# Difference between superior officer and senior officer



## slayer/raptor (13 Jun 2017)

Has anyone come across new terminology for officers?

As far as I understand:

Subordinate Officer : OCdt;
Junior Officers: 2Lt, Lt, Capt;
Senior Officers: Maj, Lcol, Col;
GO/FO: Bgen +

But I now I keep hearing the term _superior officers_ for Majs and Lcols, and _senior officers_ for Col and up. Has anyone else come across this or at least understand it? Obviously there is a difference between a Maj and a Col but why the change in terminology? Is it to align more with the civilian public service where Cols are equivalent to the first level of executives (EX-1)?


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## Eye In The Sky (13 Jun 2017)

Superior officer has nothing to do with actually being an Officer, and whoever is differentiating between Maj and LCol, etc using this terminology should be...educated...on what the CAF definition of superior officer actually is.  If you are a MCpl, for example, then I (a lowly Sgt) are your superior officer, by definition, the same as a Maj or Col would be.

No offense to those commissioned members on this site, but it seems to me that _they_ are the ones who just *make things up* as they go, hence why the most of the CAF as it exists today do not understand that Warrant Officers are not Senior NCOs, Sgt's are not *Senior NCMs*, etc.  Next time you hear this, you can point the incorrect member to actual policy definitions, etc.

QR & O, Vol 1, Chap 1, Art 102 - Definitions

"superior officer" (supérieur)means any officer or non-commissioned member who, in relation to any other officer or non-commissioned member, is by the National Defence Act, or by regulations or custom of the service, authorized to give a lawful command to that other officer or non-commissioned member; * 

A Pte, well everyone from Cpl on up is a superior officer to them.  A MCpl is a superior officer to a Cpl because, despite their same *rank*, the MCpl appointment holds authority over all Cpls.

3.08 - MASTER CORPORAL APPOINTMENT

(1) The Chief of the Defence Staff or such officer as he may designate may appoint a corporal as a master corporal.

(2) The rank of a master corporal remains that of corporal.

(3) Master corporals have seniority among themselves in their order of seniority as corporals.

(4) Master corporals have authority and powers of command over all other corporals.

(M)


Rank Appointment Insignia


Senior Officers:

- Captain (Capt(N)) Colonel (Col) 

- Commander (Cdr) Lieutenant-Colonel (LCol) 

- Lieutenant-Commander (LCdr) Major (Maj) 

Ref the *senior officer for everyone from Col on up* is also wrong.  Anyone above the rank of Col or Capt(N) is a General or Flag Officer.  The people you hear saying this shit should be sorted out so they don't teach junior people more stupid shit.   :facepalm:



* notice, it also says _*Warrant Officers, Petty Officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers*_.   :nod:


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## Lightguns (13 Jun 2017)

Someone sorted me out last time so I return the favor.  Senior officer has two meaning in the CF.  The QR&O meaning and as a term applied to those between Capt and GO.  Note that Col are treated as GO for career purposes but are still Senior officers.  

http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/honours-history-badges-insignia/rank.page

Personally, I prefer "Field Grade" to "Senior" as it is confusing with the QR&O legal definition but it's not the first time something in the military had two meanings.


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## Navy_Pete (14 Jun 2017)

Eye In The Sky said:
			
		

> Superior officer has nothing to do with actually being an Officer, and whoever is differentiating between Maj and LCol, etc using this terminology should be...educated...on what the CAF definition of superior officer actually is.  If you are a MCpl, for example, then I (a lowly Sgt) are your superior officer, by definition, the same as a Maj or Col would be.
> 
> No offense to those commissioned members on this site, but it seems to me that _they_ are the ones who just *make things up* as they go, hence why the most of the CAF as it exists today do not understand that Warrant Officers are not Senior NCOs, Sgt's are not *Senior NCMs*, etc.  Next time you hear this, you can point the incorrect member to actual policy definitions, etc.
> 
> ...



A good example of this can be found reading through the court martials.  You can find people that have been convicted for disobeying commands of a superior officer when it was a Sgt that gave the order to someone in their platoon, etc.

Not sure how often it happens in the Army or Airforce, but sometimes it's position based and you have charge over people of the same rank (or sometimes higher rank).


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## dimsum (14 Jun 2017)

Navy_Pete said:
			
		

> Not sure how often it happens in the Army or Airforce, but sometimes it's position based and you have charge over people of the same rank (or sometimes higher rank).



It happens in the Air Force if, for example in an Aurora, the Aircraft Captain (senior Pilot) is a Capt and the Tactical Navigator and/or Navigator-Communicator are Majors or LCol (the Sqn CO).  Aurora Sqn COs seem to switch between Pilot and ACSO.

Maybe oversimplifying it a bit, but some of the Sqn COs weren't (aren't?) Crew Commanders, and even then, the Aircraft Captain has the final say for matters of flight safety.


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## Eye In The Sky (14 Jun 2017)

Good example, another one is the RSO on a range.  I believe we are talking about *appointments* to some degree, much like a Lead AES Op could MCpl and, by appointment as Lead by the CO, *in charge* on the aircraft of a B Cat Sgt/WO/MWO.

Aircraft captain stuff is, thankfully, black and white in the QR & 0s.


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