Under officer


 * "Underofficer" redirects here, although it can also mean non-commissioned officer when translated from certain other languages.

Under officer is an appointment held by senior cadets at some Commonwealth officer training establishments and in University Officers' Training Corps in the United Kingdom, and also a rank used in some Commonwealth cadet forces.

Australia
The Royal Military College, Duntroon uses the appointments of senior under officer and under officer for senior Staff Cadets.

In the Australian Army Cadets and Australian Air Force Cadets, the rank of cadet under officer is the highest cadet rank. They are saluted and addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by their subordinates but not by adult officers or instructors or members of the Australian Defence Force.

AAC cadet under officers may be assigned as national, regional, or battalion under officer, as quartermaster, or as the commander of a company or platoon. The rank badge is a lozenge, which contains 27½ chevrons. The national cadet under officer has red in the centre of the lozenge. Regional cadet under officers have blue in the centre of the lozenge.

To become a cadet under officer, a cadet must have completed the senior leaders course module two, otherwise known as the CUO/WO course, often held either at a mid or end of year session. The course runs for one week on a military base, and during this course a prospective cadet under officer will learn platoon and company level command. To gain entry to the course the cadet must have successfully completed the senior leaders course module one or the sergeant course, which entitles them to bear ranks up to staff sergeant.

The insignia for an Australian Air Force Cadet (AAFC) cadet under officer is a thick white stripe.

To achieve the rank of cadet under officer, an AAFC cadet sergeant, cadet flight sergeant or cadet warrant officer must complete the cadet under officer course, which typically takes 3 weeks at a Royal Australian Air Force base in their home state. Upon successful completion of the cadet under officer course, cadet under officers are given full Officer privileges, which includes the right to use the officers' mess on military establishments.

New Zealand
Cadet under officer is also a rank in the New Zealand Air Training Corps and the New Zealand Cadet Corps. It ranks between cadet warrant officer and pilot officer NZCF or second lieutenant NZCF, thus making it the highest rank a cadet can reach, although not actually itself a cadet rank. Under officers are normally aged between 18 and 21, and to be eligible for a commission one must be at least 20 years of age. Under officers are cadets who have received the necessary training and have the desire to become NZCF officers. Hence, under officers are treated as understudy officers. There are 2 under officers' courses run each year, and provide the training that under officers require to be efficient understudy officers within their cadet units, and skills which will be useful as a commissioned officer. They perform roles similar to commissioned officers, but do not have nearly the same legal responsibilities and are not to be saluted, but are referred to as "Sir/Ma'am". Cadet under officers wear insignia similar to that worn by officer cadets, except that the thin blue braid is replaced by a piece of NCO chevron cloth. This emphasises their official status as cadets rather than adult leaders.

To become an under officer, cadets are required to:
 * Spend 6 months at the minimum rank of staff sergeant/flight sergeant
 * Have completed at least 3 years of Cadet Forces training
 * Be 18 years of age or older
 * Have the desire, commitment & potential to become an NZCF officer
 * Be recommended by their unit commander and have the approval of AC CFTSU.

United Kingdom
Under officer is an appointment held by senior officer cadets at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) and in the University Officers Training Corps (although these latter are not strictly trainee officers), and is also the highest rank that can be held by cadets in the Combined Cadet Force and Army Cadet Force. There are two separate appointments: junior under officer (JUO) and senior under officer (SUO). They are usually addressed as "JUO" or "SUO" as appropriate, but are not saluted as they do not hold the Queen's commission. RMAS typically appoints two JUOs per platoon in the final term of the commissioning course. The appointment of SUO is not currently used at RMAS. At RMAS and in the UOTCs, JUOs wear an Austrian Knot above a single bar on their rank slide and SUOs wear an Austrian Knot above two bars.

The use of the term in CCF contingents is inconsistent, with some having JUOs and sometimes also SUOs,  and others simply having under officers. The ACF only has the single appointment of cadet under officer (CUO). The rank badge is a white bar on the rank slide.

The rank of adult under officer is an appointment used within ACF counties with adults who are progressing a commission. This appointment is at the discretion of the cadet commandant and is represented by a rank slide bearing a single white stripe. The form of address for all cadets, and adults at or below the rank of SMI is 'Sir' or 'Ma'am'.