Commodore (rank)
From Free net encyclopedia
Commodore is a military rank used in some navies for officers whose position exceeds that of a Captain, but is less than that of a flag officer.
Contents |
History
The rank of Commodore derives from the French commandeur, which was one of the highest ranks in orders of knighthood, and in military orders the title of the knight in charge of a commenda (a local part of the order's territorial possessions).
The Royal Netherlands Navy also used the rank of commandeur from the end of the 16th century for a variety of temporary positions, until it became a conventional permanent rank in 1955. The Royal Netherlands Air Force has adopted the English spelling of commodore for an equivalent rank.
The rank of Commodore was at first a position created as a temporary title to be bestowed upon Captains who commanded squadrons of more than one vessel. In many navies, the rank of Commodore was merely viewed as a Senior Captain position, whereas other naval services bestowed upon the rank of Commodore the prestige of flag officer status.
Naval rank
The following articles deal with the rank of Commodore (or its equivalent) as it is employed in various countries.
Other military ranks
Comodoro (Commodore) is also a military rank in the Argentine Air Force, although this rank is the equivalent of a Colonel in the Army and other air forces of the world. The rank of Comodoro is preceded by the lower rank of Vicecomodoro (Vice Commodore), just as Colonel is preceded by Lieutenant Colonel.
Merchant and boating rank
Commodore is also a title held by the senior captain within a shipping company. It is also a title held by the senior officer of many yacht clubs and boating associations.
Other uses
In the Church of Scientology, "The Commodore" was one of the many titles (and some critics would say, the least grandiose among them) held by the church's founder, L. Ron Hubbard. As the head of Sea Org, a pseudo naval branch of Scientology, Hubbard awarded himself this title. In fact, Hubbard never earned an actual rank higher than Lieutenant in his U.S. Navy service during World War II.
In the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, the senior elected officer of the organization is the National Commodore, while there are Commodores elected for the Atlantic and Pacific regions.
Vanderbilt University's intercollegiate athletics teams are nicknamed the Commodores, a reference to Cornelius Vanderbilt's self-appointed title (he was the master of a large shipping fleet).
The rank of commodore in popular culture
- In the video game StarCraft, a Terran battlecruiser (presumably its commander) holds the rank of commodore.
- In the movie trilogy Pirates of the Caribbean, a main character called James Norrington holds the rank.
See also
External links
es:Comodoro it:Commodoro nl:Commodore (rang) ja:代将 sv:Kommendörkapten