Colonial Forces (Battlestar Galactica)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Colonial Forces are the military forces of the Twelve Colonies in the Battlestar Galactica fictional universe.

Contents 1 Original Series 1.1 Original Series Officer Ranks 1.2 Original Series Enlisted Ranks 2 New Series (2003) 2.1 New Series Officer Ranks (Fleet) 2.2 New Series Enlisted Ranks (Fleet) 2.3 New Series Enlisted Ranks (Marines) 2.3.1 References 3 Other Resources 3.1 See also 3.2 External links 3.2.1 Battlestar Wiki

[edit] Original Series

There is no canonical list of rank insignia for the Colonial Forces in the original series. All Warriors below the rank of Commander wore the Colonial Warrior's Pin on the uniform tunic collar. Most officers wore it on both sides of the collar, but some junior officers such as Ensign Greenbean wore only one, centered on the front of the collar. This insignia was gold on the tan/brown service uniform, and silver on the dress blue uniform.

For those who do not recognize it, this is, in fact, the insignia of the Military Intelligence branch of the United States Army.

In the original series, Commander Adama (Lorne Greene) also wore an additional different, larger, silver insignia, worn centered on the tunic, just below the collar. This broach-like pin seems to denote membership in the Council of the Twelve, as no other commanders seen in the run of the series wore one. In the episode "Lost Planet of the Gods", it becomes apparent that this decoration is actually a key that unlocks a secret door in the Kobol temple complex.

No other readily identifiable rank insignia were worn in the original series.

[edit] Original Series Officer Ranks

Title	Commander	Lieutenant Commander[1]	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Lieutenant Junior Grade	Ensign

[edit] Original Series Enlisted Ranks

Title	Senior Flight Sergeant	Flight Sergeant	Flight Corporal	Petty Officer/Yeoman/ Private (First Class)	Cadet	Recruit

[edit] New Series (2003)

In the new Battlestar Galactica series, a battlestar's crew is made up of officers and enlisted crew from the Colonial Fleet. (There are also detachments of Colonial Marines as well.) As such, the crew falls into a common, hierarchical, military rank structure. This hierarchy is divided into two broad groups: Commissioned Officers, who exercise command oversight; and Enlisted personnel (to include Non-Commissioned Officers), who perform technical duties or exercise first-line supervisory authority. These two subdivisions are further separated into various ranks. These ranks each have distinctive insignia, which are worn on the collar of the Colonial Fleet uniform.

The rank structures for the original and new series are basically identical, with some differences:^[2]

• In the original series, Commander is highest, and is a flag rank (equivalent to Admiral). There is also a rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
• The new series has the rank of Admiral as a flag rank, but no Lieutenant Colonel.

It is unknown if Colonial Marines exist in the original series (none were ever shown or mentioned).

[edit] New Series Officer Ranks (Fleet)

Title	Admiral[3]	Rear Admiral[3]	Commander	Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Lieutenant Junior Grade	Ensign

[edit] New Series Enlisted Ranks (Fleet)

Title	Master Chief Petty Officer[4]	Senior Chief Petty Officer	Chief Petty Officer	Petty Officer 1st Class	Petty Officer 2nd Class	Petty Officer 3rd Class	Crewman Specialist	Deckhand[4]	Recruit[4]

[edit] New Series Enlisted Ranks (Marines)

Title	Sergeant Major	Master Sergeant	Gunnery Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Lance Corporal	Private First Class	Private

The rank structure of the Colonial Marine officers (only two of which have as yet appeared on the show, a lieutenant in the episode "Escape Velocity" and another lieutenant in the episode "Sacrifice"), is uncertain. Most of the Marines that have appeared onscreen have been enlisted, with ranks such as Private, Corporal, Sergeant, and Gunnery Sergeant.

[edit] References

[edit] Other Resources

[edit] See also

• Twelve Colonies
• Articles of Colonization

[edit] External links

[edit] Battlestar Wiki

• Original Series

• Colonial Fleet
• Ranks

• New Series

• Colonial Fleet
• Ranks