The base commander is the officer assigned to command a
military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. A military base always provides accommodations for ...
. In the
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
, a base commander is generally at least an
O-6 grade officer, which means
colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
(
Army
An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
,
Air Force
An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...
,
Marines
Marines (or naval infantry) are military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...
) or
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
(
Navy
A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
,
Coast Guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...
).
However, in certain instances, typically with smaller installations, a base commander may be of a higher or lower rank depending on the size of the installation.
In the US Army, a base commander is called a post commander. A US Army installation sometimes establishes a
base defense operations centers to provide a focus point for defense operations. The post commander for most active duty installations is an O-7 grade officer (brigadier general) or higher, depending in the echelon housed. For example,
Wheeler Army Airfield
Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii. It is a National H ...
on Oahu, Hawaii, houses the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade and is commanded by an O-6 (colonel).
Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood is a United States Army, U.S. Army training installation located in the Missouri The Ozarks, Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of the city of St. Robert, Missouri, St. Robert. The post was created in De ...
houses a Center of Excellence and three branch commands (Chemical, Engineer and Military Police) and is commanded by an O-7 (brigadier general).
Fort Cavazos
Fort Cavazos is a United States Army post located near Killeen, Texas. The post is currently named after Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, a native Texan and the US Army’s first Hispanic four-star general. The post is located halfway between Austi ...
houses three divisions and III Corps and is commanded by an O-9 (lieutenant general). However, since 2007, bases like Fort Cavazos have an 'garrison commander' who is a member of
INCOM and handles the day-to-day and administrative duties of a base commander.
army.mil
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In the US Air Force, a base commander may either be called an air base wing commander or a support group commander. If the former, the commander is an independent commander supporting other tenant units; if the latter, the commander is a junior O-6 answering to a more senior O-6 or a general officer serving as the wing commander.
In the US Navy, the US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard, the commanding officer of a base, station, air station, support activity or other facility in an independent commander, typically supporting one or more tenant units.
References
Military ranks
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