A sub-officer officer or sub officer (SUB, colloquially sub) is a military officer who has not earned a commission. (Such is also called non-commissioned officer in the League Navy). Sub-officers usually obtain their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. In contrast, commissioned officers hold higher ranks than SUBs, have more legal responsibilities, are paid more, and often are given their commission as a matter of family prominence, over skill.
The use of the word "rank" for Navy enlisted personnel is incorrect. The term is "rate." The rating badge is a combination of rate (pay grade) and rating (specialty).
| Grade | Rate | Navy (Hai Jun) | Ground Forces (Bing Zhong) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OR-1 | Shui Bing | Seaman Apprentice | Private |
| OR-2 | Shang Deng Bing | Seaman | Private First Class |
| OR-3 | Xia Shi | Petty Officer Third Class | Junior Sergeant |
| OR-4 | Zhong Shi | Petty Officer Second Class | Sergeant |
| OR-5 | Shang Shi | Petty Officer First Class | Senior Sergeant |
| OR-6 | Si Ji Jun Shi Zhang | Chief Petty Officer | Master Sergeant Fourth Class |
| OR-7 | San Ji Jun Shi Zhang | Senior Chief Petty Officer | Master Sergeant Third Class |
| OR-8 | Er Ji Jun Shi Zhang | Master Chief Petty Officer | Master Sergeant Second Class |
| OR-9 | Yi Ji Jun Shi Zhang | Command Master Chief Petty Officer | Master Sergeant First Class |
Commissioned officers are typically the only persons, in an armed forces environment, able to act as the commanding officer (according to the most technical definition of the word) of a military unit. A superior officer is an officer with a higher rank than another officer, who is a subordinate officer relative to the superior.
Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) in positions of authority can be said to have control or charge rather than command per se (although the word "command" is often used unofficially to describe any use of authority).
Commissioned officers generally receive training as leadership and management generalists, in addition to training relating to their specific military occupational specialty or function in the military. Many advanced militaries require university degrees as a prerequisite for commissioning, even from the enlisted ranks. Traditionally, you had to be from a noble background to enlist, but that hasn't been true for at least two centuries, though there's still some long-remembered resentment at that.
Every Terran Rank is the same, regardless of the branch. Instead, each rank is prefixed by the branch of service the officer is a member of.
As much as the Terran Government would love to deny it, the common Human language has become English, thanks to the League. As such, more traditional 'translated' ranks are used when speaking in English, because phrases like 'First Senior Officer' tend to make native english speakers chuckle in very rude ways.
| Grade | Rate | Navy (Hai Jun) | Ground Forces (Bing Zhong) |
|---|---|---|---|
| OF-D | Xue Yuan | Officer Cadet | Officer Cadet |
| OF-1 | Shao Wei | Ensign | Second Lieutenant |
| OF-2 | Zhong Wei | Lieutenant (Junior Grade) | First Lieutenant |
| OF-3 | Shang Wei | Lieutenant | Captain |
| OF-4 | Shao Xiao | Lieutenant Commander | Major |
| OF-5 | Zhong Xiao | Commander | Lieutenant Colonel |
| OF-6 | Shang Xiao | Captain | Colonel |
| OF-7 | Da Xiao | Senior Captain | Senior Colonel |
| OF-8 | Shao Jiang | Rear Admiral | Major General |
| OF-9 | Zhong Jiang | Vice Admiral | Lieutenant General. |
| OF-10 | Shang Jiang | Admiral | General |
Intelligence officers fall under the 'Ground Forces' for rank purposes.
The commander of a Fleet-operated station or special facility that does not rate an Admiral is known as "Commandant." They are equal in rank to a Senior Captain.