Under Officer

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Under Officer is a rank held by Officer Cadets at the British military academies, in the Officers Training Corps and sometimes in the Army Cadet Force and the Combined Cadet Force. There are actually two separate ranks: Junior Under Officer (JUO) and Senior Under Officer (SUO). They are usually addressed as "JUO" or "SUO" as appropriate.

At the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and in the OTC, JUOs wear an Austrian Knot above a single bar on the shoulder and SUOs wear an Austrian Knot above two bars. CCF JUOs (there are no SUOs) wear a white, green or blue flash on their shoulder straps.

A New Zealand ATC Under-Officers shoulder Insignia
A New Zealand ATC Under-Officers shoulder Insignia

Cadet Under Officer is also a rank in New Zealand's Air Training Corps and Cadet Corps. It ranks between Cadet Warrant Officer and Pilot Officer, thus making it the highest rank a cadet can reach. Cadet Under Officers normally age 17-21 and to be eligible for commission one must be at least 20 years of age. Hence Under Officers are generally treated as understudy officers. They often perform roles similar to Commissioned Officers, however they do not have nearly the same legal responsibilities. 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.

In the Australian Army Cadets, the rank of Cadet Under Officer is the highest Cadet rank. They are saluted and addressed as "Sir" by their subordinates but not by adult officers or instructors. AAC CUOs may hold many appointments, including National Cadet Adjutant, Brigade Cadet Adjutant, Battalion Cadet Adjudant, Unit Adjutant, Quartermaster, Company Commander, and Platoon Commander. The rank badge is a lozenge. Cadet Adjutants have coloured backing in the middle.