Rhode Island General Laws Title 30. Military Affairs and Defense § 30-13-1. Definitions

(1) “Accuser” means a person who signs and swears to charges, any person who directs that charges nominally be signed and sworn to by another, and any person who has an interest other than an official interest in the prosecution of the accused;

(2) “Active state duty” means full-time duty in the active military service of the state under an order of the governor issued under authority vested in the governor by law, and includes travel to and from that duty;

(3) “Code” means this chapter;

(4) “Commanding officer” includes only commissioned officers;

(5) “Commissioned officer” includes a commissioned warrant officer;

(6) “Convening authority” includes, in addition to the person who convened the court, a commissioned officer commanding for the time being, or a successor in command;

(7) “Duty status other than active state duty” means any type of required duty other than that set forth in subdivision (2) of this section and includes travel to and from that duty;

(8) “Enlisted member” means a person in an enlisted grade;

(9) “Grade” means a step or degree, in a graduated scale of office or military rank, that is established and designed as a grade by law or regulation;

(10) “Law officer” means an official of a general court-martial detailed in accordance with § 30-13-28;

(11) “Law specialist” means a commissioned officer of the organized naval militia of the state designated for special duty (law);

(12) “Legal officer” means any commissioned officer of the organized naval militia of the state designated to perform legal duties for a command;

(13) “May” is used in a permissive sense.  The words “no person may ․․․” mean that no person is required, authorized, or permitted to do the act prescribed;

(14) “Military” refers to any or all of the armed forces;

(15) “Military court” means a court-martial, a court of inquiry, or a provost court;

(16) “Officer” means commissioned or warrant officer;

(17) “Rank” means the order of precedence among members of the state military forces;

(18) “Shall” is used in an imperative sense;

(19) “State judge advocate” means the commissioned officer on the staff of the adjutant general responsible for supervising military justice in the state military forces;

(20) “State military forces” means the national guard of the state, as defined in 32 U.S.C. § 101(3), the organized naval militia of the state, the independent chartered military organizations, the Rhode Island state guard and the unorganized militia, and any other military force organized under the laws of the state;  and

(21) “Superior commissioned officer” means a commissioned officer superior in rank or command.