In Lois McMaster Bujold

Lois McMaster Bujold

Lois McMaster Bujold is an American author of science fiction and fantasy works. Bujold is one of the most acclaimed writers in her field, having won the prestigious Hugo Award for best novel four times, matching Robert A. Heinlein's record. Her novella The Mountains of Mourning won both the Hugo...

's sci-fi series, The Vorkosigan Saga

Vorkosigan Saga

The Vorkosigan Saga is a series of science fiction novels and short stories set in a common fictional universe by American author Lois McMaster Bujold. Most of these were published between 1986 and 2002, with the exceptions being “Winterfair Gifts” and Cryoburn...

, the "Barrayaran Imperial Military Service" is the national military force of the planet of Barrayar

Barrayar

Barrayar is a science fiction novel by Lois McMaster Bujold. It was first published as four installments in Analog in July–October 1991, and then published in book form by Baen Books in October 1991. Barrayar won both the Hugo Award for Best Novel and the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel...

.

History and organisation

The service appears to have originated from the feudal armies of Barrayar during the Time of Isolation, until their dissolution by the reforming emperor Dorcas Vorbarra. Originally, the Service's officer corps was dominated by the Barrayaran aristocracy; its class-based militarism was reminiscent of nineteenth-century Prussia

Prussia

Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

 or of Meiji

Meiji period

The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

-era Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. However, the Emperor

Emperor

An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...

 Gregor Vorbarra

Gregor Vorbarra

Gregor Vorbarra is the Emperor of the Barrayaran Imperium in the sci-fi series the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold.As of CryoBurn, Gregor Vorbarra is the current Emperor of Barrayar...

, and his Prime Minister

Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

 Lord Aral Vorkosigan

Aral Vorkosigan

Aral Vorkosigan is a fictitious character from Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga series. Known throughout this science fiction universe as “The Butcher of Komarr,” he dominates the imagination of the two main point-of-view characters in the Vorkosigan Saga, Cordelia , who becomes his wife,...

, reformed the admissions process, creating a modern Service Academy with competitive admission from all classes.

Uniform

The Barrayaran uniform consists of four different sets. Ranging from informal to formal: Black fatigues, a Green Undress uniform, a Green Dress Uniform and a Parade Red and Blue uniform. Fatigues and Undress Greens are generally worn during regular duty, while dress Greens are for meetings with superior officers and Red and Blues for formal functions. All the uniforms are accompanied by black cavalry boots, evidence that the military is descended from a cavalry-based ground force.

Space and Ground Force Officers

Rank is indicated by a set of collar tabs. The color of the tab represents the rank.

Officer Ranks and Insignia

Collar Tab Color	Space Forces Rank	Ground Forces Rank
Yellow	Admiral	General
????	Viceadmiral	????
????	Commodore	????
????	Captain	Colonel
????	Commander	Major
Blue	Lieutenant Commander	Captain
Red	Lieutenant	Lieutenant
Pale Blue	Ensign	Ensign

The flag officer rank of "Vice Admiral" is mentioned in Memory as Captain Illyan's pay grade as head of ImpSec. Whether this rank has the same or different insignia as Admiral is not mentioned.

Enlisted Ranks

The only enlisted ranks mentioned in the books are Private, Corporal and Sergeant. There is no descriptions of enlisted rank insignia, nor are we told whether Space and Ground forces share rank names and/or insignia. That Sergeant Bothari, for example, is apparently a Space Force non-commissioned officer may suggest that both services do share enlisted ranks.

Imperial Security

Imperial Security, while a quasi-separate branch of Barrayaran military service, draws its personnel indiscriminately from both the Space and Ground Forces, and ImpSec personnel retain their service-of-origin rank progression. Responsibility within ImpSec depends more upon assignment than upon rank, with for instance, Captain Illyan being Chief of Imperial Security but commanding men well above him in nominal rank (generals and admirals). As Emperor Gregor pointed out when offering to medically-retired Miles Vorkosigan the command of ImpSec, the post is traditionally held by a serving officer, but the Emperor can appoint whomever he chooses, regardless of military status.

Other Insignia

Other insignia indicate branch of service as, for example, the Imperial Security silver Eye of Horus pins. Pins are worn in a set and are individually custom-made with a unique serial number on the back.

Hierarchy

By definition, the Imperial Military is under the overall command of the reigning Emperor or Regent as commander-in-chief. Consequently, in his role as the Emperor's Voice, any Barrayaran Imperial Auditor

Barrayaran Imperial Auditor

Imperial Auditor is a fictional position in the government of Barrayar in Lois McMaster Bujold's sci-fi series the Vorkosigan Saga; alternatively referred to as 'The Emperor's Voice'.-What is an Auditor?:...

can command military forces as he sees fit. Only the Emperor (or Regent) and possibly other Auditors as a group could override him. Otherwise, the hierarchy of command is very similar to current military forces, in that officers command the enlisted men. Ranks are very similar to American/British military ranks.