Commissioning scroll
Encyclopedia
A commission is a physical document issued to certify the appointment of a commissioned officer by a sovereign
power.
The more specific terms commissioning parchment or commissioning scroll are often used to avoid ambiguity, due to "commission" being a homonym
which directs the individual in carrying out their duty regardless of what authority or responsibility they may have at any time. However the document is not usually in the form of a scroll
and is more often printed on paper
instead of parchment
. In Canada, there is a differentiation in terminology according to rank; officers are accorded commissioning scripts whereas Chief Warrant Officer
s are accorded scrolls.
Commissions are typically signed by the Head of State
or other Commander-in-Chief
. In Commonwealth Realm
s other than the United Kingdom, they are signed by the Governor-General
who is also Commander-in-Chief in and over that Realm.
:
The above would be signed by the Queen (although a facsimile signature may be used) and countersigned by two members of the Admiralty Board.
in 1964, with the title of Lord High Admiral
reverting to the Crown, the naval officer's commission was signed not by the Sovereign but by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, executing the office of Lord High Admiral. The naval officer's commission was worded as follows:
Similarly the following is the wording of a Lieutenant's Commission from 1800:
It was signed by two Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and a Secretary, i.e. a quorum of the Board of Admiralty.
Canadian Commissioning Scripts, as they are properly called by NDHQ, are signed by the Governor General of Canada
and countersigned by the Minister of National Defence.
, although officers at and below the rank of Captain (Lieutenant in the Navy and Coast Guard) are actually appointed by the Secretary of Defense
or, for the Coast Guard, the Secretary of Homeland Security. The commission of a newly commissioned officer would read:
The certificate is signed by the Secretary of the Military Department concerned (Secretary of the Army
, Secretary of the Navy
& Secretary of the Air Force
), or the Secretary of Homeland Security for the Coast Guard, and attested by the officer in charge of personnel of the service concerned (e.g., Adjutant General of the Army, Chief of Naval Personnel, etc.)
do not receive written commission since 1982 when a new command structure was instituted. As of 1982 they are hired on contracts, as in any other job. Prior to 1982 all officers received written certificates of commission, signed by the King of Sweden.
The wording in English translation would be;
Sovereign
A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...
power.
The more specific terms commissioning parchment or commissioning scroll are often used to avoid ambiguity, due to "commission" being a homonym
Homonym
In linguistics, a homonym is, in the strict sense, one of a group of words that often but not necessarily share the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings...
which directs the individual in carrying out their duty regardless of what authority or responsibility they may have at any time. However the document is not usually in the form of a scroll
Scroll
A scroll is a roll of parchment, papyrus, or paper, which has been drawn or written upon.Scroll may also refer to:*Scroll , the decoratively curved end of the pegbox of string instruments such as violins...
and is more often printed on paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
instead of parchment
Parchment
Parchment is a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin, often split. Its most common use was as a material for writing on, for documents, notes, or the pages of a book, codex or manuscript. It is distinct from leather in that parchment is limed but not tanned; therefore, it is very...
. In Canada, there is a differentiation in terminology according to rank; officers are accorded commissioning scripts whereas Chief Warrant Officer
Chief Warrant Officer
Chief warrant officer is a military rank used by the Canadian Forces and the Israel Defence Forces.-Canada:In the Canadian Forces, a chief warrant officer or CWO is the most senior non-commissioned member rank in the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
s are accorded scrolls.
Commissions are typically signed by the Head of State
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
or other Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
. In Commonwealth Realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
s other than the United Kingdom, they are signed by the Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
who is also Commander-in-Chief in and over that Realm.
United Kingdom
The following is typical of the wording of a British commission, and comes from the Royal Naval ReserveRoyal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
:
The above would be signed by the Queen (although a facsimile signature may be used) and countersigned by two members of the Admiralty Board.
Royal Navy pre-1964
Before the Board of Admiralty were merged into the Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 1964, with the title of Lord High Admiral
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
reverting to the Crown, the naval officer's commission was signed not by the Sovereign but by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, executing the office of Lord High Admiral. The naval officer's commission was worded as follows:
Similarly the following is the wording of a Lieutenant's Commission from 1800:
It was signed by two Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and a Secretary, i.e. a quorum of the Board of Admiralty.
Canada
Here is an example from Canada:Canadian Commissioning Scripts, as they are properly called by NDHQ, are signed by the Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
and countersigned by the Minister of National Defence.
United States
Commissions of officers in the U.S. Armed Forces are issued in the name of the PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, although officers at and below the rank of Captain (Lieutenant in the Navy and Coast Guard) are actually appointed by the Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
or, for the Coast Guard, the Secretary of Homeland Security. The commission of a newly commissioned officer would read:
The certificate is signed by the Secretary of the Military Department concerned (Secretary of the Army
United States Secretary of the Army
The Secretary of the Army is a civilian official within the Department of Defense of the United States of America with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, installations, environmental issues, weapons systems and...
, Secretary of the Navy
United States Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
& Secretary of the Air Force
United States Secretary of the Air Force
The Secretary of the Air Force is the Head of the Department of the Air Force, a component organization within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Secretary of the Air Force is appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate...
), or the Secretary of Homeland Security for the Coast Guard, and attested by the officer in charge of personnel of the service concerned (e.g., Adjutant General of the Army, Chief of Naval Personnel, etc.)
Sweden
Officers in the Swedish Armed ForcesSwedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces is a Swedish Government Agency responsible for the operation of the armed forces of the Realm. The primary task of the agency is to train, organize and to deploy military forces, domestically and abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to defend the Realm in the...
do not receive written commission since 1982 when a new command structure was instituted. As of 1982 they are hired on contracts, as in any other job. Prior to 1982 all officers received written certificates of commission, signed by the King of Sweden.
The wording in English translation would be;