[Sesquipedalian]

Of course they are different; I fully agree, KT.  Here's something that should shed some more light on the status of the Command guy:

In usual military practice "Command" is a bunch of generals/admirals/other military bigwigs sitting in conference making decisions together.  Then there is the guy or guys who communicate the decisions of Command out to whomever needs the orders.  So the black guy would be the one communicating the decisions of Command.  

Perhaps Petrarch is part of the Command conference via subspace communication, perhaps not, but it would seem likely at least in any situation in which his fleet is involved.  Probably Command includes several generals and admirals who serve directly under the Security Council as the overall military masterminds of the GTVA, and the admirals like Petrarch are junior members of any Command conference in which their fleets are involved.

[Su-tehp]

I think Sesqy has this right.

[Thor]

Think of Command Like the Pentagon.  They sit back and dish out orders from a far, while the Alpha 1s do the dirty work.

[Galemp]

Right, but... is that guy like Alpha 1's guardian angel? I mean, in every mission, he's watching you, dictating orders and giving status reports. What are the chances the GTVA's top officials are all sitting around, following YOUR progress? Just something that always bothered me.

[Knight Templar]

right, that's why they have officials or Comm officers that talk to the ships that or in a certain sorteed area.