The Colonial Military
Table of Contents

Overview

The Colonial military forces consist of the:

  • Colonial Fleet (ship and space station crews, aka the "Navy")
  • Colonial Marine Corps (ground troops, aka the "Marines")

These two branches of service have their own separate chain of command, uniforms, procedures, and even ranks. However, they both ultimately answer to the President of the Colonies.


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Marines

The Colonial Marine Corps (CMC) is a branch of the military, separate from the Colonial Fleet, responsible for ground warfare and naval security. Elements of the CMC were found across all Fleet vessels and stationed on all Colonial worlds, serving as a rapid response force to maintain civil order and national security.

Basic Training

Basic training lasts for nine weeks and transforms the volunteer from a civilian to a soldier. It is an intentionally challenging and unforgiving system, designed to harden and sharpen the entering class. A new basic training class begins at approximately the four-week mark.

Phase 1

Unofficially known as the Hell Phase, this four-week introductory period breaks down the recruit through a series of impossible tasks and then rebuilds him or her through confidence courses, physical training, and conditioned marches. The recruit is taught unarmed fighting and melee combat. The recruit is also taught protocol (when to salute, the chain of command, proper modes of address), personal attention to uniform and detail, and the history of the Corps. During the first two weeks of Hell Phase, the recruit is not reachable by any individual off-ship in order to increase his or her dependency on fellow recruits.

Phase 2

During the four weeks of Phase Two, the recruit becomes proficient in judging distances, estimating bullet trajectories, and the discharging of all small and heavy arms in the CMC arsenal. Recruits earn three levels of qualification on the service rifle: marksman, sharpshooter, and expert. Those that do not qualify on the rifle do not pass into the next phase.

After becoming personally responsible in Phase 1, Phase 2 stresses teamwork. The recruit learns basic fire team and squad level tactics and practices them in live exercises. There is more conditioned marching, interrupted by close-order drill, and unarmed and melee combat training.

Phase 3

By the time the one-week Phase Three begins, the recruit is now able to independently think, look, and act like a Marine. After a written test and medical physical, the recruit completes his basic training in a final 54-hour final examination called the Crucible. The Crucible tests all of the skills the Marine has learned by rigorous forced marches, sleep deprivation, and supervised malnutrition. To minimize contact with civilians and institute a sense of isolation, the Crucible is conducted on one of the Fleet's cargo ships.

Those that do not pass the Crucible will be remanded to Phase One. Those that pass graduate from recruit basic training continue onto a separate, usually three-week, advanced individual training (AIT).

Advanced Individual Training

AIT teaches the new Marine his or her chosen specialty which determines his or her position in the Corps. This could have previously been any number of things, ranging from intelligence operative to finance technician to tank driver. After the Destruction, however, the training infrastructure is only equipped to specialize recruits in limited roles, which are the following:

Rifleman: Use of the service rifle, grenade launcher (both underbarrel and stand-alone), and squad automatic weapon (machine gun). Additional education in tactics, which qualifies the individual for higher leadership positions. Connects to a fighting position in a squad.
Demolitionman: Use of high explosives. Connects to a fighting position in a squad.
Field communicator: Understanding of the communications net, wireless signal theory, and proper radio protocol. Connects to a fighting position in a squad.
Military policeman: Understanding of the Uniform Code, effective use of non-lethal weaponry, and investigative skills. Connects to a posting in the military police detachment.
Combat medic: Knowledge of emergency intervention medicine. Connects to a posting in the combat medicine detachment.

Marines in AIT become apprentices and combine traditional training and classroom instruction with on-the-job experience. Regardless of specialty, a central dogma of the Corps is that all Marines are riflemen first, so all AIT graduates train for a portion of the time for the rifleman position.

Thematic Information

Marine Officer of the Watch

The most senior Marine officer on duty is assigned the title of Marine Officer of the Watch (MOW). The MOW functions as the commanding officer of all Marines currently on duty and is responsible for resolving any problems that may require Marine involvement. He or she is directly commanded by the Combat Information Center, even if the CIC is staffed by Fleet personnel of lower rank.

The Marine Officer of the Watch can issue orders to Marines not normally under his command. However, if the MOW cannot resolve a situation or if the situation warrants further attention, it is his or her responsibility to activate the next-senior Marine and transfer the title to that individual.

All marine officers rotate through taking turns as MOW.



Navy

Navy Careers

Commander Air Group - Major Savannah Rue

The CAG is the lead pilot, in charge of all squadrons.

Electronic Countermeasures Officer

ECOs act both as co-pilot for the Raptor reconnaissance aircraft, and are responsible for monitoring and operating the many varied systems for detection of enemy craft or vital supplies, and jamming of enemy signals or their own electronic signature. The ECO also works the jump and navigation systems aboard a Raptor.

Raptor Pilot

Raptor pilots are officers who specialize in flying the Raptor reconnaissance craft: piloting, navigating, and operating the craft's specialist equipment.

Viper Pilot

Viper pilots are officers who specialize in flying the Viper attack aircraft: piloting, navigating, and manoeuvring the craft for attack or defense with the aircraft's on board weapons and specialist equipment.

Department Details

Ships

  • Colonial Viper Mark VII
  • Colonial Viper Mark II
  • Colonial Raptor

History

The primary squadron aboard Genesis is the Star Screamers, a group of pilots with extensive training in both space combat and atmo dogfighting.

Squadrons

Each squadron contains 15 Vipers and 10 Raptors.
Pilots are not assigned their own individual vipers. It's catch as catch can. You might have a particular ship you would -prefer- to use, however, when you need to fly, you're at the mercy of whatever ships the deck crew has ready and available for you at the moment. Some ships are unmarked, some bare the marks of pilots now gone. But no new customizations are being authorized. Ships and helmets are communal property, as it were. The only thing that would be individual to the pilot, is their flight suit. And that -is- a uniform, and must be kept the standards at all times.

Alert Fighters

Vipers that are armed, fueled and ready to launch at a moment's notice in case the CAP requires assistance. They are normally kept in the Launch Tubes so all the pilot has to do is get in and launch.

CAP

CAP = Combat Air Patrol

At least two Vipers and a Raptor are on patrol throughout the Fleet at all times in case of Cylon attack or other emergencies. They serve as the early warning and defense system. They are backed up by the Alert Fighters.

At times, multiple CAPs may be running simultaneously, patroling different areas of the fleet. The CAP may also contain additional ships, particularly for training purposes.



Misc. Thematic Infomation

Officer Candidate School (OCS) is a 14-week program which graduates commissioned officers in the Colonial Fleet and Marines.

Two groups of people attend OCS:

  • College graduates who have enlisted and wish to become officers.
  • Existing enlisted soldiers who wish to become officers.

In both cases, the would-be officer applies to the OCS school. Competition is fierce. If accepted into the program, the officer proceeds to an intensive training school designed to teach leadership and teamwork. This is in addition to the standard military basic training.

Note: "direct commission" professions (doctors, lawyers, chaplains) attend a modified version of OCS and basic training geared towards members of that profession (typically called "officer's basic training").



Military Procedures

These are standing regulations regarding prisoners in the main brig:

  • Prisoners are allowed to receive visitors at designated hours.
  • All visitors must check in with the guard on duty.
  • The prisoner may refuse visitors.
  • Weapons are not permitted in the brig. (The guards do not make a habit of patting people down when they come in, but they are authorized to do so if they are suspicious. Or just mean.)
  • Physical contact with the prisoner is not permitted.
  • All gifts must be cleared with the guard (with strict limitations on what is allowed.)
  • Prisoners are regularly given changes of clothes and sheets, and their stuff laundered by the support department.
  • Prisoners are regularly given shower time, under minimal escort. Toilets are in the cells.
  • Prisoners receive regular meals, brought up from the galley by the support dept and delivered to the prisoners by the guards.

The aux brig and solitary confinement cells are subject to special restrictions beyond this. In particular, visitors must be cleared ahead of time by the S2, and gifts are even more restricted. There is also a shower in the aux brig cell, so no shower time.



Slang

Slang makes the world go round, and adds a nice little touch of awesome to RP. If you're delicate and don't like vernacular, steer clear, baby.

  • ABC : Acronym for 'All Been Changed'. Note the corresponding acronym 'ABCBA' for 'All Been Changed Back Again'.
  • Actual : the commanding officer. Used in wireless transmissions
  • AWOL : Absent without leave or absent without liberty. See desertion.
  • Abaft : To the rear of (the vessel). "The Viper was abaft the Genesis."; "You can find the cleaning locker abaft the port magazine."
  • Ace : An ace pilot is one who has scored at least five kills. Ace is a term, therefore, also extended to any pleasing item or occurrence.
  • Adrift : To be adrift is to be unsecured, or, more commonly, to be late. "Crewman Smith was ten minutes adrift again for his watch."
  • Airy Fairy : Pejorative for any member of the air wing, most commonly used for pilots, particularly the more dramatic Viper pilot stereotype.
  • Angles and Dangles : Manoeuvring a spacecraft. To 'put a bird through the angles and dangles' indicates a routine flight to practice approaches and technique.
  • Avast : The naval term used to indicate that you should cease whatever you're doing at once.
  • Awash : Naval speak for drunk. Often embroidered with 'to the back teeth'.
  • PILOTS: HERE is a listing of slang specifically related to how you do your jobs. Might be a good idea for all Deck Personnel to review it as well.


Combat

combat In-game Combat information.

+COMBAT_JOIN - Joining and leaving combat

+COMBAT_PREP - Things you can do during the preparation phase

+COMBAT_ACTION - Things you can do during the action phase

+COMBAT_MISC - Miscellaneous combat commands

+COMBAT_ORG - Commands for organizing combats.



Ranks

Ranks on the series are co-mingled with the navy to keep a structure. Some ranks are missing, but these are off the Wiki site and Marine site. Genesis will have some of the ranks, but not all. There will be no PC Admiral's or General's on the MU*.

Navy Enlisted Marine Enlisted Service
Recruit Private 0 years
Crewman PFC 1 years
Specialist Lance Cpl 2 years
Petty Officer 3rd Class Corporal 3 years
Petty Officer 2 Sergeant 4 years
Petty Officer 1 Staff Sgt 7 years
Chief Petty Officer Gunnery Sgt 10 years
Senior Chief Petty Officer Master Sgt 13 years
Officer (Navy/Marine) Service
Ensign 0 years
Lieutenant JG 2 years
Lieutenant 4 years
Captain 10 years
Major 16 years
Colonel 22 years
Commander 25+ years
Admiral 25+ years
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