Misc
WHO IS A COMMANDING OFFICER IN THE DEFENCE FORCES?
- A commanding officer is responsible to design and maintain an unit. It is something that makes routine, standard operating procedures, battle drills and battle procedures efficient and smooth, with minimum orders.
- He is responsible for the the physical fitness of his soldiers, discipline and professional competence. He achieves this through various activities and set drills, which I am not going to explain in depth.
- He is also responsible for the health of his troops and their families. He has a luxury of medical officer in his unit along with nursing assistants which ensures that any sick soldier or his family get required attention and treatment in time.
- In army we don’t leave our unfit soldiers. A commanding officer is responsible to employ unfit soldiers depending on the degree of discomfort, temporary disability which entirely depends upon the medical classification by the medical officer.
- The commanding officer looks after all the soldiers of his battalion admitted in hospital and reduces the administrative hassle for the injured or sick by employing various methodology and ideas.
- Commanding officer regularly interact with his troops through routine and special interview. This gives him opportunity to know the in and out going on in life of his troops and functioning of battalion. He achieves the same through informal occasion such as playing games/sports and informal parties with troops.
- The unit commander is the pivot of the unit. he can instil confidence into all ranks by his leadership and dynamism, which is required to prepare the unit into an efficient fighting machine. it is on a foundation of good discipline, morale, administration and training that a unit’s fighting efficiency is built.
- he is responsible for the operational preparedness, training, administration, health, accounts and discipline of the unit. He is also responsible for security of soldier, arms, equipment and other stores on unit’s charge and ensures that these are in accordance with the latest pattern and scale as per authorisation and are in serviceable condition.
- In all circumstances, a commanding officer leads his men by setting personal example to motivate troops to accomplish all the responsibilities and tasks. the motivation must emanate from the officers and goes down the hierarchy to the junior commissioned officers, non commissioned officers and soldiers. The men need to be told why they are doing a certain job and if explained with the proper rationale; they will do the best of their ability. During the active operations, presence of commanding officer with men at the point of crisis is most vital for success of operations.
- The commanding officer ensures that all measures are being taken to develop bonhomie and camaraderie among all men. He is also responsible for well being of families of the soldier.
- He prepares his unit into an efficient fighting machine.
- Training, administration, health, accounts, discipline and operational efficiency of the unit is his responsibility.
- He retains high degree of logistical preparedness at every minute of his command tenure.