The military has its distinct way of communicating. There are add a tremendous number of acronyms and words that have unique meanings.
The XO military meaning is one of those memorable sayings that are common in the military branches.
Related Article – Marine Corps Administrative Specialist (MOS 0111)
2026 Update: ‘XO’ continues to stand for Executive Officer, the second-in-command role across U.S. military branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard).
Responsibilities focus on administration, operations management, and supporting the Commanding Officer (CO), with no major doctrinal changes in recent years (per AR 600-20, OPNAVINST, and equivalent regs).
Branch-specific titles (e.g., ‘Vice Commander’ in some Air Force contexts) may apply in larger units.
Pay and eligibility remain tied to rank and time in service. Verify with current branch publications or DoD sources.
Table of Contents
XO Military Meaning
XO stands for Executive Officer, the second-in-command to the Commanding Officer (CO) in most military units.
The XO reports directly to the Commanding Officer (CO) and acts as their primary deputy.
The XO typically oversees unit administration, logistics, training coordination, and daily operations, allowing the CO to focus on strategic leadership and decision-making.
Since the XO handles administrative tasks and operations, the unit commander is free to do leadership activities.
What Are XO Military Duties?
As mentioned, an executive officer’s job is to handle administrative duties.
Administrative duties could mean overseeing the follow-through and completion of routine paperwork such as payroll and schedules.
Typically, an executive officer delegates routine tasks to other members of the unit.
Also, an XO handles unit logistics as it pertains to inventory, supplies, equipment, and anything else.
Furthermore, no military unit is complete without ongoing training.
An executive officer ensures soldiers are trained and ready right alongside their equipment and weapons.
An XO will deliver on the commander’s orders and plans, make recommendations on behalf of soldiers, and handle some internal promotions.
XO In The Army
In the Army, the XO serves as the second-in-command for companies, battalions, brigades, and higher units (e.g., company XO is usually a lieutenant or captain).
The Army’s XO handles the management of the command staff in their day-to-day duties.
Also, the Army XO can stand in place of the commanding officer, if needed.
XO In The Marines
In the Marines, the XO is next in rank to the commander.
Also, the XO represents the commander and can issue orders with the same impact as if the commander issued the orders.
Furthermore, the XO in the Marine Corps is responsible for the operational success of their unit.
Lastly, they oversee logistical and administrative tasks and routines, as well.
XO In The Air Force
Unlike the Marine Corps, an executive officer in the Air Force is not a second-in-command officer position.
Instead, the executive officer designation indicates an administrative assistant to a more senior officer.
Squadron commanders all the way up to Major Command all have an executive assistant.
Also, while the Army has its executive officer position as a stepping stone to a command position, the Air Force has different titles for those in a second in a command position.
In the Air Force, the equivalent second-in-command role is often titled Vice Commander (especially at squadron/wing level), though ‘XO’ may be used informally in some contexts.
That being said, the Air Force XO position is an administrative position that assists someone in command.
XO In The Navy
By contrast, the Navy does have an executive officer that is second in command.
Every ship, squadron, and unit in the Navy has an XO.
In fact, the XO in the Navy will have a separate physical location from that of the commanding officer.
Staying separate is so if there is a direct hit to a particular unit, there is still somebody alive or capable of being in charge.
In the Navy, an XO handles the administrative tasks of the commanding officer.
Related Article – Navy Chain of Command
XO In The Coast Guard
The Coast Guard also has an executive officer, and the expectations and tasks are the same as you see in the United States Navy.
How Much Does an XO Get Paid?
Every military branch uses two factors in determining the pay of service members.
XO pay is based on the assigned officer’s rank and years of service (per the latest DoD pay tables); no separate paygrade exists for the XO billet itself.
Therefore, the pay range for an XO depends on their rank and the amount of time spent in service.
Conclusion
Sometimes it feels like the military has a completely different language compared to the civilian world.
Those who are new to the service or who are not completely immersed in military culture wonder what some words and acronyms mean.
The XO military meaning is one of those sayings that often need explanation.
An XO is an executive officer.
The executive officer generally oversees the administrative duties of the command and is responsible for management-type duties.
In some branches, the executive officer is the second-in-command to the commanding officer.
However, that is not always the case, as each military branch has the latitude to determine the title and duties of officers.
References:
See Also
Navy Vs. Marines: 5 Key Differences
Born and raised in Woodbridge, NJ, he graduated from the New Jersey Institute Of Technology with an MBA in eCommerce.His hobbies include beach volleyball, target shooting, and lifting.
Rob is also a Commercially rated pilot and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), with over 1,500 hours of flight time.
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