They are all addressed as either Mon commandant, or Commandant.
South Africa
In South Africa, commandant was the title of the commanding officer of a commando (militia) unit, initially in the Cape Colony 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, South African Air Force, and South African Medical Service. From 1950 to 1957, the rank insignia for a commandant ( in Afrikaans) 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 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 [the 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).
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) File:10. EGLF-MAJ.svg| (Army of Equatorial Guinea) File:Army-FRA-OF-03.svg| (French Army) File:14.GLF-MAJ.svg| (Gabonese Army) File:Mali-Army-OF-3.svg| (Guinea Ground Forces) File:Ireland-Army-OF-3.svg|Commandant (Irish Army) 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) File:13-Moroccan Army-MAJ.svg| (Royal Moroccan Army) File:Blank.svg| (Niger Army) File:Senegal-Army-OF-3.svg| (Senegalese Army) File:Spain-Army-OF-3.svg| (Spanish Army) File:Togo-Army-OF-3.svg| (Togolese Army) File:Grade Terre tunisienne O4.png| (Tunisian Army)
References
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1378502783 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.
