Who is eligible to exercise primary command authority over a military organization or prescribed territorial area recognized as a command?

Who is eligible to exercise primary command authority over a military organization or prescribed territorial area recognized as a command?

• A. A commissioned or Warrant Officer by virtue of grade and assignment
• B. A civilian employee
• C. A noncommissioned officer only
• D. A contractor

Answer: (A)

Primary command authority is the formal authority to direct a unit or the area it covers, and in the Army it rests with commissioned officers or warrant officers who hold the proper grade and are officially assigned to command. This combination—being a commissioned or warrant officer and having an assignment to command—provides the legal authority, responsibility, and accountability to make and execute command decisions for the organization or area. Civilians and contractors do not hold primary command authority, and while NCOs have leadership roles, their authority is not the primary command over a command.

Primary command authority is the formal authority to direct a unit or the area it covers, and in the Army it rests with commissioned officers or warrant officers who hold the proper grade and are officially assigned to command. This combination—being a commissioned or warrant officer and having an assignment to command—provides the legal authority, responsibility, and accountability to make and execute command decisions for the organization or area. Civilians and contractors do not hold primary command authority, and while NCOs have leadership roles, their authority is not the primary command over a command.