In-character Ranks

[Quazar]

Here's the short and sweet part in code.

Enlisted Ranks, Command Officers, Commissioned Officers, Commandant Officers.



Commandant


General					  -

Lieutenant General			\

Major General				  \

Brigadier General			   \

Colonel						  \ Commissioned Officers

Lieutenant Colonel			   /

Major						   /

Captain						/

First Lieutenant			  /

Second Lieutenant			-


Commissioned Officer Candidate (CsOC)


Command Sergeant Major	   -

Sergeant Major				\

First Sergeant				 \ Command Officers

Sergeant First Class (SFC)	 /

Staff Sergeant				/

Sergeant					 -


Command Officer Candidate (CdOC)


Corporal					 -

Lance Corporal				\ Enlisted Ranks

Private First Class (PFC)	 /

Private					  -


Apprentice				   -

Trainee					   | Enlisted Training Ranks

Recruit					  -

What these ranks are and mean in Vanguard Fleet is explained below. This is entirely new and specific for Earthcom. So throw out your pre-conceptions of 'non-coms' not commanding starships and whatnot. As you will see, the basic enlistedman is better-trained than a 21st century commissioned officer.

All Earthcom personnel from Recruit to full General are known as Soldiers regardless of career or command status. Those of the marine careers are known as both Marines and Soldiers and may be addressed as either.

Applicant - One applies for service to Earth Command by taking a set of entrance exams. If he passes, the recruiter draws up a contract with him to serve as a Pre-Enlistedman and an Enlistedman for a combined initial period of seven years. The contract states Earth Command will release the applicant from any further service obligation if he fails to pass recruit training. If the applicant accepts the contract the recruiter swears him into service for Earth Command and declares him recruited, a Pre-Enlistedman.

Pre-Enlistedmen

Recruit - The recruit undergoes a 13-week recruit training program, a 31st century equivalent to US Marine Boot Camp. Any recruit who fails a test while in boot camp is cycled back to an earlier point in the recruit training process, thus taking longer than 13 weeks to complete the program. He is given second chances to a point, determined case-by-case, and may be dropped. Dropped recruits are psychologically evaluated and are released from service obligation and discharged, free to return to civilian life. This sets minimum standards that not all Recruits will reach. When sworn in, the applicant commits to give it his best try. A dropped recruit is often commended for giving all he had to the effort, and not looked down upon for not making the cut. He may re-apply later and can, in the meantime, take advantage of many non-governmental educational resources to improve his chances of passing recruit training in the future. All Pre-Enlistedmen are trained, first and foremost, to be infantry. Upon graduation, Earthcom promotes the Pre-Enlistedman from Recruit to Trainee and his service contract then becomes binding.

Trainee - A trainee receives classroom instruction or any other training not in the line of duty while he is still a Pre-Enlistedman. When the Pre-Enlistedman applied for service in Earthcom both parties brought something to the barganing table. Earthcom needed certain positions filled and the applicant had at least some idea of what he wanted to do in the military. Now as a trainee, he must finalize his initial training plan. From this point on, earthcom talors the Pre-Enlistedman's initial training to this plan and updates it as needed.

Apprentice - Performs supervised duty in the field in each of his career specialties (like a 4th year cadet in Starfleet). Work completed at the grades of recruit, trainee, and apprentice equals a four year degree, even if completed in more or less than four years, and counts as part of the contracted seven year initial service period. If the Pre-Enlistedman's primary career specialty requires less training than this four year degree volume, he is given one or more secondary career specialties until the combined required training warrants this training volume (this will make him more versatile in the field). If his primary career specialty requires more than this volume, then his initial training stretches into the Enlisted grades (see Private). Nevertheless, once this training volume is completed, the Pre-Enlistedman is promoted to Private and becomes an Enlistedman.

Enlistedmen

Private - A Private has received the same level of training as a 21st century Commissioned Officer; one consequence is that Earthcom cannot train and equip as many Enlistedmen as Galactic Command or the Insurgents could on a similiar budget; this is also why Earthcom must limit second chances to recruits who fail tests while in recruit training. Like a 21st century Commissioned Officer being a leader in his day, a Private supervises and mentors any Apprentices in his field of influence. A Private and Apprentice complete the same duties. The only difference is that the Private is answerable for his own actions, where as the Apprentice's actions are the responsibility of any Private mentoring him. They are treated, but not addressed, the same by all higher ranked personnel; consequently an Apprentice is still accountable for his own actions so that he'll be motivated to do his best. Advanced careers require "graduate" training, ie. beyond that finished as an Apprentice. A Private becomes elligable for promotion to Private First Class after two years in-grade and receives that promotion automatically after seven years.

Private First Class - A PFC has either completed, or is well on his way to completing, his initial training for his primary career specialty. A PFC is eligable to lead a Team of two or three personnel (including himself); but if there are no team leader positions open, a PFC may just keep a Private's position, albeit with increased pay and authority. He may issue orders to any other lower ranked personnel within his sphere of influence but then becomes responsible to their commanding officers for actions taken on his behalf. A Private First Class becomes elligable for promotion to Lance Corporal after two years and receives that promotion automatically after seven years.

Lance Corporal - Enlistedmen have completed initial training for all but the most advanced of enlisted careers by the time they make Lance Corporal. A Lance Corporal must decide if he wants to conclude his Earthcom career as an Enlistedman or strive to make Command Officer. He becomes eligable for promotion to full Corporal after two years and receives that promotion automatically after seven years.

Corporal - Full Corporal represents the highest rank atainable by an Enlistedman. It is a transitional rank, leading either to discharge from Earthcom or to a Command Officer career. A Corporal is eligable to lead a Squad of six to thirteen personnel (including himself); but if there are no squad leader positions open, a Corporal may just keep a Lance Corporal's position, albeit with increased pay and authority. He may issue orders to any other lower ranked personnel within his sphere of influence but then becomes responsible to their commanding officers for actions taken on his behalf. A Corporal becomes elligable for promotion to Sergeant after two years and receives that promotion automatically after seven years.

Command Officers - A Command Officer is a proven leader. In addition to completing four years of initial training, he has served at least 8 years in the enlisted grades. Different grades of sergeant may command different classes of capital craft. Crew complements listed are standard or minimum. Some craft classes, especially unarmed transports, can facilitate larger crew profiles.

Sergeant - Is qualified to command a Section of 14 to 26 personnel, ie a crew complement equal to or greater than an unarmed transport's minimum complement of 14 up to He may issue orders to any other lower ranked personnel within his sphere of influence but then becomes responsible to their commanding officers for actions taken on his behalf. A Sergeant becomes elligable for promotion to Staff Sergeant after two years and receives that promotion automatically after seven years.

Staff Sergeant -

Sergeant First Class

First Sergeant

Sergeant Major - Is qualified to command a Detachment of to 117 personnel, ie a crew complement greater than a heavy carrier and up to and including that of a super carrier. He may serve as the first officer of a Company under a Command Sergeant Major.

Command Sergeant Major - This represents the highest rank atainable by a Command Officer. It is a transitional grade, leading either to discharge from Earthcom or to Commissioning and a Commissioned Officer's career. A CSM is qualified to command a Company of 117 to 134 personnel, ie the crew complements of either a super carrier or two heavy carriers. Some other CC groups that fall in this range are five bcm heavy cruisers (5*25 crew = 125 personnel). A CSM may serve as the First Officer aboard a Sphinx-class Battlecruiser (250 personnel).

Commissioned Officers - One may serve quite a long career in Earthcom. In the 31st century, human prosperity is several orders of magnitude higher than a millenium prior. A diverse, distributed, robust, and organic food supply more than feeds a population in the tens of trillions. Ample enlistment application rates, higher after the Gammulan wars, are now held in check by available expenditures to train, equip and care for billions of personnel in Galactic Command and Earth Command. Human life expectancy has surpassed 200 years and most Terrans, in any ocupation, retire in their 170s or so. Therefore, Earthcom structures its ranks to scale to many millions of personnel; and one's Earthcom career may last as long as 140 years, not counting Pre-Enlistment. When military personnel levels are lower, there may be fewer or no positions for the higher ranks. Still, ataining a high rank is possible through tenure, merit, and need. A Commissioned Officer has served a minimum of 20 years in the enlisted and command grades.

Second Lieutenant

First Lieutenant

[more rank descriptions to come]

At the moment, this is very much a work in progress. I will post in this thread each time I make an update.

[Quazar]

What I describe above is the career path for characters, in-universe. Player characters may start at any Sergeant rank, usually First Sergeant.

Commander is a position not a rank.