Sol Defence Corps/Ranks

The ranks of the Sol Defence Corps make up the organization's workforce, management and coordination, ranging from enlisted to commissioned officers. This page intends to detail the ranks of the SDC from the lowest (E-1) to the highest (O-11).

Entry

Both enlisted personnel and officers have two primary methods of entering the Sol Defence Corps: direct enlistment or service transfer.

Direct Enlistment

Direct enlistment is when a civilian enlists directly in the ranks of the SDC, via recruitment. Once completing basic training, they are commissioned as the lowest permissible rank of their career track; Shipman Recruit for enlisted and Ensign for officers. Staff Corps officers may be placed at higher ranks upon commissioning based on prior experience.

Service Transfer

Service transfer is the alternate method of entering the SDC's ranks if a person desiring to enter the SDC is already a member of a partnered military in a country's national armed forces. The Sol Defence Corps takes personnel from all branches of military, regardless of specialty; Army, Navy, and Air Force transferees are all accepted.

Both enlisted and officer transferees still undertake limited basic training at their respective schools; however as they are already military, they only need training on space-specific trades and specialties, such as microgravity training and survival school. Their training courses are, on average, 4 weeks less than that of a direct enlistee.

Partnered armed forces include the militaries of more than 150 United Nations member countries. Most transferees come from NATO and Commonwealth nations, such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Australia. Additional candidates come from Russia, China, Japan, India, and Korea.

If enlisting from a different branch than a Navy, additional qualification courses are required for ship operations. Naval transferees require less training than that of other branches due to the SDC sharing many aspects of operation with that of seafaring naval services.

Upon enlistment or commissioning, except in extraordinary circumstances, a service member will retain the rank (or equivalent) they have previously used in their nation's armed forces; i.e. a Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Army will be commissioned into the SDC as a naval Commander.

General and flag officers of national militaries cannot directly commission into the same rank without the approval of the Secretary-General; they will be billeted, usually temporarily, as a Captain (O-6) until they can go through the necessary processes of becoming a flag officer.

Enlisted

Enlisted personnel are noncommissioned staff of the SDC, forming a majority of its workforce. These personnel require a minimum of a high school diploma and proper training at a Basic Training Centre (BTC) to qualify.

All enlistees are qualified in basic warfare and are trained in firearms, survival, EVA (extravehicular activity) and hand-to-hand combat in addition to the specialist training required in their career tracks.

Enlisted Promotions

Promotions for junior enlisted and NCOs are handed on a "shall-issue" basis; that is, an enlistee is guaranteed to be promoted if they have fulfilled the minimum requirements for promotion outlined by rank, demonstrate adequate skills and pass necessary examinations, and are in good or perfect behavioural standing. An enlistee's promotion may be delayed or waived altogether if they have been recently disciplined for poor behaviour or conduct, and may even result in a demotion or discharge if severe enough.

Promotions to the Chief Petty Officer ranks (E-7 - E-9) additionally require a peer review by a board of serving Chiefs to be eligible for advancement, reflecting the notion that Chiefs are "chosen by their own". If successful, they are promoted.

Ratings

Enlisted personnel ranked Petty Officer 3rd Class (E-4) and above are assigned a rating, or a specialty, equivalent to a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) or trade. Enlisted personnel assigned a rating are sent to a training centre to receive comprehensive training on their designated rating.

Personnel entering trade schools are allowed to choose their own specialty, provided there is sufficient room for it; to avoid overcrowding, some ratings have a personnel limit of how many can enter at a time.

For a list of ratings and their relevant roles, see Sol Defence Corps/Ratings.

Junior Enlisted

Junior enlisted, also known as Shipmen, are, as the name implies, the most junior of the SDC's ranks. These usually are still in the training or education phase, being fresh out of boot camp with little practical experience under their belt. They are whipped into shape by their seniors, and as they acquire more experience they become more skilled, earning promotions along the way.

Shipmen are apprentices who are still learning their craft, and have usually not yet been assigned a formal rating. Upon promotion to Petty Officer they are assigned a rating of their choice, depending on which apprenticeship they undertake while they are a Shipman.

Paygrade	Rank	Abbrev.	Description	Army Equivalent
E-1	Shipman Recruit	SR	The rank assigned to all trainees at boot camp during and immediately after graduation. Shipman Recruits are civilians who had enlisted into the military and undergo the 10-week boot camp at one of several SDC Basic Training Centres (BTCs) systemwide.	Private
E-2	Shipman Apprentice	SA	Promoted recruits currently in the apprenticeship phase, hence their name. These shipmen are in the process of learning their craft, such as engineering, gunnery, medical or exploration work. After their training they would be promoted to the next rank below.	Private 2nd Class
E-3	Shipman	SN	The most senior of the junior enlisted ranks, equivalent to a Private First Class (PFC). These shipmen are in the final stages of apprenticeship training and, upon promotion to a Petty Officer, may be officially given a rating.	Private First Class

Petty Officers

Petty Officers (POs) are the specialist group, and form the junior NCO ranks ranging from Petty Officer 3rd Class (PO3) to 1st Class (PO1). They are usually tasked with more specialised duties and are higher ranking than Shipmen, usually promoted to such after sufficient seniority.

When addressed, a notable Navy tradition is that Petty Officers (and to an extent Chief Petty Officers) are never referred to as "sir" or "ma'am", they are addressed either as "Petty Officer" or "Petty".

Paygrade	Rank	Abbrev.	Description	Army Equivalent
E-4	Petty Officer 3rd Class	PO3	The most junior of the Petty Officers, PO3s are promoted Shipmen with more proficient capabilities as well as discipline in their chosen rating. PO3s are usually the most junior rank with specialist trade and are assigned a rating at this level.	Corporal
E-5	Petty Officer 2nd Class	PO2	The middle-ranking Petty Officer class ranks as the start of true leadership positions for enlisted personnel, with more command-oriented tracks being available at this rank. PO2s may be placed in charge of a larger group, team, or squad, and may even start acting as a squad leader or assistant squad leader at an infantry level.	Sergeant
E-6	Petty Officer 1st Class	PO1	A senior Petty Officer who has sufficient experience in their field to be at the top of the Petty Officer rankings. PO1s are highly skilled at their craft and professionals at heart, dedicating their lives to military service. This is the first rank in which personnel may be eligible to enroll as a recruit instructor.	Staff Sergeant

Chief Petty Officers

Chief Petty Officers (CPOs, or "chiefs") are the senior enlisted men and women of the SDC and make up the highly-experienced workforce of the Corps. Chiefs have mastered their craft and have come a long way in the military food chain to end up as the most experienced, most respected people in the fleet. Chiefs often start sharing privileges with those of commissioned officers due to their seniority.

Chief Petty Officers are addressed by "chief", or in the higher ranks "senior chief" and "master chief", never "sir" or "ma'am".

Paygrade	Rank	Abbrev.	Description	Army Equivalent
E-7	Chief Petty Officer	CPO	The start of the senior enlisted chain, CPOs are technical masters of their craft and are highly respected by both enlisted and officers alike. Chiefs and above are entitled to uniforms resembling those of commissioned officers, and are often able to access similar facilities to them.	Sergeant First Class
E-8	Senior Chief Petty Officer	SCPO	Senior chief petty officers are, as the name implies, more senior Chief Petty Officers who have served for decades in the military. They may be entitled to start holding positions as a Senior Enlisted Advisor on vessels or bases.	Master Sergeant
E-8	Command Senior Chief Petty Officer	CSCPO	Command-track senior chiefs serve as Senior Enlisted Advisors (SEAs) to a command, as an assistant and liaison to a command's Commanding and Executive Officers.	First Sergeant
E-9	Master Chief Petty Officer	MCPO	Master Chief Petty Officers, or master chiefs, are the top of the food chain of enlisted personnel and have dedicated their lives and careers to the SDC. Experts at their trade, master chiefs are highly respected in the naval community and are treated with similar reverie to senior officers.	Sergeant Major
	Command Master Chief Petty Officer	CMCPO	CMCPOs act as senior enlisted advisors on especially prominent military installations or ships, often acting as the Senior Enlisted Advisor, one of the "Big Three" of a ship - its Captain, its Executive Officer and its SEA.	Command Sergeant Major
	Fleet Master Chief Petty Officer	FMCPO	Fleet master chiefs serve as Senior Enlisted Advisors for much larger commands such as entire departments, divisions or fleet commands, serving often directly to an Admiral. Fleet master chiefs are especially senior and are given similar treatments to those of their commanding officers. Fleet master chiefs have gold stars on their rank insignia.	Command Sergeant Major
E-9S	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy	MCPON	The most senior enlisted person in the entire SDC, the MCPON acts as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Commander of the Fleet (CMF) and acts as the central liaison between all enlisted personnel and all officers of the military.	Sergeant Major of the Army

Officers

Officers are a separate career track in the military that is geared more towards command and bureaucracy; these personnel are highly-educated soldiers who demonstrate command ability and strong leadership skills. The Officer corps are extremely competitive, and form a much different climate in comparison to the enlisted corps in regards to promotions, exercises, and standards.

An officer who successfully enters the military is stated as having "earned their commission". This can be done in one of several ways:

Graduation from a Service Academy, which provides both college-level education and military training.
Graduation from a Reserve Officers Training Corps, a complementary course available in select colleges that trains officer candidates.
Graduation from the Officer Candidate School (OCS), a post-graduate course similar to boot camp undertaken by college graduates.
Graduation from an Officer Training School (OTS), a training programme for Staff Officers (outlined below) for training in non-combat specializations.

Officer Specializations

Unlike enlisted, officers have three different career tracks available to them upon commissioning, and come with caveats or limitations to their track.

Line Officer (LO) / Unrestricted Line Officer (URL) - The most well-known type of officer, these are usually placed in charge of general command departments that emphasize leadership above all else with technical expertise being secondary. Line officers are the only officers eligible to become a ship's Captain or Executive Officer, though a Technical Officer (see below) can still be eligible for base or station command.
Technical Officer (TO) / Restricted Line Officer (RL) - Restricted line officers, known in the SDC as technical officers, are officers not eligible as a vessel Commanding Officer due to insufficient command training or capabilities, instead focusing on technical specializations (as the name implies) in non-combat fields such as engineering, intelligence, bureaucracy, or diplomacy. Technical officers remain eligible for command of a base or space station should the requirements for such allow a technical officer to take command.
Staff Officer (SO) / Staff Corps Officer (SCO) - Non-combat officers who have only marginal command training and were selected due to their specialty inherently requiring a college degree by default; this includes doctors, nurses, lawyers, and other military professions requiring college or postgraduate education. Personnel who have completed the necessary training and education require a relatively short course to earn their commission, with details such as self-defence, firefighting and survival being taught.

Officer Promotions

Unlike enlisted, officer promotions are competitive and promotion eligibility is made out of selecting from a pool of candidates to determine who, among the pool, deserves a promotion the most. As a result, officers continuously compete to outshine each other in their fields in order to net a step up the ranks. Officer promotions are reviewed by one of several Boards with the supervision and recommendations by the officer's commanding officer, with senior officer promotions additionally requiring peer review and approval by fellow senior officers.

Promotion into and above the flag officer grades are especially competitive with extremely limited slots being available. Flag officers, upon promotion, must require confirmation by the UN General Assembly and personal approval of the Secretary-General and, for officers other than the CMF themselves, the Commander of the Fleet. The Commander of the Fleet may be nominated exclusively by the Secretary-General and confirmed by the General Assembly.

Junior Officers

Paygrade	Rank	Abbrev.	Description	Army Equivalent
M	Midshipman	MDS	Midshipmen, also known as Officer Cadets, are officers-in-training who have yet to earn their commission and are still in the Academy phase. They outrank all enlisted by rank only, but due to their nature as a student rank they are subordinate to all commissioned officers.	Officer cadet
O-1	Ensign	ENS	Junior officers who have been freshly commissioned and are entering service for the first time. They usually undergo additional training or education by senior enlisted and officers alike to give them more practical experience. Any arrogance displayed by a junior officer is quickly quelled and humbled by senior enlisted and superior officers.	2nd Lieutenant
O-2	Sub-Lieutenant	SLT	Junior lieutenants who are more senior than an Ensign yet still lack the necessary expertise and leadership skills needed for advancement to Lieutenant. Can be placed in charge of a small portion of a department or act as a squad leader.	1st Lieutenant
O-3	Lieutenant	LT	Officers who demonstrate sufficient leadership abilities can be promoted to Lieutenant, the beginning of the true command track of an officer. Lieutenants are usually placed as department heads or are in charge of larger groups of personnel. Lieutenants may additionally be placed as the commanding officers of shuttlecraft or patrol craft, if required.	Captain

Senior Officers

Senior officers are officers selected by a Board of high-ranking Commanders, Captains and Admirals for promotion eligibility, and are the first groups of officers entitled to commanding entire vessels or installations. Senior officers are highly respected and are well-trained in leadership experience.

Paygrade	Rank	Abbrev.	Description	Army Equivalent
O-4	Lieutenant Commander	LCDR	Senior officers who are offered additional privileges to a Lieutenant and are placed in charge of larger installations. Ship-based LCDRs may act as senior department heads, the Captain of a corvette, or the Executive Officer of a destroyer or cruiser.	Major
O-5	Commander	CDR	Senior officers who have demonstrated exemplary command skills are eligible for promotion to Commander, where they may either be placed as the Captain of a destroyer or frigate, or the Executive Officer of a heavy cruiser, battleship or carrier. Commanders worked hard for their position and are seasoned officers at heart.	Lieutenant Colonel
O-6	Captain	CAPT	The most senior non-admiral grade, Captains are senior officers who have high amounts of practical experience and skills in command and leadership as well as acting as role models for junior ranks. Captains can be placed as the Commanding Officer of the largest vessels, including cruisers, battleships, and carriers, or placed in command of large starbases. Captains additionally can act as adjutants or Executive Officers to Admirals.	Colonel

Note: Unlike the US Navy, where Lieutenant Commanders are regarded as junior officers, LCDRs in the SDC are regarded as senior officers and are often placed in positions of higher responsibility or command as a result.

Flag Officers

Flag Officers (also known as general officers outside of the Navy and Admirals in general usage) are high-ranking officers who serve as commanders of the highest degree; generals are often placed in charge of multiple ships up to and including entire fleets, commands, or Navy divisions. Flag officers are given unique and powerful privileges offered due to their status, seniority, and ranking. Admirals are equal parts military as political, requiring just as much public attention from the media and scrutiny by the UN as a politician.

To qualify for a position as an Admiral, there first needs to be a vacant seat available - admirals are promoted based on office vacancies and one is only sought after if an existing flag officer retires, is promoted, discharged, or becomes unable to serve. To compensate for this, Admirals may only serve a maximum time period of 5 years in an office before either being promoted to a higher position or are forced to retire.

Admirals are sworn in by the General Assembly and approved by the Secretary General.

Paygrade	Rank	Abbrev.	Description	Army Equivalent
O-7	Commodore	CDRE	A one star rank, Commodores are effectively senior captains who have been given the authority to command strike groups of multiple vessels in order to carry out missions. They may also be placed in charge of a sub-division of a naval command. Commodores and rear admirals may often be seen on the flag bridge of a vessel during peacetime.	Brigadier General
O-8	Rear Admiral	RADM	Rear Admirals are two-star flag officers and also one of the most essential. They are responsible for command of battlegroups or larger starbases, and are often the most senior officer one can find regularly in the field or on a flag bridge - higher-ranking admirals are usually relegated to office positions.	Major General
O-9	Vice Admiral	VADM	Vice admirals are three-star officers who have been appointed as either vice commanders of fleets, deputy directors of naval commands or commanders of divisions or battlegroups at the Fleet level. Vice admirals are highly experienced and are the first rank eligible for SDC-wide operation responsibilities, carrying a tremendous amount of power and responsibility along with it.	Lieutenant General
O-10	Admiral	ADM	The highest rank that is normally achievable during peacetime - with the exception of the CMF - four-star Admirals are highly-experienced senior personnel who are placed in charge of entire Fleets, naval commands, or departments. They are among the most highly scrutinized of them all and are offered the most privileges in addition. Admirals may expect to make regular appearances at political hearings and are often extremely well-versed in politics and persuasion as a result.	General
O-11	Fleet Admiral	FADM	The highest achievable rank possible in the SDC, Fleet Admiral is a position that is customarily reserved only to the Commander of the Fleet during peacetime; however, during wartime, more than one Fleet Admiral may be appointed for especially large commands. Fleet Admirals serve as commanders of the entire SDC, third in authority to only the Secretary-General and Secretary of the SDC in total command, and first in authority in strategic command.	General of the Army