Commander is a military rank used in many navies but not generally in armies or air forces. It is below Captain and above Lieutenant-Commander. The rank evolved in the 18th and early 19th centuries and was originally known as Master and Commander. The Royal Navy shortened Master and Commander to Commander in 1814.

A commander in the Royal Navy and the United States Navy is equivalent in rank to a lieutenant-colonel in the army (Pay Grade of O-6). A commander may command a frigate, destroyer, submarine, aviation squadron or shore installation, or may serve on a staff. A commander who commands a unit may be referred to as "Captain" as a courtesy title. A unit commander may also be informally referred to as "skipper."

In the highest levels of U.S. military command structure, "commander" refers to what used to be called commander-in-chief, or CINC, until October 24, 2002 (CINC is still used in casual speech). This is usually referred to with the area of which the officer is commander. For instance, General Tommy Franks was CENTCOM commander until July 7, 2003.

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@_TPol It's a game of strategy, Commander. Much like chess, except that you cannot see your opponent's pieces and have make deductions.
MalcolmReed (Malcolm Reed) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:53:23 -0000
@_TPol It's a game of strategy, Commander. Much like chess, except that you cannot see your opponent's pieces and have make deductions.

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