Corporal

Earth Corporal insignia

Corporal was a military rank, the equivalent of which was used by the service organizations of many civilizations. As a traditional infantry grade, corporal was an enlisted rank in a fighting organization, below a sergeant and above a private (which was only an actual rank in some cases). In comparison to naval ranking systems, this rank was marginally equivalent to the naval petty officer or yeoman ranks.

The rank of corporal existed on Earth for several hundred years. In 1986, the rank was a junior enlisted grade of the United States Army. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) In 2154, the rank existed in some capacity within the Starfleet, most notably at the Earth embassy on Vulcan. (ENT: "The Forge")

This grade existed in some form in many rank arrangements, such as the Bajoran Militia and the United Earth MACOs in the 2150s. The MACO corporal insignia patch was a triangular field, bordered in blue, with two white chevrons. (ENT Season 3)

The rank was also used on Ekos in 2268 by the Ekosian SS. A corporal was guarding the main entrance to the Ekosian Chancellery when Daras arrived to hear a special speech given by John Gill. Daras told the corporal to "smile" for the cameras of the Führer's Special Documentary Corps, who were in fact a special team of Zeon and USS Enterprise crewmembers who were attempting to infiltrate the chancellery. (TOS: "Patterns of Force") Some personnel who held this rank were given operational authority, such as Corporal McKenzie who was promoted to CO on the recommendation of her superior officer, Major Hayes, before he succumbed to mortal injuries sustained in rescuing Ensign Hoshi Sato. (ENT: " Zero Hour")

List of corporals

Named

• Askwith (Starfleet)
• Azar, R. (MACO)
• Chang, D. (MACO)
• Cole, Amanda (MACO)
• Hawkins, F. (MACO)
• Kelly (MACO)
• McKenzie, J. (MACO CO, after death of Major Hayes)
• O'Malley (MACO)
• Richards, R. (MACO)
• Romero, M. (MACO)
• Ryan, R. (MACO)
• Scott, B. (MACO) (mirror universe)

Unnamed

• Ekosian corporal 1 (Ekosian Schutzstaffel)
• Ekosian corporal 2 (Ekosian Schutzstaffel)
• Human corporal (United States Army)

This chart shows only general equivalencies based on the ranks used by many governments on Earth, as well as the rest of the galaxy.

External link

• Corporal at Wikipedia