Editing Commanding officer

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[[File:Captain Keyes.jpg|thumb|150px|Captain Jacob Keyes, Commanding Officer of the UNSC ''Pillar of Autumn''|right]]
The '''Commanding Officer''' is a billet position filled by officers that are in command of a particular duty, such as commanding a [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] [[category:Ship Classes|starship]] or leading a [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]] unit. The status of commanding officer is duly applied to all commissioned officers who hold lawful command over a military unit, ship, or installation. Before a Naval officer is given control of a starship, they usually are given the rank of [[Captain (Navy)|Captain]].

In the Navy, commanding officer is the official title of the commander of a ship, but they are usually referred to as "the Captain" regardless of their actual rank, or informally referred to as "Skipper"<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved|Halo:Combat Evolved]]''' '''[[Jacob Keyes|Captain Keyes]] (O.S.):''' "Bridge to Cryo 2, this is Captain Keyes. Send the Master Chief to the bridge immediately." / '''[[Thom Shephard|Tech Chief Thom Shephard]]:''' "Captain, we'll have to skip the weapons diagnostics and I-" / '''Captain Keyes (O.S.):''' "On the double, crewman." / '''Tech Chief Thom:''' "Aye aye sir. ''{Pause}'' The '''''Skipper''''' seems jumpy, we'd better get moving. We'll find your weapons later."</ref>. However, there have been Navy COs that held the rank of [[Commander]], such as [[Jacob Keyes|Captain Keyes]] before his promotion to Captain during the [[Battle of Sigma Octanus IV]].<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', page 161</ref> Marine Commanding Officers are issued orders by a higher ranking Naval Commanding Officer if on-board a starship. <ref name="HCE">'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'''</ref> Marine Battalion COs (known as Battalion Commanders) are usually [[Lieutenant Colonel]]s, though [[Major]]s can fill this position if a Lieutenant Colonel is unavailable. Marine [[Platoon]] Commanders are usually [[First Lieutenant]]s, and Company Commanders are usually [[Captain (Ground forces)|Captains]].

Commanding officers may be of any commissioned rank. Usually there are more officers than command positions available, and time spent in command is generally a key aspect of promotion, so the role of commanding officer is highly valued, and in theory only goes to the best officers. In a unit, the commanding officer is often assisted by an Executive Officer (XO) or Second-in-Command (2i/c), who handles personnel and day-to-day matters. Larger units may also have staff officers of various responsibilities. Commanding officers are one of many billet positions that are allowed into [[Officer's Quarters]].

In the UNSC Army, the commanding officer of a platoon is referred to as a Platoon Leader. The commanding officer of a company is referred to as a Company Commander, the commanding officer of a battalion is referred to as a Battalion Commander, and the commanding officer of a brigade is referred to as a Brigade Commander. At the division level and higher, however, the commanding officer is referred to as the Commanding General, as these officers are normally general-grade officers. 

==Known Naval Commanding Officers==
'''NOTE: The list is incomplete.'''

'''[[Fleet Admiral]]'''
*[[Terrence Hood]]<ref name="H2">'''[[Halo 2]]'''</ref><ref name="H3">'''[[Halo 3]]'''</ref> (Fleet Admiral, CO of the UNSC Home Fleet)
*[[Harper]]<ref name="H2"/>

'''[[Admiral]]'''
*[[Carl Patterson]]<ref name="GOO"/>
*[[Preston Jeremiah Cole]]<ref name="FOR"/>
*[[Roland Freemont]]<ref name="FOR">'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]'''</ref>
*[[Ysionris Jeromi]]<ref name="FOR"/>

'''[[Vice Admiral]]'''
*[[Danforth Whitcomb]]<ref name="FS">'''[[Halo: First Strike]]'''</ref>
*[[Gerov]]<ref name="FOR"/>
*[[Margaret O. Parangosky]]<ref name="GOO"/>

'''[[Rear Admiral]]'''
*[[Ned Rich]]<ref name="GOO"/>

'''[[Captain (Navy)|Captain]]'''
*[[Aaron G. Gibson]]<ref name="GOO"/>
*[[De Blanc]]<ref name="FOR"/>
*[[Greene]]<ref>'''[[I love bees]]'''</ref>
*[[Iglesias]]<ref name="GOO"/>
*[[Jacob Keyes]]<ref name="HCE"/>
*[[James Gregory Cutter]]<ref>'''[[Halo Wars]]'''</ref>
*[[Maribeau Veredi]]<ref name="FOR"/>
*[[Wallace]]<ref name="FOR"/>

'''[[Commander]]'''
*[[Jerome G. Ortega]]<ref name="GOO"/>
*[[Richard Lash]]<ref name="GOO"/>

'''[[Lieutenant Commander]]'''
*[[Julian Waters]]<ref name="GOO"/>
*[[Jilan al-Cygni]]<ref name="CH">'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'''</ref>
*[[Kurt-051]]<ref name="GOO">'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]'''</ref>
*[[Miranda Keyes]]<ref name="H2"/><ref name="H3"/>
*[[Xaing Cho]]<ref name="GOO"/>

'''[[Lieutenant]]'''
*[[Bethany Durruno]]<ref name="GOO"/>
*[[Joe Yang]]<ref name="GOO"/>

'''[[Lieutenant, Junior Grade|Lieutenant Junior Grade]]'''
*[[Frederic-104|Fredric-104]]<ref name="GOO"/>

==Known Marine/Army Commanding Officers==
'''NOTE: This list is incomplete.'''
*[[Kits]]  (Marine/General)
*[[Nicolas Strauss]]  (Marine/Major General)
*[[James Ackerson]] (Army/Colonel)
*[[Unidentified colonel|Unnamed UNSC Colonel]] (Marine/Colonel)
*[[Antonio Silva]] (Marine/Major)
*[[Melissa McKay]] (Marine/First Lieutenant)

==Sources==
<references/>
[[Category:Ranks| ]]