British military rank help please...

[MinionZombie]

I'm finishing up the planning process for a new script I'm about to start writing, but needed to ask a question regarding military rank and such.

Anyway, one of the characters ... or sort of a character ... is in the British military (current Afghanistan conflict), is quite savvy and has been quite successful in the military (but still very much on the battlefield), and has a son aged 13.

What I want to know is - for a British military man as detailed above, what would be an appropriate rank for him to be?

Also - what medals would this man most likely have been awarded during his time in the military, particularly in the current Afghanistan conflict?

I've got no idea about these things and wouldn't know where to start, and figured some folk here would have far superior understandings of these things than I do. :)

Cheers folks. :cool:

[BillyRay]

"Left-tennant."

(That's how you'll know he's British)

:hyper:

[AcesandEights]

Here are some basic links (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparative_military_ranks#United_Kingdom) to get you started, but I always find the nuances of rank, commendation & uniform to be crazy difficult for outsiders like you and I to grasp. You get the gist, but there's always some practical firsthand info that gets missed.

Surely a former member of the armed forces or someone who knows a good deal more about UK militaria will be by with much better info shortly (Tricky, perhaps?).

---------- Post added at 03:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:58 PM ----------

Ranks / Insignia images (http://www.angelfire.com/mi2/angela764/military/british_ranks.html)

Modern Ranks comparison (http://www.intellectualloafing.com/activitiesfolder/beinformedfolder/britishmilitaryranks.htm) between the different arms of the service.

International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia Around the World searchable database (http://www.uniforminsignia.net/index.php?option=com_insigniasearch&view=insigniasearch&Itemid=53)--very cool! Allows you to search combined or seperately for uniform, insignia, medals & awards.

[Tricky]

http://www.alanharding.com/Military/ranks/ranks.html

Have a look there chap, as for what rank a bloke like that would be, guess it would depend on his experience & how on the ball he was. You dont get many privates in their late 20's unless they're TA, most have moved up to corporal or sergeant rank or beyond in their mid 20's unless they're more suited to following orders than giving them! At a guess he would more than likely have an Iraq campaign medal, and maybe a Bosnia or northern Ireland medal if your reckoning he's a 30 something career soldier. As for any other medals, have a look at the kind of thing medals have been awarded for in the recent conflicts, you'll probably find them & the stories behind them in the news archives or army website, then just apply one or two as you see fit without making him look rambo stylee!
All this talk makes me feel a bit gutted I failed selection a few months back on the medical, I'll re-apply next year as advised by the C/O & see how I fare then!

[MinionZombie]

My thinking is the character would be about 35 years old, and would be a savvy, on-the-ball type who was a good leader - also, indeed, a career soldier - which rank would be most suitable for that level of experience, but a rank which would still put him thoroughly in the combat zone?

Just looking at that link you posted, Tricky, I'm thinking Lieutenant - "The Lieutenant normally commands a small tactical unit such as a platoon. A Lieutenant often takes the place of a superior officer when that officer is absent."

Captain seems a bit too senior for the character I've described, and 2nd Lieutenant is a bit too junior for the character as described.

Also, are there special medals or awards or something (like a flag or whatever) given to widows of soldiers, in recognition of the deceased soldier's service?

[Tricky]

Also, are there special medals or awards or something (like a flag or whatever) given to widows of soldiers, in recognition of the deceased soldier's service?

Not sure to be honest me old fruit, but im assuming they are presented with their late husbands campaign medals & so forth when he's repatriated

[Publius]

My thinking is the character would be about 35 years old, and would be a savvy, on-the-ball type who was a good leader - also, indeed, a career soldier - which rank would be most suitable for that level of experience, but a rank which would still put him thoroughly in the combat zone?

Just looking at that link you posted, Tricky, I'm thinking Lieutenant - "The Lieutenant normally commands a small tactical unit such as a platoon. A Lieutenant often takes the place of a superior officer when that officer is absent."

Nah, the big questions are: (1) is he an officer or enlisted? If an officer, was he enlisted first and then got a commission later? (2) Regular Army or Territorial Army? Enlisted and officer are parallel systems, and promotions can be slower in the TA.

If he's a Regular Army officer and got commissioned right after university (although I have the impression that a university degree is less of a requirement for an officer's commission than in the U.S.), he'd probably be a major. If he spent some time in the enlisted ranks first (what they call a "Mustang" in the U.S. armed forces), he might be a lieutenant or a captain.

If Regular Army enlisted, he might be anywhere from a Sergeant to a Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2).

---------- Post added at 07:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:32 PM ----------


Not sure to be honest me old fruit, but im assuming they are presented with their late husbands campaign medals & so forth when he's repatriated

Turns out there is a brand new medal (the Elizabeth Cross (http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/277930)) given to the next-of-kin of British servicemembers killed in action.

---------- Post added at 08:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:39 PM ----------


Also - what medals would this man most likely have been awarded during his time in the military, particularly in the current Afghanistan conflict?

Since you specify he's been to Afghanistan, he'd definitely have the the Operational Service Medal (OSM) for Afghanistan, plus possibly other service medals for other interesting places he's been sent (such as Iraq Medal, OSMs for Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo - at 35 he's probably slightly too young for Gulf War I). If he's Regular Army enlisted (or an officer with at least 12 years of enlisted service) he'd probably have the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. If Territorial Army (officer or enlisted), he'd have the Volunteer Reserve Services Medal (not sure if TA types can get the LS&GCM in addition to that).

Other medals would depend on more specific accomplishments, and are mostly for bravery or gallantry. These include (from least to most important) the Queen's Gallantry Medal, the George Medal, the George Cross, the Military Cross, the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross, and the Victoria Cross. The first three in that list are for actions not in the presence of the enemy.

There are also a couple of non-medal honours that rank below the medals (and therefore more likely to be awarded) but are still displayed somehow on the uniform. The Queen's Commendation for Bravery is for bravery not in the presence of the enemy and is represented by a silver spray of laurel leaves. "Mentioned in despatches" means the servicemember has been mentioned in their commander's after-action report for doing something notable during a combat action, and entitles one to wear a silver oak leaf on the ribbon of the service medal awarded for whatever campaign the action took place in. If no service medal applies, the leaf is worn by itself.

[MinionZombie]

Thanks for this information folks, most helpful. :)

I'm figuring this guy would be a Lieutenant in the normal British Army, so if that would make sense for a 35 year old who's done quite well as a career soldier, who is still in active combat, then I think I'll go with that for the character.

[SymphonicX]

you know my feelings on the mil....hahaha only kidding :) good luck with your script!

[Publius]

Thanks for this information folks, most helpful. :)

You can list us in the acknowledgments in your script. ;)