Re: [Epic] Captains vs Colonels

From: Alun Gallie <gallie_at_...>
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 1998 08:04:08 +0930

>J. Michael Looney wrote:
>
>> Please do not become confused by the fact that US, like most other
>> countries, has an over all command level (The Department of Defense)
>> controlling its military forces. The US has 4 military forces, only
>> one
>> of which (the Navy) is lacking in Colonels.
>
>I don't get what the point of your statement is as it relates to IG
>detachments. I'm not trying to be a wiseass, just confused. Should
>Colonels report to Captians (in the same branch?) as the original post
>suggested? Regardless of what Capatins and Colonels are called by the
>various branches of the US military, they are all grade O-6 which makes
>them equal in rank.
>
>The question is, by some weird quirk of protocol is an O-6 in the
>Imperial Guard called a "Captain" in the future and an O-3 called a
>"Colonel"?
>
>Los
>
Captains and Colonels are NOT equal in rank when they are both int the SAME
service. Whilst a theoretically a Imperial Navy Captain may be of equivilant
hieracy to a Imperial Gaurd Colonel, a Imp Gaurd Colonel can not possibly be
equivilent to an Imp Gaurd Captain, you simply don't have two equilivlent
ranks in the SAME service. Michael point was simply a clarification that the
person that posted the imp Gaurd list may have had his Colonels and Captains
around the wrong way, or that the colonels should be lieutenants.
This is not the only instance of the same name for ranks in different
services not corresponding. In the NZ armed forces (where I spent 12 years,
both Army and Navy) a Navy Lieutenant is equivalent to an Army Captain,
whilst and Army Colonel is equivelant to a Navy Captain. ( Actual precedence
would be based on zone of control and mission briefing or if all else fails
Senior Service hieracy ie. Navy then Army then Air Force ).
In short in all military forces I have been involved with or been able to
check, if their is a Colonel rank and a Captain rank both in the SAME branch
of the sevice (ie both army, both marine etc) the Colonel rank will always
exceed that of the Captain rank.
Hope thats as clear as mud <g>
Cheers
Alun
Received on Thu Jan 08 1998 - 22:34:08 UTC