Can there possibly be two officers of the same rank serving on the same vessel? And if so who is in charge? (I.e two lieutenant junior grade officers on the same ship)
In: Other
I’ve in units where there are people who outrank the Commanding Officer. However; the Commanding Officer is a designation, not just a rank. They are delegated powers of command for operational reasons of a body of men. They may have people of the same rank or grade within their unit but they are normally subordinate to the Commanding Officer outside of their professional competency.
An example; My Medical Regiment has a Lt Col as their CO but their Chief Medical Officer is also a Lt Col. The CO has delegated powers of command over the unit. They can’t deal summarily with the CMO but the CMO will not (publicly) undermine the COs power. They will however have primacy when it comes to medical matters.
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