 Any military force needs a predefined hierarchy to determine the chain of command. Most military organisations differentiate between enlisted personnel and officers. The United Federation of Planets has, of the major powers in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, the most highly structured rank structure. The rank structures of the three Great Powers of the Dominion War's Grand Alliance, as well as those of the Cardassian Union and the Bajoran Militia are given below. They are grouped as rough equivalents, but in practice members of different military forces holding equivalent ranks may have widely varying responsibilities and authority.
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 In the above table, ranks in dark grey cells are enlisted and ranks in light grey cells are commissioned officers. Where two ranks are given together, the first is naval and the second is ground forces. Where three ranks are given together, the centre one is generic to both naval and ground forces. Rank names in italics have not been translated but are rendered in the original language. |
