Rank and Leadership w/Corporal Davis

[Davis, E.]

Or, how to make sure you don't get thrown out of an airlock for insubordination.

So, every branch of the UNSC is broken down into two sides. The Enlisted, who sign up for a term of service, are paid less, expected to do the grunt work, and are given food, lodging, and clothing for free, and the Officers, who have a college education, pay for everything, and are responsible for everything that happens. Both have their uses and their place in the leadership hierarchy. We're going to cover that here, starting with officers.



So, these are your officer ranks. Pay grade is an O-number, which is used in place of Rank, from time to time. (Second Lieutenant is an O-1, etc etc) These are the positions they normally fill.

Platoon Commander (PC): This is a Second or First Lieutenant. A Second Lieutenant is usually brand new and while they are in charge, they rarely know what's going on. There are exceptions, but when you see a butter bar (Second LTs have a gold bar) expect confusion and misunderstanding to abound.

Company Executive Officer (XO): Usually held by a First Lieutenant but can be filled by a Captain from time to time. XOs are responsible for coordinating logistics for a Company and aiding the Commanding Officer in his duties. 

Company Commanding Officer (CO): Normally held by a Captain, though a Major may hold command of a particularly specialized unit. CO's are responsible for the tactical, logistical, and disciplinary readiness of a Company, as well as mentoring and training his junior officer. (Note: A Marine Captain is an O-3 while a Naval Captain is an O-6. To avoid confusion of rank, a Marine Captain is called a Major for the conversation. Always funny to watch.)

Battalion Executive Officer (XO): The post is normally held by a Major. Much the same as a Company XO, a Battalion XO handles things for a Battalion. (For the record, a Battalion is comprised of 3-4 Companies in the UNSCMC)

Battalion Commanding Officer (CO): This post is generally held by a Lieutenant Colonel. The responsibilities of a Battalion CO are similar to that of a Company CO, only for a Battalion. Normally they are referred to as the "BC."

Regiment Executive Officer (XO): This post is normally held by a Lieutenant Colonel. Same responsibilities as other XOs.

Regiment Commanding Officer (CO): A regimental command is held by a Colonel. The responsibilities of a Regimental CO are similar to that of a Battalion CO, only for a Regiment.

Division Executive Officer (XO): This post is normally held by a Colonel. Same responsibilities as other XOs.

Division Commanding Officer (CO): This post is held by a one-star General (Brigadier General). Generalships are a political appointment. Normally they are referred to as the "CG" or "Commanding General."

There are many variations on positions, as specializations and death force many people into positions outside of their normal rank. 

Next time we will cover the Enlisted side.

Dismissed.

[Davis, E.]

So, in our last lesson we covered the Officers and the leadership positions they are responsible for. Now we cover the side that gets the actual work done. Here are your UNSCMC ranks.



So, with that settled, here are the leadership positions you will find in the Corps while you’re still alive.

Team Leader: Normally a Corporal, sometimes a Lance Corporal, rarely a Sergeant, a Team Leader is responsible for a fire team. A fire team consists of a Team Leader and three team members. Always address a Team Leader by their rank.

Squad leader: Normally a Sergeant, Staff Sergeants have been known to take this role, as do the occasional Corporal. Squad leaders are responsible for the care and training of a Squad. A Squad is made up of three fire teams.

Platoon Sergeant: Normally a Staff Sergeant or Gunnery Sergeant, occasionally a Sergeant, a Platoon Sergeant is the Enlisted equivalent of a Platoon Commander. They act as an advisor to the PC and are mainly concerned with the welfare of their Marines. It is normally said that the Officer focuses on the mission, the NCO focuses on his troopers.

Gunnery Sergeant: This is a company post, and acts as a secondary aid to the performance of the Company as a whole, picking up some of the work of the Commander, XO, and First Sergeant. This role is normally held by a Gunnery Sergeant.

First Sergeant: This role is held by a First Sergeant with only the rarest exceptions. The First Sergeant is the Enlisted equivalent of a Company Commander, and works similarly to a Platoon Sergeant on a Company scale.

Sergeant Major: Sergeant Majors fill in as the Enlisted counterpart to officers above the Company level. Whether in a Battalion, a Regiment, or any other position, they are a senior voice that always garners respect. The role is held by a Sergeant Major. No exceptions.

It is wise to address any enlistedman by his full rank with one very noted exception. A Master Sergeant (E-8 paygrade) is not in command, and normally works as a senior specialist to important operations. They can be found running supply, motor pools, and anywhere their expertise is best used. They are affectionately referred to as "Top." And a helpful reminder, never refer to a senior enlistedman as either "sir" or "ma'am." Those honorifics are reserved solely for officers and warrant officers. As stated above, refer to said individual by their full rank (i.e. Staff Sergeant, Gunnery Sergeant, etc.)

Any questions can be addressed to me in private. Dismissed.