The United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces ranking system is divided into three sections: Flag Officers, Officers, Peacekeeper Enlistees.
Grand Peacekeeper is the highest rank that someone in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces can obtain and equates to the pay grade of O-11. The pin consists of a gold rimmed white circle with golden sun rising in the east (it's a gold version of the United Outer Colonies' Logo).
It is one rank above Fleet Admiral and someone of this rank is tasked with the directing the day to day business of the United Outer Colonies' Peacekeeper Forces as a whole.
The rank of fleet admiral or the pay grade of O-10 in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is given to those that run the individual fleets of the United Outer Colonies. The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a noon day sun with with rays of sunlight streaming from it. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Admiral or the pay grade of O-9 in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces was given to those that helped run the fleet division command of the United Outer Colonies. The pin was a gold rimmed white circle with a golden sun with with 5 rays of sunlight streaming from it. Nations that were not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but were permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) had a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Vice-Admiral or the pay grade of O-8 in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is given to those that help run the fleet division command of the United Outer Colonies. The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a golden sun that's just peaked over the horizon with with 4 rays of sunlight (3 from above and one from below) streaming from it. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Commodore or the pay grade of O-7 in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is given to those that help run the fleet group command of the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeper forces. The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a golden sun rising above the horizon shedding light upon the world in 3 streaming beams and 5 golden parallel lines forming the horizon. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Captain or the pay grade of O-6 in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is given to those that run fleet squadrons. The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a golden sun rising above 5 golden parallel lines that form the horizon. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Commander or the pay grade of O-5 in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is given to starship commanders who run the day to day missions of the fleet. The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a golden sun rising above 3 golden parallel lines that form the horizon. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Sub-Commander or the pay grade of O-4 in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is given to senior officers that might act as an Executive Officer or are assuming the responsibilities of a starship command but lack the experience to hold the rank of Commander. The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a golden sun rising above 2 golden parallel lines that form the horizon. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Lieutenant or the pay grade of O-3 in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is a rank where the officer is still fairly fresh but doesn't quite hold the same experience to hold the rank of a Commander but it is the lowest officer rank that permits full command over a starship. Typically on a starship, the LT. might be the operations officer and is thus, the 3rd in command of a starship in scenarios where there is enough staffing to permit there to be 3 senior officers on ship command staff.
The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a golden sun rising above a single gold line that forms the horizon. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Sub-Lieutenant or the pay grade of O-2 in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is the last junior officer rank before an officer is allowed to fully command a starship and effectively the first full officer rank once an officer completes their training. Sometimes, an seasoned senior non-commissioned officer will obtain this rank once they receive a commission, and completely forgo any time as a cadet since they already have leadership experience in the field.
The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a gold design of a sphere within a triangle and a single line parallel to the bottom of the triangle. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Cadet, or the pay grade of O-1, in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is the first officer rank and typically, a training rank for persons with no prior military service or experience that are selected for officer training but enlisted personnel that choose to pursue a commission can hold this rank; as well, until they complete their officer training program. While the person holding the rank might have little leadership experience, they still have authority over the most senior enlisted- if a Cadet tries to bully his Senior Non-Commission officers, they'll typically lose the support of the junior enlisted personnel, so it is best to keep in mind to learn from the people who you will be leading.
The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a golden design of a sphere within a triangle. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
Enlisted Peacekeepers are generally called 'Peacekeepers' not 'soldiers'. There are no warrant officer ranks in the UOCPF, as that most peacekeepers willing to continue service are encouraged to attend officer training.
The rank of Master Petty Officer, or the pay grade of E-7, in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is the high enlisted rank. As the highest ranking non-commissioned officers, they tend to be more actively involved with running a ship on a departmental or squadron level. They directly interact with the enlisted personnel and the authority of their position could be said to rival that of a cadet because they bridge the gap between the enlisted and the officers. They tend to have the most field experience of the enlisted ranks and many MPOs chose to remain so rather than try to go for a commissioned rank of officer. A very popular comment from an MPO is, “Don't call me, 'sir'- I work for a living. It's Master Petty Officer.”
The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a stack of 3 golden chevrons above a sphere within a triangle with a stripe parallel to the bottom of the triangle. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Petty Officer First Class, or the pay grade of E-6, in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is the second highest enlisted rank. It is a senior non-commissioned officer rank that gives the peacekeeper a great deal of leadership responsibility on a departmental level. It's usually best equated to an Assistant Manager in a retail store where a MAster Petty Officer might be considered a store manager while officers are usually considered upper management of a corporation (Regional Managers; District managers, etc).
The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a stack of 3 golden chevrons above a triangle with a stripe parallel to the bottom of the triangle. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Petty Officer Second Class, or the pay grade of E-5, in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is the first senior non-commissioned officer rank. It is a position that gives the peacekeeper a great deal of leadership responsibility on a departmental level. It's usually best equated to a shift leader position in a retail store where a Petty Officer First Class might be an assistant manager while a Master Petty Officer might be considered a store manager while officers are usually considered upper management of a corporation (Regional Managers; District managers, etc).
The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a stack of 3 golden chevrons above a triangle. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Peacekeeper First Class, or the pay grade of E-4, in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces is the first non-commissioned officer rank. It is a position that gives the peacekeeper a small measure of responsibility and leadership over a small number of people. They usually report their group's status to the senior enlisted. In a retail setting, they might be considered “key employees” where they have the responsibility of a shift leader but not the pay or the actual authority to completely run a shop on their own. They tend to be squad leaders and show the recruits some of the roles of the day to day operations of the job.
The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a stack of 4 golden chevrons. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Peacekeeper Second Class, or the pay grade of E-3, in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces.
The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a stack of 3 golden chevrons. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Peacekeeper Third Class, or the pay grade of E-2, in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces.
The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a stack of 2 golden chevrons. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.
The rank of Peacekeeper Recruit, or the pay grade of E-1, in the United Outer Colonies Peacekeeping Forces. Is the first enlisted rank of the peacekeeping forces. Usually a rank possessed by those who've just enlisted into service, it is almost considered a training rank.
The pin is a gold rimmed white circle with a single golden chevron. Nations that are not a part of the Peacekeeper Forces but are permanently assigned to United Outer Colonies' jurisdictions (because they might be a protectorate or they joined the Colonies but maintain their own self-defense fleet) have a silver version of this pin.