[verity]

"He helped command an artillery unit in Kuwait during the Gulf War in 1991."

Gives the impression that the unit had two commanders. That type of gross inaccuracy is simply pathetic.

[RedRover]

NPR’s crackerjack military correspondent at work!

[El Gato]

Gives the impression that the unit had two commanders

There is such a thing as a Deputy Commander. Sometimes more than one. For example, III Corps has two Deputy CGs, one of those is a Cannuk on an exchange tour. Similarly 1st Cav, part of III Corps, also has a CG and two Deputy CGs.

A family friend was a deputy commander of a different Corps.

In this particular instance, I don't think the choice of words "helped command is too much of a distortion, although giving his actual position would have been more clear. Even the Command Sergeant Major is generally part of the Command Group, and could fairly to said to *help* command the outfit (boy does he/she ever.) We used different terms in the AF, but the Command Chief or Senior Enlisted Adviser was/is always a force to be reckoned with as well)