0 the way that people with authority in an organization, especially in the military, are ranked, from the person with the most authority to the next one below, and so on
1 the way that people with authority in an organization, esp. in the military, are ranked, from the person with the most authority to the next one below, and so on
At night time, round the hearth fire, when the roaring logs set the shadows dancing on the rough-timbered floor, the truncheon and chain of command are pompously transferred to the new Grand Master.
This indiscipline undermined the chain of command which, of course, perfectly suited the other side.
As bewilderment turned into panic, the soldiers got out of control, the chain of command fell apart, and the battlefield became chaotic.
If an officer in the chain of command sabotaged the measure, however, the policy did not survive.
But others in his chain of command are still subject to punishment.
Moreover, there is clear evidence which suggests that the chain of command on the plantations was quite rigid.
There was often a complete breakdown in the chain of command and erosion in the esprit de corps.
The committee might map out an organizational tree that demonstrates internal reporting relationships and the external chain of command.