Enlisting in the Colonial Fleet
Enlistees must be between the ages of seventeen (17) and thirty-five (35), though parental consent is required for all 17-year-olds. In those occupations that relate to nuclear weapons, the maximum enlistment age is twenty-five (25) due to extensive training requirements.
Enlistees must complete a thorough physical examination and pass an aptitude test, their score on which will determine the occupational specialties available to them after their acceptance into the Fleet.
Boot Camp
Fleet Boot Camp is an eight-week intensive course designed to transform civilians into full-fledged soldiers. Much of Fleet Boot Camp is conducted indoors, given that much of Fleet life is spent inside a ship. These facilities have indoor marching and drill arenas, an indoor confidence course, and even indoor ranges. Days run from 0600 to lights out at 2200, guaranteeing each enlistee eight hours of sleep per night. Note that this guarantee does not include eight hours of uninterrupted sleep!
During Fleet Boot, new soldiers learn skills like swimming, first aid, teamwork, firefighting, basic damage control, firearms, drilling, Colonial law, and the like. The experience culminates with a massive twelve-hour exercise called Battle Stations, at the end of which each enlistee receives the rank of apprentice and swears their oath.
Advanced Training (A-School)
New apprentices then proceed to advanced training (or A-School in the jargon), which can last anywhere from twenty-one calendar days to a full six months. The complete list of ratings is far too long to be reproduced here, but a partial list is given below:
- Aircraft Handler: 36 calendar days
- Culinary Specialist: 21 calendar days
- Damage Controlman: 40 calendar days
- Electronic Countermeasures Technician: 6 calendar months
- Nuclear-Trained Machinist's Mate: 6 calendar months
- Yeoman: 45 calendar days
If you don't see your job listed, check out this page for some guidelines!
The Colonial Fleet Academy
The Colonial Fleet Academy (CFA) was established after the First Cylon War to encourage promising students to become officers in the new, unified Fleet. Each of the four Fleet campuses — on Caprica, Leonis, Picon, and Virgon — accepts about 1,500 plebes a year, of which about 1,300 will graduate. Room, board, and tuition are all paid for by the sponsoring Colonial government. The Colonial Marine Corps manages and maintains a fifth campus on Scorpia.
Important Note: The CFA is mutually exclusive with Officer Candidate School. If you attend the former, you no longer need to attend the latter, and if you attend the latter, you won't have attended the former.
Applying
Applicants must be between seventeen (17) and twenty-three (23) years of age, be unmarried with no children, and be of firm moral fiber. They must fill out a detailed application, pass a background check, and secure a nomination from a Colonial official — usually a member of their home Colony's planetary government, though that doesn't stop some prospective midshipmen from trying to obtain a recommendation from their Quorum delegate. Evaluators are looking for those candidates who possess not only a sterling academic record but a history of leadership, character, and athletic ability.
Upon their provisional acceptance to the CFA, plebes must undergo a physical fitness test, a psychological evaluation, and a thorough medical examination to confirm their place in their class.
Rank Structure
The student body at the CFA is called the Brigade of Midshipmen and classified as follows.
- Fourth Class: The lowest rank, MIDN 4/C are also known as "plebes." To transform a plebe from a civilian to a soldier, the Academy subjects them to a number of rules and regulations not placed on their seniors. They are also given additional tasks and responsibilities that disappear upon promotion.
- Third Class: MIDN 3/C have been assimilated into the Brigade and are treated with more respect, though as second-year students they are still called "Youngsters." Because of their new stature and rank, they are granted privileges unavailable to them as plebes: to watch films, to listen to music, and to nap during the day.
- Second Class: MIDN 2/C are charged with training plebes. They report directly to Midshipmen, First Class and issue orders as necessary to carry out their responsibilities. They are permitted to drive their own cars (but not to park them on campus) and are allowed to exit and enter the campus in civilian attire.
- First Class: MIDN 1/C have the most freedoms and liberties of all members of the Brigade, commensurate with their challenging responsibilities. Charged with the leadership of the Brigade, Firsties must keep order within their unit in addition to maintaining a high standard of performance in their own activities. They can drive and park their own cars on campus and — best of all — close the doors to their room.
Curriculum
The CFA is authorized to award a Bachelor of Science degree to all graduates. In addition to taking core classes in marksmanship, military law, military history, and physical fitness, they must also select a subject in which to concentrate. Past subjects have ranged from Colonial History to Mathematics, Systems Engineering to Political Science, Aerospace Engineering to Oceanography, Computer Science to Economics.
Graduation
Upon graduation, all Midshipmen are commissioned as Ensigns in the Fleet and must serve a minimum of four years on active duty. Those who wish to proceed to specialized careers (for example, in Fleet Aviation, or the Colonial Marine Corps) attend secondary training schools upon graduation. These are detailed in subsequent tabs.
Midshipmen who resign or are expelled from the academy in their first two years incur no military service obligation; those who are separated (voluntarily or involuntarily) after that time are required to serve on active duty in an enlisted status for between two and four years. Alternatively, they can reimburse the government for their educational expenses, though that sum is usually in excess of three hundred thousand cubits.
Officer Candidate School
Officer Candidate School (OCS) is a 14-week program which graduates commissioned officers into the Colonial Fleet and the Colonial Marine Corps. It provides people who for whatever reason did not attend the Colonial Fleet Academy with another way into military service. Going through ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) in college would substitute the requirements for OCS and not be required for anyone wishing to become an officer and not attend the Academy.
The requirements for entrants are as strict as the competition is fierce. There must have been either a minimum 3.0GPA in recent schooling or, if schooling was more than three years prior, a letter of recommendation must be obtained at either the Command Staff (for Navy) or the Division-level (Marines). Only one is required but both are preferred if any service has been completed. The minimum age for application is 21 (with zero exceptions or exemptions) and member of the military must be an officer prior to beginning any training in their selected field. The maximum age for anyone who is applying to OCS is 28 (with classes beginning before their 29th birthday). The only way to have this extended is with a waiver provided with the letter of recommendation that explains the reasons why, however this can only extend the application for a period of 24 months. Under no circumstances will anyone be accepted to OCS after their 31st birthday.
Two groups of people attend OCS: college graduates who have enlisted and wish to become officers, and 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. Basic classwork begins in lectures about those two topics while rapidly building self-confidence. The goal is to produce men and women who aren't just leaders, but posses the skills needed to lead their peers in combat and stressful situations.
Important Note: Practitioners in specialized fields who are several years out of college do not attend this version of OCS but are directly commissioned into the Colonial Fleet. Please click on the Direct Commission tab to get more details on that process.
Direct Commissioning
Practitioners in specialized fields can be directly commissioned into the Colonial Fleet — for indeed, the Fleet needs as many doctors, lawyers, and chaplains as it can get. These practitioners attend modified versions of basic training and OCS geared towards members of that profession (collectively called Officer's Basic Training). To receive a direct commission, one must be under forty-two (42) years of age, possess certain high-level professional certifications, and pass two rounds of interviews. To confirm their provisional acceptance, they must then undergo a physical fitness test, a psychological evaluation, and a thorough medical examination. Finally, the budding officer is directed to one of several "pipelines" (depending on her specialty).
Office of the Judge Advocate General
Candidates for direct commissioning into the Office of the Judge Advocate General must be a graduate of a law school accredited by the Colonial Bar and be admitted to practice by federal Colonial court or the highest court of Colony. Officers who are directly appointed to the JAG Corps attend a six-week indoctrination course at the Officer Development School on Virgon. Following Officer Development School, officers in the legal field then proceed to the Fleet Institute for Justice, a nine-week course which teaches military trial procedures, methods of obtaining evidence, court martial advocacy techniques, and the proper application of the Colonial Code of Military Justice.
Flight School
Potential aviators must be between the ages of twenty-one (21) and twenty-six (26) at the time they enter flight training, possess a four-year college degree, and have a commission as an officer in the Colonial Fleet. A degree from one of the Colonial Fleet Academy's affiliated institutions fulfills these last two requirements. Non-Academy graduates must first obtain a commission by attending OCS. 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.
Flight School can last anywhere between 18 and 24 months (depending on the ability of the student in question). It consists of three mandatory phases and one optional phase.
Individual Flight Training (IFT)
Most new candidates must 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 long-distance flight. The purpose of IFT is to screen prospective students' piloting aptitude to avoid the possibility that they might wash out in subsequent stages of training. Students who already have a Private Piloting License are permitted to skip IFT and proceed directly to the next step.
Aviation Pre-Flight Indoctrination (API)
API is intended to last six weeks. All student aviators receive classroom instruction in aerodynamics, spacecraft engines and systems, meteorology, navigation, and flight rules and regulations. They also receive field instruction in survival tactics, survival swimming, and aviation physiology.
Primary Flight Training (PFT)
Following API completion, candidates are assigned to Primary Flight Training at one of several bases across the Colonies. PFT is approximately six months long and is divided into the following stages:
* Ground School: spacecraft systems, local course rules, and emergency procedures.
* Familiarization: take-off/landing, limited maneuvers, and spins.
* Basic Instruments: common instrument scans used during maneuvers.
* Precision Aerobatics
* Formation: basic section flight and cruise formation flight.
* Instrument Navigation
* Night Familiarization
* Visual Navigation
During PFT, a prospective aviator is subjected to a battery of tests intended to determine which spaceframe would best suit his particular set of skills. Though most training is conducted by simulator, candidates are also expected to complete five supervised flights and three solo flights before they are permitted to proceed to the next stage. These flights are conducted in a Viper Mk. II fighter stripped of guns and equipped with, among other things, a less-powerful engine and more forgiving controls.
Intermediate and Advanced Flight Training
Depending on their performance during PFT, candidates are assigned to one of three "pipelines": Viper, Raptor, or ECO. The Fleet does not permit cross-training at this stage, as it would rather produce specialists in one particular task than generalists in all three.
Prospective aviators assigned to the Viper Pipeline received advanced training in space superiority and advanced strike tactics. The syllabus covers air combat maneuvering (ACM), gunnery, strafing and close air support, atmospheric flying, tactical formation flying (TACFORM), and carrier qualification. Graduates from this pipeline receive Advanced Certification in the Viper Mk. VII. In OOC terms, Viper rooks straight out of Flight School should leave with four dots in both Viper Piloting and Gunnery, depending on how skilled they are relative to the rest of their class.
Prospective aviators assigned to the Raptor Pipeline receive advanced training in gunship, reconnaissance, and support tactics. The syllabus covers search-and-rescue procedures, advanced sensor operations, atmospheric flying, drone/chaff/flare operations, carrier qualification, and basic weapons targeting procedures (cannons, rocket batteries, missile racks, and bomber pods). Graduates from this pipeline receive Advanced Certification in the Raptor's two configurations: assault and piloting. They also receive Basic Certification in electronic warfare. In OOC terms, Raptor rooks straight out of Flight School should leave with three or four dots in both Raptor Piloting and Gunnery, and two or three dots in ECM, depending on how skilled they are relative to the rest of their class.
Prospective aviators assigned to the ECO Pipeline receive advanced training in electronic warfare. The syllabus covers electronic countermeasures, electronic counter-countermeasures, friend-or-foe identification, cryptography, advanced sensor operations, advanced navigation, basic repair procedures, advanced FTL theory, advanced weapons targeting procedures (cannons, rocket batteries, missile racks, and bomber pods), and — most importantly of all — nuclear safety. As ECOs are also required to fly if the primary pilot is incapacitated or unavailable, they must maintain a baseline level of piloting proficiency, though this is not the main focus of their training. Graduates from this pipeline receive Advanced Certification in electronic warfare and Basic Certification in the Raptor's two configurations. In OOC terms, ECO rooks straight out of Flight School should leave with three or four dots in ECM and Gunnery, and two or three dots in Raptor Piloting, depending on how skilled they are relative to the rest of their class.
Graduation
Upon graduating from Flight School, newly-minted pilots are assigned to a Fleet squadron based on the pipeline through which they've come. Initial assignments last three years. All pilots just out of Flight School are colloquially known as "Rooks" and hold the rank of Ensign.
Basic Training
All prospective Marines must undergo Basic Training, a nine-week course that transforms a volunteer from Civilian to Soldier. It is an intentionally challenging and unforgiving system, designed to harden and sharpen the entering class. A new Basic Training class begins at approximately the four-week mark.
Phase 1
Unofficially known as the Hell Phase, this four-week introductory period breaks down the recruit through a series of impossible tasks and then rebuilds him or her through confidence courses, physical training, and conditioned marches. The recruit is taught unarmed fighting and melee combat. The recruit is also taught protocol (when to salute, the chain of command, proper modes of address), personal attention to uniform and detail, and the history of the Corps. During the first two weeks of Hell Phase, the recruit is not reachable by any individual off-ship in order to increase his or her dependency on fellow recruits.
Phase 2
During the four weeks of Phase Two, the recruit becomes proficient in judging distances, estimating bullet trajectories, and the discharging of all small and heavy arms in the CMC arsenal. Recruits earn three levels of qualification on the service rifle: marksman, sharpshooter, and expert. Those that do not qualify on the rifle do not pass into the next phase.
After learning individual responsibility in Phase 1, prospective Marines learn teamwork in Phase 2. The recruit focuses on fire team- and squad-level tactics and practices them in live exercises. There is more conditioned marching, interrupted mostly by close-order drills and unarmed/melee combat training.
Phase 3
By the time the one-week Phase Three begins, the recruit is now able to independently think, look, and act like a Marine. After a written test and medical physical, the recruit is subjected to a 54-hour final examination known as the Crucible. The Crucible is intended to push each Marine to the limit by means of rigorous forced marches, sleep deprivation, and supervised malnutrition. To minimize contact with civilians and institute a sense of isolation, the Crucible is conducted on one of the Fleet's cargo ships.
Those that do not pass the Crucible will be remanded to Phase One. Those that pass graduate from recruit basic training and continue onto Advanced Individual Training (AIT).
Advanced Individual Training
The mandatory AIT program teaches the new Marine the specialty which will determine her position in the Corps. This could have previously been any number of things, ranging from intelligence operative to finance technician to tank driver. Regardless of specialty, the CMC believes that all Marines are riflemen first and foremost, so all AIT students train for the rifleman position before proceeding to their specialty (if they have one).
Examples of such roles include the following:
- Rifleman: Use of the service rifle, grenade launcher (both underbarrel and stand-alone), and squad automatic weapon (machine gun). Additional education in tactics to qualify the individual for higher leadership positions. Connects to a fighting position in a squad. This course is 21 calendar days in duration.
- Demolitionman: Use of high explosives. Connects to a fighting position in a squad. This course is 50 calendar days in duration.
- Field Communicator: Understanding of the communications net, wireless signal theory, and proper radio protocol. Connects to a fighting position in a squad. This course is 96 calendar days in duration.
- Military Policeman: Understanding of the Colonial Code of Military Justice, effective use of non-lethal weaponry, and investigative skills. Connects to a posting in the military police detachment. This course is 50 calendar days in duration.
Marines in AIT are essentially apprentices, and their course combines traditional training and classroom instruction with on-the-job experience.
The Fleet Reserve
The genesis of the Fleet Reserve can be traced back to the independent militaries that operated as their Colony's first and best line of defense. Though all of those units were integrated into the Colonial Fleet after the signing of the Articles of Colonization, each Colony retains paramount responsibility for its own planetary defense and is permitted to create field forces by the terms of that treaty. Their purpose is to create combat-ready units and individuals for active duty whenever there are not enough trained units and people in the Regular component of the Colonial Fleet to fill that role. While each of the Colonies' reserve units are nominally independent, they actually comprise a separate and unitary command under the aegis of Fleet HQ: the Fleet Reserve.
The Fleet Reserve has some specialized capabilities not found in regular units: support of counter-narcotics efforts, weather reconnaissance and hurricane penetration, aeromedical evacuation, aerial spray capabilities, and forest fire suppression. It is also involved in humanitarian relief missions on the various Colonies, from repairing roads and schools to airlifting supplies.
The Fleet Reserve offers individuals the same benefits as those granted to active-duty personnel and one more: time. A reservist has the time to be with his family, to work at his civilian career, and to serve the Colonies in a critical capacity.
Joining the Fleet Reserve
To join a Colony's Reserve unit, an applicant must be between the ages of seventeen (17) and thirty-five (35). 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. An applicant must have a high school diploma or the equivalent thereof, pass a physical, and complete an aptitude test that determines the career paths available for consideration.
Training
The men and women of the Fleet Reserve must undergo basic training in the same manner as their peers: new enlisted ratings must attend Fleet Basic (earning the rank of Crewman) and officers must attend Officer Candidate School (earning the rank of Ensign). They are required to attend two days of drilling and training each month, and must also participate in a two-week Annual Training program (during which they may be stationed at a base or aboard a ship). Particularly intensive occupations (like Fleet aviation) require an additional training commitment.
