General Officer Commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth (and some other) nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division. A general officer heading a particularly large or important command may be called a General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C).
The equivalent term for air force officers is Air Officer Commanding (AOC).
Famous quotes containing the words general, officer and/or commanding:
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“But wise men pierce this rotten diction and fasten words again to visible things; so that picturesque language is at once a commanding certificate that he who employs it, is a man in alliance with truth and God.”
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