Uniforms

Sorry I havn't gotten to this sooner. I've had an issue with my left hand and can't type worth anything, so it will be slow going for a while, but I'll get the stuff up as soon as I can. Here is the first part.

Uniforms, Part I: Rank Structure

What probably confuses most people who are trying to understand the Classic Galactica rank structure is what seems to be a mixing of navy ranks with those of the other services. The confusion comes, however, in assuming that the ranks were (like Star Trek) based on U.S. or U.K. military ranks. This turns out not to be the case.

The Colonial rank structure is instead based on a classical Greek military structure:

Polemarchos

Strategos

Taxiarchos/ Nauarchos

Syntagmatarkhis/ Trièrarchos

Tagmatarkhis

Lokhagos

Tetrarchès

Hoplomachos

Dilochitès

Lochagos

Phalangites

This translates as:

Senior Commander

Commander

2nd Commander

Colonel

Captain

Lieutenant

2nd Lieutenant

Chief Sergeant

Sergeant

Corporal

Crewman

There are three “branches” or components of the Colonial forces that we see in the Classic series, although there seems to be some overlap between them. This overlap, however is consistent with the “classical” nature of the armed services. These are the “Fleet” component, the “Flight” component, and the “Field” component.

The Fleet component dresses in dark blue uniforms, while the other two dress in the tan uniforms (I will go into detail on those later on).

Rank indicators are a combination of color-coded piping, piping arrangement, and pin/medallion arrangement. There are two rank piping colors for the Fleet uniforms; silver and pale gold. The Flight and Field uniforms have three rank colors; pale gold, bright gold, and bronze.

I'll post the specific rank colors and layouts in my next post.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Rissa- on January 8, 2012 at 6:15am

Ah yeah..I know the issues between whats on the screen, versus whats on the camera. Have that problem with almost any costume....on our favorite shows.

And Yep, I know about Starbuck and Apollo....that never did make sense. I have heard some rumor mills say that their pins were slightly different..but it dosent make sense to make rank, that you cant TELL till your right up in someone's face...to notice.

Thats why I was curious if there were any clubs out there who had tried to make their own ranking systems. It works pretty well for the lower ranks..with the one pin, no pin, no trim...stuff...

But that jump between Lt. And Captain..definitely needs something. :D

Permalink Reply by Ed O'Connell on January 8, 2012 at 7:00am

Blackstar Squadron is not doing anything to mark rank. Although we do have a rank Structure. We are more interested in reproducing the costumes as best we can rather then changing them to incorporate a rank designator.

Permalink Reply by Spectre on March 13, 2012 at 4:23am

As Ed pointed out--there was no "visual" way to determine rank.
Something nobody has touched on yet were the other uniformed crewmen/women in different uniforms that held officer rank--council security for example.

Permalink Reply by Mark Todd on April 7, 2012 at 1:48pm

Ineed. The only factors that really come into play

There are confusing rumors floating all around the net about the uniforms. I'm sure we are all tired of the "Ultrasuede" rumor by now. lol

There were no differences in collar (military intelligence) pins. They were either gold for the tans or silver for the blues. Gold braid for the tans, silver braid for the blues. The only clear case of a rank division seems to be one pin centered or two pins on either side. Commanders have a few more additions to their uniform that clearly mark them as such, but the only two we saw had very different uniforms! The Commander Cain version is much more flashy!

I highly recommend that anyone who is interested in the original uniforms come over and join us on Blackstar Squadron. There are literally HUNDREDS of pages of information for you to browse. Also check out our "Costume Reference Library" for an accurate breakdown of the warrior uniform.