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).

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.

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.


 * Shipman Recruit (SR, E-1) - 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.
 * Shipman Apprentice (SA, E-2) - 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.
 * Shipman (SN, E-3) - The most senior of the junior enlisted ranks, equivalent to a Private First Class (PFC). These shipmen have sufficient training on their specialty of choice and may be assigned to a Rating (equivalent to a Military Occupational Specialty).

Petty Officers
Petty Officers (POs) form the junior NCO ranks ranging from Petty Officer 3rd Class (PO3) to 1st Class (PO1). They are usually tasked with basic leadership 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".


 * Petty Officer 3rd Class (PO3, E-4) - The most junior of the Petty Officers, PO3s are promoted Shipmen with more proficient capabilities as well as exhibiting basic leadership standards, and may be placed in command of a small portion of a department's workforce on a ship, or a small fireteam while on ground deployment. Equivalent to a Corporal (CPL).
 * Petty Officer 2nd Class (PO2, E-5) - 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. Equivalent to a Sergeant (SGT).
 * Petty Officer 1st Class (PO1, E-6) - A senior Petty Officer who has sufficient experience in their field to be at the top of the Petty Officer rankings. PO1s display good leadership ability and are well-experienced in their trade and in military customs. This is the first rank in which personnel may be eligible to enroll as an RDC (Recruit Division Commander, equivalent to a Drill Sergeant/Drill Instructor in other branches). Equivalent to a Staff Sergeant (SSGT).

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".


 * Chief Petty Officer (CPO, E-7) - 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. Equivalent to a Sergeant First Class (Army) or Gunnery Sergeant (Marines).
 * Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO, E-8) - 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. Equivalent to a Master Sergeant.
 * Command Senior Chief Petty Officer (CSCPO/CSC, E-8C) - 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.
 * Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO, E-9) - Master chiefs are the top of the line of the enlisted workforce and are extremely highly respected personnel in the military, revered by enlisted and officers alike. Master chiefs make up fewer than 1% of the SDC's enlisted force and are entitled to large amounts of benefits offered by their seniority. Equivalent to a Sergeant Major (Army) or Master Gunnery Sergeant (Marines).
 * Command Master Chief Petty Officer (CMCPO/CMC, E-9C) - Similar to those of Command senior chiefs, command master chiefs act as liaisons and SEAs to commands on ships, bases and other installations.
 * Fleet Master Chief Petty Officer (FMCPO/FMC) - 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.
 * Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON/MCN, E-9S) - 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.

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. Staff officers require command and leadership training courses to be taken in order to progress to Lieutenant (O-3) and beyond.

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.

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.

Junior Officers

 * Midshipman (M) - Midshipmen, also known as Officer Cadets, are officers-in-training who have yet to earn their commission and are still in the Academy phase.
 * Ensign (ENS, O-1) - 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. Equivalent to a Second Lieutenant in the Army.
 * Sub-Lieutenant (SLT, O-2) - 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. Equivalent to First Lieutenant in the Army.
 * Lieutenant (LT, O-3) - 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. Equivalent to a Captain in the Army.

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.


 * Lieutenant Commander (LCDR, O-4) - 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. Lieutenant commanders are the first rank to be selected by a Board, similar to Chief Petty Officers, for promotions. Equivalent to a Major in the Army.
 * Commander (CDR, O-5) - 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 cruiser, or the Executive Officer of a heavy cruiser, battleship or carrier. Equivalent to a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army.
 * Captain (CAPT, O-6) - 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 heavy cruisers, battleships and carriers, or placed in command of large starbases. Captains additionally can act as adjutants or Executive Officers to Admirals. Equivalent to a Colonel in the Army.

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.


 * Commodore (CDRE, O-7) - The most junior of the flag officer ranks, though still immensely powerful in nature. 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.
 * Rear Admiral (RADM, O-8) - Rear Admirals are middle-ranking 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 - more senior admirals are rarely found in battle.
 * Vice Admiral (VADM, O-9) - Senior admirals who have been appointed as either vice commanders of fleets, deputy directors of naval commands or commanders of divisions at the Fleet level.
 * Admiral (ADM, O-10) - The traditional top of the line of admirals, these officers 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.
 * Fleet Admiral (FADM, O-11) - 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.