adjutant, an officer who assists the commander of a military unit. In British and Commonwealth armed forces the adjutant is the principal administrative staff officer of the commander of a battalion, battle group, regiment, squadron, or military post. In the United States Army a human resources officer fills the role traditionally held by the adjutant. An officer holding an appointment as adjutant in such units typically has the rank of captain.
The adjutant publishes the official orders of the unit, is responsible for supervising clerks and other administrative personnel, submits reports to higher headquarters, handles official correspondence, and maintains records. An officer acting as the adjutant in a larger formation, such as a division or corps, is called an adjutant general. In the French army, an officer performing the adjutant function is entitled adjoint, the word adjutant being the rank of senior noncommissioned officers, comparable to warrant officers in the U.S. services. The “adjutant’s call” is a special bugle call sounded before certain ceremonies.