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Table of Contents
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The Colonial military forces consist of the:
- Colonial Fleet (ship and space station crews, aka the "Navy")
- Colonial Marine Corps (ground troops, aka the "Marines")
These two branches of service have their own separate chain of command, uniforms, procedures, and even ranks. However, they both ultimately answer to the President of the Colonies.
See: Marines for more info on the CMC procedures and Training.
See: Various Naval Departments for more information on each.
Disclaimer, Baby!
This is a military game. There are rules and regs that should be followed. We, however, are a MUSH, and not everyone is expected to know every rule that every other person does know! Use common sense when dealing with your superior officers and other crew. Don't poo where you eat. That said, this page is a very good guideline for the sort of things you would benefit from knowing.
When in doubt, consult your CO if you're unsure. We're not going to nail you to the wall if you mess up, but be prepared for IC consequences if your CO is a hardass, and you piss them off. Every player is different, so please remember to have fun and alt responsibly!
Misc. Thematic Infomation
Officer Candidate School (OCS) is a 14-week program which graduates commissioned officers in the Colonial Fleet and Marines.
Two groups of people attend OCS:
- College graduates who have enlisted and wish to become officers.
- Existing enlisted soldiers who wish to become officers.
In both cases, the would-be officer applies to the OCS school. Competition is fierce. If accepted into the program, the officer proceeds to an intensive training school designed to teach leadership and teamwork. This is in addition to the standard military basic training.
Note: "direct commission" professions (doctors, lawyers, chaplains) attend a modified version of OCS and basic training geared towards members of that profession (typically called "officer's basic training").
Viper and Raptor Pilots must first obtain an officer commission. To become a Aviator, you must be between the ages of 19 and 26 at the time you enter flight training. Adjustments (waivers) can be made up to 24 months for those with prior service, and up to 48 months for those already in the military at the time of application. Naval Officers are commissioned through the Academy.
Flight Training - Which is 18-24 months. This flight training goes through various phases from beginning to Advanced. Each area going for so many weeks. All pilots just out of Flight Training are known as a 'Rook' and are Ensigns.
All new flight school students first enroll in a civilian flight school for 25 hours of flight training in small general aviation aircraft. The student must solo and complete at least one cross country flight. The purpose of IFS is to screen all students to see their aptitude for flight in actual aircraft, before sending them through all of flight school. Students who already have a Private Pilot Certificate skip IFS and go straight to Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API).
Aviation Preflight Indoctrination (API) is six weeks.
Primary Flight Training - is 6 months.
Intermediate and Advanced Flight Training - is 27 Weeks
Upon completion of FRS training, Pilots are assigned to a fleet squadron – either ship or land based – in their type aircraft. In addition to flying,Initial fleet assignments typically last approximately three years.
Enlistment
Everyone signs a contract of sorts when joining the military, agreeing to serve for a few years (usually 4). The exact contract is different for enlisted/officers but either way it's an obligation.
The Colonial Navy and Marines are separate branches of service. Essentially, they are separate militaries. You enlist in either one or the other.
Resigning
The military is not like a normal job where you can quit any time you want. You signed a contract, and you're obliged to serve it. Failure to do so can result in jail time.
- When an enlisted person's initial term of service is up, they may either resign or re-enlist for another term of service.
- When an officer's initial term of service is up, they may resign at any time.
HOWEVER, during wartime, the military can refuse all resignations and force someone to serve indefinitely. Also, they can recall someone who has previously resigned and force them to return to active duty.
If the military allows you to leave, or forces you to leave, you are "discharged" from the military. In our game, all discharges must be approved by the, Old Man, the senior military commander.
Discharge
There are several types of discharges from the military.
- Honorable Discharge - You've kept your nose clean, done your duty, and return to civilian life with a gold star on your record.
- Dishonorable Discharge - You've been kicked out by a court-martial with a black mark on your record.
- Less-Than-Honorable Discharge - Somewhere in between the first two categories. This normally happens due to poor performance (e.g., failing out of boot camp or nugget training), bad conduct that's not quite bad enough to warrant a court martial (e.g., substance abuse or fraternization), or other situations where the military doesn't want you.
Medical discharges can occur if the person is no longer able to perform their duties due to a medical condition (physical or mental). This will normally result in a Honorable Discharge.
Branch Transfer
A transfer from one branch to another isn't as easy as transferring from one department to another (within the Navy), or from one platoon to another (within the Marines). It essentially requires quitting one branch and re-joining the other, which gets back to the first point about quitting during wartime. So inter-branch transfers are a mess, paperwork-wise, and require special approval from the soldier's CO, the receiving department's CO, and Col. Regas.
Military Law
The foundation of military law is established by the Colonial Code of Military Justice (CCMJ), of which all members of the armed forces are subject to. The CCMJ sets forth, among other things, rights of the accused, procedures and authorities for court martial, punitive articles (crimes), and punishments.
For RP purposes, you can assume that the CCMJ is generally equivalent to the United States Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). This is what staff uses as the basis for offenses and punishments.
The CCMJ is implemented by the Judge Advocate General (JAG), which appoints court officers to prosecute, defend, and judge the guilt or innocence of the accused. Officially, all military officers are vested the power to enforce the CCMJ, but practically, designated units carry out this function. Aboard the Hestia, this unit is the military police detachment of the Colonial Marines. On smaller ships, such as fleet patrol vessels, Navy personnel may be charged with these duties.
When an arrest is made, the immediate commanding officer of the accused is designated the convening authority. This person is the only one with the power to initiate criminal proceedings. The authority should investigate (or direct investigation of) the case and decide to:
- Dismiss the charges, citing lack of merit or evidence. As a matter of policy, dismissed cases are expunged from the service member's records. In some cases, the commanding officer may dismiss the charges with a verbal warning and "off-the-record" punishment such as extra duty or cleaning the heads. This is usually done if the commander believes the soldier deserves a chance to redeem himself without a formal black mark on his record.
- Perform non-judicial punishment (NJP), to administratively punish the accused without a trial. This can only be done for minor crimes (misdemeanors), and the maximum punishments are limited. They can include: a formal letter of reprimand, reduction in rank (possible only for enlisted personnel E3 and under), confinement not to exceed one week, or up to 30 days restriction (house arrest, loss of shore leave or other privileges, etc.). NJP results in a black mark on the accused's permanent file. The accused may request a court martial in lieu of non-judicial punishment.
- Convene a court martial, a formal trial with greater scope of authority but greater logistical inconvenience. More information below.
A distinction should be made between officer and commanding officer. For example, a platoon leader is typically an officer, but the commanding officer is the company commander. In the MUSH's theme, the commanding officer would be the department head.
A superior commanding officer may take over as convening authority at any time.
Court Martial
A court martial (pl: courts martial) is a formal military trial. It is an adversarial process with trial counsel, defense counsel, judge, and panel (jury). A court martial is convened when requested by a lawful convening authority. The most senior JAG official may act as judge. There are three types of courts martial, with decreasing scope:
- General, a complete trial with a full panel of six peers, with no limitations on punishment. Only general courts martial may impose the death penalty or separation from service.
- Special, a trial with a panel of three senior officers, including the judge. There are sentencing limitations, such as a maximum of six months confinement, and some crimes are excluded from trial by special court martial.
- Summary, a lesser trial with no panel, counsel or judges. It's more of a hearing in front of a single officer (usually the convening authority) who plays all the roles. The accused must be enlisted. There are much more sentencing limitations, such as a maximum of one month confinement.
In all cases, the judge determines severity of sentence, whereas the panel is only concerned with a verdict. The accused may request a general court martial.
Practical Considerations
The Colonial Code of Military Justice entrusts officers to maintain the integrity of the code by affording them the authority to make arrests. However, it is considered in poor taste for (1) a junior officer to perform an arrest, (2) any officer to arrest a service member not under his or her command, and (3) any officer to threaten arrest for minor (misdemeanor) offenses. These actions erode leadership and morale, and in the second case, fosters ill will between departments.
In practice, if an officer witnesses what he or she believes to be a crime, a complaint should be lodged with that individual's commanding officer. The exception is if the individual is behaving in such a manner so as to cause mortal danger to himself or herself or others. This means, practically, that only the individual's commanding officer may arrest the individual.
Enlisted Law Enforcement
Enlisted members of law enforcement (Military Police) have the power of detainment, an action officially distinct from but practically equal to an arrest. When an individual is detained, law enforcement have a limited time to locate the individual's commanding officer, who may then decide whether or not to arrest. Although detainment should not be used as a form of punishment, it is the de facto response for minor offenses. Frequently, commanding officers will simply allow the maximum time for detainment to expire and let that serve as a warning.
Other (non-MP) enlisted crew members do not have the power of detainment, and must contact the MPs to file a report if a crime is witnessed. They are permitted to subdue an individual who is behaving in such a manner so as to cause mortal danger to himself or herself or others.
Arrest In Quarters
A common punishment is arrest in quarters. This is a form of confinement done on the honor system. The soldier performs his or her duties as normal but is expected to be in quarters otherwise. Allowances are made for showers, laundry, meals, and religious services, but abuse of the system will result in full, in brig confinement.
If your character is under arrest in quarters, you may RP in certain areas:
- Your quarters
- Your duty station
- Mess hall
- Head
- Laundry
- Chapel
You may not RP in the:
- Rec Room / Game Room
- Gym
- Anywhere off ship, unless in the performance of duties
Please ask for OOC clarification for other places.
Military Weapons
1. All military officers are issued a personal sidearm. It is their responsibility to safeguard this sidearm, either by keeping it under lock and key (in their locker, a locked desk drawer, or an arms locker) or on their person at all times.
They may carry their weapon any time aboard ship. However, carrying your gun when the ship is not on alert and/or you're not on duty is liable to get you some odd looks and murmured comments about you being a psycho.
2. MPs regardless of rank are issued a personal sidearm as well, with the same restrictions as #1.
3. Marine grunts share rifles from a common pool, kept in an arms locker in the Marine Offices. Rifles are signed out for practice or for missions/duties. Upon completion, they are to return their weapons and ammo to the locker immediately.
4. Senior NCOs (E5 and above) and Officers have access to the arms lockers throughout the ship for distributing weapons and ammo in case of defense during boarding actions.
5. There are weapons in the firing range that can be signed out for use in the range only. The bullets there are all rubber - there is no live ammo.
6. Military personnel are not normally permitted to take their weapons onto the civilian ships. Special exceptions are during emergencies (fighting cylons) or at the discretion of the Fleet Police when assisting in investigations, escorting prisoners, etc.
6. Personal weapons, including firearms and martial weapons (basically anything bigger than a knife) are not permitted aboard the Battlestar. Any obtained during the cruise must be turned over to the MPs until the end of the cruise.
+++Civilian Weapons
1. There are many personal firearms throughout the fleet. Possession of a weapon is not illegal on the civilian ships, but brandishing or carrying one (openly or concealed) is.
2. Martial weapons (basically anything bigger than a knife, and switchblades) may also not be carried or brandished.
Got questions? Ask! Don't forget to check the Military Procedures below.
Military Recruiting
BENEFITS
There are several benefits to signing up:
Better basic supplies (clothes, soap, etc.)
Better medical benefits
Better housing
ENLISTING
A civilian can enlist into either the Navy or the Marines. The basic enlistment process is the same for both. However, officer candidates (pilots, doctors, etc.) go to an officer's version of the basic which includes OCS (leadership/officer training.) Although they are not commissioned as officers until this is complete, their status as "officer candidates" gets them a little bit more status than a raw Private.
The first step is to contact a recruiter. For the Navy, this would be an officer in the Personnel department. For the Marines, this would be the company S1.
Then comes the paperwork/bureaucracy, including:
- Background check (somewhat difficult given the lack of official records from pre-attacks, but they still make the attempt)
- Medical physical (conducted by a military doctor)
- Aptitude test (similar to the RL ASVAB Test)
- Signing the enlistment papers. In peacetime, the standard term of enlistment is for three years. However, in wartime there is a clause that effectively extends enlistment for as long as the military needs you.
Recruits that fail the background check, physical or aptitude test may not be allowed to proceed into the training program, depending on specific circumstance and possibility of rehabilitation.
INPROCESSING
Upon reporting for duty aboard a military vessel, recruits are greeted by a member of the training detachment (Navy or Marines, as appropriate to their branch) and spent most of the first day in "inprocessing". This includes a number of things:
Medical - Vaccines and more paperwork (remember that the physical comes BEFORE you enlist)
Personnel - More paperwork, including the all-important 'next of kin' forms.
Equipment - Issued uniforms and training manuals.
Berthing Assignment - Shown to your new bunk and locker.
Miscellaneous - Confiscate contraband. Get a haircut if necessary. (they don't shave everyone's heads, but do have some standards regarding appearance)
Briefing - Familiarize the recruit with what to expect - schedules, duties, general rules.
TRAINING
On the second day, the recruit will begin Basic Training, where they learn the basics of their job. This is normally 9 week program, and is followed by an even longer Advanced Individual Training program where the recruit learns specialized skills needed for his new job.
ASSIGNMENTS
After finishing training, the recruit receives their first assignment.
Assignments are based on the needs of the military, the skills of the individual, and the preferences of the individual, in that order. They will normally make an attempt to honor promises made by the recruiter, but ultimately once you sign the enlistment papers they can assign you to whatever they want.
OOC: The staff will not normally force people into assignments they don't want. If you sign on to be an engineer, you'll get to be an engineer unless something really unusual happens. But for RP purposes, be aware that ICly you get sent where the military wants to send you.
RANK
All recruits begin as E1 (Crewman Apprentice/Private) in basic training and stay at E1 until they finish basic.
AFTER basic training is complete, recruits with college experience will generally receive a promotion to E2 (Crewman/PFC).
Also AFTER basic, a recruit may be instated as a junior NCO (Sergeant/Petty Officer 2) if they have significant relevant job experience, such a senior civilian engineering tech joining the engineering department.
Also AFTER basic, a recruit may be commissioned as an officer, if:
They are assigned to a job role where everyone is an officer (pilot, doctor, lawyer) 'or'
They have education and/or leadership experience that makes them well-suited to a leadership role.
Doctors, Lawyers and Scientists are commissioned at O2 (LtJG) or O3 (Lt) depending on their level of experience. In rare cases (such as someone who was Chief of Staff of a hospital) they may be commissioned as O4 (Captain). All other officers are commissioned at O1 (Ensign).
Military Procedures
- Brig Rules
- Callsigns
- Comms
- Conditions
- Drills
- Flight Deck Safety
- Flights
- Fraternization
- Hestia Visits
- Medals
- Orders
- Personal Belongings
- Promotions
- Protocol
- Security
- Shore Leave
- Uniforms
These are standing regulations regarding prisoners in the main brig:
- Prisoners are allowed to receive visitors at designated hours.
- All visitors must check in with the guard on duty.
- The prisoner may refuse visitors.
- Weapons are not permitted in the brig. (The guards do not make a habit of patting people down when they come in, but they are authorized to do so if they are suspicious. Or just mean.)
- Physical contact with the prisoner is not permitted.
- All gifts must be cleared with the guard (with strict limitations on what is allowed.)
- Prisoners are regularly given changes of clothes and sheets, and their stuff laundered by the support department.
- Prisoners are regularly given shower time, under minimal escort. Toilets are in the cells.
- Prisoners receive regular meals, brought up from the galley by the support dept and delivered to the prisoners by the guards.
The aux brig and solitary confinement cells are subject to special restrictions beyond this. In particular, visitors must be cleared ahead of time by the S2, and gifts are even more restricted. There is also a shower in the aux brig cell, so no shower time.
An aviator call sign or callsign is a nickname given to a military pilot or other flight officer. This call sign is a substitute for the officer's given name, and is used on name tags, planes, and radio conversations. In deference to the latter, callsigns are never longer than three syllables max, as they serve as a quick means of identification and recognition.
Aviator call signs nearly always must come from a member of the aviator's squadron, training class, or other coworker. It is considered bad form to try to give oneself a callsign. Some stick with the aviator forever, while in other cases an aviator might have a series of call signs throughout his or her career.
Shipwide Communications
+com/page <text>
All loudspeaker (tannoy) announcements are audible to everyone on board the ship, close to a wireless terminal. They should be used for short announcements, orders to a general section that do not require confirmation, for example in readying alert vipers or sending out damage control teams, or to briefly call out for a particular person to contact a wireless terminal directly or report to a compartment. They should never be used to hold a conversation. Common courtesy dictates that ship-wide pages are kept to a minimum to avoid disruption and distraction from the crew's work, sleep or off duty time.
A ship-wide page should (generally) begin with either Do you hear there!, Now hear this!, or if paging for the attention of an individual, Pass the word!. The purpose of this is to attract attention to the tannoy so that the next, important, part of the call is heard.
The meat of the text should be brief, concise and to the point. Please and thank you are not necessary. Sample text might be Fire in compartment 11B, away damage control parties!, Hull breach alarms to be tested. Disregard all hull breach alarms until further notice, or similar. To call an individual to a compartment, use the format Captain Morgan, report to the CIC. To get an individual to call a wireless in order to hold a conversation, use the format PO Dusty, 141.
This text is always repeated twice, in sensible chunks (usually sentences) if the message contains several parts.
A typical page might be as follows:
Do you hear there! PO Tato, report to the gallery! PO Tato, report to the galley!
Optionally, particularly for longer pages, the call may be finished with That is all.
Basic Wireless Communications
Over and Out
A wireless may not transmit and receive at the same time. It is imperative, therefore, that every station listens before transmitting, to be certain not to transmit over the top of another station. And the end of each transmission, you should end up with one of the following procedural words (and never both together).
Over should be used to indicate that your transmission is completed and you expect a reply. If somebody contacts you and finishes with 'over', you should reply if only to acknowledge them.
Out should be used to indicate that your transmission is completed and you do not expect a reply. This also informs any other stations on the net that they are now free to contact either party without interrupting traffic.
Identifiers
Over a wireless, it should be assumed at all times that the identity of the speaker is unknown, therefore every transmission should begin with an identifier, in the format Torch, this is Spider, or more simply, Torch, Spider. If the identity of the person you are replying to is not in question, the identifier may be just, This is Spider.
Drafting Text
The text of a wireless transmission should, as with internal pages, be brief, concise and to the point. Please and thank you are not necessary, and the meaning of the text should be unambiguous without being wordy. Useful phrases to help with drafting are Confirm, Request and Advise.
Acknowledgment
To acknowledge a message and accept responsibility for passing it on to the correct authority, for example a communications operator receiving weapons fire orders for their ship, use the single word Roger in your text.
To acknowledge a message and inform them that you will act on the information yourself, for example a communications operator asked to change frequency and re-establish communications, use the single word Wilco, short for 'will comply' in your text. Roger and Wilco should never be used together. If in doubt, 'Roger' usually applies to most cases.
Repetitions
On occasion it may be necessary to ask for a repetition of a signal or part of a signal, or in difficult conditions or when the information is vital to be received accurately and immediately, it may be prudent to repeat all or part of your message text. Note that the 'over' or 'out' is only ever said once.
To request a repetition, use the phrase say again and never 'repeat'. If only a portion of the message needs to be said again, the portion may be identified with 'word after', 'word before', 'all after', 'all before' or 'from <word> to <word>', for example, Spider, this is Dash, say again, over or Spider, this is Dash, say again word after rescue, over.
To give a repetition, use the phrase I say again to indicate that this is repetition by the operator, not repetition in the message. If an identifying portion is used, say I say again word after <word> <text> etc., for example, Spider, this is Dash, word after rescue, raptor, over.
Example
A typical conversation might be as follows:
Spider: Actual, this is Spider, request search and rescue raptor launch to recover our pilots, over.
Actual: This is Actual, raptor launched, over.
Spider: This is Spider, roger, out.
Condition One = Action stations (battles or emergencies)
Condition Two = High Alert. Everyone ready to go to action stations at a moment's notice.
Condition Three = Normal "wartime cruising" level. This is the standard alert level on Hestia when nothing unusual is going on.
There are conditions 4 and 5, but they are for peacetime and really won't apply for very long (hint, hint).
Shore leave is only allowed in Condition 3. At Condition 2 or 1, all military personnel are expected to return immediately to their duty station by any available means.
Fire Drill
"Fire, fire, fire! Fire in the <name of compartment>! Away damage control teams!"
- All personnel in the compartment are to raise the alert, then attempt to fight the fire using equipment available. All power should be cut to the compartment.
- All duty personnel on the same deck not involved at a critical action station are to procure breathing apparatus and manual fire extinguishers and provide these to themselves and the initial firefighting team, assisting with fighting the fire as necessary.
- Supply and secretariat teams to proceed to the incident board in CIC to coordinate firefighting efforts.
- Deck damage control teams to suit up and proceed to the compartment with hoses. Engineering damage control teams to arrange emergency lighting, water pressure, and gas tanks as required.
- Duty medics to suit up and proceed to the deck, setting up triage away from the fire. Sickbay to stand by to receive casualties.
Hull Breach Drill
"Hull breach, hull breach, hull breach! Hull breach in the <name of compartment>! Away Zero-G teams!"
- All personnel in the surrounding compartments are to seal all hatches and vents to the affected compartment, and evacuate immediately, sealing the hatches behind them.
- Duty zero gravity teams (engineering, deck) to suit up and proceed to the closest airlock to the indicated compartment. Duty teams are to assess the breach and attempt primary repairs.
- Secondary zero-gravity teams (weapons, tactical) to report to the machine shop (secondary location is deck tool room) to provide materials and tools for repairs.
- Marine detachments to draw weapons and report to the deck indicated in case of boarding.
- Supply and secretariat teams to proceed to the incident board in CIC to coordinate damage control efforts.
- Sickbay to stand by to receive casualties.
Intruder Drill
"Bandit, bandit, bandit! <Description of intruder and last known location if available> All non-critical personnel commence search and sweep, <deck and direction>"
- All personnel not at critical action stations to form three man teams and commence a full search of the ship, beginning at the deck indicated and moving in the direction(s).
- Supply and secretariat team to proceed to the incident board in CIC to coordinate search and containment efforts.
- Alarmed hatches to be sealed behind the search teams.
- Duty marine detachment to draw weapons and report to the security office. All other marines not at critical action stations to form three man search teams as above.
- When the bandit is found, search team is to call for marine backup and contain the bandit by any means necessary to safeguard the ship.
Foreword
"The flight deck of a battlestar is one of the most dangerous places in the universe, and the lessons of our past are filled with tragic events that prove it. In recent years, many improvements in flight deck equipment, firefighting gear and personal protective devices have made this workplace cleaner, better and safer, but sailors can still be at risk." - Excerpt from the Colonial Fleet's 'Flight Deck Awareness' publication
Aboard a deployed battlestar, the Flight Deck serves as the workplace for hundreds of sailors. Although fraught with danger, it is a place of beauty, skill and timing. The flight deck is filled with activity: aircraft being towed, equipment moving, people running, whistles blowing and sirens wailing. It is so busy that everyone must maintain situational awareness at all times. Understanding flight deck markings, learning how to manoeuvre about the deck, and recognising hand signals are critical.
The Safety Environment
FOD Walkdowns
FOD (Foreign Object Damage) walkdowns are held at the beginning of each watch. Deck crew in vaccuum suits perform a thorough sweep of the Landing Deck and Deck crew and Air Wing Personnel sweep the Launch Tubes. The purpose is to search out loose objects on the deck which, if ingested into aircraft engines, would result in costly repairs. Ships have been seriously damaged by FOD that has been blown away by jet blast. FOD is always a major safety concern on a flight deck.
Flight Deck Fire and Firefighting Symbols
"Fire, fire, fire on the flight deck!" Those sobering words and your immediate response can make the difference between minor damage and a catastrophe. As the likely first person on the scene, it is vital to understand and be familiar with the location, operating procedures, and intended purpose of all flight deck firefighting equipment.
AFFF Station Markings
An 18-inch wide green stripe is painted up and over the deck edge coaming, with white, 3-inch high lettering reading 'AFFF' (Aqueous Film Forming Foam). AFFF is the primary extinguishing agent for aircraft fires on all aircraft bearing ships of the fleet. Operating a typical flight deck AFFF station is simple.
- First - Locate the activation button and the wireless (they are painted green).
- Second - Make sure the firefighting team has pulled out all the hose from the storage box.
- Third - Push the button. This will activate the system and charge the hose.
- Fourth - Get on the wireless. This is how you will communicate with the pumping station that supplies the agent to the AFFF station and how you talk with damage control central.
CO2 Bottle Stowage Markings
A red, 12-inch wide stripe is painted up and over the deck edge coaming, with white, 3-inch high lettering reading 'CO2'.
Purple K Powder Stowage Markings
A red, 12-inch wide stripe is painted up and over the deck edge coaming, with white, 3-inch high lettering reading 'PKP'.
Salt Water Station Markings
A red, 18-inch wide stripe is painted up and over the deck edge coaming, with a yellow, 3-inch high letter 'W' in the centre.
Flight Deck Basics
- Wear all items of flight deck safety gear for launching and recovering aircraft.
- Flight deck helmet (cranial)
- Double hearing protection
- Goggles
- Flame resistant coveralls
- Steel toed flight deck boots with non-slip soles
- Protective gloves
- Keep your eye on anyone you think might be setting themselves up for an accident. Help to avoid that potential damage.
- Lend a hand when an aircraft 'push-back' is called away. Caution - watch wheels, intakes and ordnance.
- Clean up immediately any mess under or around aircraft. This will help prevent FOD and help keep the deck skid proof.
- Take part in all flight deck drills and FOD walkdowns.
- Seek out a petty officer to ask for assistance if you are unsure of a situation.
- Know your absolute limits. Fatigue is deadly.
- Stand clear of safe-park and safe-shot lines when flight operations are in progress.
- Notify the LSO immediately if you misplace a tool, wand or object.
- Know the plan for the cycle. Know the flow of traffic by watching aircraft directors.
Dont's
- Don't walk onto the deck during flight deck operations without wearing proper flight deck gear.
- Don't wear jewelery such as neck chains or bracelets while on the flight deck.
- Don't have sleeves or goggles up during flight operations.
- Don't work on or pass beneath a moving aircraft.
- Don't pass beneath drop tanks or air refueling stores on parked aircraft.
- Don't place yourself on the outboard side of a towed aircraft.
- Don't turn your back to the landing area during recovery.
- Don't sit on the flight deck.
- Don't walk in front of aircraft while arming or dearming front firing ordnance.
- Don't leave power cables lying on the deck. Stow them.
- Don't stand in front of mobile firefighting equipment.
- Don't cross elevator stanchions while they are raised.
- Don't loiter on the flight deck. If you don't have a job to do, stay below.
Standard operating procedure on board Hestia: no viper pilot flies in space alone. The minimum flight when vipers are launched is two ships, a lead and a wingman. The ONLY times this was every deviated from in the show, is as a result of a launch failure, and even then, they worked to rectify the problem as quickly as possible. It's a simple safety issue. This is not to say that if you want to fly, and there's no other PC pilot on willing to go out with you, that you need to be stuck on the ship. Our space system includes the ability to create NPC ships as necessary, to complement the people who are out in space.
No groupings of less than two. No nuggets go out without a vetted pilot escort. So, if one nugget is flying, their pair is completed by a vetted pilot. If two nuggets are out, there is at LEAST one vetted pilot out with them, though more often than not, it would be two. Please make certain you RP this appropriately. (This paragraph doesn't ICly apply right now—we have no nuggets…yet!)
Ignorance is no defense. ICly, neither the LSO, the CAG nor the Flight Control Team would allow you to launch solo.
Also remember that you are required to do a thorough pre-flight check with the ground crew prior to launching, except in emergencies.
Philosophy
Three main rules cover the general philosophy behind fraternization:
- The military does not want favoritism, or even the appearance of favoritism. For example: Crewman Joe never has to clean latrines because he's buddies with Captain Frank.
- The military does not want people in supervisory positions using their authority for their own benefit. For example: Captain Frank wants Crewman Joe to play on his team in the football tournament, so he arranges for someone else to take Joe's watch.
- The military does not want officers' judgement being impaired by becoming too close to the people under their command, because it could put others in danger. Witness Cmdr. Adama's behavior in You Can't Go Home Again as an example of why this is a bad idea.
Examples
Some specific examples that come up regarding fraternization:
- Officers and enlisted can be married, but cannot date. This may seem odd, but is intended to cover special circumstances where one member of a relationship is promoted or demoted into a situation that could cause fraternization charges. For example: Specialist Smith and Crewman Jones have been dating for years, but Jones suddenly goes off to OCS and becomes an officer. They must get married or stop their relationship.
Getting married does not grant forgiveness for breaking the fraternization rules in the first place.
- Although the fraternization rules are not intended to disrupt existing family relationships, family members are expected to show proper respect to rank/discipline while on-duty or in public.
Romances
Some other random notes about fraternization and military romance in general.
- Relationships between two officers and two enlisted, as long as they do not violate any of those rules listed above, are ok.
- PUBLIC displays of affection while IN UNIFORM are against regs. Gross displays in public areas, even while out of uniform (i.e. necking in the mess hall) are also frowned upon. A quick hug or peck on the cheek while off duty is OK.
- As it applied to getting jiggy: If you can find a secluded space, what we don't know won't hurt us. If you choose to use the berthings, please keep in mind, that while there is no reg against this, nor is it frowned upon by the senior staff, there probably will be some people who would frown on it, simply because of the lack of privacy within the berthings. Not everyone can ignore the sounds of merrymaking going on above their heads and whatnot. So in those instances, treat it the same as you would any roommate situation. Be respectful of the fact that people live in very close quarters aboard the ship. And remember that discretion is the better part of valour.
The rules for civilians visiting Hestia are as follows:
- The visit must be pre-approved by a Hestia officer. Any officer may approve a visit.
- The visit must have some official purpose. You cannot just come over to visit your friends or to randomly tour the ship.
- The guest must be escorted at all times by a member of the Hestia crew. Any crew member may be an escort.
- You must OOCly send a +mail to the Marines mailing list notifying them of the date of your visit, purpose, and who authorized it.
Civilian contractors may be granted long-term passes, and do not have to send mail when they come aboard. See Contractors for details.
Awards
This is just a partial list of awards that exist within the Colonial Fleet. They are listed in order of precedence (i.e. how important the medal is and therefore how hard it is to get).
Distinguished Airman's Medal
Awarded for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight. RL Equivalent: Distinguished Flying Cross.
Silver Cluster
Awarded for valor in the face of the enemy. RL Equivalent: Silver Star.
Colonial Medal of Bravery
Awarded for extraordinary acts of heroism during the course of combat. RL Equivalent: Bronze Star.
Air Medal
Awarded for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. RL Equivalent: Air Medal.
Fleet Commendation Medal
Awarded for distinguishing oneself by heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service. RL Equivalent: Army/Navy/AF Commendation Medal.
Orders
As a general rule, soldiers are expected to follow the orders of superior officers. However, there are a few special cases to consider. Note that none of these are black and white situations, so there's lots of room for confusion and conflict.
Illegal Orders
Soldiers are expected to refuse illegal orders - i.e. someone ordering them to commit a crime or in some way violate their oath of service.
Example: Captain Smith orders Sergeant Jones to shoot an unarmed civilian. Sergeant Jones refuses.
The trick is whether the soldier can prove that the order was illegal. Things like murder, theft, etc. are probably pretty obvious. But there are gray areas. There was a case in the US Army of a soldier refusing an order to wear UN uniforms because he felt it was illegal. His superior officers disagreed, and he was court-martialed.
Chain of Command
Orders are expected to come through the proper chain of command. It is considered poor form to issue orders to people who do not directly report to you, and may piss off the other person's commander. It is better to talk to the soldier's department head and let THEM issue the order.
Example: Captain Smith (a marine), orders Specialist Jones (a Navy deck hand) to clean the marine bunkroom. Even though Captain Smith outranks Jones, it is not really proper for him to give such an order.
Some exceptions include emergency situations (where typically the highest-ranking officer will assume command and start ordering everybody around), or joint operations (particularly combat), where typically there is a centralized operation commander.
Countermanding Orders
Soldiers are not expected to obey orders that contradict previous orders from a higher-ranking officer.
Example: Colonel Warren ordered Specialist Jones to clean the wardroom. While Jones is cleaning, Captain Smith comes along and orders him to deliver something to CIC. Specialist Jones should continue cleaning the wardroom, because Colonel Warren outranks Captain Smith.
An officer can try to countermand another officer's orders, but this puts both the soldier and the officer in a difficult position. It is better to talk to the superior officer and get him to change his own orders.
Special Authority
Certain positions give special authority to order other people around regardless of rank or department. Some specific examples:
A doctor has jurisdiction over medical stuff. Unlike civilians, military people cannot refuse treatment. If you're ordered to take your vitamins, then by golly you're going to take your vitamins.
Military police have jurisdiction over police matters. An officer could not, for example, order them NOT to arrest someone.
Department heads have jurisdiction over their areas. The engineering chief can order evacuations or order areas sealed off for maintenance; the deck chief can order pilots around if it relates to safety on the deck, etc.
Personal belongings, often referred to as ‘Personal Weight Allowance’ are the non-regulation items a crew member has brought on board a vessel for their tour of duty. Personal Weight Allowance is exactly as it is phrased, the amount of personal belongings you are allowed to bring for a temporary tour of duty is based upon poundage not volume. The amount you are allowed to bring on board also directly relates to rank, this is why in the show we see Adama’s quarters are packed full of his personal touches.
Items considered Personal Weight are:
- Civilian clothing
- Books, magazines, or other printed material
- Music players, CD’s, movies, computers
- Luxury items such as personal soaps, cigarettes, candy and gum
As quarters are tightly packed if you’re not the CO or XO of the vessel, everyone in berthings only has a small locker and a shelf in their bunk. The bulk of their personal items will actually be stored elsewhere in the ship, in a secured and restricted storage area. In order to access them a request must be filed with support. The items will then be delivered to General Distribution, where they may be signed out and signed back in.
External reference: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/assignments/l/blpropweight.htm
Promotions on BSG are handled ICly, and are not a reward for good RP or heroic IC accomplishments. The CO must approve all promotions, although department heads can put forth recommendations. Promotions come about for one of two reasons:
1. Battlefield promotion into a role of more responsibility IF the new role requires a higher rank.
2. Promotion according to times of service as listed below (on rank tables). IF there is room in the organization for that person at the higher rank. The times may be shortened slightly given the wartime situation but probably not significantly.
Examples:
- Squad leader Sergeant Smith is killed, and Corporal Anderson replaces him. Squad leaders are normally sergeants so Anderson is promoted.
- Master At Arms O'Bannon is killed and Sergeant Draco replaces him. MAA doesn't require any special rank, so Draco is not promoted.
- LtJG Halwinder has been in the service for 4 years, putting him up for promotion to full Lt. There's no real role difference between LtJG and Lt so he is promoted.
- Corporal Anderson is up for promotion to Sergeant but there are no spots open for Sergeants (until Smith gets himself killed). He is not promoted.
Hestia follows standard military protocol, adopted to fit the Hestia world. Basic concepts are listed below.
Saluting
Saluting is not generally done indoors, and the Hestia is regarded as an indoor area. So there is no saluting in the halls, or upon entering/leaving a room. Saluting is done when reporting for duty, acknowledging an order, or in other situations where it is deemed necessary to show respect. Saluting is not required in times where it would be inappropriate (including off-duty areas like the barracks, mess hall, and rec room), or when it would interfere with vital work. Lower-ranking enlisted do not salute higher-ranking enlisted except in formal ceremonies.
Commander/Officer on Deck
When a senior officer (Major or higher) enters a room, the first person to notice them will shout "Officer on Deck." ("Commander on Deck" for the CO). All present on the deck will then stand at attention until the senior officer has left or issued an "as you were" order. Like saluting, this is not done in designated off-duty areas or when it would interfere with vital work (like the commander walking into sickbay).
Addressing Superiors
Military personnel can refer to others of equal or lesser rank by their name, or by their rank. Crew members referring to officers of greater rank should use the senior officer's rank, unless deemed unnecessary due to circumstances, followed by "sir." Sir is the only address, there is no "Ma'am" like the U.S. armed forces. Senior enlisted personnel are usually addressed by their rank rather than as sir (like, "Yes, Chief" or "Right away, Sergeant".)
Accepting Orders
When accepting an order from an officer, a crew member will stand at attention and issue a salute. The crew member will also say either "Yes, sir!" or "Aye aye, Major!" to acknowledge that they have accepted the order. A lower-ranking enlisted accepting orders from a higher-ranking enlisted does not salute, but acknowledges it such as, "Right away, Chief."
Soldiers must follow orders from all superior officers, unless the orders are unlawful or in contradiction to orders from a higher-ranking officer. However, officers and NCOs should not generally give orders to people outside their chain of command. For more information, see Orders.
Behavior
Proper military behavior and discipline should be followed at all appropriate times. Poor military conduct is grounds for stripping of rank or commission and placement in the brig.
Fraternization
It is against regulations for an officer and enlisted crew member to have a close relationship. This normally means romantic, but can also be any close friendship that could give the impression (right or wrong) of favoritism. The same goes for supervisors and people under their command. More info can be found under fraternization.
Enlisted
Enlisted soldiers sign up ("enlist") for a tour of duty - usually 3 years. When it's over, they're done. They can be discharged and return to their civilian lives, or they can re-enlist for another tour. An enlisted soldier's tour can be extended indefinitely in a crisis.
Officer
Officers are "commissioned" by the president of the Colonies. Their term is for life, or until they are drummed out of the service or resign/retire. You can become an officer through ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) in college, graduating from the Fleet Academy, being an enlisted soldier and going through Officer Candidate School (OCS), or choosing a specialty (such as pilots or doctors) where everyone is an officer. An officer can be called back to active duty in a crisis.
NCOs
Non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a term used for senior enlisted personnel (E4 and higher) because they have many of the same leadership duties as officers, but do not hold commissions.
Reserves
Like most modern militaries, the Colonial military has a reserve corps - soldiers who hold regular jobs most of the time but do the military thing once a month. Fleet reservists often serve on Battlestars to keep their skills sharp. Dualla and Apollo from Galactica were both reservists.
Warrant Officers
Most real militaries have warrant officers - an odd set of ranks that fall between enlisted personnel and commissioned officers. The Battlestar universe doesn't appear to have these.
The Marines handle security aboard the ships and space station.
Patrols
The marines are stationed at critical areas throughout the ship, and perform roving patrols.
Cameras
There are security cameras in the stairwells, critical areas (like engineering, CIC, the gun galleries, hangar deck), in the brigs, and near each arms locker.
Arms Lockers
The small arms lockers are secured with an electronic keypad lock. All officers, enlisted crew members E5 and higher, and marine small arms/ordinance technicians are issued personalized codes to the arms lockers that work at all times.
Marine crew E1-E4 are issued personalized codes that normally only work for the arms locker in the marine office, Deck 11 (where the marine weapons are kept). This allows them to sign out their weapon for drills and practice. During Condition 1 and 2 ONLY, those codes will work for arms lockers throughout the ships.
The marine security station can override (lock out) any or all arms lockers. It also has security logs of all access (which can be traced to a specific individual by their personalized code).
There are weapons in the firing range that can be signed out for use in the range only. A marine guard supervises the signouts and makes sure people don't walk off with the guns or ammo. The bullets there are all rubber - there is no live ammo.
Duty Area
These are general duty areas where the day to day work of the ship is conducted. They are off-limits to civilian personnel unless the civilian has a pass (normally given only to contractors) or is escorted by a crew member.
Even with an escort, civilians must have reason for being here. Tours must be authorized by the CO or XO and thus are uncommon.
Since most of the ship is a Duty Area, there are no special security guards or anything at the entrances. However, most of these areas do have roving marine patrols or marine guards stationed around, so it would be hard for a civilian to wander around unnoticed.
Restricted Area
These are sensitive areas of the ship that are off limits to anyone except specially authorized personnel. This includes areas such as the arms lockers, weapons storage, engine controls, and so forth.
Restricted areas are always guarded by marine sentries. Many have keypad lock systems. Nuclear weapon storage has a fingerprint ID lock system.
The CO or XO may authorize individuals to utilize restricted areas in special circumstances (for example: using the situation room for pilot training or the aft damage control for a room clearing exercise when they are not in use).
Shore Leave
- All departments shall ensure adequate staffing/leadership at all times.
- The goal is for each crew member to receive 24 hours of shore leave per week.
- Shore leave must be approved by the department CO.
- Shore leave is rescinded during Condition 1 or 2 and all personnel must stay aboard the military vessels or return as soon as it is safe to do so. (Boarding a shuttle in the middle of an attack is not advised.)
Military personnel are expected to be "in uniform" (and by that, that includes the standard-issue sweatpants and tank tops and other off-duty uniforms) whenever they're aboard the Battlestar. The only exception would be when they're directly on their way to or from shore leave. And even then, they are expected to change back into their military clothes as soon as they return.
The +desc system has pre-made uniform descriptions for most military uniforms. Note that uniforms in the BSG universe do not have name tags nor do they have an indication of which department a person is in (apart from flight suits, which have a Viper/Raptor patch).
Slang
Slang makes the world go round, and adds a nice little touch of awesome to RP. If you're delicate and don't like vernacular, steer clear, baby.
- AAA: Anti-aircraft artillery (pronounced "Triple-A"), such as a battlestar's point defense batteries.
- AAU: Anti-aircraft unit. Weapons emplacement used to destroy aerial targets
- ABC : Acronym for 'All Been Changed'. Note the corresponding acronym 'ABCBA' for 'All Been Changed Back Again'.
- ACM: air combat maneuver. The positioning of a plane to acquire a firing solution on an adversary; a required skill taught to Viper pilots during flight training.
- Actual : the commanding officer. Used in wireless transmissions
- AWOL : Absent without leave or absent without liberty. See desertion.
- Abaft : To the rear of (the vessel). "The Viper was abaft the Hestia."; "You can find the cleaning locker abaft the port magazine."
- Ace : An ace pilot is one who has scored at least five kills. Ace is a term, therefore, also extended to any pleasing item or occurrence.
- Adrift : To be adrift is to be unsecured, or, more commonly, to be late. "Crewman Smith was ten minutes adrift again for his watch."
- Airy Fairy : Pejorative for any member of the air wing, most commonly used for pilots, particularly the more dramatic Viper pilot stereotype.
- Angles and Dangles : Manoeuvring a spacecraft. To 'put a bird through the angles and dangles' indicates a routine flight to practice approaches and technique.
- ASAP : As soon as possible. Usually pronounced "a-sap".
- Avast : The naval term used to indicate that you should cease whatever you're doing at once.
- Awash : Naval speak for drunk. Often embroidered with 'to the back teeth'.
- Bag Off : Naval slang for making love, leading to the sailor's ideal run ashore of 'beer, big eats, bag off and back on board'.
- Ball : visual indicator used in a battlestar's Instrument Landing System
- Bandit: confirmed hostile contact. Usually in reference to fighter and shuttle sized craft
- Banjo : Naval speak for a sandwich, particularly used for egg banjos. Bacon, on the other hand, is always served in a buttie.
- Banyan : An informal party, often combined with a barbecue.
- Barracks : Any place of berthing for military personnel, but most commonly referring to that used by enlisted marines.
- Basic : initial skills training. Can refer to basic military indoctrination, and arms and ground training and basic flight training
- Bent Bird : damaged fighter craft
- Big Eats : Something to eat, usually after a long night of drinking heavily. Ideal big eats are ones which taste the same coming up as they did going down.
- Bitchbox : Ship-wide intercom/public address system. Also known as the 1MC, for main circuit one, but this term has been depreciated.
- Bingo Fuel : minimum fuel level required to safely return to base
- Bird Farm : Colonial pilot jargon for a Battlestar.
- Bite : A spoof or practical joke. Deliberately trying to provoke a reaction maybe termed 'fishing for a bite', and should somebody fall for a bite completely, it is common to 'ask for your hook back'.
- Black Cat : Naval slang for a tall story, with a Black Catter being one who tells them, the idea being that if you were to have a black cat, the person in question would undoubtably try to outdo you and tell you they had a panther.
- Bootneck : Pejorative for a marine. Also 'Leatherneck'.
- Brig Rat : A regular patron of the brig.
- BSG : Battlestar Group.
- Buck Sergeant : E-4 sergeant.
- Buffer : Respectful term for the Chief Boatswain's Mate, the senior enlisted man in CIC.
- Bug Out : Retreat, usually hastily and disordered
- Bulkhead : Naval term for a wall.
- Bulkhead Bouncing : Staggering from side to side, usually drunk.
- Bunhouse : Naval slang for the wardroom, due to the commonly held enlisted belief that all officers do is sit and drink tea and eat buns in there.
- Bunting Tosser : Nickname for a communications specialist.
- Buzz : Naval slang for a rumour. A 'gen buzz' is a rumour sworn to be true.
- Cabbage : Naval term for an idiot.
- Cackleberries : Naval slang for eggs.
- CAG : Commander of the Air Group
- Call the Hands : A general pipe put out at 0600 to wake the ship's company. Those who stood the watch between 0000 and 0400 are entitled to an extra half hour's sleep (Guard and Steerage), and are woken separately at 0630.
- Calling Hughie : Calling Hughie is a naval euphemism for vomiting. Calling Hughie on the Great White (Porcelain) Wireless is to vomit into a toilet.
- Call Sign : A nickname used as a substitute for a fleet aviator's given names in wireless communications and in conversation.
- Canner : A nickname for a centurion suggesting that they look like tin cans.
- CAP : Combat Air Patrol
- CAS : Close air support. The use of military aircraft in a ground-attack role in support of deployed infantry.
- CBDR: Constant Bearing, Decreasing Range. Indicates object on a collision course
- CCMJ : Colonial Code of Military Justice. The legal document of the Colonial military, shared across both the Marines and the Navy, that establishes the penal code, provisions of punishment, and rules for courts-martial.
- CDF : Common Dog Factor, also known as common sense, which is sadly uncommon.
- Chatter : to fire on an enemy during a fighter engagement (Valley of Darkness); active wireless communications traffic
- ChEng : Also 'cheng'. An abbreviation for Chief Engineer.
- Chippy : Nickname for a shipwright, or any crewman actively involved in damage control and repair.
- Chufflock : Naval slang for an intimate embrace. May also be used as a verb.
- Chuffs and Puffs : Nickname for the Chiefs and Petty Officers, and by extension the NCO corps as a whole.
- CF : Colonial Fleet
- CFO : Colonial Fleet Orders, usually longwinded and full of dry instructions to cover political aims of the fleet. Also a euphemism for pornographic materials, particularly those which are cheap and badly written.
- CFR : Colonial Fleet Reserve
- CIC :Combat Information Center, the nerve center or "bridge" of a battlestar or ship like the Hestia.
- Clanky : Nickname for a mechanical engineer.
- Cluster Frak : An operation gone bad, also known as a circle jerk.
- CMC : Colonial Marine Corps
- CMCR : Colonial Marine Corps Reserve
- CMO : Chief Medical Officer
- CNP : Command Navigation Program: Computer operating system on military and civilian ships exploited by the Cylons.
- CO : Commanding Officer
- Code Blue : When a Cylon Agent is spotted this is the code to indicate it.
- Color Sergeant : The most senior buck sergeant, responsible for the protection and display of the guidon.
- Command Authority : The senior rank in a command, such as an Admiral
- Condensing Snot : Naval slang for snoring.
- Conn : Literally the navigation controls, but also used to refer to command in general
- Corpsman : A member of the combat medicine detachment. See doc.
- Crusher : Pejorative for a marine assigned to Military Police duties.
- Custard Boatswain : Pejorative for a naval cook.
- Dabbler : Pejorative for an enlisted member of the CIC crew, from the way most of their time when not at a console is perceived to be spent in cleaning and repainting.
- DC : Damage Control, generally related to the CIC station and related locations.
- DCT : Damage Control Team; typically consisting of deckhands and other NCOs.
- Deck : Naval term for the floor.
- Deck Ape : Pejorative for a seaman in the deck department, ie. anyone not a stoker, thought to be lacking intelligence.
- Deckhead : Naval term for the ceiling.
- Deeks : Contraction of DQ's - detention quarters - usually taken to mean the brig.
- Delta Sierra : Dumb shit.
- Desertion : Officially, AWOL for over thirty days, but the number can be fudged to reflect circumstances. Desertion during a time of war is punishable by death.
- Dhoby : Naval speak for laundry. Note also 'dhoby dust' for soap powder, and B&D (bath and dhoby) for the daily hygiene routine.
- Dit : Naval slang for a story or tale, the wilder the better. A 'gen dit' is one sworn to be absolutely true.
- Doc : Nickname for an enlisted medic. See also Quack for qualified doctors.
- DRADIS : "Direction, Range, and Distance". Colonial equivalent of radar.
- "Dress and Cover" : Military term for personnel to form an ordered rank-and-file formation during ceremonies. Derived from "dress right" and "cover down"
- Drip : A drip is an IV to keep a patient hydrated and/or medicated. To drip is naval slang meaning to complain.
- Eating Irons : Naval slang for cutlery. Note that the port eating iron is a fork, while the starboard eating iron is a knife.
- ECO : Electronic Countermeasures Officer
- Elltee : Informal phonetic abbreviation for Lieutenant (Lt)
- EMI: Electromagnetic interference. High-energy electromagnetic radiation from binary stars is known to interfere with DRADIS.
- EMP : Electromagnetic pulse. A powerful electrically-disruptive surge that typically accompanies a nuclear detonation
- Extenders : A 48 hour block of leave for military personnel.
- FUBAR : Frakked up beyond all repair/recognition.
- Fang Farrier : Pejorative for a dental assistant.
- Father Famine : Pejorative for the Senior Catering Officer.
- FIFI : Frack it fly it - something the Deck Hands might say if they aren't sure what is wrong with an otherwise flyable bird.
- Figgy Duff : Naval slang for plum pudding or any steamed pudding with raisins or fruit.
- Fighting Hole : Entrenched position, also called a fox hole, to be used in static warfare.
- Fill Your Boots : Naval slang meaning to do what you like.
- Fish Head : Marine pejorative for sailors in general.
- Five-'graph Order : Five paragraph operation order, the standard format taught in basic training
- Flat : A small passageway or foyer area on board ship, for example the accommodation flat or the gun flat.
- Float Test : Naval euphemism for throwing something away, particularly by airlock. "I didn't have any use for it, so I float tested it. It didn't float."
- Flob : Naval slang for spit. Can be used as both a verb and a noun.
- Foo Foo Dust : Naval slang for talcum powder, also aftershave or scented soap. Anything that might make a sailor, at least for a few brief moments, stop smelling like a sailor.
- Foxtrot Oscar : 'Frak Off', from the phonetic code for the initials of the expression.
- FTL : Faster Than Light. A descriptive term referring to technologies that enable travel across distances faster than the speed of light would permit.
- Furgle : Naval slang meaning to grope.
- G4 : Non-volatile high-explosive putty used for demolition and trap-making. (BSG equiv. of C4.)
- Galley : Naval term for the ship's kitchens.
- Gear : Engineer, generally one not assigned to the engine room. Also collection of personal items.
- Get Scraped : Frak off.
- Genny : Power generator. For example: Fenix turned to George and said "find the genny" to power up the lights on while we make the repairs.
- Gimp Suit : Naval slang for a zero-G suit.
- Gizzits : Naval slang for any item received free of charge, by donation, theft or simply finding it lying around.
- Goffa : A non-alcoholic drink.
- Goofer : Naval slang for an onlooker at any event who isn't actually involved, a rubber necker.
- Greenie : Nickname for an electrical engineer.
- Grollies : Slang for naval issued underwear.
- Growler : Naval slang for a pork pie.
- Guard and Steerage : An extra half an hour's sleep allowed before waking those crewmen who stood the middle (0000-0400) watch, so they are woken at 0630 instead of 0600. By extension, any lie in beyond the usual waking time.
- Gulpers : A large sip of a drink, often used as payment for a favour. "Cover for me for ten minutes and I'll owe you a gulpers."
- Guns : Guns refer to the large weapons used by the fleet ships and small vessels, and should not be confused with rifles, pistols or other small arms. The technical difference is that a gun does not have a rifled barrel like most small arms. Guns is also the nickname for the senior enlisted man in the Weapons department, the Chief of Guns.
- Gyro Failure : Naval euphemism for being drunk.
- Hack : Slang for the brig.
- Hard Deck : The threshold in a massive gas planet's dense atmosphere below which the atmospheric density and pressure becomes too great for a Viper to be able to reach orbit again and maintain structural integrity (Maelstrom); adapted from the original definition of minimum safe altitude.
- Harry Free-ers : Any item received free of charge, usually by theft or judicious (often unknown to its original owner) borrowing.
- Head : Naval term for the bathroom.
- Humming : Naval slang for smelling strongly. "After 14 hours in that zero-G suit I was absolutely humming."
- Ickies : Slang name for cubits, the colonies' form of currency.
- IFF : Identification Friend or Foe. A system using transponders to positively identify friendly spacecraft.
- Intra-atmos Entry : A jump maneuver that places the ship within a planetary body's atmosphere, in either powered flight
- JAE : Just another ensign, indicating one who is inexperienced and incompetent.
- JAG : The Judge Advocate General group on the Hestia is responsible for matters of military law. They oversee court-martials, handle legal paperwork (wills, etc.) and act as advisors on judicial matters.
- Jack : Nickname for any sailor.
- Jarhead : Pejorative nickname for a marine.
- Jaunty : Nickname for the Master at Arms.
- Jimmy : Naval nickname for the Executive Officer (XO) or First Lieutenant.
- Jock Smock : flight suit
- Jossman : Naval nickname for the Master at Arms.
- Jump : The process of using the FTL engines to make an near-instantaneous apparent faster-than-light transport of a ship from one point in space to another
- KIA : Killed in Action.
- Klick : one kilometer
- KP : Kitchen police/patrol, dishwashing duty assigned as punishment.
- Kafers : Cutlery, as in knife, fork and spoon (KFS).
- Kecks : Slang term for underwear.
- Knuckledragger : Term used for a technician of the Deck department.
- krypter : Colonial version of "mayday". In practice, the term is usually repeated three times
- Kye : Naval term for hot chocolate, also by extension a small break in the late evening to drink this, relax, and goof off for fifteen minutes.
- LSO : Landing Signal Officer
- Mark One Eyeball : The unaided eye
- Metal : Another name for a Cylon.
- Nugget : A student pilot.
- No Joy : No success in establishing visual contact with the target. Opposite of "tally". Can also mean no success in general
- OD : Overdose.
- OOD : Officer of the Dec
- Old Man : Slang for Commander
- Press : Directive to continue the attack
- Recovery Line : Imaginary boundary within which a fighter can return to a landing bay within a given time
- REMF : Rear Echelon Mother Frakker. An unkind term used by the fighting grunts to refer to a superior officer who is considered incompitent, or out of touch with the realities of combat.
- RFN : Right Frakking Now. Normally used in shorthand, but when used in an order from a superior officer, generally considerd to mean exactly what it stands for.
- Rook : "Rookie". Typically refers to those on their first tour of duty after initial training.
- SAR: Search and Rescue
- Shooter : Slang for launch officer.
- Skids Up : "Take off" or "Launch". Often used by the CAG to end a mission briefing.
- Sierra Alpha : "Suspicious activity."
- Sitrep : "Situation report"
- snipe : engineer
- Skosh : Radio code meaning "out of ammunition", analogous to modern-day NATO brevity code "winchester". Skosh is also a real NATO brevity term meaning "Aircraft is out of or unable to employ active radar missiles"
- Sparrow : Slang for a Cylon Raider.
- Spinner : Engineering component of a battlestar's FTL drive…also this pertains to big Fleetships and Raptors.
- Spooch : Contraction of "screwed the pooch," describing a serious pilot error.
- Swallow : Decoy drone deployed by Raptors.
- SU: Distance measurement similar to "astronomical unit". Speculated to stand for "solar unit"
- Tally : Abbreviation of tally-ho; the sighting of an enemy target, such as a craft, landmark, or position.
- Trap : A battlestar landing bay mechanism which arrests a landing Viper, Raptor or other small craft.
- Turkey : slang for a Cylon Heavy Raider
- Two Alpha : Designation for an extremely risky and hence voluntary mission.
- Unrep : Short for Underway Replenishment. Refueling and replenishment between ships away from dock, usually during flight. Taken from the contemporary term for the resupply of military vessels at sea while en route.
- weapons free : weapon control order indicating weapons systems may be fired at any target not positively recognized as friendly
- weapons hot : weapons status indicating that safeties are off and weapons systems are armed.
- Wilco : "Will comply"
- XO : Slang for the Executive Officer.
- X-Ray : Slang for the Executive Officer
