Commander-in-chief

General officers, flag officers, air officers
	Armies, air forces (non-Commonwealth)	Navies, coast guards	Air forces (Commonwealth system)
	Marshal or field marshal	Admiral of the fleet	Marshal of the air force
	General or colonel general or army general	Admiral	Air chief marshal
	Lieutenant general or army corps general	Vice admiral	Air marshal
	Major general or divisional general	Rear admiral or counter admiral	Air vice-marshal
	Brigadier or brigadier general	Commodore or flotilla admiral	Air commodore
Senior officers
	Colonel	(Ship-of-the-line) Captain	Group captain
	Lieutenant colonel	Commander or frigate captain	Wing commander
	Major or commandant	Lieutenant commander or corvette captain	Squadron leader
Junior officers
	Captain	Lieutenant	Flight lieutenant
	First lieutenant or lieutenant	Lieutenant junior grade or sub-lieutenant	Flying officer
	Second lieutenant or junior lieutenant	Ensign or midshipman	Pilot officer
Senior NCOs
	Warrant officer or sergeant major	Warrant officer or chief petty officer	Warrant officer or Flight Sergeant
Junior NCOs
	Sergeant	Petty officer	Sergeant
	Corporal or bombardier	Leading seaman	Corporal
Enlisted ranks
	Lance corporal or Lance bombardier or specialist	Able seaman	Leading aircraftman or Air specialist
	Private or gunner or trooper or Sepoy or sapper	Seaman	Aircraftman or airman or aviator

Typical units	Typical numbers	Typical commander
fireteam	2–4	lance corporal, corporal
squad, section	5–14	corporal, sergeant, staff sergeant
platoon, troop	15–45	second lieutenant, first lieutenant, lieutenant
company, battery, squadron	80–250	first lieutenant, captain, major
battalion, cohort	300–1000	major, lieutenant colonel
regiment, brigade, legion	1,000–5,500	colonel, brigadier general
division	10,000–25,000	major general
corps	30,000–50,000	lieutenant general
field army	100,000–300,000	colonel general, general
army group, front	2+ field armies	field marshal, general
region, theater	4+ army groups	marshal of the air force, general of the army

A commander-in-chief (sometimes called a supreme commander or supreme commander-in-chief) is the person who exercises supreme command and control over an armed force or a military branch. As a technical term, it refers to military competencies that reside in a country's executive leadership, a head of state, head of government, or other designated government official.

The title used for this highest command authority varies by country and language. Generally speaking, English-speaking countries favor the title "Commander-in-chief", while French-speaking countries favor "Chief of armies" (French: chef des armées); most continental European countries use the term "Supreme Commander"; while the Soviet Union, and consequently the post-soviet states, use "Supreme commander-in-chief" (Russian: Верховный главнокомандующий). In those countries where the title "commander-in-chief" is not in use for the military's highest commander, it may nonetheless be in use for high-ranking military officers; for example, in the case of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the supreme commander-in-chief is the president of Ukraine, while the commander-in-chief is its professional head.