COM'MANDANT' (Fr. commandant, pres. part. of commander, to command, ML. com mandare, to command, from Lat. con-, together + mandare, to enjoin). A relative title, inci dent to a military command, and applied to the commander of a garrison, fortified post, or mili tary school, without any regard to his absolute rank. The Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kan.; the Artillery School at Fort Alonroe, Vs . : the United States Military Academy at \Vest Point ; Sandhurst, Hythe, and Kneller Hall, England, are all governed by officers of varying ranks, holding the local title of commandant.
In the United States Navy the title of com mandant is applied to the commanding officer of it navy-yard or naval station. The colinnon dants of the principal navy-yards arc line officers of the rank of rear-admiral; lesser stations are commanded by captains or officers of less rank. To the commandant, is given full jurisdiction over all vessels lying at the yard, and he is responsible for all building and repair work. lle is also re sponsible for the proper organization of the work ing forces; for the effective organization of the yard force for protection against tire; and for the care and management of all machinery, equip ment. etc., under his control. He isassisted by an
officer of the rank of captain, or of less rank when the commandant is not a rear-admiral, who acts as his executive officer and is called the captain of the yard. -Master-Commandant was formerly the title of officers in the United States Navy next junior in rank to eaptains. In 1838 Con gress enacted that master-commağdants should thereafter be known as and styled commanders (see COMMANDER) ; the latter title bad previous ly been recognized in the pay bill of March 3, 1835. The title of 1mbter-commandant was a relic of the days of transition from the time when the fighting on board ships was done by soldiers commanded by an officer of the land forces to that when the fighting and navigating forces were combined. The titles of sailing master, master, master's mate, etc.., were evi dently of pretransition origin; master-comman dant, on the contrary, was evidently a recognition of a new state of things in which the master mariner had become the naval commander.