It seems like most RAF squadrons have adopted the term "Executive Officer" to describe one of the flight commanders, usually the most senior one, who is the deputy squadron commander and (often) responsible for all the niff-naff jobs like the squadron budget, overseeing the work of the adjutant and admin staff, making sure the other flt cdrs are doing the jobs the Boss gave them at the last execs meeting, ensuring that KPIs for fitness etc are met...
It's a different beast to "XO" as understood in the US and is probably just an affectation. Flt Cdr (Admin) would be a more accurate description, since "Deputy Squadron Commander" is a pretty pointless designation - the man in charge in the Boss's absence is, after all, the one whose name goes in SROs when he goes on leave!
Last edited by Easy Street; 23rd Aug 2013 at 22:04.