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Modern Rank Insignia Chart
The chart below shows the complete breakdown of Space Navy, Space Forces and Kilrathi ranks, along with the appropriate rank insignia where appropriate. While the ranking system itself applies to all Wing Commander games, the insignia displayed are those used in Wing Commander III, Wing Commander IV and Wing Commander Prophecy (2669-2681). A chart showing the insignia as they appear in the first two games appears below.
Errata:
1 - The following five ranks remain unobserved: Ensign, Second Class (O1), Ensign (O2), Vice Admiral (O10), Lieutenant General (O9) and Major General (010). Presumably insignia do exist for these ranks.
2 - "Most Kilrathi pilots attain at least the rank of Fourth Fang. First Fangs and higher usually go on to command ships and squadrons." (Victory Streak, p.8)
3 - "Kalralahr is the Kilrathi equivalent to the Confederation Space Marshal - he controls whole sectors or commands large fleet operations." (ibid) In actual practice, the rank of Space Marshal is not used in this manner. Only two characters have been known to hold the rank, both of whom effectively commanded the Space Navy proper at the time (Sandra Gregarov and Geoffrey Tolwyn). Conversely, it is not a given that the highest ranking officer in the navy will be a Space Marshal - Wayne Spencer Banbridge, who ran the war effort operationally for many years, never attained the rank.
4 - The Terran Confederation Space Force (and the Terran Confederation Marine Corps) both have an undefined system of Warrant Officers.
5 - Second Fang has a 'noble' equivalent, Hyilghar, which translates roughly to Staff Lieutenant.
Terran Confederation Marine Corps
No official chart of Marine Corps ranks has been published. From available references, it appears that the Terran Confederation Marine Corps uses roughly the same rank system as the modern day United States Marine Corps. A copy of this system is presented below, along with notation when a rank has appeared in the Wing Commander continuity.
Enlisted:
E-1, Private (Private Fistalis [Pilgrim Stars, p.194])
E-2, Private First Class (Private Fistalis [Pilgrim Stars, p.194])
E-3, Lance Corporal
E-4, Corporal ("Surviving Corporal" [Fleet Action, Ch. 13])
E-5, Sergeant ("Marine Sergeant" [Fleet Action, Ch.9])
E-6, Staff Sergeant
E-7, Gunnery Sergeant (Gunnery Sergeant Ulandi [Action Stations, p.228])
E-8, Master Sergeant / First Sergeant (Master Sergeant Ulandi [Action Stations, p.226])
E-9, Master Gunnery Sergeant / Sergeant Major
Officers:
O-1, Second Lieutenant (Lieutenant Flory [Fleet Action, Ch.13])
O-2, First Lieutenant (Lieutenant Flory [Fleet Action, Ch.13])
O-3, Captain ("Marine Captain" [Fleet Action, Ch.3])
O-4, Major (Major Marks [Freedom Flight, p.98])
O-5, Lieutenant Colonel (Lt. Colonel Dekker [WC4])
O-6, Colonel (Colonel Dekker [WCP])
O-7, Brigadier General
O-8, Major General
O-9, Lieutenant General
O-10, General (General Grecko [Fleet Action])
Terran Confederation Army
Fleet Action references a Terran Confederation Army with a flag grade of Commandant. There is no other information available.
Other Services
Notes:
The Free Republic of the Landreich and the Union of Border Worlds seem to use the same rank systems as the Terran Confederation. During its initial formation, the Union of Border Worlds prefaced the grades of officers who recieved battlefield comissions with the term "provisional". (Ex., "Provisional Lieutenant Lee")
The Central Intelligence Service of the Tri-System uses an undefined system of ranks which includes the grades of Commander and Colonel for its veteran fighter pilots.
Classic Rank Insignia Chart
This chart below shows the Space Forces rank insignia which appear in Wing Commander and Wing Commander II (2654-2667). This is not a complete breakdown of Space Forces ranks - this information may be found in the chart above.
Claw Marks3
2nd Lieutenant (O1) |
1st Lieutenant (O2) |
Captain (O3) |
Major (O4) |
Lieutenant Colonel (O5) |
Colonel (O6) |
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Wing Commander
2nd Lieutenant (O1) |
1st Lieutenant (O2) |
Captain (O3) |
Major (O4) |
Lieutenant Colonel (O5) |
Colonel (O6)1 |
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Wing Commander 2
2nd Lieutenant (O1)1 |
1st Lieutenant (O2)1 |
Captain (O3)2 |
Major (O4) |
Lieutenant Colonel (O5) |
Colonel (O6) |
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Errata:
1 - The rank insignia for Colonel (O6) does not appear in Wing Commander. Rank insignias for 2nd Lieutenant (O1) and 1st Lieutenant (O2) do not appear in Wing Commander 2.
2 - This insignia is also used for the Space Navy rank of 1st Lieutenant (O3). This is the only Space Navy insignia which appears in either of the original games.
3 - Higher resolution images of the Claw Marks ranks can be found here.
Japanese ports of the original Wing Commander included colored rank charts for the original Wing Commander. They are reproduced below (above, Super Famicom, below, MegaCD):
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