Officers of the Quentinian Military

Officer or commissioned officer in the United States of Quentin Armed Forces is a classification for members of the country's military who hold positions of command, although they are of lower rank than those of flag rank. Officers are present across all six branches of the military, though in the Starkkae Corps only the Supreme Commander is of higher rank, and in the Fort McCarthy Defense Force only the Director of Defense Force Operations is a part of the flag rank.

The tier of commissioned officer was first established with the creation of the Quentinian military around 1823, as they would be in command of a large number of forces. In the days of the Quentinian War for Independence and even for many years after the ratification of the Constitution, the tier was extremely broad, and referred to anyone who held a position of command and who was of lower rank than the Supreme Commander. The Army was the first branch to define these ranks as more than just those holding command, as commissioned officers began receiving special training and procedural instruction after the creation of the Department of Defense in the 1850's. Other branches were regulated later, some with the military reforms of President David Wagner, and others earlier in the 20th century.

Today, commissioned officers must receive some sort of military training, whether that be at one of the numerous military academies across the USQ, or a more informal training at a military station or post. Commissioned officers have a much broader role of command than deputy officers or enlisted servicemen, and although command varies by branch, the top commissioned officers often command a large task force or group of servicemen and deputies, while lower-level commissioned officers support this command and command fractions of that force. Deputies then command smaller groups within those fractions, and enlisted servicemen follow these orders. Further, commissioned officers receive broad orders from flag rank officials such as the Supreme Commander or, more directly, a Commodore Grand Moff, General Commander, etc.

Duties

The main duty of commissioned officers is to command a large group or force, and see to its everyday operation, including making decisions regarding attack, defense, and operation strategies, while also taking into account the overall orders of the flag rank officers and the Supreme Commander. This main duty is mostly held by top rank commissioned officers, while lower rank commissioned officers either support higher level officers in command, or command fractions of the larger force when in combat or performing everyday operations. In addition to these main duties, commissioned officers also must communicate with superior officials to decide upon strategy, as well as communicate a need for resources and supplies.

Often in the Navy and Air Force, officers will be in command of a ship or aircraft, having to pilot them and ensure all systems on the ships and planes are working properly. Naval officers have this duty more than Air Force officers, though, as Air Force officers will often pilot one plane, which leads other planes piloted by lower level airmen in battle. This is not always the case, however, as larger bombers and other large aircraft will be commanded by officers and piloted by other servicemen, more like the Navy. In the Space Force, commissioned officers are theoretically supposed to command large groups of ships, or command a space station or other installation, however due to the current small size of the Space Force, a Grand Moff will usually command an installation or group of servicemen. With the projected growth of the service, however, this is set to change.

Training and Commission Sources

Training for commissioned officers usually takes one of three routes. The overall training for Quentinian officers usually consists of leadership and management training, along with logistics and training in military procedure. All enlisted servicemen receive military procedure training, however this training is much more comprehensive. Additionally, they generally will receive training with weapons and equipment necessary to carry out command, something which is especially true for Navy, Air Force, and Space Force officers, who must be trained in captaining a ship, flying numerous aircraft, and using sophisticated space defense technologies respectively. The first route of training to become a commissioned officer is applying to a federal military academy, and applying for commissioned officer training. Military academies in the USQ offer three tiers of training, enlisted service tier, officer tier, and high-level command tier. Applying and being accepted for officer or high-level command tier training at a military academy ensures that after graduation, a soldier may move quicker through the ranks, and become a commissioned officer much sooner than those who did not have prior training. This system is different from other world militaries, as all officials regardless of academy training must serve at least some time as an enlisted serviceman, ensuring field experience.

There are two other routes to training for the rank of officer in the Quentinian military, the first of these being training in the field or at an installation. This is utilized when a serviceman attended an academy for an enlisted rank, never attended an academy, or simply doesn't want to attend the academy, due to urgency or a lack of money, among other reasons. Field training is carried out by a superior officer of either commissioned or flag rank, and while it often is limited, field training focuses on many of the essentials of command. The third and final route of commissioned officer training is attending an academy either a second time or for the first time after being promoted to the rank of officer. This removes the serviceman from active service for a time, as they attend an academy and gain the training needed to reenter as an officer.

Commission Sources

A commissioned officer in the USQ, much like the rest of the world, must receive a commission to carry out the duties of officer. The source of this commission varies from country to country, however in the USQ it either comes from a senior officer or a military academy. The majority of commissioning comes from military academies, however if in the field training is utilized, a senior officer's letter to the Supreme Commander will suffice.

Difference Between Commissioned and Deputy Officers

See main article: Deputy Officers of the Quentinian Military

The main difference between commissioned officers in the Quentinian armed forces and deputy officers, also known simply as deputy positions, is that deputy officers need no training to fulfill their roles. Commissioned officers also command a large task force or group of forces, which explains the need for more training, while deputy officers only command a small fraction of the larger group. The other difference is in their pay, although the lower levels of commissioned officers actually get paid less than deputy officers. Overall, however, commissioned officers are paid more than deputy officers.

List of Commissioned Officers

The following is a list of all current commissioned officer positions in the Quentinian armed forces. The positions are organized by branch, and includes the pay level for each position as set by the federal government.

Rank	Pay Tier
Air Force
Major	S2
Roger-Roger	S2
Lieutenant Roger-Roger	S2
Colonel	S2
Lieutenant Colonel	S1
Gunnery Major	S1
Army
Major General	S2
Colonel	S2
Lieutenant Colonel	S2
Lieutenant Commander	S2
Captain	S1
Chief Sergeant	S1
Fort McCarthy Defense Force
Colonel	S2
Major Sergeant	S2
Lieutenant Colonel	S2
Gunnery Captain	S2
Navy
Fleet Captain	S2
Captain	S2
Lieutenant	S2
Quartermaster	S2
Ensign	S1
Deck Chief	S1
Space Force
Lieutenant General	S2
Secretary Basher	S2
Lieutenant Secretary Basher	S2
Colonel	S2
Lieutenant Colonel	S1
Commander	S1
Starkkae Corps
Phaste Commander	S3
Storm Regent	S3
Lance Corporal	S2
Major Locorum	S2
Juszczyk Captain	S2
Lieutenant Commander	S2
Master Works	S2
Ensign	S1
Gunnery Major	S1