Corporal

Corporal
File:Maco-corporal.png
MACO corporal patch
File:USCorporal.png
United States Army 20th century insignia
File:SS-NCO insignia.png
Ekosian SS

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

The rank of corporal has 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")

The reason a Starfleet officer was addressed as "corporal" was most likely a costuming error, and the actor was meant to wear a MACO uniform.

This grade exists in some form in many rank arrangements, such as the Bajoran Militia and the 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")

List of corporals

• Askwith (Starfleet)
• Chang (MACO)
• Amanda Cole (MACO)
• F. Hawkins (MACO)
• J. McKenzie (MACO)
• O'Malley (MACO)
• M. Romero (MACO)
• R. Ryan (MACO)
• B. Scott (MACO) (mirror universe)

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