View attachment 852454
Rank insignia of the United Nations Armed Forces. From top to bottom; Ground/Land Force, Air Force, Space Force and Navy. The officer insignia for the latter two are sleeve insignia rather than shoulderboards, but most likely come in shoulder form as well.
Commonwealth inspiration (as well as Junior Commissioned Officer/Warrant Officer scale rank insignia) is inspired by the Indian Subcontinent. Which weren't really a large part of UNAM (other than Pakistan being part of UN administrated territories between 2222-2500), with Africa, Middle East and South America (as well as parts of Europe) being the main UN territories. But I went in this direction to honour the fact that Bangladesh, India and Pakistan being some of the biggest contributors to UN Peacekeepers OTL.
NATO code
English
Spanish
French
Russian
Chinese
Arabic
Hindi/Urdu
Portuguese
Indonesian
Swahili
OF 9
General
General de ejército
Général d'armée
Generál ármii
Shang jiang
Fariq awwal
General
General de exército
Jenderal
Jenerali
OF 8
Lieutenant general
Teniente general
Général de corps d'armée
Generál-polkóvnik
Zhong jiang
Fariq
Lieutenant general
Tenente-general
Letnan jenderal
Luteni jenerali
OF 7
Major general
General de división
Général de division
Generál-leytenánt
Shao jiang
Liwa
Major general
General de divisão
Mayor jenderal
Meja jenerali
OF 6
Brigadier general
General de brigada
Général de brigade
Generál-mayór
Da xiao
Amid
Brigadier
General de brigada
Brigadir jenderal
Brigedia jenerali
OF 5
Colonel
Coronel
Colonel
Polkóvnik
Shang xiao
Aqid
Colonel
Coronel
Kolonel
Kanali
OF 4
Lieutenant colonel
Teniente coronel
Lieutenant colonel
Podpolkóvnik
Zhong xiao
Muqaddam
Lieutenant colonel
Tenente-coronel
Letnan kolonel
Luteni kanali
OF 3
Major
Mayor
Commandant
Majór
Shao xiao
Ra'id
Major
Major
Mayor
Meja
OF 2
Captain
Capitán
Capitaine
Kapitán
Shang wei
Naqib
Captain
Capitão
Kapten
Kapteni
OF 1
Lieutenant
Teniente
Lieutenant
Leytenant
Zhong wei
Mulazim awwal
Lieutenant
Tenente
Letnan satu
Luteni
Second lieutenant
Subteniente
Sous-lieutenant
Mládshiy leytenánt
Shao wei
Mulazim thani
Second lieutenant
Subtenente
Letnan dua
Luteni usu
OR 9
Master warrant officer
Subofficial mayor
Major
Stárshiy práporshchik
Yi ji jun shi zhang
Musaid awwal
Subedar major/Risaldar major
Sargento-mor
Bintara tinggi kepala
Afisa mteule meja
Warrant officer class 1
Subofficial
Adjudant-chef
Práporshchik
Er ji jun shi zhang
Musaid thani
Subedar/Risaldar
Sargento-chefe
Bintara tinggi satu
Afisa mteule daraja la kwanza
OR 8
Warrant officer class 2
Sargento ayudante
Adjudant
Starshyná
San ji jun shi zhang
Musaid
Naib subedar/Naib risaldar
Sargento-ajudante
Bintara tinggi dua
Afisa mteule daraja la pili
OR 7
Sergeant major
Sargento mayor
Sergent-major
Stárshiy serzhánt
Shang shi
Raqib awwal
Havildar major/Daffadar major
Primeiro-sargento
Sersan mayor
Afisa mteule daraja la tatu
OR 6
Staff sergeant
Sargento primero
Sergent-chef
Serzhánt
Zhong shi
Raqib
Quartermaster havildar/Quartermaster daffadar
Segundo-sargento
Seran kepala
Sajinitaji
OR 5
Sergeant
Sargento
Sergent
Mládshiy serzhánt
Shao shi
Wakil raqib
Havildar/Daffadar
Terceiro-sargento
Sersan
Sajenti
OR 4
Corporal
Cabo primero
Caporal-chef
Stárshiy yefréytor
Shang deng bing
Earif awwal
Naik/Lance daffadar
Cabo-adjunto
Kopral
Koplo
OR 3
Lance corporal
Cabo
Caporal
Yefréytor
Zhong deng bing
Earif
Lance naik/Acting lance daffadar
Primeiro-cabo
Lans kopral
Koplo usu
OR 2
Private first class
Soldado de primera
Soldat de premiere classe
Stárshiy ryadovóy
Shao deng bing
Jundiun awwal
Sepoy/Sowar
Segundo-cabo
Prajurit satu
Mwanajeshi
OR 1
Private
Soldado
Soldat
Ryadovóy
Lie bing
Jundiun
Sepoy/Sowar
Soldado
Prajurit dua
Mwanajeshi
Latter two languages were official languages of UN, but were hardly used in the UN military and were fully discontinued by Earth Republic and Global Federation, as they had little to no population speaking said languages.
NATO code
English
Spanish
French
Russian
Chinese
Arabic
Hindi/Urdu
Portuguese
Indonesian
Swahili
OF 9
Air chief marshal
General del aire
Général d'armée aérienne
Generál ármii
Kōngjūn shang jiang
Fariq awwal
Air chief marshal
General de exército
Marsekal
Jenerali
OF 8
Air marshal
Teniente general
Général de corps aérien
Generál-polkóvnik
Kōngjūn zhong jiang
Fariq
Air marshal
Tenente-general
Marsekal madya
Luteni jenerali
OF 7
Air vice marshal
General de división
Général de division aérienne
Generál-leytenánt
Kōngjūn shao jiang
Liwa
Air vice marshal
General de divisão
Marsekal muda
Meja jenerali
OF 6
Air commodore
General de brigada
Général de brigade aérienne
Generál-mayór
Kōngjūn da xiao
Amid
Air commodore
General de brigada
Marsekal pertama
Brigedia jenerali
OF 5
Group captain
Coronel
Colonel
Polkóvnik
Kōngjūn shang xiao
Aqid
Group captain
Coronel
Kolonel
Kanali
OF 4
Wing commander
Teniente coronel
Lieutenant colonel
Podpolkóvnik
Kōngjūn zhong xiao
Muqaddam
Wing commander
Tenente-coronel
Letnan kolonel
Luteni kanali
OF 3
Squadron leader
Mayor
Commandant
Majór
Kōngjūn shao xiao
Ra'id
Squadron leader
Major
Mayor
Meja
OF 2
Flight lieutenant
Capitán
Capitaine
Kapitán
Kōngjūn shang wei
Naqib
Flight lieutenant
Capitão
Kapten
Kapteni
OF 1
Flying officer
Teniente
Lieutenant
Leytenant
Kōngjūn zhong wei
Mulazim awwal
Flying officer
Tenente
Letnan satu
Luteni
Pilot officer
Subteniente
Sous-lieutenant
Mládshiy leytenánt
Kōngjūn shao wei
Mulazim thani
Pilot officer
Subtenente
Letnan dua
Luteni usu
OR 9
Warrant officer class 1
Subofficial mayor
Major
Stárshiy práporshchik
Kōngjūn yi ji jun shi zhang
Musaid awwal
Master warrant officer
Sargento-mor
Bintara tinggi kepala
Maafisa wateule meja
Warrant officer class 2
Subofficial
Adjudant-chef
Práporshchik
Kōngjūn er ji jun shi zhang
Musaid thani
Warrant officer
Sargento-chefe
Bintara tinggi satu
Maafisa wateule 1
OR 8
Flight sergeant
Sargento ayudante
Adjudant
Starshyná
Kōngjūn san ji jun shi zhang
Musaid
Assistan warrant officer
Sargento-ajudante
Bintara tinggi dua
Maafisa wateule 2
OR 7
Chief technician
Sargento mayor
Sergent-major
Stárshiy serzhánt
Kōngjūn shang shi
Raqib awwal
Chief technician
Primeiro-sargento
Sersan mayor
Maafisa wateule 3
OR 6
Senior technician
Sargento primero
Sergent-chef
Serzhánt
Kōngjūn zhong shi
Raqib
Senior technician
Segundo-sargento
Seran kepala
Sajenti kuruka
OR 5
Sergeant
Sargento
Sergent
Mládshiy serzhánt
Kōngjūn shao shi
Wakil raqib
Corporal technician
Terceiro-sargento
Sersan
Sajenti
OR 4
Corporal
Cabo primero
Caporal-chef
Stárshiy yefréytor
Kōngjūn shang deng bing
Earif awwal
Junior technician
Cabo-adjunto
Kopral
Koplo
OR 3
Air specialist technician
Cabo
Caporal
Yefréytor
Kōngjūn zhong deng bing
Earif
Senior aircraftman
Primeiro-cabo
Lans kopral
Koplo mdogo
OR 2
Air specialist
Soldado de primera
Soldat de premiere classe
Stárshiy ryadovóy
Kōngjūn shao deng bing
Jundiun awwal
Leading aircraftman
Segundo-cabo
Prajurit satu
Mtu ndege
OR 1
Air recruit
Soldado
Soldat
Ryadovóy
Kōngjūn lie bing
Jundiun
Aircraftman
Soldado
Prajurit dua
Mtu ndege
Latter two languages were official languages of UN, but were hardly used in the UN military and were fully discontinued by Earth Republic and Global Federation, as they had little to no population speaking said languages.
NATO code
English
Spanish
French
Russian
Chinese
Arabic
Hindi/Urdu
Portuguese
Indonesian
Swahili
OF 9
Admiral of space
Almirante de espacio
Amiral de l'espace
Kosmo-admiral
Tàijūn shang jiang
Fariq awwal
Admiral of space
Almirante de espaço
Laksamana luar angkasa
Admirali wa anga-nje
OF 8
Vice admiral of space
Vicealmirante de espacio
Vice-amiral de l'espace
Kosmo-vitse-admiral
Tàijūn zhong jiang
Fariq
Vice admiral of space
Vice-almirante de espaço
Laksamana madya luar angkasa
Makamu admirali wa anga-nje
OF 7
Rear admiral of space
Contralalmirante de espacio
Contre-amiral de l'espace
Kosmo-contre-admiral
Tàijūn shao jiang
Liwa
Rear admiral of space
Contra-almirante de espaço
Laksamana muda luar angkasa
Admirali mdogo wa anga-nje
OF 6
Space commodore
Comodoro de espacio
Commandeur de l'espace
Kosmo-kapitán 1-go ranga
Tàijūn da xiao
Amid
Space commodore
Comodoro de espaço
Laksamana pertama luar angkasa
Commodore wa anga-nje
OF 5
Captain of space
Capitán de navío espacial
Capitaine de vaisseau spatial
Kosmo-kapitán 2-go ranga
Tàijūn shang xiao
Aqid
Captain of space
Capitão de espaço e guerra
Kepten luar angkasa
Nahodha wa anga-nje
OF 4
Commander of space
Capitán de fregata espacial
Capitaine de frégate spatial
Kosmo-kapitán 3-go ranga
Tàijūn zhong xiao
Muqaddam
Commander of space
Capitão de fregata espacial
Komander luar angkasa
Kamanda wa anga-nje
OF 3
Lieutenant commander of space
Capitán de aviso
Capitaine de aviso
Kosmo-kapitán leytenant
Tàijūn shao xiao
Ra'id
Lieutenant commander of space
Capitão de aviso
Letnan komander luar angkasa
Luteni kamanda wa anga-nje
OF 2
Space lieutenant
Teniente de navío espacial
Lieutenant de vaisseau spatial
Stárshiy kosmo-leytenant
Tàijūn shang wei
Naqib
Space lieutenant
Capitão-tenente espacial
Letnan luar angkasa
Luteni wa anga-nje
OF 1
Space sub-lieutenant
Alférez de navío espacial
Enseigne de vaisseau spatial de premiere classe
Kosmo-leytenant
Tàijūn zhong wei
Mulazim awwal
Space sub-lieutenant
Tenente espacial
Letnan madya luar angkasa
Luteni usu wa anga-nje
Space ensign
Alférez de fregata espacial
Enseigne de vaisseau spatial de seconde classe
Mládshiy kosmo-leytenánt
Tàijūn shao wei
Mulazim thani
Space ensign
Guarda-espacial
Letnan muda luar angkasa
Bendera wa anga-nje
OR 9
Master warrant officer
Subofficial mayor
Major
Stárshiy kosmo-michman
Tàijūn yi ji jun shi zhang
Musaid awwal
Master chief petty officer 1st class
Sargento-mor
Bintara tinggi kepala
Afisa mteule meja
Warrant officer 1
Subofficial
Maître-principal
Kosmo-michman
Tàijūn er ji jun shi zhang
Musaid thani
Master chief petty officer 2nd class
Sargento-chefe
Bintara tinggi satu
Afisa mteule daraja la kwanza
OR 8
Warrant officer 2
Brigada
Premier-maître
Mládshiy kosmo-michman
Tàijūn san ji jun shi zhang
Musaid
Senior chief petty officer 1st class
Sargento-ajudante
Bintara tinggi dua
Afisa mteule daraja la pili
OR 7
Master chief petty officer
Sargento primero
Maître-chef
Glavny zvezdolot starshyná
Tàijūn shang shi
Raqib awwal
Senior chief petty officer 2nd class
Sargento
Sersan mayor
Afisa mteule daraja la tatu
OR 6
Chief petty officer
Sargento
Maître
Glavny kosmo-starshyná
Tàijūn zhong shi
Raqib
Chief petty officer
Subsargento
Seran kepala
Sajinitaji
OR 5
1st class petty officer
Cabo mayor
Second-maître
Kosmo-starshyná 1 staji
Tàijūn shao shi
Wakil raqib
1st class petty officer
Cabo
Sersan
Sajenti
OR 4
2nd class petty officer
Cabo primero
Quartier-maître de premiere classe
Kosmo-starshyná 2 staji
Tàijūn shang deng bing
Earif awwal
2nd class petty officer
Primeiro-espaçador
Kopral
Koplo
OR 3
Leading specialist
Cabo
Quartier-maître de seconde classe
Kosmo-kvartirmeister
Tàijūn zhong deng bing
Earif
Leading spaceman
Segundo-espaçador
Angkasawan kepala
Koplo usu
OR 2
Able specialist
Espaciador de primera
Spationaute de premiere classe
Stárshiy kosmonaut
Tàijūn shao deng bing
Jundiun awwal
Able spaceman
Primeiro-grumete espacial
Angkasawan satu
Mwanaanga
OR 1
Ordinary specialist
Espaciador
Spationaute
Kosmonaut
Tàijūn lie bing
Jundiun
Ordinary spaceman
Segundo-grumete espacial
Angkasawan dua
Mwanaanga
Latter two languages were official languages of UN, but were hardly used in the UN military and were fully discontinued by Earth Republic and Global Federation, as they had little to no population speaking said languages.
NATO code
English
Spanish
French
Russian
Chinese
Arabic
Hindi/Urdu
Portuguese
Indonesian
Swahili
OF 9
Admiral
Almirante
Amiral
Admiral
Hǎijūn shang jiang
Fariq awwal
Admiral
Almirante
Laksamana
Admirali
OF 8
Vice admiral
Vicealmirante
Vice-amiral d'escadre
Vitse-admiral
Hǎijūn zhong jiang
Fariq
Vice admiral
Vice-almirante
Laksamana madya
Makamu admirali
OF 7
Rear admiral
Contralalmirante
Vice-amiral
Contre-admiral
Hǎijūn shao jiang
Liwa
Rear admiral
Contra-almirante
Laksamana muda
Admirali mdogo
OF 6
Commodore
Comodoro
Contre-amiral
Kapitán 1-go ranga
Hǎijūn da xiao
Amid
Commodore
Comodoro
Laksamana pertama
Commodore
OF 5
Captain
Capitán de navío
Capitaine de vaisseau
Kapitán 2-go ranga
Hǎijūn shang xiao
Aqid
Captain
Capitão de mar e guerra
Kepten
Nahodha
OF 4
Commander
Capitán de fregata
Capitaine de frégate
Kapitán 3-go ranga
Hǎijūn zhong xiao
Muqaddam
Commander
Capitão de fregata
Komander
Kamanda
OF 3
Lieutenant commander
Capitán de corbeta
Capitaine de corvettte
Kapitán leytenant
Hǎijūn shao xiao
Ra'id
Lieutenant commander
Capitão de corveta
Letnan komander
Luteni kamanda
OF 2
Lieutenant
Teniente de navío
Lieutenant de vaisseau
Stárshiy leytenant
Hǎijūn shang wei
Naqib
Lieutenant
Capitão-tenente
Letnan
Luteni
OF 1
Sub-lieutenant
Alférez de navío
Enseigne de vaisseau de premiere classe
Leytenant
Hǎijūn zhong wei
Mulazim awwal
Sub-lieutenant
Tenente
Letnan madya
Luteni usu
Midshipman
Alférez de fregata
Enseigne de vaisseau de seconde classe
Mládshiy leytenánt
Hǎijūn shao wei
Mulazim thani
Midshipman
Guarda-marinha
Letnan muda
Bendera
OR 9
Master warrant officer
Subofficial mayor
Major
Stárshiy michman
Hǎijūn yi ji jun shi zhang
Musaid awwal
Master chief petty officer 1st class
Sargento-mor
Bintara tinggi kepala
Afisa mteule meja
Warrant officer 1
Subofficial
Maître-principal
Michman
Hǎijūn er ji jun shi zhang
Musaid thani
Master chief petty officer 2nd class
Sargento-chefe
Bintara tinggi satu
Afisa mteule daraja la kwanza
OR 8
Warrant officer 2
Brigada
Premier-maître
Mládshiy michman
Hǎijūn san ji jun shi zhang
Musaid
Fleet chief petty officer 1st class
Sargento-ajudante
Bintara tinggi dua
Afisa mteule daraja la pili
OR 7
Master chief petty officer
Sargento primero
Maître-chef
Glavny korabelny starshyná
Hǎijūn shang shi
Raqib awwal
Fleet chief petty officer 2nd class
Sargento
Sersan mayor
Afisa mteule daraja la tatu
OR 6
Chief petty officer
Sargento
Maître
Glavny starshyná
Hǎijūn zhong shi
Raqib
Chief petty officer
Subsargento
Seran kepala
Sajinitaji
OR 5
1st class petty officer
Cabo mayor
Second-maître
Starshyná 1 staji
Hǎijūn shao shi
Wakil raqib
1st class petty officer
Cabo
Sersan
Sajenti
OR 4
2nd class petty officer
Cabo primero
Quartier-maître de premiere classe
Starshyná 2 staji
Hǎijūn shang deng bing
Earif awwal
2nd class petty officer
Primeiro-marinheiro
Kopral
Koplo
OR 3
Leading rating
Cabo
Quartier-maître de seconde classe
Kvartirmeister
Hǎijūn zhong deng bing
Earif
Leading seaman
Segundo-marinheiro
Kelasi kepala
Koplo usu
OR 2
Able rating
Marinero de primera
Matelot
Stárshiy matros
Hǎijūn shao deng bing
Jundiun awwal
Able seaman
Primeiro-grumete
Kelasi satu
Baharia
OR 1
Ordinary rating
Marinero
Mousse
Matros
Hǎijūn lie bing
Jundiun
Ordinary seaman
Segundo-grumete
Kelasi dua
Baharia
Latter two languages were official languages of UN, but were hardly used in the UN military and were fully discontinued by Earth Republic and Global Federation, as they had little to no population speaking said languages.
I was considering perhaps going for an alternate version, but I really don't like the idea of army style insignia in the Space Force, nor do I like the idea of Army style insignia for the Navy.
I considered different insignia for NCO/Enlisted with Air Force, Space Force and the Navy (and even JCO/WO before I remembered going with the Indian Subcontinent style). But then I wasn't sure what to go with for the Space Force (Air Force has the propellers and Navy the anchors, thought I am not sure if I would be able to fill out all the ranks.
For the rank titles, I considered changing army general titles to match with the French style Corps/Division rather than the Lieutenant/Major style. I also considered trying something like "Lieutenant Admiral" rather than "Vice Admiral" for the Space Force as a counterpart to Commonwealth Air Forces with the Vice-Marshal, but the idea of "Major Admiral" or "Space Brigadier" did not sit right with me.
UN military here is not the combination of the P5 members.
By 2060s and later UN comes to long term administration of several regions including DR Congo, Haiti, West Sahara, (now ex-) Saudi Arabia, Yeman and Afghanistan, among others, and it's Parliamentary Assembly (a body created between now and then that has representatives of UN administrated people, rather than the functional member states) decided that it needs a "native" military force rather than fully rely troops seconded from the member states as Peacekeepers (how would that be funded? Taxes on the UN administrated regions, thought probably alongside whatever member state contribution that could be secured). The "Britishness" comes from the fact that India-Pakistan-Bandladesh use that style rather than anything about the UK itself.
I have already moved away from the Commonwealth style Air Force sleeve insignia, I have considered fully going with Generals for the Air Force instead of Marshals (and other rank title things) but the fact is that the English language specified as an official language of the UN is explicitly British English, not American (and also the Indian Subcontinent thing).
To put that aside, there is little to no alternative rank insignia for naval services (only big difference is a star or some other symbol replacing the "executive curl" but many non-Commonwealth nations still use the curl). So I don't intend to change that (I have already moved away from Commonwealth traditions with the naval enlisted by not going with anchors (outside of one rank)).
Suppose I could try leaning towards French traditions for the Army and the Air Force as that would be the biggest influence in direct UN ruled areas next to the Commonwealth (mostly via Middle East, thought also some parts of Africa, but there is also my wish to honour the Indian Subcontinent contributions towards the Peacekeepers). But that would mainly mean more freaking sleeve stripes. Hmm, perhaps rather than "sword and baton with pip; sword and baton with emblem/crown; sword and baton with pip and emblem/crown" I could go with "increasing number of stars on the sleeve (perhaps I could still include the sword and baton?)" for the generals. Moving from diamond shaped pips to stars could be done alongside that I suppose. That would also serve as something of a reference to Russian/Chinese rank insignia I suppose.
(Regarding your other post, I will consider it. I do think I could work something out of cuff lace + some other stuff (part of my helmet crest colour idea is from seeing that Swiss Guards do that, so I might keep that in some form. Thought perhaps as something like corps colours rather than rank), I think the sash idea has merit as well.)
(Regarding your other post, I will consider it. I do think I could work something out of cuff lace + some other stuff (part of my helmet crest colour idea is from seeing that Swiss Guards do that, so I might keep that in some form. Thought perhaps as something like corps colours rather than rank), I think the sash idea has merit as well.)
My only issue with a purely helmet base rank insignia system is that in a social context (for example, a dance or when facing the king / emperor) they probably would not wear their helmet on but either carry it under their arm or leave it with the coat-check girl so that you might want something in their hatless uniform to indicate their rank.
The Imperial Terran Army and the Imperial Terran Navy, for a future timeline that I plan on creating eventually. Very WIP and probably a bit rushed, but here it is:
Rank
Insignia
Explanation
Command level
Supreme General
S in gold
Senior officer of the army, chosen after Supreme General dies/retires
Entire army
High General
H in gold
Pinnacle of exceptional careers, personally chosen by High Command
Systems Army, Head of branch, or part of High Command
Colonel General
Four Stars
Promoted after forty five years of service
Army Group CO, Deputy of branch or staff
Major General
Three Stars
Promoted after forty years of service
Army, Army Group XO, or staff
Captain General
Two Stars
Promoted after thirty five years of service
Corps, or staff
Lieutenant General
One Star
Promoted after thirty years of service
Division, Corps XO or staff
Colonel
Four silver bars
Promotion after twenty five years of service
Brigade, Division XO, or staff
Lieutenant Colonel
Three silver bars
Promotion after twenty years of service
Battalion, Brigade XO or staff
Major
Two silver bars
Promotion after fifteen years of service
Battalion or staff
Captain
One silver bar
Promotion requires ten years of service and passing relevant courses
Company, Battalion XO or staff
Senior Lieutenant
Three gold bars
Promotion requires four years of service (two if honor graduates of the Army Academy)
Platoon, Company XO, or staff
Lieutenant
Two gold bars
Promotion requires two years of service or directly for those that are honor graduates of the Army Academy
Platoon or staff
Junior Lieutenant
One gold bar
Officer straight out of the Army Academy
Platoon or staff
Cadet
Nothing
Officer in training
None
Master Sergeant
Three gold chevrons over three bars
Promotion requires five years as a Chief Sergeant
Brigade (and higher) Sergeant Major and staff NCO
Chief Sergeant
Three gold chevrons over two bars
Promotion requires five years as a Senior Sergeant
Battalion Sergeant Major or staff NCO
Senior Sergeant
Three gold chevrons over one bar
Promotion requires five years as a Sergeant and passing the Staff NCO Course
Company Sergeant Major or staff NCO
Sergeant
Three gold chevrons
Promotion requires five years as a Corporal and passing the Advanced NCO Course
Distinction requiring three years as Lance Corporal
Fireteam of 4 soldiers (
Chief Lance Corporal
One gold chevrons over two bars
Distinction requiring two years as Lance Corporal
Fireteam of 4 soldiers
Senior Lance Corporal
One gold chevrons over three bars
Distinction requiring one year as Lance Corporal
Fireteam of 4 soldiers
Lance Corporal
One gold chevron
Promotion requires attending Basic NCO Course
Fireteam of 4 soldiers
Master Private
Three red bars
Distinction requiring three years of service
None
Chief Private
Two red bars
Distinction requiring two years of service
None
Senior Private
One red bar
Distinction requiring one year of service
None
Private
Nothing
Fresh from training
None
Rank
Insignia
Explanation
Command
Supreme Admiral
S in gold
Senior officer of Navy, chosen after last Supreme Admiral dies/retires
Entire fleet
High Admiral
H in gold
Pinnacle of exception careers, personally chosen by High Command
Systems Fleet, head of Branch or part of High Command
Admiral
Four stars
Promotion after forty five years of service
Battle Group or staff
Vice Admiral
Three Stars
Promotion after forty years of service
Battle Group or staff
Rear Admiral
Two Stars
Promotion after thirty five years of service
Battle Group, or staff
Commodore
One Stars
Promotion after thirty years of service
Destroyer Flotilla, non-Destroyer Squadron, or staff
Captain
Four silver bars
Promotion after twenty five years of service
Cruiser, Battleship, Destroyer Squadron commander, or staff
Senior Commander
Three silver bars
Promotion after twenty years of service
Department, Cruiser XO, Battleship XO, or staff
Commander
Two silver bars
Promotion after fifteen years of service
Department, Destroyer, or Staff
Junior Commander
One silver bar
Promotion requires ten years of service and passing relevant courses
Department, Destroyer, or Staff
Senior Lieutenant
Three gold bars
Promotion requires four years of service (two if honor graduates of the Army Academy)
Division, Department, Destroyer XO or staff
Lieutenant
Two gold bars
Promotion requires two years of service or directly for those that are honor graduates of the Naval Academy
Division, Department Corvette, or staff
Junior Lieutenant
One gold bar
Fresh from the Naval Academy
Division or staff
Cadet
Nothing
None
Master Petty Officer
Three gold chevrons over three bars
Promotion requires twenty five years as a Petty Officer
Command level Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer
Three gold chevrons over two bars
Promotion requires passing Departmental Petty Officer Examination and twenty years as a Petty Officer
Department Petty Officer
Senior Petty Officer
Three gold chevrons over one bar
Promotion requires passing Divisional Petty Officer's Examination and fifteen years as a Petty Officer
Divisional Petty Officer
Petty Officer 1st Class
Three gold chevrons
Promotion requires ten years a a Petty Officer
Watch Petty Officer
Senior Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class
Two gold chevrons over three bars
Distinction requiring three years in grade
Watch Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class
Two gold chevrons over two bars
Distinction requiring two years in grade
Watch Petty Officer
Senior Petty Officer 2nd Class
Two gold chevrons over one bar
Distinction requiring one year in grade
Watch Petty Officer
Petty Officer 2nd Class
Two gold chevrons
Promotion requires at least five years as a Petty Officer
Watch Petty Officer
Senior Chief Petty Officer 3rd Class
One gold chevron over three bars
Distinction requiring three years ion grade
Watch Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer 3rd Class
One gold chevron over two bars
Distinction requires two years in grade
Watch Petty Officer
Senior Petty Officer 3rd Class
One gold chevron over one bar
Distinction requires one year in grade
Watch Petty Officer
Petty Officer 3rd Class
One gold chevron
Promotion requires passing Junior Petty Officer's Examination and Watch Examination
Watch Petty Officer
Senior Chief Spacer
Three red bars
Distinction requiring three year of service
None
Chief Spacer
Two red bars
Distinction requiring two years of service
None
Senior Spacer
One red bar
Distinction requiring one year of service
None
Spacer
Nothing
Fresh from training
None
More than willing to hear feedback and suggestions. Though I do plan on reworking the insignia themselves to be better looking overall. But for my first attempt, I think they do alright.
The Imperial Terran Army and the Imperial Terran Navy, for a future timeline that I plan on creating eventually. Very WIP and probably a bit rushed, but here it is:
Distinction requiring three years as Lance Corporal
Fireteam of 4 soldiers (
Chief Lance Corporal
One gold chevrons over two bars
Distinction requiring two years as Lance Corporal
Fireteam of 4 soldiers
Senior Lance Corporal
One gold chevrons over three bars
Distinction requiring one year as Lance Corporal
Fireteam of 4 soldiers
Lance Corporal
One gold chevron
Promotion requires attending Basic NCO Course
Fireteam of 4 soldiers
Master Private
Three red bars
Distinction requiring three years of service
None
Chief Private
Two red bars
Distinction requiring two years of service
None
Senior Private
One red bar
Distinction requiring one year of service
None
Private
Nothing
Fresh from training
None
Rank
Insignia
Explanation
Command
Supreme Admiral
S in gold
Senior officer of Navy, chosen after last Supreme Admiral dies/retires
Entire fleet
High Admiral
H in gold
Pinnacle of exception careers, personally chosen by High Command
Systems Fleet, head of Branch or part of High Command
Admiral
Four stars
Promotion after forty five years of service
Battle Group or staff
Vice Admiral
Three Stars
Promotion after forty years of service
Battle Group or staff
Rear Admiral
Two Stars
Promotion after thirty five years of service
Battle Group, or staff
Commodore
One Stars
Promotion after thirty years of service
Destroyer Flotilla, non-Destroyer Squadron, or staff
Captain
Four silver bars
Promotion after twenty five years of service
Cruiser, Battleship, Destroyer Squadron commander, or staff
Senior Commander
Three silver bars
Promotion after twenty years of service
Department, Cruiser XO, Battleship XO, or staff
Commander
Two silver bars
Promotion after fifteen years of service
Department, Destroyer, or Staff
Junior Commander
One silver bar
Promotion requires ten years of service and passing relevant courses
Department, Destroyer, or Staff
Senior Lieutenant
Three gold bars
Promotion requires four years of service (two if honor graduates of the Army Academy)
Division, Department, Destroyer XO or staff
Lieutenant
Two gold bars
Promotion requires two years of service or directly for those that are honor graduates of the Naval Academy
Division, Department Corvette, or staff
Junior Lieutenant
One gold bar
Fresh from the Naval Academy
Division or staff
Cadet
Nothing
None
Master Petty Officer
Three gold chevrons over three bars
Promotion requires twenty five years as a Petty Officer
Command level Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer
Three gold chevrons over two bars
Promotion requires passing Departmental Petty Officer Examination and twenty years as a Petty Officer
Department Petty Officer
Senior Petty Officer
Three gold chevrons over one bar
Promotion requires passing Divisional Petty Officer's Examination and fifteen years as a Petty Officer
Divisional Petty Officer
Petty Officer 1st Class
Three gold chevrons
Promotion requires ten years a a Petty Officer
Watch Petty Officer
Senior Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class
Two gold chevrons over three bars
Distinction requiring three years in grade
Watch Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class
Two gold chevrons over two bars
Distinction requiring two years in grade
Watch Petty Officer
Senior Petty Officer 2nd Class
Two gold chevrons over one bar
Distinction requiring one year in grade
Watch Petty Officer
Petty Officer 2nd Class
Two gold chevrons
Promotion requires at least five years as a Petty Officer
Watch Petty Officer
Senior Chief Petty Officer 3rd Class
One gold chevron over three bars
Distinction requiring three years ion grade
Watch Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer 3rd Class
One gold chevron over two bars
Distinction requires two years in grade
Watch Petty Officer
Senior Petty Officer 3rd Class
One gold chevron over one bar
Distinction requires one year in grade
Watch Petty Officer
Petty Officer 3rd Class
One gold chevron
Promotion requires passing Junior Petty Officer's Examination and Watch Examination
Watch Petty Officer
Senior Chief Spacer
Three red bars
Distinction requiring three year of service
None
Chief Spacer
Two red bars
Distinction requiring two years of service
None
Senior Spacer
One red bar
Distinction requiring one year of service
None
Spacer
Nothing
Fresh from training
None
More than willing to hear feedback and suggestions. Though I do plan on reworking the insignia themselves to be better looking overall. But for my first attempt, I think they do alright.
My 2 issue with using letters for the top ranks is that
1- "H" for High General only works if the whole world solely speaks english
2- even if everyone speaks english, they looks pretty tame compared to lower level.
you might want to make the Lieutenant general to Colonel General' stars gold (since in your system, silver outrank gold) and then have 1-2 silver for the 2 highest ranks. To make them even more distinctive, they could have more arms (ex: Silver 8-pointed stars vs Gold 4-pointed stars) or place them in a wreath.
My 2 issue with using letters for the top ranks is that
1- "H" for High General only works if the whole world solely speaks english
2- even if everyone speaks english, they looks pretty tame compared to lower level.
you might want to make the Lieutenant general to Colonel General' stars gold (since in your system, silver outrank gold) and then have 1-2 silver for the 2 highest ranks. To make them even more distinctive, they could have more arms (ex: Silver 8-pointed stars vs Gold 4-pointed stars) or place them in a wreath.
1: Fair enough, was considering replacing the High/Supreme rank insignia with other potential ones. Just not too sure what.
2: Honestly might change it to straight gold and increase the number of bars for Major, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel. Probably a bit easier that way. Might also change the silver stars to gold bar the top ranks. Might have those be black stars or something.
What else do you suggest changing/edting? I am a bit concerned that I have too many enlisted rank distinctions for the lower ranks, even if there are historical precedence for a few of them.
My only issue with a purely helmet base rank insignia system is that in a social context (for example, a dance or when facing the king / emperor) they probably would not wear their helmet on but either carry it under their arm or leave it with the coat-check girl so that you might want something in their hatless uniform to indicate their rank.
The coat sleeve is depicted as red in this picture thought this is far from universal (blue, green and white are other common coat colours). The sash is not worn in battle, as helmet plume/crest and cuff lace in considered enough. With the sashes being a feature of "dress uniforms".
For the Knightly Orders there is no such uniform. Instead the differences are:
Master - Commander of a knightly order, composed of a varying number of knight companies, up to 100 for the largest. Wore full plate, with a black plume and a tabard with the insignia of the master of the order (mostly the insignia of the order modified slightly to display the personal arms of the master on it), with their horse barded. Carried a shield with their personal arms imposed on the arms of the Order. Wore a long sword, a cape with the insignia of the master of the order (mostly the insignia of the order modified slightly to display the personal arms of the master on it), a star/sunburst medal of the order and a collar/chain of the order in non-combat/ceremonial occasions.
Lord Captain - Commands a knight company of 10 lances. Wore full plate, with a dark red plume and a tabard with the insignia of the order surrounded by a sunburst (a star/grand cross), with their horse barded. Carried a shield with their personal arms with the arms of the order inescutcheon. Wore a long sword, a cape with the insignia of the order surrounded by a sunburst (a star/grand cross), a star/sunburst medal of the order and a collar/chain of the order in non-combat/ceremonial occasions.
Knight Captain - Commands a "lance" of 3 to 12 men. Wore full plate, with a red plume and a tabard of the order, with their horse barded. Carried a shield of their own arms. Wore a long sword, a cape of the order and a collar/chain of the order in non-combat/ceremonial occasions.
Squire (considered equilavent to a regular captain) - equipped similarly to the knight captain in battle but with no plume, tabard, or barding. Carries a shield with the arms of the order. In non-combat/ceremonial occasions wore a dagger but no sword, and a tabard of the order above a captain's uniform.
Serjeant - Unarmoured horse, no shield, lance, torso armour (but none on the arms or legs), white plume on lobstertailed helmet as regular cavalry serjeants (one in the smallest knight lance, two in largest ones)
Soldier - Halbediers mounted for movement but not for combat or Horse Archers (who can also fight dismounted), not distinct from regular soldiers. (4 of each in the largest lances)
View attachment 852616
The coat sleeve is depicted as red in this picture thought this is far from universal (blue, green and white are other common coat colours). The sash is not worn in battle, as helmet plume/crest and cuff lace in considered enough. With the sashes being a feature of "dress uniforms".
For the Knightly Orders there is no such uniform. Instead the differences are:
Master - Commander of a knightly order, composed of a varying number of knight companies, up to 100 for the largest. Wore full plate, with a black plume and a tabard with the insignia of the master of the order (mostly the insignia of the order modified slightly to display the personal arms of the master on it), with their horse barded. Carried a shield with their personal arms imposed on the arms of the Order. Wore a long sword, a cape with the insignia of the master of the order (mostly the insignia of the order modified slightly to display the personal arms of the master on it), a star/sunburst medal of the order and a collar/chain of the order in non-combat/ceremonial occasions.
Lord Captain - Commands a knight company of 10 lances. Wore full plate, with a dark red plume and a tabard with the insignia of the order surrounded by a sunburst (a star/grand cross), with their horse barded. Carried a shield with their personal arms with the arms of the order inescutcheon. Wore a long sword, a cape with the insignia of the order surrounded by a sunburst (a star/grand cross), a star/sunburst medal of the order and a collar/chain of the order in non-combat/ceremonial occasions.
Knight Captain - Commands a "lance" of 3 to 12 men. Wore full plate, with a red plume and a tabard of the order, with their horse barded. Carried a shield of their own arms. Wore a long sword, a cape of the order and a collar/chain of the order in non-combat/ceremonial occasions.
Squire (considered equilavent to a regular captain) - equipped similarly to the knight captain in battle but with no plume, tabard, or barding. Carries a shield with the arms of the order. In non-combat/ceremonial occasions wore a dagger but no sword, and a tabard of the order above a captain's uniform.
Serjeant - Unarmoured horse, no shield, lance, torso armour (but none on the arms or legs), white plume on lobstertailed helmet as regular cavalry sergeants (one in the smallest knight lance, two in largest ones)
Soldier - Halbediers mounted for movement but not for combat or Horse Archers (who can also fight dismounted), not distinct from regular soldiers. (4 of each in the largest lances)
This is very nice. I'm almost tempted to do something similar for my own fantasy setting, but truth be told, I haven't figured out how I'd do soldiers ranks in their context yet. I've only created law enforcement ranks a few years ago, since it's closer to the sort of stories I focus on.
View attachment 852454
Rank insignia of the United Nations Armed Forces. From top to bottom; Ground/Land Force, Air Force, Space Force and Navy. The officer insignia for the latter two are sleeve insignia rather than shoulderboards, but most likely come in shoulder form as well.
Commonwealth inspiration (as well as Junior Commissioned Officer/Warrant Officer scale rank insignia) is inspired by the Indian Subcontinent. Which weren't really a large part of UNAM (other than Pakistan being part of UN administrated territories between 2222-2500), with Africa, Middle East and South America (as well as parts of Europe) being the main UN territories. But I went in this direction to honour the fact that Bangladesh, India and Pakistan being some of the biggest contributors to UN Peacekeepers OTL.
NATO code
English
Spanish
French
Russian
Chinese
Arabic
Hindi/Urdu
Portuguese
Indonesian
Swahili
OF 9
General
General de ejército
Général d'armée
Generál ármii
Shang jiang
Fariq awwal
General
General de exército
Jenderal
Jenerali
OF 8
Lieutenant general
Teniente general
Général de corps d'armée
Generál-polkóvnik
Zhong jiang
Fariq
Lieutenant general
Tenente-general
Letnan jenderal
Luteni jenerali
OF 7
Major general
General de división
Général de division
Generál-leytenánt
Shao jiang
Liwa
Major general
General de divisão
Mayor jenderal
Meja jenerali
OF 6
Brigadier general
General de brigada
Général de brigade
Generál-mayór
Da xiao
Amid
Brigadier
General de brigada
Brigadir jenderal
Brigedia jenerali
OF 5
Colonel
Coronel
Colonel
Polkóvnik
Shang xiao
Aqid
Colonel
Coronel
Kolonel
Kanali
OF 4
Lieutenant colonel
Teniente coronel
Lieutenant colonel
Podpolkóvnik
Zhong xiao
Muqaddam
Lieutenant colonel
Tenente-coronel
Letnan kolonel
Luteni kanali
OF 3
Major
Mayor
Commandant
Majór
Shao xiao
Ra'id
Major
Major
Mayor
Meja
OF 2
Captain
Capitán
Capitaine
Kapitán
Shang wei
Naqib
Captain
Capitão
Kapten
Kapteni
OF 1
Lieutenant
Teniente
Lieutenant
Leytenant
Zhong wei
Mulazim awwal
Lieutenant
Tenente
Letnan satu
Luteni
Second lieutenant
Subteniente
Sous-lieutenant
Mládshiy leytenánt
Shao wei
Mulazim thani
Second lieutenant
Subtenente
Letnan dua
Luteni usu
OR 9
Master warrant officer
Subofficial mayor
Major
Stárshiy práporshchik
Yi ji jun shi zhang
Musaid awwal
Subedar major/Risaldar major
Sargento-mor
Bintara tinggi kepala
Afisa mteule meja
Warrant officer class 1
Subofficial
Adjudant-chef
Práporshchik
Er ji jun shi zhang
Musaid thani
Subedar/Risaldar
Sargento-chefe
Bintara tinggi satu
Afisa mteule daraja la kwanza
OR 8
Warrant officer class 2
Sargento ayudante
Adjudant
Starshyná
San ji jun shi zhang
Musaid
Naib subedar/Naib risaldar
Sargento-ajudante
Bintara tinggi dua
Afisa mteule daraja la pili
OR 7
Sergeant major
Sargento mayor
Sergent-major
Stárshiy serzhánt
Shang shi
Raqib awwal
Havildar major/Daffadar major
Primeiro-sargento
Sersan mayor
Afisa mteule daraja la tatu
OR 6
Staff sergeant
Sargento primero
Sergent-chef
Serzhánt
Zhong shi
Raqib
Quartermaster havildar/Quartermaster daffadar
Segundo-sargento
Seran kepala
Sajinitaji
OR 5
Sergeant
Sargento
Sergent
Mládshiy serzhánt
Shao shi
Wakil raqib
Havildar/Daffadar
Terceiro-sargento
Sersan
Sajenti
OR 4
Corporal
Cabo primero
Caporal-chef
Stárshiy yefréytor
Shang deng bing
Earif awwal
Naik/Lance daffadar
Cabo-adjunto
Kopral
Koplo
OR 3
Lance corporal
Cabo
Caporal
Yefréytor
Zhong deng bing
Earif
Lance naik/Acting lance daffadar
Primeiro-cabo
Lans kopral
Koplo usu
OR 2
Private first class
Soldado de primera
Soldat de premiere classe
Stárshiy ryadovóy
Shao deng bing
Jundiun awwal
Sepoy/Sowar
Segundo-cabo
Prajurit satu
Mwanajeshi
OR 1
Private
Soldado
Soldat
Ryadovóy
Lie bing
Jundiun
Sepoy/Sowar
Soldado
Prajurit dua
Mwanajeshi
Latter two languages were official languages of UN, but were hardly used in the UN military and were fully discontinued by Earth Republic and Global Federation, as they had little to no population speaking said languages.
NATO code
English
Spanish
French
Russian
Chinese
Arabic
Hindi/Urdu
Portuguese
Indonesian
Swahili
OF 9
Air chief marshal
General del aire
Général d'armée aérienne
Generál ármii
Kōngjūn shang jiang
Fariq awwal
Air chief marshal
General de exército
Marsekal
Jenerali
OF 8
Air marshal
Teniente general
Général de corps aérien
Generál-polkóvnik
Kōngjūn zhong jiang
Fariq
Air marshal
Tenente-general
Marsekal madya
Luteni jenerali
OF 7
Air vice marshal
General de división
Général de division aérienne
Generál-leytenánt
Kōngjūn shao jiang
Liwa
Air vice marshal
General de divisão
Marsekal muda
Meja jenerali
OF 6
Air commodore
General de brigada
Général de brigade aérienne
Generál-mayór
Kōngjūn da xiao
Amid
Air commodore
General de brigada
Marsekal pertama
Brigedia jenerali
OF 5
Group captain
Coronel
Colonel
Polkóvnik
Kōngjūn shang xiao
Aqid
Group captain
Coronel
Kolonel
Kanali
OF 4
Wing commander
Teniente coronel
Lieutenant colonel
Podpolkóvnik
Kōngjūn zhong xiao
Muqaddam
Wing commander
Tenente-coronel
Letnan kolonel
Luteni kanali
OF 3
Squadron leader
Mayor
Commandant
Majór
Kōngjūn shao xiao
Ra'id
Squadron leader
Major
Mayor
Meja
OF 2
Flight lieutenant
Capitán
Capitaine
Kapitán
Kōngjūn shang wei
Naqib
Flight lieutenant
Capitão
Kapten
Kapteni
OF 1
Flying officer
Teniente
Lieutenant
Leytenant
Kōngjūn zhong wei
Mulazim awwal
Flying officer
Tenente
Letnan satu
Luteni
Pilot officer
Subteniente
Sous-lieutenant
Mládshiy leytenánt
Kōngjūn shao wei
Mulazim thani
Pilot officer
Subtenente
Letnan dua
Luteni usu
OR 9
Warrant officer class 1
Subofficial mayor
Major
Stárshiy práporshchik
Kōngjūn yi ji jun shi zhang
Musaid awwal
Master warrant officer
Sargento-mor
Bintara tinggi kepala
Maafisa wateule meja
Warrant officer class 2
Subofficial
Adjudant-chef
Práporshchik
Kōngjūn er ji jun shi zhang
Musaid thani
Warrant officer
Sargento-chefe
Bintara tinggi satu
Maafisa wateule 1
OR 8
Flight sergeant
Sargento ayudante
Adjudant
Starshyná
Kōngjūn san ji jun shi zhang
Musaid
Assistan warrant officer
Sargento-ajudante
Bintara tinggi dua
Maafisa wateule 2
OR 7
Chief technician
Sargento mayor
Sergent-major
Stárshiy serzhánt
Kōngjūn shang shi
Raqib awwal
Chief technician
Primeiro-sargento
Sersan mayor
Maafisa wateule 3
OR 6
Senior technician
Sargento primero
Sergent-chef
Serzhánt
Kōngjūn zhong shi
Raqib
Senior technician
Segundo-sargento
Seran kepala
Sajenti kuruka
OR 5
Sergeant
Sargento
Sergent
Mládshiy serzhánt
Kōngjūn shao shi
Wakil raqib
Corporal technician
Terceiro-sargento
Sersan
Sajenti
OR 4
Corporal
Cabo primero
Caporal-chef
Stárshiy yefréytor
Kōngjūn shang deng bing
Earif awwal
Junior technician
Cabo-adjunto
Kopral
Koplo
OR 3
Air specialist technician
Cabo
Caporal
Yefréytor
Kōngjūn zhong deng bing
Earif
Senior aircraftman
Primeiro-cabo
Lans kopral
Koplo mdogo
OR 2
Air specialist
Soldado de primera
Soldat de premiere classe
Stárshiy ryadovóy
Kōngjūn shao deng bing
Jundiun awwal
Leading aircraftman
Segundo-cabo
Prajurit satu
Mtu ndege
OR 1
Air recruit
Soldado
Soldat
Ryadovóy
Kōngjūn lie bing
Jundiun
Aircraftman
Soldado
Prajurit dua
Mtu ndege
Latter two languages were official languages of UN, but were hardly used in the UN military and were fully discontinued by Earth Republic and Global Federation, as they had little to no population speaking said languages.
NATO code
English
Spanish
French
Russian
Chinese
Arabic
Hindi/Urdu
Portuguese
Indonesian
Swahili
OF 9
Admiral of space
Almirante de espacio
Amiral de l'espace
Kosmo-admiral
Tàijūn shang jiang
Fariq awwal
Admiral of space
Almirante de espaço
Laksamana luar angkasa
Admirali wa anga-nje
OF 8
Vice admiral of space
Vicealmirante de espacio
Vice-amiral de l'espace
Kosmo-vitse-admiral
Tàijūn zhong jiang
Fariq
Vice admiral of space
Vice-almirante de espaço
Laksamana madya luar angkasa
Makamu admirali wa anga-nje
OF 7
Rear admiral of space
Contralalmirante de espacio
Contre-amiral de l'espace
Kosmo-contre-admiral
Tàijūn shao jiang
Liwa
Rear admiral of space
Contra-almirante de espaço
Laksamana muda luar angkasa
Admirali mdogo wa anga-nje
OF 6
Space commodore
Comodoro de espacio
Commandeur de l'espace
Kosmo-kapitán 1-go ranga
Tàijūn da xiao
Amid
Space commodore
Comodoro de espaço
Laksamana pertama luar angkasa
Commodore wa anga-nje
OF 5
Captain of space
Capitán de navío espacial
Capitaine de vaisseau spatial
Kosmo-kapitán 2-go ranga
Tàijūn shang xiao
Aqid
Captain of space
Capitão de espaço e guerra
Kepten luar angkasa
Nahodha wa anga-nje
OF 4
Commander of space
Capitán de fregata espacial
Capitaine de frégate spatial
Kosmo-kapitán 3-go ranga
Tàijūn zhong xiao
Muqaddam
Commander of space
Capitão de fregata espacial
Komander luar angkasa
Kamanda wa anga-nje
OF 3
Lieutenant commander of space
Capitán de aviso
Capitaine de aviso
Kosmo-kapitán leytenant
Tàijūn shao xiao
Ra'id
Lieutenant commander of space
Capitão de aviso
Letnan komander luar angkasa
Luteni kamanda wa anga-nje
OF 2
Space lieutenant
Teniente de navío espacial
Lieutenant de vaisseau spatial
Stárshiy kosmo-leytenant
Tàijūn shang wei
Naqib
Space lieutenant
Capitão-tenente espacial
Letnan luar angkasa
Luteni wa anga-nje
OF 1
Space sub-lieutenant
Alférez de navío espacial
Enseigne de vaisseau spatial de premiere classe
Kosmo-leytenant
Tàijūn zhong wei
Mulazim awwal
Space sub-lieutenant
Tenente espacial
Letnan madya luar angkasa
Luteni usu wa anga-nje
Space ensign
Alférez de fregata espacial
Enseigne de vaisseau spatial de seconde classe
Mládshiy kosmo-leytenánt
Tàijūn shao wei
Mulazim thani
Space ensign
Guarda-espacial
Letnan muda luar angkasa
Bendera wa anga-nje
OR 9
Master warrant officer
Subofficial mayor
Major
Stárshiy kosmo-michman
Tàijūn yi ji jun shi zhang
Musaid awwal
Master chief petty officer 1st class
Sargento-mor
Bintara tinggi kepala
Afisa mteule meja
Warrant officer 1
Subofficial
Maître-principal
Kosmo-michman
Tàijūn er ji jun shi zhang
Musaid thani
Master chief petty officer 2nd class
Sargento-chefe
Bintara tinggi satu
Afisa mteule daraja la kwanza
OR 8
Warrant officer 2
Brigada
Premier-maître
Mládshiy kosmo-michman
Tàijūn san ji jun shi zhang
Musaid
Senior chief petty officer 1st class
Sargento-ajudante
Bintara tinggi dua
Afisa mteule daraja la pili
OR 7
Master chief petty officer
Sargento primero
Maître-chef
Glavny zvezdolot starshyná
Tàijūn shang shi
Raqib awwal
Senior chief petty officer 2nd class
Sargento
Sersan mayor
Afisa mteule daraja la tatu
OR 6
Chief petty officer
Sargento
Maître
Glavny kosmo-starshyná
Tàijūn zhong shi
Raqib
Chief petty officer
Subsargento
Seran kepala
Sajinitaji
OR 5
1st class petty officer
Cabo mayor
Second-maître
Kosmo-starshyná 1 staji
Tàijūn shao shi
Wakil raqib
1st class petty officer
Cabo
Sersan
Sajenti
OR 4
2nd class petty officer
Cabo primero
Quartier-maître de premiere classe
Kosmo-starshyná 2 staji
Tàijūn shang deng bing
Earif awwal
2nd class petty officer
Primeiro-espaçador
Kopral
Koplo
OR 3
Leading specialist
Cabo
Quartier-maître de seconde classe
Kosmo-kvartirmeister
Tàijūn zhong deng bing
Earif
Leading spaceman
Segundo-espaçador
Angkasawan kepala
Koplo usu
OR 2
Able specialist
Espaciador de primera
Spationaute de premiere classe
Stárshiy kosmonaut
Tàijūn shao deng bing
Jundiun awwal
Able spaceman
Primeiro-grumete espacial
Angkasawan satu
Mwanaanga
OR 1
Ordinary specialist
Espaciador
Spationaute
Kosmonaut
Tàijūn lie bing
Jundiun
Ordinary spaceman
Segundo-grumete espacial
Angkasawan dua
Mwanaanga
Latter two languages were official languages of UN, but were hardly used in the UN military and were fully discontinued by Earth Republic and Global Federation, as they had little to no population speaking said languages.
NATO code
English
Spanish
French
Russian
Chinese
Arabic
Hindi/Urdu
Portuguese
Indonesian
Swahili
OF 9
Admiral
Almirante
Amiral
Admiral
Hǎijūn shang jiang
Fariq awwal
Admiral
Almirante
Laksamana
Admirali
OF 8
Vice admiral
Vicealmirante
Vice-amiral d'escadre
Vitse-admiral
Hǎijūn zhong jiang
Fariq
Vice admiral
Vice-almirante
Laksamana madya
Makamu admirali
OF 7
Rear admiral
Contralalmirante
Vice-amiral
Contre-admiral
Hǎijūn shao jiang
Liwa
Rear admiral
Contra-almirante
Laksamana muda
Admirali mdogo
OF 6
Commodore
Comodoro
Contre-amiral
Kapitán 1-go ranga
Hǎijūn da xiao
Amid
Commodore
Comodoro
Laksamana pertama
Commodore
OF 5
Captain
Capitán de navío
Capitaine de vaisseau
Kapitán 2-go ranga
Hǎijūn shang xiao
Aqid
Captain
Capitão de mar e guerra
Kepten
Nahodha
OF 4
Commander
Capitán de fregata
Capitaine de frégate
Kapitán 3-go ranga
Hǎijūn zhong xiao
Muqaddam
Commander
Capitão de fregata
Komander
Kamanda
OF 3
Lieutenant commander
Capitán de corbeta
Capitaine de corvettte
Kapitán leytenant
Hǎijūn shao xiao
Ra'id
Lieutenant commander
Capitão de corveta
Letnan komander
Luteni kamanda
OF 2
Lieutenant
Teniente de navío
Lieutenant de vaisseau
Stárshiy leytenant
Hǎijūn shang wei
Naqib
Lieutenant
Capitão-tenente
Letnan
Luteni
OF 1
Sub-lieutenant
Alférez de navío
Enseigne de vaisseau de premiere classe
Leytenant
Hǎijūn zhong wei
Mulazim awwal
Sub-lieutenant
Tenente
Letnan madya
Luteni usu
Midshipman
Alférez de fregata
Enseigne de vaisseau de seconde classe
Mládshiy leytenánt
Hǎijūn shao wei
Mulazim thani
Midshipman
Guarda-marinha
Letnan muda
Bendera
OR 9
Master warrant officer
Subofficial mayor
Major
Stárshiy michman
Hǎijūn yi ji jun shi zhang
Musaid awwal
Master chief petty officer 1st class
Sargento-mor
Bintara tinggi kepala
Afisa mteule meja
Warrant officer 1
Subofficial
Maître-principal
Michman
Hǎijūn er ji jun shi zhang
Musaid thani
Master chief petty officer 2nd class
Sargento-chefe
Bintara tinggi satu
Afisa mteule daraja la kwanza
OR 8
Warrant officer 2
Brigada
Premier-maître
Mládshiy michman
Hǎijūn san ji jun shi zhang
Musaid
Fleet chief petty officer 1st class
Sargento-ajudante
Bintara tinggi dua
Afisa mteule daraja la pili
OR 7
Master chief petty officer
Sargento primero
Maître-chef
Glavny korabelny starshyná
Hǎijūn shang shi
Raqib awwal
Fleet chief petty officer 2nd class
Sargento
Sersan mayor
Afisa mteule daraja la tatu
OR 6
Chief petty officer
Sargento
Maître
Glavny starshyná
Hǎijūn zhong shi
Raqib
Chief petty officer
Subsargento
Seran kepala
Sajinitaji
OR 5
1st class petty officer
Cabo mayor
Second-maître
Starshyná 1 staji
Hǎijūn shao shi
Wakil raqib
1st class petty officer
Cabo
Sersan
Sajenti
OR 4
2nd class petty officer
Cabo primero
Quartier-maître de premiere classe
Starshyná 2 staji
Hǎijūn shang deng bing
Earif awwal
2nd class petty officer
Primeiro-marinheiro
Kopral
Koplo
OR 3
Leading rating
Cabo
Quartier-maître de seconde classe
Kvartirmeister
Hǎijūn zhong deng bing
Earif
Leading seaman
Segundo-marinheiro
Kelasi kepala
Koplo usu
OR 2
Able rating
Marinero de primera
Matelot
Stárshiy matros
Hǎijūn shao deng bing
Jundiun awwal
Able seaman
Primeiro-grumete
Kelasi satu
Baharia
OR 1
Ordinary rating
Marinero
Mousse
Matros
Hǎijūn lie bing
Jundiun
Ordinary seaman
Segundo-grumete
Kelasi dua
Baharia
Latter two languages were official languages of UN, but were hardly used in the UN military and were fully discontinued by Earth Republic and Global Federation, as they had little to no population speaking said languages.
I was considering perhaps going for an alternate version, but I really don't like the idea of army style insignia in the Space Force, nor do I like the idea of Army style insignia for the Navy.
I considered different insignia for NCO/Enlisted with Air Force, Space Force and the Navy (and even JCO/WO before I remembered going with the Indian Subcontinent style). But then I wasn't sure what to go with for the Space Force (Air Force has the propellers and Navy the anchors, thought I am not sure if I would be able to fill out all the ranks).
For the rank titles, I considered changing army general titles to match with the French style Corps/Division rather than the Lieutenant/Major style. I also considered trying something like "Lieutenant Admiral" rather than "Vice Admiral" for the Space Force as a counterpart to Commonwealth Air Forces with the Vice-Marshal, but the idea of "Major Admiral" or "Space Brigadier" did not sit right with me.
1: Warrant Officers (except for the US and some others) are generally appointed to various senior NCO roles for the army, including Sergeant Major (and other senior NCO) roles. From what I understand, its the same with the Junior Commissioned Officers of the subcontinent, which are akin to the Warrant Officers of the Commonwealth and othr non-US countries (though their perks are similar to US Warrant Officers). Similar problem with the Navy/Air Force/Space Force. Why have them both when its generally one or the other? Also, the shoulder boards are a bit too confusing for WO1/WO2, as they look quite similar to junior officer ranks bar the small distinctive marks, which could cause confusion to some. Maybe make them a bit more distinctive?
2: The Space Force titles could probably do without "of Space" at the end. It would almost always be eliminated in every day use (and on most documents for length reasons). Maybe an (S) after them instead like was done with naviagating, medical and engineering officers in the Royal Navy?
3: It's a bit odd that the Air Force has a Sergeant be considered junior to a Technican rank (at least one that didn't have Sergeant after it, like in a few places). Perhaps rename Senior Technican and Chief Technican to Senior Sergeant and Chief Sergeant?
4: Historically speaking, Leading Rating was considered to be a non-NCO rank (which complicated things as it replaced Petty Officer 2nd Class in the Royal Navy) yet here it has the same stripe as actual NCO, Unless it's meant to be a junior NCO? If it's not, I suggest changing the insigia of it to 2 red chevrons to ensure it is clear that it's not an NCO rank. If it is meant to be a junior NCO, perhaps retitle it?
5: Otherwise, most everything seems fine to me. Nothing too much else jumps out. Very interesting ideas.
What else do you suggest changing/edting? I am a bit concerned that I have too many enlisted rank distinctions for the lower ranks, even if there are historical precedence for a few of them.
the number of lower ranks often reflects viewpoints of the general and/ or the government.
If you have conscription and don't expect your lower rankers to have much initiative, you would only need a few ranks (ex: no-rank conscripts who just do the bare minimum effort, 1 chevron conscript rank for showing enthusiasm, 2 chevrons conscript rank for being best in your cohort & 3 chevrons for conscripts who agree to sign a contract to remain in the army to train the next batch of conscripts )
If on the other hand you have a professional, volunteer army, you could have a lot of non-officers ranks so that people who sign up can see it as a career so that while they may not be officer material, they still have stuff to aspire to. (ex: no-rank volunteer recruit, volunteer recruit who passed basic training, volunteer who shows leadership potential, career soldiers who passed a leadership course, career soldiers who passed an advanced leadership course, career soldier who pass a specialist course, and so on, and so on)
So I would suggest: think of what kind of society they live in and what place the armed forces have in that society.
This is very nice. I'm almost tempted to do something similar for my own fantasy setting, but truth be told, I haven't figured out how I'd do soldiers ranks in their context yet. I've only created law enforcement ranks a few years ago, since it's closer to the sort of stories I focus on.
maybe go for heraldic symbols. Chevrons are common so are Estoiles (6-pointed wavy stars). Gorget goes back to the middle ages as part of a knight's armour so they could serve to tell officers from non-officers. If you have a specific time period you are trying to emulate, maybe look at clothings of that period and see if elements could be modified (ex: the "Ruff" of the 16th-17th century would indicate an officer while a shoulder to waist sash could carry an insignia specific to a given rank)
Another idea would be to have all ranks wear rings around their cuffs but the type (and number) changes with rank:
- Lower-sub-officer: 1+ ring in contrasting colour cloth
- upper sub-officers: 1+ ring including metalic silverish threads
- Low Officer: 1+ ring made of lace
- Upper Officers: 1+ ring made of gold threads depicting oak leaves
- etc......
1: Warrant Officers (except for the US and some others) are generally appointed to various senior NCO roles for the army, including Sergeant Major roles. From what I understand, that is true even with the Junior Commissioed Officers of the subcontinent. Similar problem with the Navy/Air Force/Space Force. Why have them both? Also, having the shoulder boards are a bit too much like actual officers, might want to make them a bit more distinctive
JCOs do have their rank insignia on shoulders iOTL. As for the senior NCOs and Warrant Officers co-existing, well most OTL Commonwealth armies have Staff Sergeants as well as two grades of Warrant Officers. IIRC my commitment to three grades of Warrant Officer was the JCO grade. As for adding the NCO grade, iirc that was after checking rank structure of several nations and deciding that number of NCO/Enlisted ranks was good. But I am not 100% sure now I look back on it.
Hmm, I think I came to that number when first working on the European Federation ranks, I was trying to look for an average number of NCO rank grades. When moving to the UNAM I think I took that as a starting point and went from three tiers of lieutenant (well two + an ensign rank) to simply two tiers of lieutenant.
2: The Space Force titles could probably do without "of Space" at the end. It would almost always be eliminated in every day use (and on most documents for length reasons). Maybe an (S) after them instead like was done with naviagating, medical and engineering officers in the Royal Navy?
That is certainly fair. My main thoughts were on how some air forces have their general ranks have the Air in them (Brigadier General to General of Air Brigade, Divisional General to General of Air Division etc) and to a lesser extent the Commonwealth Style Air Marshals but I do agree that in everyday use the space bit probably does get cut (I imagine a continental "Ship of the Line Captain" or a Kapitan zur See" are probably simply called "Captain/Kapitan" unless there is a Frigate Captain and/or Corvette Captain nearby where confusion might be possible.
3: It's a bit odd that the Air Force has a Sergeant be considered junior to a Technican rank (at least one that didn't have Sergeant after it, like in a few places). Perhaps rename Senior Technican and Chief Technican to Senior Sergeant and Chief Sergeant?
Ah, Chief and Senior Technician were from Pakistani Air Force (thought technically Chief Technician was replaced by Assistant Warrant Officer in 2006). Thought the Pakistani Air Force does not have Sergeants.
But in the OTL Royal Air Force a Chief Technician outranks a Sergeant. Thought Flight Sergeants do outrank Chief Technicians but are in the same NATO grade.
4: Historically speaking, Leading Rating was considered to be a non-NCO rank (which complicated things as it replaced Petty Officer 2nd Class in the Royal Navy) yet here it has the same stripe as actual NCO, Unless it's meant to be a junior NCO? If it's not, I suggest changing the insigia of it to 2 red chevrons to ensure it is clear that it's not an NCO rank. If it is meant to be a junior NCO, perhaps retitle it?
Are you talking about Leading and Able Ratings both having a single chevron? To explain that, well I have a Corporal, Lance Corporal, Private First Class and Private grades. Now, of course normally Lance Corporal is pretty much equilavent to Private First Class rather than above it (thought there are some militaries out there which have both two grades of private and multiple grades of corporal).
To make it work with sergeant-three chevrons, corporal-two chevrons and lance corporal-one chevron I had the Private First Class one a different colour. Thought you'll notice the Air Force one doesn't have a different colour but instead the air specialist technician has the UN symbol on it.
Hmm, it is true that Leading Rating/Seaman is distinct from Petty Officers. But well, in other languages I included that grade is equilavent to junior corporal/quartermaster rather than as a senior mariner/mate.
the number of lower ranks often reflects viewpoints of the general and/ or the government.
If you have conscription and don't expect your lower rankers to have much initiative, you would only need a few ranks (ex: no-rank conscripts who just do the bare minimum effort, 1 chevron conscript rank for showing enthusiasm, 2 chevrons conscript rank for being best in your cohort & 3 chevrons for conscripts who agree to sign a contract to remain in the army to train the next batch of conscripts )
If on the other hand you have a professional, volunteer army, you could have a lot of non-officers ranks so that people who sign up can see it as a career so that while they may not be officer material, they still have stuff to aspire to. (ex: no-rank volunteer recruit, volunteer recruit who passed basic training, volunteer who shows leadership potential, career soldiers who passed a leadership course, career soldiers who passed an advanced leadership course, career soldier who pass a specialist course, and so on, and so on)
So I would suggest: think of what kind of society they live in and what place the armed forces have in that society.
Interestingly while it is a conscript based military the modern Turkish military has tons of NCO ranks. (As a Turk who hasn't done military service yet even I am somewhat confused about what the differences in the NCO ranks are. But I think I might have figured it out. The distinction between Uzman Çavuş and Uzman Onbaşı to regular Çavuş and Onbaşı is that the former are long service/professional version of said ranks while the latter are conscript promotion ranks. I came to this conclusion through noticing that the Gendarmerie has tons of Uzman Çavuş and Uzman Onbaşı ranks but no regular Çavuş and Onbaşı ranks. Thought I should really look into that sometime to make sure (rest of the NCO ranks starting from OR-5 level are prefixed "Astsubay" or "Subofficer" so I am pretty sure they are professional NCOs.)
Interestingly while it is a conscript based military the modern Turkish military has tons of NCO ranks. (As a Turk who hasn't done military service yet even I am somewhat confused about what the differences in the NCO ranks are. But I think I might have figured it out. The distinction between Uzman Çavuş and Uzman Onbaşı to regular Çavuş and Onbaşı is that the former are long service/professional version of said ranks while the latter are conscript promotion ranks. I came to this conclusion through noticing that the Gendarmerie has tons of Uzman Çavuş and Uzman Onbaşı ranks but no regular Çavuş and Onbaşı ranks. Thought I should really look into that sometime to make sure (rest of the NCO ranks starting from OR-5 level are prefixed "Astsubay" or "Subofficer" so I am pretty sure they are professional NCOs.)
One example of the purely conscript low non-officers is Russia who basically have about 4 ranks for them. If you show promises, you might be offered a contract and become a Práporshchik.
There are obviously many variants that are possible. In the US, you have warrant officers who are people with technical knowledge but not necessarily considered commission officer material. Some countries have "technical" ranks which similarly are meant to show progression within ones career but not meant to become commission officers
You could even, in theory, have the reverse: few officers with non-officers given extra autonomy in the field.
The Zemplín Federation is one of a number of region-based smaller successor states to former Austria-Hungary that emerged after a mildly alternate WWI, due to increasingly ATL developments during the later decades of Austria-Hungary and during WWI.
My Sparrow Avengers universe, in sporadic development for some fifteen years now, is intended as a somewhat more grounded homage to the Crimson Skies universe.
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Ranks in the Zemplín Federation's armed forces (in multiple languages)
An overview of ranks and how they sound in the individual main languages of the Zemplín Federation, including Zemplín dialects.
Unlike standard Slovak, the Zemplín dialect of the Slovak language does not use long vowels, only short vowels.
The Rusyn variations of the rank names are written in the Русиньскый алфавіт (Rusyn alphabet), followed by an English transliteration.
The Yiddish variations of the rank names are written in the Hebrew script used for Yiddish, followed by an English transliteration.
Ranks and their rank insignia symbols
Soldier - No rank insignia
Soldier First Class - 1 stylized grain
Corporal - 2 stylized grains
Sergeant - 3 stylized grains
Master sergeant - A full ear of grain
Staff sergeant - A stylized stalk with three ears of grain
Cadet - A fish
Ensign - 1 stylized acorn
Sub-lieutenant - 2 stylized acorns
Lieutenant - 3 stylized acorns
Captain - 1 stylized grape
Major - 2 stylized grapes
Lieutenant Colonel - 3 stylized grapes
Colonel - A full bunch of grapes
Brigadier General - 1 stylized river wave
Major General - 2 stylized river waves
Lieutenant General - 3 stylized river waves
Colonel General - A stylized tri-mount with a sharper central peak and two rounded summits to the side
General - A knightly helmet above the stylized tri-mount with a sharper central peak and two rounded summits to the side
Colour codes indicating service branch or unit type
Dark green - Infantry (riflemen, supplemented by light machine gunners and anti-tank riflemen in each rifleman unit)
Dark green and white square with red blood drop - Medical corps of the army (no religious symbolism, avoiding Christian or Jewish favouritism)
Spruce green and dark green trim - Jaegers / Skirmishers
Spruce green, crossed telekia (yellow oxeye) and Carpathian soldanelle (snowbell) flowers and dark green trim - Mountain marksmen
Dark green with light blue trim - Paratroopers
Light red with dark green trim - Heavy machine gunners and mortar crews
Dark red with dark green trim - Artillery and artillerymen
Light brown with dark green trim - Logistics and supply
Dark brown with dark green trim - Engineers and sappers
Dark green with dark blue trim - River patrol
Dark green with horseshoe (or wheel) - Mounted infantry / Light horse / Dragoons (or Bicycle infantry)
Light green with horseshoe - Cavalry (Hussars and Uhlans, the latter with added thin light-grey-ish trim)
Grey with light green trim - Tank, tankette, armoured car and other armoured ground vehicle crews and mechanics
Black - Railway military personnel
Light blue - Aircraft and military aviators, air force pilots
Light blue with added airship shape - Airships and airshipmen
Additional notes
The individual elements of the rank insignia are based on heraldic charges found in the coats of arms and county flags of the former Zemplín county (CoA) and Ung county (CoA), previously part of the Hungarian half (Transleithania) of Austria-Hungary. The basic shape of the collar-worn rank insignia was patterned on WWI era Austro-Hungarian rank insignia. Given the fact that the Zemplín standard uniforms were based primarily on Austro-Hungarian soldier uniforms, this was a straightforward decision even in the earliest months of the new military.
Because the Zemplín Federation's armed forces had always been budget-conscious - much of their equipment and weaponry during the 1920s was WWI surplus, and later acquistions didn't always replace the older gear - the rank insignia was as simple, easy to remember and regular in its patterns as possible. There are no variations in the main symbols associated with each individual rank, though some operational branches of the military also include additional identifying symbols, and rarely a thinner bar in the trim. By far the greatest indulgence was the fairly substantial number of colours, used for coding the various branches of the military. Much of the rank insignia and colour codes had not changed throughout the existence of the Zemplín Federation, ever since they were designed in the early 1920s.
None of the symbols reflect ethnic, religious, political or any other identity or ideology. This is a deliberate move, since the philosophy behind the Zemplín Federation, including its armed forces, is a civic patriotism (developed from regional local-patriotism) that seeks cohesion and inclusion, in a polar opposite to a segregated military. There are therefore no symbols with religious connotations (Christian cross, Star of David in Judaism) on the medical corps rank insignia, as well as no symbols associated closely with only Slovaks, or only Hungarians, or only Rusyns, or only Jews, or any of the other ethnicities inhabiting independent Zemplín.
The rank insignia's individual elements still reflects the region's history, its past county heraldry and vexilology (both of the preceding Zemplín and Ung counties), as well as the natural riches of the region, making for a decidedly unique combination of rank symbols. The neutrality of the individual elements is meant to foster the civic patriotism esprit d' corps of the Zemplín military, instead of highlighting one group unfairly above or below another, instead of promoting ethnic or other exceptionalism.
The yellow ox-eye and Carpathian snowbell were chosen as more appropriate symbols for the Zemplín mountain marksmen (replacing the Alpine edelweiss flower of their Austro-Hungarian predecessors and counterparts) due to the presence of the two flower species in the higher mountain ranges of Zemplín, including the Vihorlat Mountains, the Beech Mountains and the Low Beskids, with the ox-eye a widely recognized floral symbol of Vihorlat and the other neighbouring ranges, while the snowbell was chosen for being a pretty but inconspicuous-seeming flower, evoking the stealthiness expected of the mountain marksmen in mountainous combat operations. As the rest of the insignia of the mountain marksmen featured either heraldic silver/white (argent) or gold/yellow (or), the ox-eye and snowbell were also chosen for their colours, evoking a heraldic gold/yellow (or) and a heraldic purple (purpure).
When the rank insignia was being conceived in the early 1920s. there were some ultimately abandoned concepts for the symbols chosen. One of them was of featuring an oak sprig with several acorns in between the three-acorns insignia (lieutenant) and the single-grape insignia (captain), in the same manner as the full ears of grain for the higher sergeant ranks or the full bunch of grapes for the rank of colonel. This was not adopted, as it was felt it would interfere with the hierarchy of the individual ranks. Another example were ideas for some variations of the basic symbols, depending on certain operational branches, but due to the added complexity, budget and need for memorizing, these ideas were dropped as well, in favour of fully consistent rank insignia.
Though there are a handful of unique rank name variations in the Zemplín Federation's armed forces - most notably the likes of the "artillery sergeant", in homage to just such a separate rank name in the bygone Austro-Hungarian army - the absolute vast majority are all the same in every operational branch of the armed forces. Just like with the intentionally consistent symbolic hierarchy of the rank insignia, without any arbitrary irregularities, so too was it felt that the rank names need to stay consistent, rather than vary wildly from service to service. Whenever it is necessary to note the particular service of an armed forces member, terms like "sergeant of the jaegers" or "captain of the hussars" are used as descriptors. Soldier jargon had even led to the rise of certain rank-related colloquialisms in some of the branches, most nostably in the air force, where there's a habit of adding the prefix ľuft- ("air-") to the ranks of individual aeroplane pilots, and adding the prefix šif- ("ship-", in the sense of ľuftšif, "airship") to the ranks of individual airshipmen. Examples of these rank nicknames include ľuft-stražmešter ("air-sergeant"), ľuftkapitan ("air-captain") or šifporučik ("ship-lieutenant"). Zemplín and other Austro-Hungarian successor states being landlocked and with no navies, there's not really much confusion with the river patrol units, as the vast majority of their vessels are only boats (člun), resulting in rank nicknames like člunštabnik ("boat master sergeant").
Regarding the absent general ranks in many branches of the armed forces, this is simply the consequence of the majority of the operational branches being under the main branches of the armed forces, i.e. the Infantry (most op-branches), Cavalry (originally 3 op-branches, later 2), Armour (originally part of the Cavalry, spun off after a few years, becoming a single self-contained branch), Railway troops (single self-contained op-branch) and Air Force / Aviation (2 op-branches, one focused on heavier-than-air aircraft and sundry, the other on the small airship fleet). Thus, you can have a colonel of jaegers, medics, artillery, engineers, logistics, dragoons, uhlans, the airship service, etc., but that is the highest possible rank within those operational branches, and any promotion of a person to brigade general reverts to assigning the rank to that of the respective main branch. Thus, a hypothetical artillery general or uhlan general or airship general will actually be a general of the Infantry, or a general of the Cavalry, or a general of the Air Force, in that order.
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Some infantry soldiers of the Zemplín Federation's armed forces (more details under the spoiler below)
Pechota Zemplínskej federácie (medzivojnové obdobie) = "Infantry of the Zemplín Federation (interwar period)" fľintar - equivalent of "rifleman". Fľintar is an ATL word derived from the Zemplín dialect's generic word for a rifle or long gun - fľinta. The closest direct translation of fľintar into English would be akin to "fusilier". The Zemplín riflemen are equipped with green or brown standard issue uniforms, leather highboots (particularly good for the marshy parts of south Zemplín, or soggy terrain and rainy weather in general) or sturdy leather boots and shin-protecting puttees (both largelly inherited from WWI Austria-Hungary and worn in dryer weather and most terrain types), modified Russian Adrian helmets on their heads (these are being slowly supplemented with more modern Polish and Czech models), webbing, a backpack and often also a bandolier, and last but not least, a bayoneted Steyr-Männlicher M1895 or Mosin-Nagant 1891 bolt-action rifle (once again, captured leftovers or surplus from the times of the Great War). In more recent years, the riflemen have started to also use some Czech-designed newer bolt-action rifles, but these still aren't the most common in their arsenal. oficir - an "officer" in Zemplín Slovak (predictable, ey ?). This one's wearing much of the same outfit as the average rifleman, but with a durable Austro-Hungarian-style kepi (also worn by riflemen and other footsoldiers, but less often than officers). He's holding a decorated officer's sword and, in his sidearm holster, carries a Rast & Gasser M1898 or a Nagant 1895 revolver, or one of the many WWI surplus Austro-Hungarian pistols. (These are not directly visible in the picture, but are yet another example of repurposed older equipment left over in the region after the end of WWI.) In more recent years, they had also started to carry Czech-designed pistols or Belgian-designed Browning pistols. horský strelec - mountain marksman (horski štriľec in Zemplín Slovak), mountain infantryman, a mountain warfare subset of the Zemplín jaegers (jager in Zemplín Slovak), the irregular infantry skirmishers. The Zemplín Federation's homebrewn, somewhat DIY answer to the likes of Austro-Hungarian mountain troopers or Italian Bersaglieri of WWI. They're part of the irregular skirmisher infantry, a fairly elite part at that, akin to nearly special forces or commandos. As you can see in the picture, they have both summer (leto) and winter (zima) versions of their kit and uniform and carry combat knives instead of bayonets. Unlike regular riflemen, they wear hats or hoods on their head and always wear puttees, simple kneeguards and combat boots on their legs. Though they mostly travel on foot, after their initial establishment, the Zemplín Federation eventually started experimenting with gradually adding snowshoes and skis to their wintertime equipment, and the relevant snowshoe travel and skiing to their wintertime mobility training. The mountain marksmen often perform border guard operations in the mountainous area of the federation's borders.
(The ATL terms present in the image are noted in parentheses.)
Mounted soldiers of the Zemplín Federation's armed forces (more details under the spoiler below)
Jednotky na koni Zemplínskej federácie (medzivojnové obdobie) = "Mounted units of the Zemplín Federation (interwar period)" (encompasses the cavalry consisting of lancers and hussars, as well as the horseman mounted infantry consisting of dragoons) ulan - equivalent of "uhlan" and "lancer". Ulan is an OTL as well as ATL Zemplín dialect term for such a cavalry soldier. Zemplín was one of the few Slovak-speaking regions of former Austria-Hungary whose successor statelet kept a lancer tradition in their military, carrying it over from the Austro-Hungarian days. This was because the central and southern parts of the new country represented a rare area with predominantly lowland or low-hill terrain, a type of terrain better-suited to lancers than others. The Zemplín Federation's uhlans/lancers are equipped with green standard issue uniforms, leather highboots (particularly good for the marshy parts of south Zemplín, or soggy terrain and rainy weather in general) or sturdy leather boots and shin-protecting puttees (both largelly inherited from WWI Austria-Hungary and worn in dryer weather and most terrain types), modified Russian Adrian helmets on their heads (slowly supplemented with more modern Polish and Czech models), webbing, a bandolier (not finished yet and therefore not visible in this version), a cavalry lance (their primary melee weapon), a hanger or trench knife (melee sidearm), pistol or revolver (ranged, handgun sidearm), and the carbine version of a Steyr-Männlicher M1895 bolt-action rifle (their primary ranged weapon, though carried mainly as a backup to the lance). In more recent years, the uhlans/lancers have also started to use the carbine versions of some Czech-designed newer bolt-action rifles, but these still aren't the most common in their arsenal. By the latter half of the 1930s, uhlan units also started including at least one uhlan carrying an anti-tank rifle, an element inspired by Polish and CMSR mounted units of the era. husar - equivalent of a "hussar", specifically one in the vein of a traditional 19th century hussar or WWI hussar of Austria-Hungary, but with the distinction that the Zemplín Federation's hussars eschew all ceremonial clothing elements and wear only an ordinary WWI style uniform, much like the Zemplín Federation's uhlans and dragoons (see below). Husar is, of course, an OTL as well as ATL Zemplín dialect term for such a cavalry soldier. The Zemplín Federation's hussars are equipped with green standard issue uniforms, leather highboots (particularly good for the marshy parts of south Zemplín, or soggy terrain and rainy weather in general) or sturdy leather boots and shin-protecting puttees (both largelly inherited from WWI Austria-Hungary and worn in dryer weather and most terrain types), modified Russian Adrian helmets (slowly supplemented with more modern Polish and Czech models) or modified kepis on their heads, webbing, a bandolier (not finished yet and therefore not visible in this version), a sabre (their primary melee weapon), a hanger or trench knife (melee sidearm), pistol or revolver (ranged, handgun sidearm), and the carbine version of a Steyr-Männlicher M1895 bolt-action rifle (their primary ranged weapon). In more recent years, the hussars have also started to use the carbine versions of some Czech-designed newer bolt-action rifles, but these still aren't the most common in their arsenal. draguň - equivalent of "dragoon" or "lighthorseman". Draguň is an OTL as well as ATL Zemplín dialect term for such a mounted infantry soldier. The Zemplín Federation's dragoons / light horse are equipped with green standard issue uniforms, leather highboots (particularly good for the marshy parts of south Zemplín, or soggy terrain and rainy weather in general) or sturdy leather boots and shin-protecting puttees (both largelly inherited from WWI Austria-Hungary and worn in dryer weather and most terrain types), modified Russian Adrian helmets (slowly supplemented with more modern Polish and Czech models) or skirmisher style hats on their heads, webbing, a bandolier (not finished yet and therefore not visible in this version) and a bayoneted Steyr-Männlicher M1895 bolt-action rifle, or Mosin-Nagant 1891 bolt-action rifle, or the Steyr-Männlicher M1895 short rifle. Though the dragoons originally only carried hangers, trench knives and bayonets as their melee sidearms, a decision was made in the early days of the Zemplín military to equip them with sabres as well, just in case. (Making them the only non-cavalry soldiers to carry sabres.) They are also the only mounted troops to occassionally carry and use the sniper variant of the Steyr-Männlicher M1895 bolt-action rifle, which brings them closer than any other mounted unit to the jaeger and mountain marskman soldiers of the ZF's infantry. In more recent years, the dragoons have also started to use some Czech-designed newer bolt-action rifles and carbines, but these still aren't the most common in their arsenal. By the latter half of the 1930s, dragoon units also started including at least one dragoon carrying a light machine gun, which distinguished them even more greatly from the largelly similar armaments used by the hussar units.
(Austria-Hungary moved away from lance-equipped uhlans in the later 19th century, but in this ATL, they revisited the concept before the start of the 20th century and some of their successor states continued it in their own way after the ATL WWI. The Zemplín Federation's uhlans are comparable to the OTL and ATL post-WWI Polish uhlans, with the exception of not carrying sabres, and having hanger as their sidearms and firearms as backup weapons. Sabres are instead reserved for the hussars, who also double as ranged cavalry. While uhlans focus on lance charges of varying size, especially in ambushes on travelling and routed enemy infantry and some enemy mounted units, hussars focus on flanking and ride-by harassing of enemy infantry (sabre cuts a standard attack !) and on melee and ranged hit-and-run tactics, as well as on supporting the flanks of their own advancing infantry. The modern dragoon paradigm used by the Zemplín Federation and many of the other post-WWI states is comparable to the light horse units paradigm of WWI era ANZAC troops, albeit in an interwar central European context, rather than WWI Middle Eastern. Another point of reference are the OTL Czechoslovak, ATL CMSR and other interwar era mounted units. Though mounted infantry, they are also equipped with sabres, like the cavalry's hussars, and are the only non-officer infantrymen to carry them. Dragoons are rather versatile, fighting primarily dismounted, and intended for more direct fire support of the conventional infantry. Some neighbours of the ZF, including the Šariš Free State, only field hussars and dragoons, due to generally hilly terrain unsuitable for most lancer operations.)
Male and female pilot of the Zemplín Federation's air force in standard issue flight gear (male master sergeant and female lieutenant)
Paratrooper of the Zemplín Federation, major rank, with CMSR-designed Vz. 34 (OTL Vz. 38) SMG and Polish-designed 1930s helmet
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Zemplín Federation law enforcement (police and gendarmerie) ranks
The Zemplín Federation is one of a number of region-based smaller successor states to former Austria-Hungary that emerged after a mildly alternate WWI, due to increasingly ATL developments during the later decades of Austria-Hungary and during WWI.
My Sparrow Avengers universe, in sporadic development for some fifteen years now, is intended as a somewhat more grounded homage to the Crimson Skies universe.
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Ranks in the Zemplín Federation's armed forces (in multiple languages)
An overview of ranks and how they sound in the individual main languages of the Zemplín Federation, including Zemplín dialects.
Unlike standard Slovak, the Zemplín dialect of the Slovak language does not use long vowels, only short vowels.
The Rusyn variations of the rank names are written in the Русиньскый алфавіт (Rusyn alphabet), followed by an English transliteration.
The Yiddish variations of the rank names are written in the Hebrew script used for Yiddish, followed by an English transliteration.
Ranks and their rank insignia symbols
Soldier - No rank insignia
Soldier First Class - 1 stylized grain
Corporal - 2 stylized grains
Sergeant - 3 stylized grains
Master sergeant - A full ear of grain
Staff sergeant - A stylized stalk with three ears of grain
Cadet - A fish
Ensign - 1 stylized acorn
Sub-lieutenant - 2 stylized acorns
Lieutenant - 3 stylized acorns
Captain - 1 stylized grape
Major - 2 stylized grapes
Lieutenant Colonel - 3 stylized grapes
Colonel - A full bunch of grapes
Brigadier General - 1 stylized river wave
Major General - 2 stylized river waves
Lieutenant General - 3 stylized river waves
Colonel General - A stylized tri-mount with a sharper central peak and two rounded summits to the side
General - A knightly helmet above the stylized tri-mount with a sharper central peak and two rounded summits to the side
Colour codes indicating service branch or unit type
Dark green - Infantry (riflemen, supplemented by light machine gunners and anti-tank riflemen in each rifleman unit)
Dark green and white square with red blood drop - Medical corps of the army (no religious symbolism, avoiding Christian or Jewish favouritism)
Spruce green and dark green trim - Jaegers / Skirmishers
Spruce green, crossed telekia (yellow oxeye) and Carpathian soldanelle (snowbell) flowers and dark green trim - Mountain marksmen
Dark green with light blue trim - Paratroopers
Light red with dark green trim - Heavy machine gunners and mortar crews
Dark red with dark green trim - Artillery and artillerymen
Light brown with dark green trim - Logistics and supply
Dark brown with dark green trim - Engineers and sappers
Dark green with dark blue trim - River patrol
Dark green with horseshoe (or wheel) - Mounted infantry / Light horse / Dragoons (or Bicycle infantry)
Light green with horseshoe - Cavalry (Hussars and Uhlans, the latter with added thin light-grey-ish trim)
Grey with light green trim - Tank, tankette, armoured car and other armoured ground vehicle crews and mechanics
Black - Railway military personnel
Light blue - Aircraft and military aviators, air force pilots
Light blue with added airship shape - Airships and airshipmen
Additional notes
The individual elements of the rank insignia are based on heraldic charges found in the coats of arms and county flags of the former Zemplín county and Ung county, previously part of the Hungarian half (Transleithania) of Austria-Hungary. The basic shape of the collar-worn rank insignia was patterned on WWI era Austro-Hungarian rank insignia. Given the fact that the Zemplín standard uniforms were based primarily on Austro-Hungarian soldier uniforms, this was a straightforward decision even in the earliest months of the new military.
Because the Zemplín Federation's armed forces had always been budget-conscious - much of their equipment and weaponry during the 1920s was WWI surplus, and later acquistions didn't always replace the older gear - the rank insignia was as simple, easy to remember and regular in its patterns as possible. There are no variations in the main symbols associated with each individual rank, though som operational branches of the military also include additional identifying symbols, and rarely a thinner bar in the trim. By far the greatest indulgence was the fairly substantial number of colours, used for coding the various branches of the military. Much of the rank insignia and colour codes had not changed throughout the existence of the Zemplín Federation, ever since they were designed in the early 1920s.
None of the symbols reflect ethnic, religious, political or any other identity or ideology. This is a deliberate move, since the philosophy behind the Zemplín Federation, including its armed forces, is a civic patriotism (developed from regional local-patriotism) that seeks cohesion and inclusion, in a polar opposite to a segregated military. There are therefore no symbols with religious connotations (Christian cross, Star of David in Judaism) on the medical corps rank insignia, as well as no symbols associated closely with only Slovaks, or only Hungarians, or only Rusyns, or only Jews, or any of the other ethnicities inhabiting independent Zemplín.
The rank insignia's individual elements still reflects the region's history, its past county heraldry and vexilology (both of the preceding Zemplín and Ung counties), as well as the natural riches of the region, making for a decidedly unique combination of rank symbols. The neutrality of the individual elements is meant to foster the civic patriotism esprit d' corps of the Zemplín military, instead of highlighting one group unfairly above or below another, instead of promoting ethnic or other exceptionalism.
When the rank insignia was being conceived in the early 1920s. there were some ultimately abandoned concepts for the symbols chosen. One of them was of featuring an oak sprig with several acorns in between the three-acorns insignia (lieutenant) and the single-grape insignia (captain), in the same manner as the full ears of grain for the higher sergeant ranks or the full bunch of grapes for the rank of colonel. This was not adopted, as it was felt it would interfere with the hierarchy of the individual ranks. Another example were ideas for some variations of the basic symbols, depending on certain operational branches, but due to the added complexity, budget and need for memorizing, these ideas were dropped as well, in favour of fully consistent rank insignia.
Though there are a handful of unique rank name variations in the Zemplín Federation's armed forces - most notably the likes of the "artillery sergeant", in homage to just such a separate rank name in the bygone Austro-Hungarian army - the absolute vast majority are all the same in every operational branch of the armed forces. Just like with the intentionally consistent symbolic hierarchy of the rank insignia, without any arbitrary irregularities, so too was it felt that the rank names need to stay consistent, rather than vary wildly from service to service. Whenever it is necessary to note the particular service of an armed forces member, terms like "sergeant of the jaegers" or "captain of the hussars" are used as descriptors. Soldier jargon had even led to the rise of certain rank-related colloquialisms in some of the branches, most nostably in the air force, where there's a habit of adding the prefix ľuft- ("air-") to the ranks of individual aeroplane pilots, and adding the prefix šif- ("ship-", in the sense of ľuftšif, "airship") to the ranks of individual airshipmen. Examples of these rank nicknames include ľuft-stražmešter ("air-sergeant"), ľuftkapitan ("air-captain") or šifporučik ("ship-lieutenant").
Regarding the absent general ranks in many branches of the armed forces, this is simply the consequence of the majority of the operational branches being under the main branches of the armed forces, i.e. the Infantry (most op-branches), Cavalry (originally 3 op-branches, later 2), Armour (originally part of the Cavalry, spun off after a few years, becoming a single self-contained branch), Railway troops (single self-contained op-branch) and Air Force / Aviation (2 op-branches, one focused on heavier-than-air aircraft and sundry, the other on the small airship fleet). Thus, you can have a colonel of jaegers, medics, artillery, engineers, logistics, dragoons, uhlans, the airship service, etc., but that is the highest possible rank within those operational branches, and any promotion of a person to brigade general reverts to assigning the rank to that of the respective main branch. Thus, a hypothetical artillery general or uhlan general or airship general will actually be a general of the Infantry, or a general of the Cavalry, or a general of the Air Force, in that order.
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Some infantry soldiers of the Zemplín Federation's armed forces (more details under the spoiler below)
Pechota Zemplínskej federácie (medzivojnové obdobie) = "Infantry of the Zemplín Federation (interwar period)" fľintar - equivalent of "rifleman". Fľintar is an ATL word derived from the Zemplín dialect's generic word for a rifle or long gun - fľinta. The closest direct translation of fľintar into English would be akin to "fusilier". The Zemplín riflemen are equipped with green or brown standard issue uniforms, leather highboots (particularly good for the marshy parts of south Zemplín, or soggy terrain and rainy weather in general) or sturdy leather boots and shin-protecting puttees (both largelly inherited from WWI Austria-Hungary and worn in dryer weather and most terrain types), modified Russian Adrian helmets on their heads (these are being slowly supplemented with more modern Polish and Czech models), webbing, a bandolier (not finished yet and therefore not visible in this version) and a bayoneted Steyr-Männlicher M1895 or Mosin-Nagant 1891 bolt-action rifle (once again, captured leftovers or surplus from the times of the Great War). In more recent years, the riflemen have started to also use some Czech-designed newer bolt-action rifles, but these still aren't the most common in their arsenal. oficir - an "officer" in Zemplín Slovak (predictable, ey ?). This one's wearing much of the same outfit as the average rifleman, but with a durable Austro-Hungarian-style kepi (also worn by riflemen and other footsoldiers, but less often than officers). He's holding a decorated officer's sword and, in his sidearm holster, carries a Rast & Gasser M1898 or a Nagant 1895 revolver, or one of the many WWI surplus Austro-Hungarian pistols. (These are not directly visible in the picture, but are yet another example of repurposed older equipment left over in the region after the end of WWI.) In more recent years, they had also started to carry Czech-designed pistols or Belgian-designed Browning pistols. horský strelec - mountain marksman (horski štriľec in Zemplín Slovak), mountain infantryman, a mountain warfare subset of the Zemplín jaegers (jager in Zemplín Slovak), the irregular infantry skirmishers. The Zemplín Federation's homebrewn, somewhat DIY answer to the likes of Austro-Hungarian mountain troopers or Italian Bersaglieri of WWI. They're part of the irregular skirmisher infantry, a fairly elite part at that, akin to nearly special forces or commandos. As you can see in the picture, they have both summer (leto) and winter (zima) versions of their kit and uniform and carry combat knives instead of bayonets. Unlike regular riflemen, they wear hats or hoods on their head and always wear puttees, simple kneeguards and combat boots on their legs. Though they mostly travel on foot, after their initial establishment, the Zemplín Federation eventually started experimenting with gradually adding snowshoes and skis to their wintertime equipment, and the relevant showshoe travel and skiing to their wintertime mobility training. Thr mountain marksmen often perform border guard operations in the mountainous area of the federation's borders.
(The ATL terms present in the image are noted in parentheses.)
Some mounted soldiers of the Zemplín Federation's armed forces (more details under the spoiler below)
Jednotky na koni Zemplínskej federácie (medzivojnové obdobie) = "Mounted units of the Zemplín Federation (interwar period)" (encompasses the cavalry consisting of lancers and hussars, as well as the horseman mounted infantry consisting of dragoons) ulan - equivalent of "uhlan" and "lancer". Ulan is an OTL as well as ATL Zemplín dialect term for such a cavalry soldier. Zemplín was one of the few Slovak-speaking regions of former Austria-Hungary whose successor statelet kept a lancer tradition in their military, carrying it over from the Austro-Hungarian days. This was because the central and southern parts of the new country represented a rare area with predominantly lowland or low-hill terrain, a type of terrain better-suited to lancers than others. The Zemplín Federation's uhlans/lancers are equipped with green standard issue uniforms, leather highboots (particularly good for the marshy parts of south Zemplín, or soggy terrain and rainy weather in general) or sturdy leather boots and shin-protecting puttees (both largelly inherited from WWI Austria-Hungary and worn in dryer weather and most terrain types), modified Russian Adrian helmets on their heads (slowly supplemented with more modern Polish and Czech models), webbing, a bandolier (not finished yet and therefore not visible in this version), a cavalry lance (their primary melee weapon), a hanger or trench knife (melee sidearm), pistol or revolver (ranged, handgun sidearm), and the carbine version of a Steyr-Männlicher M1895 bolt-action rifle (their primary ranged weapon, though carried mainly as a backup to the lance). In more recent years, the uhlans/lancers have also started to use the carbine versions of some Czech-designed newer bolt-action rifles, but these still aren't the most common in their arsenal. By the latter half of the 1930s, uhlan units also started including at least one uhlan carrying an anti-tank rifle, an element inspired by Polish and CMSR mounted units of the era. husar - equivalent of a "hussar", specifically one in the vein of a traditional 19th century hussar or WWI hussar of Austria-Hungary, but with the distinction that the Zemplín Federation's hussars eschew all ceremonial clothing elements and wear only an ordinary WWI style uniform, much like the Zemplín Federation's uhlans and dragoons (see below). Husar is, of course, an OTL as well as ATL Zemplín dialect term for such a cavalry soldier. The Zemplín Federation's hussars are equipped with green standard issue uniforms, leather highboots (particularly good for the marshy parts of south Zemplín, or soggy terrain and rainy weather in general) or sturdy leather boots and shin-protecting puttees (both largelly inherited from WWI Austria-Hungary and worn in dryer weather and most terrain types), modified Russian Adrian helmets (slowly supplemented with more modern Polish and Czech models) or modified kepis on their heads, webbing, a bandolier (not finished yet and therefore not visible in this version), a sabre (their primary melee weapon), a hanger or trench knife (melee sidearm), pistol or revolver (ranged, handgun sidearm), and the carbine version of a Steyr-Männlicher M1895 bolt-action rifle (their primary ranged weapon). In more recent years, the hussars have also started to use the carbine versions of some Czech-designed newer bolt-action rifles, but these still aren't the most common in their arsenal. draguň - equivalent of "dragoon" or "lighthorseman". Draguň is an OTL as well as ATL Zemplín dialect term for such a mounted infantry soldier. The Zemplín Federation's dragoons / light horse are equipped with green standard issue uniforms, leather highboots (particularly good for the marshy parts of south Zemplín, or soggy terrain and rainy weather in general) or sturdy leather boots and shin-protecting puttees (both largelly inherited from WWI Austria-Hungary and worn in dryer weather and most terrain types), modified Russian Adrian helmets (slowly supplemented with more modern Polish and Czech models) or skirmisher style hats on their heads, webbing, a bandolier (not finished yet and therefore not visible in this version) and a bayoneted Steyr-Männlicher M1895 bolt-action rifle, or Mosin-Nagant 1891 bolt-action rifle, or the Steyr-Männlicher M1895 short rifle. Though the dragoons originally only carried hangers, trench knives and bayonets as their melee sidearms, a decision was made in the early days of the Zemplín military to equip them with sabres as well, just in case. (Making them the only non-cavalry soldiers to carry sabres.) They are also the only mounted troops to occassionally carry and use the sniper variant of the Steyr-Männlicher M1895 bolt-action rifle, which brings them closer than any other mounted unit to the jaeger and mountain marskman soldiers of the ZF's infantry. In more recent years, the dragoons have also started to use some Czech-designed newer bolt-action rifles and carbines, but these still aren't the most common in their arsenal. By the latter half of the 1930s, dragoon units also started including at least one dragoon carrying a light machine gun, which distinguished them even more greatly from the largelly similar armaments used by the hussar units.
(Austria-Hungary moved away from lance-equipped uhlans in the later 19th century, but in this ATL, they revisited the concept before the start of the 20th century and some of their successor states continued it in their own way after the ATL WWI. The Zemplín Federation's uhlans are comparable to the OTL and ATL post-WWI Polish uhlans, with the exception of not carrying sabres. Sabres are instead reserved for the hussars, who also double as ranged cavalry, While uhlans focus on lance charges of varying size, especially in ambushes on travelling and routed enemy infantry and some enemy mounted units, hussars focus on flanking and ride-by harassing of enemy infantry (sabre cuts a standard attack !) and on melee and ranged hit-and-run tactics, as well as on supporting the flanks of their own advancing infantry. The modern dragoon paradigm used by the Zemplín Federation and many of the other post-WWI states is comparable to the light horse units paradigm of WWI era ANZAC troops, albeit in an interwar central European context, rather than WWI Middle Eastern. Another point of reference are the OTL Czechoslovak, ATL CMSR and other interwar era mounted units. Though mounted infantry, they are also equipped with sabres, like the cavalry's hussars, and are the only non-officer infantrymen to carry them. Dragoons are rather versatile, fighting primarily dismounted, and intended for more direct fire support of the conventional infantry. Some neighbours of the ZF, including the Šariš Free State, only field hussars and dragoons, due to generally hilly terrain unsuitable for most lancer operations.)
I'd just recommand that the officers ranks be discerned more easily from the lower ranks. The symbols for soldiers 1st class-sergeants and captain-LT Colonel may be easier to tell apart from a distance if, for example, they used different colours (ex silver vs gold or black vs gold) or else having the officers had a metallic thread border to their collar.
I hope the moderators will pardon my pulling this thread out of mothballs, but I have a question touching on uniforms for an Alternate History and didn't want to start a new thread in order to ask it: to whit, 'If one were designing a combination of British and United States military uniforms & rank insignia for a near-future setting, what do you think that should look like?'
This question is prompted by the cheerfully-bonkers 'Tuffleyverse' timeline for the tabletop wargame FULL THRUST, in which there exists a polity called the 'New Anglian Confederation' which appears to have been created when the United States of America was left something of a blasted stump by a Second American Civil War, with Great Britain and Canada stepping in to help pick up the pieces afterwards (My vague impression is of the relict United States becoming something like a Commonwealth Republic rather than a colony), getting the ball rolling to create something new.
Incidentally, none of the FULL THRUST factions seem to have been given uniform & insignia designs to date, so that might be a subject I return to with another power in mind at some point.
I hope the moderators will pardon my pulling this thread out of mothballs, but I have a question touching on uniforms for an Alternate History and didn't want to start a new thread in order to ask it: to whit, 'If one were designing a combination of British and United States military uniforms & rank insignia for a near-future setting, what do you think that should look like?'
This question is prompted by the cheerfully-bonkers 'Tuffleyverse' timeline for the tabletop wargame FULL THRUST, in which there exists a polity called the 'New Anglian Confederation' which appears to have been created when the United States of America was left something of a blasted stump by a Second American Civil War, with Great Britain and Canada stepping in to help pick up the pieces afterwards (My vague impression is of the relict United States becoming something like a Commonwealth Republic rather than a colony), getting the ball rolling to create something new.
Incidentally, none of the FULL THRUST factions seem to have been given uniform & insignia designs to date, so that might be a subject I return to with another power in mind at some point.
you could combine the US and UK rank insignias in a similar way to this.
If they are meant to be used on miniatures, you could otherwise start with the idea of insignias being discernible on ~ 28mm figure so that, for example, officers all have red gorget patch and accessories tells ranks apart (ex: "Generals" carries a stick.)
M. Pasquin, thank you very kindly for pointing this out to me: For the record this line of thought is purely speculative, rather than launched into with modelling in mind (Since my modelling skills are a solid Zero Minus) though one would absolutely love to come up with a design that looks good on wargaming materials. I'm still trying to work out how to best balance 'New & Improved' symbolism against 'Tried & True' (Not to mention something British, Canadian and formerly-US elements can all happily salute), but will try to post my ideas sooner rather than later.
In return for your kind consideration, please allow me to do my best to post a link to an interesting bit of 'Might Have Been' uniformology recently discovered on deviantArt.com (Though technical issues with my computer mean that I'm not sure this link will work 100%: if you try it, please let me know) -
you could combine the US and UK rank insignias in a similar way to this.
If they are meant to be used on miniatures, you could otherwise start with the idea of insignias being discernible on ~ 28mm figure so that, for example, officers all have red gorget patch and accessories tells ranks apart (ex: "Generals" carries a stick.)
I’m still puzzling out the exact insignia, but I do have a mental image of the New Anglian Confederation uniform, at least - one imagines a combination of Air Force cut and Royal Navy colour scheme & insignia, more or less (It makes more sense for spacers to wear a forage cap than a sailor hat, at least*); for some reason the mental image of the New Anglian Confederation wearing ‘Army Pinks & Greens’ with somewhat-British uniform for it’s service dress intrigues me, though I’m not sure how this combination would work in practice.
I’m definately thinking in terms of an commissioned officers/warrants officers/NCOs system along the British lines, rather than the US ranking system: I do think an eagle will be appearing in some form, though probably a golden eagle and not a bald eagle.
Still need to give this topic some thought (and would definitely like to have more artistic talent!).