According to the current American military tradition, the one with the most DEI points would be immediately promoted.
It’s piggy move-up...next highest rank gets it.
Date of rank determines the sonority in the American military, between equals.
It’s not “eldest”, but the most senior in terms of time in that rank. If date of rank is equal, the. It goes by overall time in service.
As the eldest/longest serving corporal, my son was put in charge of motor-T when both sergeants were retired/deployed. It lasted about six months. He was awarded a medal at the end for his superior performance. The citation was amazing.
The best politicals money can buy, choose the best among the brown noses, and lately, the loyal members of their Parti. Its 1933 Germany in the USA today.Our best were retiring in the 90’s, it hasn’t been going well since. For me, its not my Army anymore. It appears from recruiting reports, I am not alone. How many service academy graduates have we retained? We are going to need more troops at this rate, sooner than later.
There is a pecking order...it’s all known and setup..Not so much about rank, but position in the chain of command...If all that is destroyed then you look at rank
I would think it’s the same as the brits or any standing army, navy, af
In the court-martial of Lt Col Terry Lakin, Denise Lind ruled that we don’t need no steenkin’ Commander in Chief. The Chiefs of Staff are everything.
Seniority used to be, in the British and American armies both, the touchstone for determining who assumed the job, temporarily, until higher HQ could make an appointment. I assume that is still the case. Brigade Commander dies in combat , S1 may keep giving orders for a short time, but as soon as things quiet down, the senior Battalion Commander takes over, until higher HQ makes an appointment.
Modern communication systems, and higher HQs swarming with Field Grade, and General Officers, ready to be sent in for the fallen, have made situations where officers of the same rank have to work out on their own who will be in charge very uncommon.
When von Luck pointed out he was the least senior Company Commander, Rommel airily said he would relieve any Company Commander who gave him trouble, and asked what Platoon Commander would take over the Company, while von Luck was absent. Thinking over how green his Platoon Commanders, and their Platoon Sergeants, were, von Luck said he would prefer to have his First Sergeant command the Company. Rommel approved that, and for several weeks the First Sergeant had three Platoon Commanders, all Lieutenants, reporting to him.
When there are two (or more) with equal rank, they go by date of promotion. The one with the earliest date assumes command.
At least that is the way I understand it.
Someone always steps up in any organization. I would imagine in active combat it happens pretty fast.
Brigade and Battalion level you have the Commander and XO Executive Officer who is the 2nd in command. Then it passes on down through the staff following a pre determined and usually practiced succession plan.
Company level you have your Commander then XO and down to the platoon leaders which are typically Lieutenants and those move up by date of rank. But I have seen Commanders designate succession in order based on real world experience as well.
At the Platoon level you usually have an experienced NCO Platoon SGT that is watching out for his Lieutenant and his troops. Below him there is always that one guy that everyone seems to gravitate too that has loads of real world experience and and everyone would follow should the Platoon lose its leadership.
This is just my on the job experience. I am sure given the vast amount and type of military units in today's Army there are many other methods at play. Not claiming to know it all.
“What happens when there is nobody who can command troops?”
Hillary take over.
If by age, you mean “time in rank” you would be correct.
If there are only privates left, I imagine those guys would work it out, “Lord of the Flies” style. There have been plenty of instances in small unit combat where the privates had to fend for themselves. They either worked it out…or they died.
Incorrect.
In both the British military and the US military, the age of the officer is irrelevant. Date of rank is all that counts.
This detail comes to light in the film, "Zulu," when lieutenants Chard and Bromhead unzip their trousers, pull out their wedding tackle and compare ... dates of commission. Since both are still just entry-level commissioned officers (meaning neither has received their first promotion), date of rank and date of commission are the same.
It is pretty much a universal military tradition that someone is always in charge, and that someone is the senior ranking individual present, regardless of rank. Which might be a Private First Class being in charge over a bunch of privates E-1 or E-2.
In protracted wars it is not that uncommon for an enlisted man (what the British call "other ranks") to take command because all the officers have been killed or wounded but otherwise rendered combat ineffective. But someone is always in charge.
Whoever has the nicest dress with matching purse and pumps.
If you are marine, basically, if there’s no commanding officer left, it’s the scariest thing in the world. In all other countries, the commanding officers protect the troops. In the US Marines, the officers are there to protect the enemy combatants. Without a CO, they will have to have Geneva make new rules.