Roger's Guide to Military Life

[Roger Davis]

Just as civilian life is different from our own world, military life in BSG is a little different as well. There's also a bit that the RPer who is not versed in the military might also need to know to RP a military character as well as possible.

Contents
1) Ranks and Chain of Command
2) Uniforms
3) Crime and Punishment
4) Watches and Duties
5) Training and Fitness
6) Damage Control
7) Titles, Ranks, Names, and General Military Respect
8) Fraternization and Families
9) Quarters and Living Arraignments

[Roger Davis]

Ranks and Chain of Command

Chain of Command
The military is an authoritarian organization that relies upon orders moving down the chain and (near blind) obedience back up it creating a great hierarchical pyramid system through the ranks. Military personnel MUST show respect and obey all orders from superiors. They may issue orders of their own (depending on their level of authority and relationship to others) and expect obedience and respect from those below them on the chain (respect back down the chain is always nice but is not a requirement of the system). Failure to follow orders will likely result in disciplinary action, potentially even capital punishment. In the heat of combat, orders need to be followed without question (see A Few Good Men and the question of whether a soldier may chose which orders to follow).

Unlawful Orders
Soldiers, however, do not have to follow every order given to them. A solider may, and is in fact required to, refuse an illegal/unlawful order. In short, one cannot be lawfully ordered to commit a crime. Thus, a soldier who disobeys will not be punished (assuming the person giving the order doesn't go on a power trip before others can intervene). A soldier who obeys such an order will be guilty of that crime and cannot fall back on the "I was only following orders" defense.

For the most part, one cannot simply refuse an order because it is unpopular or suicidal. If it relates to your duties as a soldier and violates no law then it must be followed. If it violates a law then you must refuse the order. Examples of unlawful orders include: mistreating prisoners of war, targeting civilian populations, destroying or seizing civilian property without cause, etc.

Using the Chain of Command
Just as orders filter down through the chain, so too do issues filter back up. Issues should be handled at the lowest level of the chain possible. If someone has an issue they are to go to their direct superior for help or redress. If that person cannot solve the issue (but deems it worth solving and not just trivial) then he will go to his direct superior or give the subordinate permission to do so. Only under the most extreme of circumstances are soldiers to "jump" the chain of command and go over their superior.

This works in reverse as well (although it is not always practiced and superiors can get away with breaking small rules like this). For the most part, superiors will work through their direct subordinates who then work through their subordinates and so on when giving orders or solving a problem. In many instances it simply is not worth the high rank's time or attention or if an exception is made for one instance soon everyone will be "appealing to Caesar" with their issues. It is also arguably best for issues to be handled within the smallest unit possible in the interests of efficiency, unit cohesion, and maintaining the authority of junior leaders.

Ranks
To accomodate the chain of command and military heirarchy, BSG uses a modified rank system (combination of Army and Navy. Further information on the ranks can be found here.

Promotion
Although many will likely remain at the rank they apply for with their character, promotion is still very possible throughout prolonged RP. Promotion, however, must be earned. This means: OOC that the player behind the character reflects a positive attitude, activity, and has proven to be a valuable member of the site; IC the individual character through the RP has shown he is ready for promotion (e.g. aptitude at one's current level, leadership skills, experience, time in grade etc.); and IC the promotion needs to make sense. This means that no character is going to suddenly jump numerous ranks, receive promotions rapidly in an unrealistically quick succession, be promoted to positions that don't need filling, or be promoted when it simply doesn't make sense with the story line.

Anyone interested in having a character promoted should mention it to an admin via PM or through chat. If the promotion is approved then shortly it will be put in motion. This might include an IC thread that involves a promotion ceremony (formal or informal) or even a preceding test in certain circumstances. Although asking for a promotion OOC is permitted (and the only way to be promoted without waiting for the admins to decide it would "make sense" to promote your character on their own), asking with your character directly in an IC thread is highly frowned upon and will most likely result in getting stonewalled from promotion even if it is deserved (i.e. it no longer "makes sense" if your character is actively self-promoting too much). Ultimately the decision is with the admins.

Departments
In addition to ranks, to manage a ship the crew is divided into numerous different departments, large organizational groups with their own tasks and responsibilities aboard ship. These departments are typically broken down into further subdivisions (and often further divisions down from there). The departments are:

• Command Staff
  
• Combat Information Center
  
• Air Wing/Flight
  
• Deck Crew
  
• Colonial Marine Corps
  
• Engineering
  
• Medical
  
• Gun Crew
  
• Manufacturing
  
• Support
  

Further information on the departments can be found here along with job descriptions of those departments.

Transfers
Like rank, one's position on board the ship is not written in stone. If one so desires and it makes sense IC then you can request that your character be transferred someplace else. This might be getting transferred from Squadron 1 to Squadron 2 or it might be something more drastic like getting transferred from pilot to LSO or even engineer to marine.

[Roger Davis]

Uniforms
There are several types of uniforms for military personnel in BSG. Different ranks, departments, and positions all have their own types of uniform clothing. With few exceptions, characters are to wear some form of accepted uniform at all times. Being out of uniform is a punishable offense.

All uniforms, unless otherwise noted, share the common characteristics of rank pins on the collar and the Colonial Insignia/Battlestar patch on the shoulder.

Duty Uniform
The Duty Uniform, also know as "Duty Blues" is the standard uniform for Colonial Officers. This is what you always see the officers wearing. Any commissioned officer (ensign and above) will have this type of uniform. CIC officers, the LSO, etc. wear their Blues whenever on duty. However, many other officers like pilots, gun captains, and marines do not (or are not required) to wear it while on duty in favor of another type of uniform.

If earned, an officer will also wear their flight wings on their chest.

Dress Uniform
Special formal occasions call for a variation of the Duty Blues known as Dress Grays. In addition to the changed color, the dress uniform is also worn untucked (and thus long) with a formal sash and belt. Some officers may wear shoulder cords and officers may also wear any military decorations they have been awarded. The Dress Uniform is also often worn with white gloves.

Flight Suit
Flight Suits are made of a green and brown material that creates basic life-support for the pilot (pressurized, heated, and oxygen supply in the event their craft is damaged or they must even eject). Both Viper and Raptor pilots wear flight suits. The suit is paired with a metal collar and helmet which complete the self contained life-support system.

In addition to rank, Battlestar patch, and flight wings, the flight suit is also worn with the patch of the pilot's squadron.

Gunner Suits
Due to their combat postings at the hull of the ship (or sometimes even in guns which technically are outside the hull) and the high chance of damage which could lead to decompression, gunners also wear life-support suits and helmets. In the event of decompression gun crews can: keep fighting if their station is functional; retreat out of their damaged section; or survive and wait for SAR in the event that they are vented into space. To distinguish them from pilots, gun crew suits are black.

Space Suits
Space Suits are the bulkier more industrial strength cousin of the flight suit. They are used by repair crews taking spacewalks. The flight suit is designed to keep you alive in the void long enough for someone to find you and pick you up. You just float around and try not to use up all your air. These suits are built specifically for work in harsh environments. They exchange limited mobility for a tougher suit with better and longer sustaining life-support. These space suits also come with more built-in features such as lights, magnetic boots, and the like to aid in repair work.
Space Suits are communal equipment rather than personal clothing thus they notably lack rank and Battlestar patch.

Fatigues
Green Fatigues are part of every service member's wardrobe. Crew members with no other uniform (such as enlisted engineers and support personnel) wear this as their primary duty uniform. All others typically revert to their fatigues as their secondary clothing option, generally for when they are off duty.

Tan Fatigues
Warrant officers and some senior NCOs such as the Master-at-Arms have tan fatigues rather than the typical green worn by all other personnel.

Coveralls
Orange coveralls are the work uniform for deckhands. They are covered with reflective tape and built-in toolbelt-esque pockets. Other than those two additions, they are very much like the fatigues.

Yellow Coveralls
To distinguish them from the other deckhands, launch technicians wear yellow coveralls.

Battle Dress Uniform
The Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) is the name given to the fatigues worn by Marines. To distinguish them, marines wear black fatigues (although they may also wear the standard green when off duty).
In addition to the basic clothing, marines also are equipped with tactical vests, helmets, knee and elbow pads, communications equipment, and goggles. Marines with special duties (such as military police/shore patrol/security) may also wear an armband with white letters indicating this responsibility.

Variations
The standard uniform is solid black, but variations are available for different combat scenarios. The Colonial Marine Corps has camouflage uniforms for all sorts of scenarios and utilizes the digital pattern style.

Under Garments
In addition to the above outerwear, all military personnel are issued light gray t-shirts (sleeved or sleeveless) and dark brown/charcoal gray tank tops. These are often worn together, with the tank top over-top of the t-shirt.

The only notable exception is that marines are issued solid black t-shirts to match their all black fatigues.

Other
There are (presumably) other less common types of uniform clothing aboard ship. An article of note actually seen in the series is what appears to be a light gray sweatsuit.

Mixed States of Dress
It is not uncommon at all to see off-duty personnel (or sometimes personnel doing hard manual labor) to be in states of partial dress. Typically this involves removing their overshirt and thus wearing only the t-shirt/tank top combo (or perhaps just one or the other). This can be done while wearing any form of pants (duty blue, green fatigues, etc.) to make a number of combinations. For flight suits and coveralls, which are full body pieces, the tops are often opened and allowed to hang behind the wearer to create the same effect.

Civilian Clothing
Civilian clothing just is not worn aboard a warship. One can have a large wardrobe which can be worn freely when on shore leave, but when aboard ship the uniform is what is to be worn. One might get away with wearing civilian clothing while off-duty, especially when staying in one's quarters and not walking the ship, but even that is not an absolute certainty.

[Roger Davis]

Crime and Punishment
The military is not the kind of place that goes easy on rule breakers. Military codes are known for being strict and military justice is known for being swift. All military personnel are expected to abide by the rules even in stressful wartime situations (although rule breaking and the associated punishments can be great RP).

Basic Criminal Law
As a basic guide, it's against the law to do anything that's illegal for a civilian to do. Murder, assault, theft, etc. is all a crime and often punished even worse than it would be for civilian courts (defendants typically have more rights in military court though).

Basic Military Crimes
In addition to what would pass as a crime in the civilian world, the military has its own rules and regulations which can be broken. The big ones are insubordination and dereliction of duty.

In short, insubordination is outright refusing to follow the commands of a superior or simply showing great disrespect to a superior. As mentioned under the chain of command, refusing to obey an unlawful order is not insubordination. Likewise, refusing to obey an order that the other person simply does not have the authority to give is not insubordination.

Whereas insubordination is straight up telling a superior that you're not going to do it, dereliction of duty is actually not doing it. The offending party either willfully has chosen not to perform his duties or through his own choices has made himself incapable of performing those duties as required. This includes abandoning your post, falling asleep on duty, or being drunk or otherwise incapable of performing while on duty.

Fraternization
Fraternization is covered more in-depth in a later section. In short, yes it is against military law and yes you can be punished for it. Some fraternization is worse than others and depending upon the circumstances different action will be taken ranging from being transferred away from the other person to potentially even going before a court martial for your behavior.

Alcohol and other Drugs
The consumption of alcohol by military personnel is permitted... within reason. Alcohol and the navy (and BSG) have a long history together. Some commanders might be more strict than others about it but the general rule is to drink in moderation. There will be problems if you get black-out drunk, end up with alcohol poisoning, or show up for duty while still intoxicated. Note, anything you do while drunk (e.g. mouth off to a superior, get in a fight) will be treated as if you were sober and you will be punished accordingly. If your drinking becomes an issue then your superiors should rescind your privileges.

Fumerella (Tobacco) is permitted and many do indeed smoke. Some even smoke while on duty but it is sometimes frowned upon (and expressly forbidden in some departments where there is a legitimate danger i.e. igniting something that will get you all killed).

There are a wide range of medical drugs ranging from Morpha (Morphine) to stims. These are all controlled substances issued by medical personnel.

Illegal narcotics (mentioned in the BSG universe) include Opium and Coto (AKA Cannabis). Both are recreational drugs which are permitted on certain Colonies (such as the more liberal Caprica) but are illegal on certain others. Their use is prohibited among Colonial Fleet personnel on duty or off.

Punishment
Generally, punishment will come in one of two forms. Either: 1) There will be formal charges and a court martial or 2) there will be Non Judicial Punishment (NJP AKA Article 15 or Administrative Discipline). The differences are that NJP is much quicker, has less severe punishments, but also has a much abbreviated "hearing" and generally the officer's decision is final.



NJP Punishments

• Admonition/Reprimand (AKA Stern talking to)
  
• Reduced pay
  
• Extra Duties
  
• Diminished rations/bread and water
  
• Reduction in Rank/Demotion
  
• Restrictions
  
• Confinement to quarters (House arrest)
  
• Custodial custody (Brig)

A rowdy offender might also be "briged" before ever being NJPed to "cool off" for a day or overnight.

Court Martial Punishments

• All of the above (but not limited by NJP restrictions i.e. one can be confined for years rather than just a few days or weeks)
  
• Loss of officer's commission
  
• Dishonorable discharge
  
• Death

Punishments That Can't Be Used
The military is not the "we-can-do-anything-we-want" type group that is often portrayed. Accused military personnel actually have more rights than accused civilians. Punishments might be tougher but they are also fair and in line with military life.

Starvation Rations
One can be put on reduced rations generally to make their life miserable, but this punishment is never to go to the extent that it threatens their health. Prisoners (or those NJPed and not locked in the brig) are to be fed regularly.

Solitary Confinement/Prohibition on Visitors
Solitary confinement and any form of prohibition on visitors is generally prohibited. Exceptions can be made if the prisoner is a firebrand who might encourage others to misbehave. Also, this may be used if the prisoner has again acted up since being confined. The "I'm already locked up, what more can you do to me?" attitude is met with this form of punishment.

Beatings and Other Corporeal Punishments
You're not going to supposed to get beat up in the Brig. Turnkeys are meant to be the most disciplined of all guards and even if they hate your guts they are not allowed to take it out on you. You'll only get beat up if you try to escape, start a riot, or generally resist.

[Roger Davis]

Watches and Duties
Military life is just one big collection of duties. Between one's basic "job", extra work that might fall one's way, and emergency situations (combat or otherwise), a service member's day never lacks for something to do (although that something might be mind-numbingly boring).

Watch System
Military ships (and any military installation) are 24 hour a day operations which require personnel working at all hours. Similar to civilian establishments, the military uses a system of shifts called watches (i.e. you are on watch for your buddies who currently are off duty). The standard watch system is broken into six (sometimes seven) separate watches of four hours each. With the exception of extra duties and the needs of emergency situations, personnel will be on for two watches per day. That is, they will work for four hours, be off for eight, work four, and then off for eight.

The Watches

• First watch: 2000 to 0000 (Watch Group 1)
  
• Middle watch: 0000 to 0400 (Watch Group 2)
  
• Morning watch: 0400 to 0800 (Watch Group 3)
  
• Forenoon watch: 0800 to 1200 (Watch Group 1)
  
• Afternoon watch: 1200 to 1600 (Watch Group 2)
  
• Dog watch: 1600 to 2000 (Watch Group 3)

As you can see above, the six watches are assigned to three groups/shifts. Each group will start their watch at the same time (e.g. Watch 1 starts at 8AM and 8 PM). Each watch works for four hours, then is off for eight hours, on for four more, and then off for eight (totaling twenty-four). The simplified system allows each person (assuming their schedule is regular and not constantly mixed up) to always know "I have watch at eight" both PM and AM.

You'd typically do your daily off-duty/"free time" routine (meetings, exercise, recreation, classes, etc.) during your middle eight and sleep during your last eight. You could of course mix and match and just nap during both.

An example schedule

• 0715: Wake-up
  
• 0740: Breakfast
  
• 0800: Watch 1, forenoon watch, starts, relieves Watch 3
  
• 1200: Watch 1 ends, relieved by Watch 2
  
• 1215: Lunch
  
• 1300: Visit the Doctor, talk to the Quartermaster, or some other small piece of personal business
  
• 1330: Hit the Gym
  
• 1500: Shooting Range
  
• 1600: Nap Time
  
• 1700: Classroom Instruction for the upcoming Lieutenant's test
  
• 1800: Card game with friends
  
• 1900: Dinner
  
• 2000: Watch 1, first watch, starts again, relieves Watch 3
  
• 2400: Watch 1 ends again, relieved by Watch 2
  
• 0015: Go to sleep

You might always be on Watch 1 or you might get shifted around between them (which of course is awful for your sleep schedule). You could also be in Watch 1 but then be assigned to the Dog Watch with group 3 as well.

Changes of the watch are announced over the ship-wide intercom. At each change of the watch, the announcement is typically followed by several other notifications regarding that current shift and the state of the ship.

Watches and Command
Superiors, like any person being overworked, can not be expected to pull multiple watches without burning out. Therefore, the department head (e.g. Deck Chief, Chief Engineer, senior LSO, etc.) is not always on duty. In the absence of that person, another senior member of the department is, for lack of a better word, the shift supervisor of that watch. For overall command of the ship, the watches are split between the CO, XO, and OOD.

Action Stations
It's important to keep in mind that when the ship goes to Action Stations, all personnel (no matter their watch) immediately head to their stations and prepare for combat. Thus during emergencies the ship is suddenly triple staffed.

Military Duties
Although the general watch system is shared across the ship, what one does on watch varies considerably from department to department and even within individual departments. Aboard a massive ship like Hyperion, there are hundreds of jobs with thousands of duties performed daily. Information on the basic duties of various military positions and jobs can be found here-Subforum to come.

Extra Duties
In addition to their standard watch, some might have to pull extra duties either with another watch or portions of another watch. This might be caused by the needs of the service (the ship is falling apart and we're all going to die unless you pull two shifts to repair it), disciplinary reasons (you're cleaning toilets because you got drunk on duty), covering (your friend is sick enough to need a rest but not sick enough to be excused from duties so you do him a favor), or for incentives (pay bonus for teaching the rookie pilots or helping the cooks to peel potatoes). Sometimes these extra duties are merely a continuation of your normal work, sometimes it is work in a related field, and sometimes it will be something completely different to your normal duties.

[Roger Davis]

Training and Fitness
Training and Fitness are ongoing parts of military life. Personnel need to keep in top physical shape, hone their skills, and keep learning new techniques and strategies. In addition to the basic requirements of the service, most take it a step further to become exceptionally fit, innovate in their field, cross-train into other fields, and even further their civilian education.

Fitness Requirements
Poor physical fitness is grounds for discharge from the service (or more likely being issued remedial PT) and thus all must remain fit to military expectations. Many departments have required group sessions in which the entire section will be led in PT (much like you'd expect from a Drill Sergeant in Boot or a Football Captain leading his team at practice). This is typically done during the "free time" slot of the watch system but luckily is typically only a twice a week event. Personnel are of course encouraged to exercise on their own time in between. Group exercise is of course more a cardio type workout rather than any weightlifting type exercise so one would need to do that independently if one was interested.

Colonial Marines are held to a higher standard than the members of the Colonial Fleet, but due to the general down time of marines aboard ship, marines also frequently train during their watch period.

Other than upper body requirements, men and women are held to the same physical standards.

Training
For a ship at peace, training exercises are part of the regular routine. For a ship at war, training is not much of an issue since the crew is working constantly at their posts but it still occurs. Teams must be drilled for combat operations as well as emergencies. Personnel must frequently brush up on the latest technology as well. Pilots and marines will plan and practice their tactics while crew members will strip and rebuild parts of the ship just for practice. All should occasionally frequent the firing range even if they're only a CIC officer or other desk jockey.

Further Education
Just as there is always room to improve on response time by fractions of a second or get your marksmanship better by a hair closer to the target, there is always room to learn something new. This can range from crew members getting cross training (e.g. a Viper specialist learning how to work on Raptors), studying for a completely different profession, getting a GED if needed, or taking courses to advance in rank.

In addition, the military offers a few special schools and programs that service members (during peace) can apply to attend.

[Roger Davis]

Damage Control
You'll notice that other than those few CIC DC officers, there is no one else listed in the entire crew list for damage control. This is because EVERYONE (or damn near) can become part of the DC team.

Assignments
Generally, you are assigned to damage control in the area where your action station is. E.g. deck hands are responsible for the decks, engineers for engineering, marines for whatever section they are guarding, etc. Experience in one section typically can be used in others as well. E.g. your section is fine but the neighboring section needs assistance or you're not at your post during the emergency so you help out where you are.

Due to the nature of certain crew positions or the circumstances of an emergency, those actually involved in damage control will vary. Fires will typically have the most responding with many people fighting it. Hull breaches are typically quarantined quickly and small specialized teams dispatched to deal with the issue.

Also, combat operations typically take many roles out of the DC manpower pool. Pilots will be fighting raiders not fighting fires. Likewise, if the ship is boarded, marines will be picking up rifles not picking up hoses.

Duties
DC duties include:

• Fire suppression - through the use of individual fire extinguishers, multi-person fire hoses, specialized firefighting gases and chemical agents, automated "sprinklers", and atmospheric venting (bad for anyone stuck in the area).
  
• Chemical/Bio Hazards - specialized hazmat and containment teams, medical response units, isolation and quarantine precautions for the rank and file.
  
• Hull breach - section isolation, emergency patch teams, recovery teams
  
• System failure (i.e. power is offline, DRADIS got knocked out, etc. type issues) - basic emergency repair and replacement
  
• Search and Rescue (SAR) - either by Raptor outside the ship or by individual personnel moving through damaged interiors.

DC does not include hostile boarding parties but may be used to coordinate a defense and use less than conventional means to combat them.

Training
The entire ship regularly goes through DC drills with simulated accidents or battle damage. It's a little more complicated than an evacuation or fire drill but that comparison can give you some idea. All crew members know their place and have some idea of what to do should the proverbial shit hit the fan.

[Roger Davis]

Titles, Ranks, Names, and General Military Respect
In addition to the basics of Ranks, there are also military titles and address protocols. This post details personal interactions and signs of respect within the military hierarchy. Please note, the following sections detail the strictest requirements of the service. Not all officers expect or enforce all of these requirements to the letter of the rule book so don't feel like you need to be clicking your heels and saluting every person who passes, never making any friends, and never learning anyone's first name. When you run into a really formal by-the-book person, find yourself facing someone far above your character in rank, or simply are a part of a very formal event then pull out every bit you've read here. Otherwise, scale it back slightly to what seems appropriate.

Rank and Titles
Sir
For the most part, you will call all superior commissioned officers "sir". Remember, gender does not apply. Even female officers are called sir. In BSG military it is a gender neutral title.

We all know by now how NCOs say “I work for a living. I am not a sir.” or something to that effect. NCOs are not "sirs" except maybe to a civilian who is merely being polite.

Mister
Mister is a more obscure title, but it does exist in the military (a hold over from the time of gentlemen officers). It has two primary uses. First, senior officers may refer to junior officers as mister in place of their rank (e.g. Mister Smith). Junior officers must still refer to senior officers as "sir" or their rank in response. Second, warrant officers are "misters" instead of "sirs". They may also be called "chief" if one does not want to use their full rank.

Ranks
Typically when referring to someone else, you will call them RANK LAST NAME (e.g. Captain Wilson). If you’re talking to a superior commissioned officer you MUST do this UNLESS you are referring to them as "sir". Generally, "sir" wins out. It is easier and quicker to say (certainly the choice if having a long conversation and you don't want to address them by their full title after your initial greeting) and also cuts down on the potential of not knowing the name of the officer. The only instance where one must use rank and name is when speaking directly to one officer in a group when it is not clearly indicated otherwise who you are speaking to.

When talking to a superior NCO you MUST refer to them by their rank (they earned it). Typically, superiors also refer to their subordinates by rank in a mirrored sign of respect, but as mentioned earlier regarding other points of the chain of command this is not absolutely required of them.

You DO NOT refer to the two lowest ranks (Crewman Apprentice and Crewman/Private and Private First Class) unless you are specifically calling them out or something like that (like how your mother only uses your middle name when you're in trouble). When referring to these low ranking servicemen, they will be called either solely by their last name or by their job e.g. "marine", "gunner", "deckhand", etc.

Those of equal rank also often do not refer to one another by their shared ranks (but they can if they desire or want to be extra formal).

Abbreviated Ranks
Many ranks have simplified abbreviations, a few of which follow: Captain = “Cap”, Lieutenant = “LT”, (Master/Senior) Chief Petty Officer = (Master/Senior) Chief, Gunnery Sergeant = Gunny, Sergeant = Sarge, Sergeant First Class = Sergeant (not necessarily required to include full rank).

These abbreviated titles are commonly used and are acceptable so long as the person has authorized the use of the title. E.g. “Everyone just calls me ‘gunny.’” Likewise, those with callsigns are frequently referred to by those names even outside of operations. This is acceptable with the person’s permission to be called that name. Generally, the rule of thumb is not to get all chummy with a superior who you just met thirty seconds ago. If you don't know them well enough to know if they'd mind being called by an abbreviation or you haven't had enough conversations for them to specifically tell you to call them something else, then stick to the formality.

All of this only applies to lower ranks. Superiors can call those below them whatever the hell they like so long as it’s not obviously offensive.

Extra Titles
Many persons have extra titles based on special positions they hold aboard the ship. You typically will not address someone by their title. The exception is when you are specifically requesting them in that capacity (e.g. "Master-at-Arms arrest this man" or "Helm, plot an intercept course.") but even then you may refer to them by their name and rank. One can also fall back on their title when one simply doesn't know their name or rank, a safety net of sorts both for people you don't know or for in the heat of action when you can't really tell who is manning that position at the moment.

Names
Last Names
The military mostly deals only with last names. Typically when speaking to someone you will not simply say their rank but follow it with their name. You will refer to those of equal rank by their last names. Those low ranks mentioned above that are not referred to by rank are only referred to by last name.

First Names
It is very rare to use first names alone outside of personal and private conversations (introducing oneself as Private John Smith is of course acceptable, but introducing oneself as just "John" or even "Private John" is not). The only notable exception is that senior commissioned officers may call junior officers by their first name. (I.e. the Commander might call the young ensign "John", but he can't refer back to the CO by his first name nor should the other officers refer to the ensign as "John" simply because the CO does. Like "mister" this is another holdover from an older time of sailing.)

Other Forms of Military Respect
Attention
Naturally, one always stands at attention whenever ordered to by a superior. If a high ranking officer like the CO or XO come into the room then everyone is supposed to come to attention. They should do the same for high government officials like the President or VP. When being addressed in a formal manner (e.g. reporting to the CO's office to speak, getting stopped in the corridor, etc.) one should also stand at attention until put at ease. Anyone standing guard should also snap to attention at the approach of an officer.

The position of attention is:

• Standing "straight up": legs fully extended, shoulders straight, chest up, etc.
  
• Heels together and toes pointed apart at a 45 degree angle.
  
• Arms straight at the side at the seem of the paint leg. Fingers are to be lightly curled as if in a fist.
  
• Head erect and facing forward. One's eyes are likewise to be facing forward and not looking off.
  
• Silence.

Note that the position of attention is NOT a completely stiff stance. One should remain balanced on one's feet, refrain from "locking" the knees, not completely tense up one's fist, etc.

Saluting
This naturally goes along with standing at attention but is not done as frequently. It is the responsibility of the inferior rank to salute first which can make it a little confusing for a newer and thus lower ranking person to know when to salute. To avoid aggravating someone, it is often best to err on the side of over-saluting rather than accidentally not saluting someone when the situation calls for it.

Except in extreme circumstances, one will only salute officers (i.e. "sirs"). Not only do you salute a superior first, but you hold the salute until the superior has saluted and lowered his/her salute first. If the superior does not return the salute (as is often done if you simply salute while they are walking past and not directly engaged with you) then you hold it and drop the salute when they pass you. Not being saluted in this way is not a slight. You should only take offense if the officer is clearly engaged with you, you salute, he gives you that "you're a worthless piece of crap" look, and then walks away without saluting.

You DO NOT SALUTE when you are a member of a formation or other group. The commander of your group (whether that be a company on the parade field, a squad of marines on guard duty, or a team of deck hands working on a Viper) salutes for the entire group. The rest simply stand at attention. If, however, you are in a group of equals then you all salute together (e.g. Three pilots being congratulated by the Commander would each salute.).

Required saluting is an exclusive sign of respect to superior officers, but voluntary saluting can be done to anyone. Such salutes are more uncommon and typically are signs of great respect for a person or their recent accomplishment. E.g. a marine completes a dangerous mission and in return is saluted by a comrade.

[Roger Davis]

Fraternization and Families
Fraternization is unacceptable social contact between service members. In layman's terms, this is when two people begin to have romantic relations with one another (technically it can mean a whole lot more than that such as officers and enlisted even being friendly as if there was no rank barrier, but lets keep it simple).

Reasoning Behind Fraternization Policies
Fraternization is not prohibited just because the fun police have decided to crack down and make life harder. Allowing fraternization could potentially damage the Chain of Command, reduce discipline, and threaten operational security. For example:

• The potential for a superior to give preferential treatment to a subordinate based upon their special relationship.
  
• The potential for abusing one's position of power to reward a subordinate for agreeing to such a special relationship.
  
• The increased potential for someone to divulge secret information to another who should not be privy to such information.
  
• The potential that in a dangerous situation, one will hesitate in one's own duties because of concern for the other.
  
• The potential that in a dangerous situation, one will hesitate or even refuse to send another into danger simply because of their special relationship.

Fraternization as a Crime
Yes, despite what BSG would have you believe, this is against military law. That being said, it happens and superiors know that it happens. It's even more likely to occur aboard a ship that is away from home for months at a time. The Colonies and most of mankind blown up makes it more likely still to turn to other military personnel for companionship.

These are desperate times. Therefore, fraternization is tolerated depending on the circumstances:

• Fraternization between equal ranks - acceptable.
  
• Superior enlisted/NCO with junior enlisted/NCO - discouraged but permitted. The smaller the gap in ranks the better.
  
• Officer with Enlisted/NCO - Absolutely forbidden. The officer might face court martial for fraternization of this sort.

Even if the fraternization is permitted, partners will most likely be placed on separate shifts and duties if they're from the same department. The rules about fraternizing may be relaxed but steps still must be taken to preserve the chain of command and mitigate the issues that come with fraternization.

Fraternization and Families
So fraternization will happen and in some circumstances it will be tolerated. What then?

Military Couples
As discouraged as it is, fraternization does happen. In peace time it doesn't tend to get very far. If the relationship gets serious, the couple will often muster out of service (one or both of them). If that doesn't happen, typically they will be transferred off of a warship and to a base which has family housing. Warships are not the place to have a home to return to at night with a family waiting.

The setting of the RP of course makes this impossible. There are no places to transfer to, certainly not bases on the Colonies. If someone falls in love then they are going to stay in their position and accommodations will be made. Couples will likely be distanced from one another in the work place but that's about it (e.g you're not going to be your spouse's wingman). It's highly unlikely that special accommodations will be made (such as separate quarters for the couple). They're still in the service so they'll have to make due. Be fortunate that such behavior is being permitted.

Pregnancy
Women serving in the military can and do get pregnant (whether by fraternization with other service men or more likely from their spouses). The general rule is that pregnant women continue to serve until their sixth month (that is the start of the sixth month, not the end of it) at which time they are put on restricted duties until the birth. There is also the option for complete maternity leave.

During war time, the use of contraceptives is typically encouraged to prevent a pregnancy from getting in the way of the soldier's job and duty. Although suggested, it is optional (the BSG addition of conflicting Colony politics also makes this a larger issue). However, with the fate of humanity at stake, every pregnancy has added value in keeping the species alive.

Families
In peace time, it is incredibly rare to see families on a ship unless they are temporary passengers. Generally, there would be no reason to have the family on board if one of the parents is civilian (it's a warship not a house). If both parents are military and there is absolutely no other place for young children to go then there might be an exception made. Such an exception would likely be short term, however. As mentioned earlier, in such a case the family would likely be transferred elsewhere to a base where they could have nearby housing for the family and commute to the base.

Living Arrangements
The situation in BSG (and BSH) complicates family habitation. We see in the series several instances of couples cohabitating.

Saul and Ellen - Military-Civilian Couple
In a wartime scenario, if there is room on the ship, there is little reason why a spouse should be kept on a civilian ship that is tagging along with the warship (assuming the civilian wants to join the military spouse there). The two share quarters which become their little "home." The service member performs the standard duties and returns to the spouse at the end of the shift.

The Tyrols - Military Couple with Kids
Unlike Tigh, the Tyrols would not have had individual quarters normally. They are moved to special quarters and likewise have made a little home on the ship to raise their child. This exception is because they actually have a child. A rowdy ten-man standard berthing is no place for a young child to live.

Starbuck and Anders - Military Couple with no Kids
Not all couples, even if married, live together. Even if there might be room (and it's not "complicated" like the above mentioned couple), such pairings without children will likely be no different than a couple that would be dating or just having a one-night-stand. The couple will continue to live in their standard quarters with their comrades. The only accommodation that will be made is if the couple originally were not in the same berthing then they may transfer to be together in the shared room. They do not "play house" or have any real privacy as a couple beyond what they can get by shooing the others out of the room for a few minutes.

[Roger Davis]

Quarters and Living Arraignments
Life aboard military ships includes very little privacy. Below you'll find a run-down of the living arraignments and the standard billets for different persons aboard the ship.

Command Officers
As seen in BSG, the CO and XO have relatively larger quarters. In addition to their standard living section, they will often have a small sitting area and a desk area which turns the room into a combination of home and office.

Senior Officers
The heads of departments (Marines, Engineering, CIC, Medical, etc.) have similar living arraignments except they share their living quarters with another of the department heads.

Military Families
As mentioned in the section above, families, particularly those with young children, will be granted small personal quarters of their own.

Civilians
The few civilians on board will typically have their own personal quarters ranging from the CO sized rooms for the likes of the President down to the smaller military family size for aides and the like who are also stationed aboard ship.

Everybody Else
It doesn't matter if you're a new recruit or some hotshot Viper pilot, just about everyone on the ship lives in a communal billet of about nine other persons. These quarters are arranged with bunks around the perimeter, built-in footlocks beneath the bunks, and standing lockers between them. Most quarters will have several small or one large table in the center of the room.

For the most part, billets are well organized keeping persons together. For example, a squadron of pilots (20 in total) will be split into two rooms of ten each. A squad of marines (12 in total) will be in one room with twelve bunks. CIC officers will typically be housed together, deck crew will be housed together, etc.

Generally senior enlisted will be separated from their subordinates. For example, there will be three billets for the three squads of a marine platoon. Then there will be a fourth nearby billet for the three squad leaders, their platoon sergeant, and platoon medic. Officers will never be billeted with enlisted.

Of course there are exceptions to all rules, particularly in the chaos of the Cylon War. Some persons might transfer out of a unit but never leave their old billet. An officer might be promoted and offered a better room but choose to remain with his old quarters. There might be a lack of standard billets and alternative arrangements must be made. This is just a guide to help you visualize and conceptualize what the average living arraignments would be.

More, potentially repetitive information on crew quarters can be read here.