A command duty officer (CDO) or officer of the day (OOD) is a

watchkeeping Watchkeeping or watchstanding is the assignment of sailors to specific roles on a ship to operate it continuously. These assignments, also known at sea as ''watches'', are constantly active as they are considered essential to the safe operation o ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

on a

naval ship A naval ship is a military ship (or sometimes boat, depending on classification) used by a navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amph ...

who is delegated authority from a

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

of the ship and holds

command and control Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or en ...

of the ship during that watch. A CDO represents the

and

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...

in their absence, and supervises other junior watchkeeping officers such as the officer of the deck. Command duty officers are typically assigned for ships in port or land naval installations. While many watchkeepers stand watch for a few hours continuously at a time, CDOs may be on duty for longer periods, such as a day or a week. Whilst the CDO may be outranked by more senior officers on board, the CDO is only subordinate to the commanding officer and executive officer whilst carrying out their duties. In the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, and other navies based upon this structure, the position is known as an ''officer of the day'', and other duties may include ceremonial duties (such as carrying out Colours or Sunset) and taking charge in emergency situations in the damage control headquarters. Generally on warships, the OOD will be a commissioned junior officer who holds a harbour watchkeeping certificate. On shore establishments, a

warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...

may be used to augment the duty roster. In the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, CDOs may also be found on larger

warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster a ...

s while

underway Underway, or under way, is a nautical term describing the state of a vessel. "Way" arises when there is sufficient water flow past the rudder of a vessel that it can be steered. A vessel is said to be underway if it meets the following criteria: ...

References

{{Reflist Naval ranks Command and control

See also

References