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Subaltern (rank)

 

 
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Subaltern (rank)
 
 
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A subaltern is a military
Military

A military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or Threat of force ....
 term for a junior officer
Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
. Literally meaning "subordinate," subaltern is used to describe commissioned officer
Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
s below the rank
Military rank

Military rank is a system of hierarchy relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms....
 of captain and generally comprises the various grades of lieutenant
Lieutenant

Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police commissioned officer military rank.Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure....
. In the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
 the senior subaltern rank was captain-lieutenant, obsolete since the 18th century. Prior to the Cardwell reforms
Cardwell Reforms

The Cardwell Reforms refer to a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell, 1st Viscount Cardwell between 1868 and 1874....
 of the British Army in 1871, the ranks of cornet
Cornet (military rank)

Cornet was originally the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British Army cavalry troop, after Captain and lieutenant. A cornet is a new and junior officer....
 and ensign
Ensign (rank)

Ensign is a junior rank of Officer #Commissioned officers in the militaries of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign, the rank itself acquired the name....
 were the junior subaltern ranks in the cavalry
Cavalry

The Cavalry is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat, it represents the mobility and offensive power of the armed forces....
 and infantry
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
 respectively.






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A subaltern is a military
Military

A military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or Threat of force ....
 term for a junior officer
Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
. Literally meaning "subordinate," subaltern is used to describe commissioned officer
Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an Armed forces who holds a position of authority.Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereignty power and, as such, hold a Letters patent charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position....
s below the rank
Military rank

Military rank is a system of hierarchy relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms....
 of captain and generally comprises the various grades of lieutenant
Lieutenant

Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police commissioned officer military rank.Lieutenant may also appear as part of a title used in various other organisations with a codified command structure....
. In the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
 the senior subaltern rank was captain-lieutenant, obsolete since the 18th century. Prior to the Cardwell reforms
Cardwell Reforms

The Cardwell Reforms refer to a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell, 1st Viscount Cardwell between 1868 and 1874....
 of the British Army in 1871, the ranks of cornet
Cornet (military rank)

Cornet was originally the third and lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British Army cavalry troop, after Captain and lieutenant. A cornet is a new and junior officer....
 and ensign
Ensign (rank)

Ensign is a junior rank of Officer #Commissioned officers in the militaries of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign, the rank itself acquired the name....
 were the junior subaltern ranks in the cavalry
Cavalry

The Cavalry is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback in combat, it represents the mobility and offensive power of the armed forces....
 and infantry
Infantry

Infantry are soldiers who are primarily trained for the role of fighting on foot. A soldier in the infantry is known as an infantryman. Infantry units have more physically demanding training than other branches of armies, and place a greater emphasis on fitness, physical strength and aggression....
 respectively. A subaltern takes temporary command of proceedings during Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour

Trooping the Colour is a military ceremony performed by regiments of the Commonwealth of Nations and the British Army. It has been a tradition of British infantry regiments for centuries and it was first performed during the reign of Charles II of England....
.