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{{Short description|Army title in the United Kingdom and | {{Short description|Army title in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries}} | ||
{{Use dmy dates|date=January | {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date=January | {{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}} | ||
'''General officer commanding''' ('''GOC''') is the usual title given in the armies of the [[United Kingdom]] and | '''General officer commanding''' ('''GOC''') is the usual title given in the armies of the [[United Kingdom]] and other [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] countries (and some other nations, such as [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]) to a [[general officer]] who holds a command appointment.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bowyer|first=Richard|title=Dictionary of Military Terms|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U2SyST6KUJMC&pg=PA6|year=1999|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-57958-156-5|page=41}}</ref> | ||
Thus, a general might be the GOC [[II Corps (United Kingdom)|British II Corps]] (a [[Three-star rank|three-star]] appointment) or GOC [[7th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)|British 7th Armoured Division]] (a [[Two-star rank|two-star]] appointment). | Thus, a general might be the GOC [[II Corps (United Kingdom)|British II Corps]] (a [[Three-star rank|three-star]] appointment) or GOC [[7th Armoured Division (United Kingdom)|British 7th Armoured Division]] (a [[Two-star rank|two-star]] appointment). | ||
==GOC-in-C== | ==GOC-in-C== | ||
A general officer heading a particularly large or important command, such as [[Middle East Command]] or the [[Allied Armies in Italy]], may be called a ''' | A general officer heading a particularly large or important command, such as [[Middle East Command]] or the [[Allied Armies in Italy]], may be called a '''general officer commanding-in-chief''' ('''GOC-in-C'''). The governor of the [[Imperial Fortress]] colony of [[Bermuda]] was also appointed [[commander-in-chief]] of the disproportionately-large [[Bermuda Garrison]]. From 1912, when Lieutenant-General Sir [[George Bullock (British Army officer)|George Mackworth Bullock]] replaced the late Lieutenant-General Sir [[Walter Kitchener|Frederick Walter Kitchener]], through the [[Second World War]], the military office was titled ''General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Bermuda''.<ref>{{cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1913 |title=Hart's Annual Army List, Special Reserve List, and Territorial Force List, for 1913, (Being the Seventy-Fourth Annual Volume) |url= |location=London |publisher=John Murray |page=116 |isbn=}}</ref> GOC-in-Cs are usually one rank higher than a GOC with GOCs of [[corps]]-level formations reporting to them. | ||
==Usage in the Indian Army== | ==Usage in the Indian Army== | ||
The | The army commanders who head the training and operational [[Indian_Army#Command_structure|commands]] of the [[Indian Army]] hold the title of general officer commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C).<ref name = "Indian Army - Organisation">{{cite web |date= |title=Organisation of Indian Army |url=https://indianarmy.nic.in/KnowYourArmy/know-your-army-main/organisation-know-your-army-main |website= |location= |publisher=[[Indian Army]] |url-status=live |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=10 January 2026}}</ref><ref name = "NIOS - Military Studies, Chapter 4">{{cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Military Studies - Chapter 4, Armed Forces |url=https://nios.ac.in/media/documents/Military_Studies_374/Book-1/Chapter-4.pdf |website= |location= |publisher=[[National Institute of Open Schooling]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425221226/https://nios.ac.in/media/documents/Military_Studies_374/Book-1/Chapter-4.pdf |archive-date=25 April 2025 |access-date=10 January 2026}}</ref> There are currently seven appointments: | ||
There are seven appointments | |||
* [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command]] | * [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command]] | ||
* [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command]] | * [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command]] | ||
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* [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command]] | * [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command]] | ||
* [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Training Command]] | * [[General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Training Command]] | ||
Higher military commanders of the Indian Army who are in command of operational formations, such as a division or corps, or of static formations, such as a subarea or area, are referred to as general officers commanding; examples being GOC 12 Corps, GOC 3 Infantry Division, GOC Dakshin Maharashtra and Goa Subarea, and GOC Uttar Bharat Area.<ref name = "Indian Army - Organisation" /><ref name = "NIOS - Military Studies, Chapter 4" /> | |||
==Equivalent term in other services== | ==Equivalent term in other services== | ||
The equivalent term for naval officers is [[flag officer commanding]] | The equivalent term for naval officers is [[flag officer commanding]] and that for air force officers is [[air officer commanding]]. | ||
In the case of flag and air officers heading a large or important command, the term is flag officer commanding-in-chief | In the case of flag and air officers heading a large or important command, the term is flag officer commanding-in-chief and air officer commanding-in-chief. | ||
In the [[United States Armed Forces]], the equivalent is [[Commanding officer|commanding general]] | In the [[United States Armed Forces]], the equivalent is [[Commanding officer|commanding general]]. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Latest revision as of 17:52, 16 January 2026
General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment.[1]
Thus, a general might be the GOC British II Corps (a three-star appointment) or GOC British 7th Armoured Division (a two-star appointment).
GOC-in-C[edit | edit source]
A general officer heading a particularly large or important command, such as Middle East Command or the Allied Armies in Italy, may be called a general officer commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C). The governor of the Imperial Fortress colony of Bermuda was also appointed commander-in-chief of the disproportionately-large Bermuda Garrison. From 1912, when Lieutenant-General Sir George Mackworth Bullock replaced the late Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Walter Kitchener, through the Second World War, the military office was titled General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Bermuda.[2] GOC-in-Cs are usually one rank higher than a GOC with GOCs of corps-level formations reporting to them.
Usage in the Indian Army[edit | edit source]
The army commanders who head the training and operational commands of the Indian Army hold the title of general officer commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C).[3][4] There are currently seven appointments:
- General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command
- General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command
- General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command
- General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command
- General Officer Commanding-in-Chief South Western Command
- General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command
- General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Training Command
Higher military commanders of the Indian Army who are in command of operational formations, such as a division or corps, or of static formations, such as a subarea or area, are referred to as general officers commanding; examples being GOC 12 Corps, GOC 3 Infantry Division, GOC Dakshin Maharashtra and Goa Subarea, and GOC Uttar Bharat Area.[3][4]
Equivalent term in other services[edit | edit source]
The equivalent term for naval officers is flag officer commanding and that for air force officers is air officer commanding. In the case of flag and air officers heading a large or important command, the term is flag officer commanding-in-chief and air officer commanding-in-chief.
In the United States Armed Forces, the equivalent is commanding general.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Bowyer, Richard (1999). Dictionary of Military Terms. Taylor & Francis. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-57958-156-5.
- ↑ Hart's Annual Army List, Special Reserve List, and Territorial Force List, for 1913, (Being the Seventy-Fourth Annual Volume). London: John Murray. 1913. p. 116.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Organisation of Indian Army". Indian Army. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Military Studies - Chapter 4, Armed Forces" (PDF). National Institute of Open Schooling. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 10 January 2026.