An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
A British commissioned officer and warrant officer in Afghanistan.
The Royal Navy officer training academy Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth
Newly commissioned U.S. Navy and Marine Corps officers celebrate their new positions by throwing their midshipmen covers into the air as part of the U.S. Naval Academy class of 2005 graduation and commissioning ceremony.
A platoon from the Australian 29th Battalion being addressed by their officer commanding in August 1918
A military, also known collectively as an armed forces, are a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a distinct military uniform. They may consist of one or more military branches such as an army, navy, air force, space force, marines, or coast guard. The main task of a military is usually defined as defence of their state and its interests against external armed threats.
NATO military ceremony in Pabrade, Lithuania, November 2014
Relief scene of Roman legionaries marching, from the Column of Marcus Aurelius, Rome, Italy, 2nd century AD
Depiction of ancient Egyptian military formation
Finnish and American soldiers training together in arctic conditions in Lapland, Finland, January 6–16, 2015
