{{Short description|Category of military officers, above junior officer ranks}} {{about|military officers|intelligence operatives|agent handling|senior corporate officers|Corporate title}} {{refimprove|date=January 2009}} {{Military ranks}} A '''senior officer''' is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of commissioned officers above junior officer ranks but below flag, general or air rank.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/field+officer |title=Field officer - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-webster.com |access-date=2011-10-03}}</ref> In most countries, this includes the ranks of lieutenant commander/major/squadron leader, commander/lieutenant colonel/wing commander and naval captain/colonel/group captain, or their equivalents. In some countries, it also includes brigadiers and commodores.
Sometimes, particularly in the army, this grade is referred to as '''field-grade officers''', '''field officers''' or '''officers of field rank'''. Historically, a regiment or battalion's field officers made up its command element.
==Canada== In the Canadian Armed Forces, the term "senior officer" ({{langx|fr|officier supérieur}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Grades et nomination |url=https://www.canada.ca/fr/services/defense/fac/systeme-identite-militaire/insignes-grade-fonction.html |website=canada.ca |date=23 November 2017 |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=14 January 2023 |language=fr}}</ref>) is used in all three services. It includes the army and air force ranks of major, lieutenant-colonel, and colonel, and the naval ranks of lieutenant-commander, commander, and captain.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ranks and appointment |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/services/defence/caf/military-identity-system/rank-appointment-insignia.html |website=canada.ca |date=23 November 2017 |publisher=Government of Canada |access-date=14 January 2023}}</ref>
==France== In the French Armed Forces, senior officers are called ''officiers supérieurs''. They include the army and air force ranks of ''commandant'', lieutenant-colonel and colonel, and the naval ranks of ''capitaine de corvette'', ''capitaine de frégate'' and ''capitaine de vaisseau''.
==Germany== In the German {{Lang|de|Bundeswehr|italic=no}}, officers of the rank of Major, {{Lang|de|Oberstleutnant}} and ''Oberst'' in the Heer (army) and Luftwaffe (air force), and ''Korvettenkapitän'', ''Fregattenkapitän'' and ''Kapitän zur See'' in the German Navy are traditionally known as ''Stabsoffiziere'' ({{langx|en|staff officers}}).
==Russia== {{no ref|section|date=July 2023}} {{lang|ru-Latn|Shtabofitser}} ({{langx|ru|Штаб-офицер}}), derived from the German {{lang|de|stabsoffizier}}, was the designation of the following officers of the Russian Imperial Army and Navy until 1917.
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 12px 12px 12px 12px;" |- align="center" style="background:#cfcfcf;" ! Rank group ! colspan=9| Field officers ({{langx|ru|Штаб-офицеры|Shtabofitsery}}) |- align="center" | Nevsky 1st Infantry Regiment | 50px | 50px | 50px | 50px | 50px |- align="center" | Ivanogorodsky 99th IR | 50px | 50px | | 50px | 50px |- align="center" | | {{lang|ru|Полковник}}<br />{{lang|ru-Latn|Polkovnik}} | {{lang|ru|Подполко́вник}}<br />{{lang|ru-Latn|Podpolkovnik}} | {{lang|ru|Майо́р}}<br />{{lang|ru-Latn|Major}} | {{lang|ru|Капитан}}<br />{{lang|ru-Latn|Kapitan}} | {{lang|ru|Штабс-капитан}}<br />{{lang|ru-Latn|Stabs-kapitan}} |}
==United Kingdom and Commonwealth== The British Army and Royal Marines use the terms "officers of field rank" or "field officers" to refer to the ranks of major, lieutenant colonel, colonel and brigadier. The term "senior officer" is used for the ranks of lieutenant commander, commander, captain and commodore in the Royal Navy, and squadron leader, wing commander and group captain in the Royal Air Force. An RAF air commodore, however, is considered to be an air officer.
A number of other armed forces in the Commonwealth, including Australia and New Zealand, also follow this pattern.
==United States== The officer group in United States Armed Forces has two different names depending on the branch. In the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force the rank group is called '''field grade''' and consists of major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel. In the Navy, and Coast Guard, the rank group is called '''mid-grade''' and consists of lieutenant commander, commander, and captain.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Military Rank Insignia |url=https://www.defense.gov/Resources/Insignias/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191011000945/https://www.defense.gov/Resources/Insignias/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 11, 2019 |website=United States Department of Defense |publisher=Department of Defense |access-date=21 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=26th annual Department of Defense (DoD) report on social representation in the U.S. Military Services |url=https://prhome.defense.gov/portals/52/Documents/POPREP/poprep99/html/chapter4/c4-paygrade.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140919215014/http://prhome.defense.gov/portals/52/Documents/POPREP/poprep99/html/chapter4/c4-paygrade.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 19, 2014 |publisher=Department of Defence |access-date=27 April 2025 |date=1999}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
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Category:Military ranks Category:Military terminology