For instance, the commanding officer could ask someone to perform their normal duties, but with the rank of private. It may at times be strange to see a private giving orders to other people with a higher rank, even if that person would have done it normally as part of their work.
I am a bit confused about that. I am trying to get a concrete picture of what that means. I find that the result may be a bit strange. Could you explain by giving some concrete examples?