Firefly, Serenity, and Brevet ranks!

[lordziba]

Hi guys, I need your help again. Recently, I purchased a Firefly guide book and there some uniform and rank samples of the Independence. According to the story Sergeant Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds was in charge of an entire regiment of troops.

So, my question regarding brevet ranks.
1. If person receiving a brevet rank, does his pay rise up according to a new rank?
2. Can after the event the person retain the brevet rank as permanent than what?
3. And this specifically to a Spanish Republican Army. According to one illustrated rank chart, in the Republican forces, sometimes even Majors, were in command of regiments, brigades, and even divisions! Why could not they be promoted accordingly, and while the Spanish Republican Army had specific brevet rank system, did they pay according to a position or a rank?

Thanx, Zibster!

[ChrisWI]

1 - not sure about the pay, I think a brevet rank is just a temporary thing for x amount of time.
2 - usually not, at least thats how it is in the US military.
3 - ?

[lordziba]

Hm, maybe I should rephrase the 3rd question: I mean, how necessary to create a brevet ranks vs. normal chain of command? Additionally, why did the Spanish Republican Army create bunch of brevet rank insignias as oppose just to give higher regular rank insignia and called it – a brevet? What's the point?

Zibster.

[J.T. Broderick]

Hi guys, I need your help again. Recently, I purchased a Firefly guide book and there some uniform and rank samples of the Independence. According to the story Sergeant Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds was in charge of an entire regiment of troops.

So, my question regarding brevet ranks.
1. If person receiving a brevet rank, does his pay rise up according to a new rank?
2. Can after the event the person retain the brevet rank as permanent than what?
3. And this specifically to a Spanish Republican Army. According to one illustrated rank chart, in the Republican forces, sometimes even Majors, were in command of regiments, brigades, and even divisions! Why could not they be promoted accordingly, and while the Spanish Republican Army had specific brevet rank system, did they pay according to a position or a rank?

Thanx, Zibster!

Keep in mind that "brevet" refers to a specific kind of promotion that was given as an award, the way we use decorations today. In the US Army up through the Civil War, brevet rank could be used to give an officer higher authority for a specific assignment, if ordered by higher authority. It did not increase pay. In 1862 regulations specified that officers below the (permanent) rank of colonel would wear the insignia of their actual rank, not brevet rank.

There were so many brevet ranks awarded in the Civil War that the distinction lost most of its meaning. Army regulations after the war removed almost all authority and priveleges associated with brevet rank, and it became pretty much strictly honorary. While he was commanding general, Gen. Sherman changed the Uniform Regulations so officers would wear brevet rank insignia on the collar, and permanent rank on the shoulder. This was ruled illegal after only a couple of months. I forgot the year, it was aroujnd 1870-1872. Here is a picture of General August Kautz from that period with brevet major general insignia on the collar and colonel insignia on the shoulder knots:
http://www.generalsandbrevets.com/ngk/kautz2q.jpg

Because of the problems with Civil War brevets, very few were awarded in the Spanish-Americna War. There may even have been a handful in World War I, but after that decorations for valor and distinguished service completely eliminated the system of brevets.

"Temporary" and "acting" ranks are different from brevets, and almost always entitle the officer to the higher rank, pay, authority and insignia.

I don't know anything about the Spanish system, or any other country's.

Best regards,
Justin

[lordziba]

Could somebody give a link of the Spanish language website about the Republican Army, where all auxillary ranks there?
Thanx, Zibster!

[Eugen Pinak]

Lordziba, note, that post by J.T. Broderick refers _only_ to US and UK (who invented this term) armies - the rest of the armies used this word to describe "temporary" and "acting" ranks (if used at all) - so will I.
Here is the article in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brevet_%28military%29

Now about your questions:
1. Yes (usually). Sometimes this even transferred into pensions (for example, when brevet holder KIA).
2. Yes, but this is usually an exception rather than rule (like Dwight D. Eisenhower or G.A. Custer, for example).
3. In Republican army there was specific corps of the officers - Militia officers. They were civilians who commanded militia units. Untill 1938 this officers weren't allowed to be promoted above the rank of Major, _but_ can be appointed to division and even corps command - here the badges. From 1938 this rule was changed and the first officer, promoted to LTC, was B.Durutti, who was KIA in 1936! His post-mortem promotion was dated the date of his death.
High command was another thing. There was only one general's rank in Republican army during the most of the SCW, so generals naturally wanted to distingush themselves.