Second in Command

Second-in-Command, aka 2 i/c or 2IC.

In a Regiment or Battalion, a Major who takes over if the CO gets slotted.

Possibly one of the loneliest jobs ever devised, a 2IC works all the hours that mortals can invent; do so for very little reward, other than (usually) the undying hatred or apathy of large swathes of the Regiment or Battalion; and end up as short-tempered irascible people with no mates. This is largely due to the complete lack of knowledge about the role of a 2IC - and the fact that being short-tempered and irascible is part of the job spec for a 2IC.