IN & IM ranks and ratings insigns...

[Hemdian]

Originally posted by Hans Vermeylen:
Here is how I see them...

Cool. But I might end up using these more for the Solomani as the look of the IN is already established IMTU as follows:

-Uniforms
-Rank insignia
-Medals

Also, don't forget the traditional symbol of the IN.

Regards PLST

 

[vermeylenhans]

I guess you can replace the sunburst with a crossed circle and get cool Solomani ranks too, maybe with some color change. I'm not too familiar with Solomani, their militari and their uniform, but at least the marroon I used for the IM seems quite specific...

As I undestood the Solomani are some sort of evil-military-dictatorial-nazis in the Traveller universe... Maybe some silver on black could do.

 

[vermeylenhans]

Don't like the 'traditional symbol' that much. But that's only my humble opinion.

 

[The Oz]

Originally posted by BrennanHawkwood:
I'm not sure if it is canon or something someone came up with for their IMTU, but I know I've read somewhere that around the time of the Solomani Rim War (just prior to it I think) the Emperor ordered the Imperial armed forces to change its insignia in an effort to remove its similarities to Solomani insignia.

If one uses this in one's game, I've always assumed it would primarily affect the insignia used and maybe the names and appearance of medals and decorations rather than actually making significant changes in the rank titles or structure.

IMTU I worked this the other way around: the Solomani changed their ranks, medals and such to look less "Imperial" and to be more like the old Solomani Confederation.

So I invented a different names for the ranks, and had decorations like the Victoria Cross, the Solomani Medal of Honor, and Hero of the Solomani Confederation, which came in 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class varieties.

I also split the Solomani Confederation into four administrative quadrants: Coreward, Spinward, Trailing, and Rimward. Civilian and military command structures were based on this split. I said that the official reason this was done was to simplify government by getting rid of the planet-subsector-sector-Imperium levels and just having planet-quadrant-Confederation. In reality it was another way to make the Confederation look less "Imperial" and it failed, with almost everyone still using the old Imperial organization. During the Rim War, most of the Coreward Quadrant fell into Imperial hands, of course.

 

[Ranger]

Well, for some reason I always kind of thought the duty uniform would be more like a flight suit, and the ranks and badges miniaturized on the ID badge that could be transfered from uniform to uniform. Probably different colors for enlisted and officer or many different colors for branch and different borders to distinguish officers, petty officers, and EMs.

Dress uniforms would be more traditional and elaborate of course.

Edited to add: I also had the idea that Marine officers would use rank stripes (like the navy) but on the brim of their field caps rather than on shoulder boards.

Just my thoughts...

 

[vermeylenhans]

When I designed those ranks, I had no precise idea (I still don't have any) of the whole uniform. So the insigns are draw can be used on shoulder boards, breast board (like on Belgian and British slopes, they're placed that way in order to be less visible from far, can you spell sniper) or around the arms.

I'm considering a tactical version of the ranks (common to navy an marines, but of course mostly used by marines), with black stripes and sunburst on camo fabric, for tactical field use.

 

[rancke]

Originally posted by Hans Vermeylen:
1) There are few things more canon in the Traveller universe than the very names of the various services ranks and ratings.

I have to disagree with you there. Using the character generation rules to infer facts about the 3rd Imperium specifically is, IMO, very dicey. The CGR are extremely generic. They apply to every army and navy in Charted Space (Except for the few that later got their own writeup, such as the Sword Worlds). Unless one is prepared to believe that every stellar navy from the Solomani Rim to the far Zhodani fringe has ten officer ranks, every one the same name as their counterparts in every other navy, that is...

As for the Imperial Navy, we actually have canonical evidence of two more ranks that isn't mentioned in the CGR: Rear and Vice Admiral. They both show up in various TNS newsbriefs and elsewhere.

Please note that I don't claim that Rear and Vice Admiral *has* to be extra ranks (I used to claim that, but Chris Thrash convinced me otherwise). But it certainly is the most reasonable explanation, considering that there are mentions of retired vice admirals and of someone being promoted to vice admiral.

We also have a mention of an Army Vice-marshal, BTW, but unfortunately (IMO) Doug Berry chose[*] to interpret that as a post rather than a rank in Ground Forces. Personally I think the Imperium is so big that it could do with 12 army ranks and 14 navy ranks, but alas...[**]

[*] Or maybe his editor required him to do so.
[**] Oh well, IMTU that's just how things are.


Hans

 

[vermeylenhans]

Here is an exemple of solomani rank.

http://fr.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/hans_vermeylen/detail?.dir=7a09&.dnm=43da.jpg

 

[vermeylenhans]

Here is a quick list of the types of enlisted making up the crew of the Agidda (a Kinunir class), and hence of the various speciality badges to be designed... Any ideas?

- Intelligence clerk
- Comms chief
- Comms operator
- Sensors chief
- Sensors operator
- Flight control operator
- Small craft gunner
- Small craft tech
- Chief of the boat
- Helmsman
- Boatsman
- Deck gang members
- Screen chief
- Screen operator
- Gunnery chief
- Gunner - Missile
- Gunner - Beam
- Cargo master
- Cargo operator
- Prop technicians
- Computer technician
- Mecanics
- Electrics/Electronics
- EMT
- Aidman
- Cook
- Kitchen-helper
- Secretary
- Assistant secretary
- Steward

 

[BMonnery]

Originally posted by Spiderfish:
Most of that stuff is based on tradition lasted for god knows how long.

I personally prefer to use more "British" ranks and rates it is an Imperial Navy after all and my mind works better with Colour rather than Gunnery Sergeants.

Personally, I use Commonwealth chrevons (as indeed I've seen in Traveller products, both US and UK ranks have been seen). I used a starburst where a colour sergeants crown should be.

Private: no insignia
Lance Corporal: 1 chevron
Corporal: 2 chevrons (Fireteam Commander)
Lance Sergeant: 2 chevrons surmounted by a starburst (Squad Commander)
Sergeant: 3 chevrons (Section Commander)
Staff/ Colour/ Gunnery Sergeant: 3 chevrons surmounted by a starburst (Plt SNCO)
Leading Sergeant: 4 chevrons (Coy SNCO)
First Sergeant: 4 chevrons surmounted by a starburst (Battalion SNCO)
Sergeant Major: Sunburst

2nd Lieutenant: 1 pip
Lieutenant: 2 pips
Captain: 3 pips
Major: Sunburst and 1 pip
Lt Col: Sunburst and 2 pips
Col: Sunburst and 3 pips

Generals: Stars (as per US)

Bryn

 

[vermeylenhans]

The use of army ranks, wathever their country of origin, for the IN seems a bit strange to me...

 

[Spiderfish]

IM - Imperial Marines

 

[vermeylenhans]

Originally posted by Spiderfish:
I personally prefer to use more "British" ranks and rates it is an Imperial Navy after all and my mind works better with Colour rather than Gunnery Sergeants.

 

[Spiderfish]

Navy - Marines

Marines tend to a be a Naval Corps.

 

[vermeylenhans]

Of course. But Marines are part of the Navy, not Navy is part of the Marines. So Marines can use Naval ranks, or can use their own. But it seems unlikely to me for the Navy to use Marines rank.

 

[Spiderfish]

I never said that the Navy did use army ranks.

Besides I have mentioned no army ranks here.

 

[vermeylenhans]

Never mind. I must have misunderstood.

 

[Spiderfish]

Indeed that must be it.

 

[BetterThanLife]

Actually I find something instructive. Most of the militaries that I have looked at the Marines, even though they technically belong to the Navy tend to use the same ranks as the Army. The US Marines being an exception. The rank structure set up on LBB4 uses US Marine ranks for both the Army and Imperial Marines. Dirfferences in the US military are as follows.
Grade Army Marines
E-1 Private Private
E-2 Private (E-2) Private First Class
E-3 Private First Class Lance Coporal
E-4 Coporal/Specialist Coporal
E-5 Sergeant Sergeant
E-6 Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant
E-7 Sergeant First Class Gunnery Sergeant
E-8 Master Sgt/1st Sgt. Master Gunnery Sgt
E-9 (Command) Sergeant Major Sergeant Major

The Officer ranks are the same but the Army has five grades of Warant Officer between Enlisted and officer and while they may have 4 grades of Warant Officer I have never seen more than a CW2 in Marine service.

Officer ranks being

O1 Second Lieutenant (Gold bar)
O2 First Lieutenant (Silver Bar)
O3 Captain (2 silver bars (railroad tracks))
O4 Major (Gold Oak Leaf)
O5 Lieutneant Colonel (Silver Oak Leaf)
O6 Colonel (Eagle)
O7 Brigader General (1 Star)
O8 Major General (2 Stars)
O9 Lieutenant General (3 Stars)
O10 General (4 Stars)

then there is the General of the Armies. (5 stars.)

 

[vermeylenhans]

As far as I know, there isn't and won't be, even in wartime, an O11 in the USMC. This being due to their corp rather than full fledged force statute. The highest grade in the marines is and will be 010, for the General commanding the Corp. Above him there is nothing but Navy.

If I'm not wrong.