Commander is a rank exclusive to the Navy. It is the equivalent of an Army/Air Force/Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel (O5). A Navy Captain is equivalent to an Army/Air Force/Marine Corps Colonel (O6), whereas a Captain in the Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps is O3. A Navy Captain outranks a Commander, but a Commander outranks an Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps Captain.
This all depends on which branch of the military you are talking about. In the Army, Air Force, & Marines the term "Captain" is typically interchangeable with the term "Commander." A Captain typically commands a company-sized element. Of course, there are also Battalion, Brigade, and Division Commanders as well who are much higher in rank than Captain. Army/A.F./Marines Navy Rank/Grade: Rank/Grade: 2LT/O1 = 2nd Lieutenant ENS/O1 = Ensign 1LT/O2 = 1st Lieutenant LTJG/O2 = Lieutenant Junior Grade CPT/O3 = Captain LT/O3 = Lieutenant MAJ/O4 = Major LCDR/O4 = Lieutenant Commander LTC/O5 = Lieutenant Colonel CDR/O5 = Commander COL/O6 = Colonel CAPT/O6 = Captain In the Navy a Captain outranks a Commander as described above.
O3 in the Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force; O6 is the Navy and Coast Guard (a Navy and Coast Guard Captain is equivalent to an Army/Marine Corps/Air Force Colonel).
In the US and British armed forces, a Naval Commander is equivalent in rank to an Army Lt. Colonel and a Naval Captain is equivalent in rank to an Army Colonel. Please see the related links.
The ranks above Captain in the Army are: Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier General, Major General, Lieutenant General, General, General of the Army (UK Fieldmarshal). Occasionally the American General ranks are are referred to simply by the number of stars in their insignia, e.g. 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, or 5-star General. The ranks above Captain in the Navy are Rear Admiral (lower half) (UK = Commodore), Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral, Fleet Admiral (UK=Admiral of the Fleet, though not used in peacetime)
The President does lead the Navy. He is the Commander in Chief of all the armed forces. That includes the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.
In the US Military, the TITLES of "Captain" and "Commander" can be both a RANK and/or POSITION. Examples: 1. A US Navy Ensign (Gold Bar rank insignia and equal to a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army) can command a small craft, and legally be called the "Commander" or "Captain" of that small boat. Even though he is NOT a Captain or Commander in rank. 2. The US Navy DOES have the rank of Captain and Commander. And yet, a man wearing the insignia of a US Navy Captain (Silver Eagle) or a Commander (Silver Oak Leaf) may NOT BE IN COMMAND OF A VESSEL. He might be working a desk in some office, on some base somewhere. 3. Then, there is the man who is actually a US Naval Commander (wearing the insignia of a US Naval Commander-Silver Oak Leaf) who is commanding a US Navy Vessel. Or a US Navy Captain who is really a US Navy Captain (wearing the rank of a US Navy Captain-Silver Eagle) who is the Captain of the US Naval vessel. 4. The US Army, US Marines, US Air Force do NOT have the rank of "Commander" or "Lieutenant Commander" in their organizations. LT(jg)-Lieutenant Junior Grade (equal to a US Army 1st Lieutenant-Silver Bar) John F. Kennedy was the "Captain" and/or "Commander" of his Patrol Torpedo Boat (#109) during WWII.
Navy and Coast Guard: "CAPT"Army: "CPT"Air Force and Marine Corps: "Capt"
Army, Soldier Navy, Sailor Air Force, Airman Marine, Marine
No, there is no rank of commander in the Army. In the Army commander is a title, not a rank. In the Navy, there is a rank of Commander, it is the equivalent of Lt Colonel or O-5.
The difference between a general and commander is more simple than you think, they are in two different ranks but the name commander can be used as a general too.
The Army and the Navy