Roving commission
Encyclopedia
A roving commission details the duties of a commissioned officer
or other official whose responsibilities are neither geographically nor functionally limited.
Where an individual in an official position is given more freedom than would regularly be afforded to a person in the same role, they are described as having a roving commission.
Traditionally, a military officer receives a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position. A roving commission applies to military
officers who are commissioned by their respective service without the requirement to serve at a specific military base
or on a specific naval vessel.
Because officers with a roving commission are considered to have more freedom than other officers of a similar rank, they are often commissioned as such so that they can be moved between roles and responsibilities as a stop-gap measure
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
or other official whose responsibilities are neither geographically nor functionally limited.
Where an individual in an official position is given more freedom than would regularly be afforded to a person in the same role, they are described as having a roving commission.
Traditionally, a military officer receives a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position. A roving commission applies to military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
officers who are commissioned by their respective service without the requirement to serve at a specific military base
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. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
or on a specific naval vessel.
Because officers with a roving commission are considered to have more freedom than other officers of a similar rank, they are often commissioned as such so that they can be moved between roles and responsibilities as a stop-gap measure
See also
- Ambassador at Large
- Commissioned officer
- Non-commissioned officerNon-commissioned officerA non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
- My Early Life: A Roving CommissionMy Early LifeMy Early Life: A Roving Commission is a 1930 book by Winston Churchill. It is an autobiography from birth in 1874 up to approximately 1902....
– a 1930 book by Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
.