Going through various military ranks and their differentiation across branches, I'm a bit lost. Can anyone tell me which U.S. military branches use 'Commander' as a rank?
Sure, I can help with that! The rank 'Commander' is utilized in two branches of the U.S. military - the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard.
In the Navy, a Commander (CDR) is a senior officer rank, above Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) but below Captain (CAPT). A Navy Commander typically serves as the commanding officer of a frigate, destroyer, submarine, aviation squadron, or smaller shore command.
In the Coast Guard, the meaning is the same. A Commander is a senior officer rank, also above Lieutenant Commander and below Captain. As in the Navy, a Coast Guard Commander typically commands a ship, aviation squadron, or small shore unit.
Remember, while the title of 'Commander' is specific to the Navy and Coast Guard, leadership titles like Commander can be used more generically in other branches to refer to anyone in a position of authority. However, it's not the official rank like in the Navy and Coast Guard.
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