Hi all!
I do hope you are all doing well.
I’ve been following the lively debate among readers regarding Ruan’s rank insignia—specifically the "pips vs. bars" discussion—and I thought it was time to set the record straight.
When it comes to military heraldry, "Captain" doesn't look the same in every corner of the world. While many of us are used to the British/Commonwealth three-pip system or the US twin-silver bars, Ruan’s uniform follows a different tradition.
The Anatomy of a Volynia Air Force Captain:
In the Volynia National Army (and by extension, the Air Force), the rank of Captain is represented by the specific shoulder board. Here is a breakdown:
• The Four Stars: Unlike the Western "three pips," a Volynian Captain wears four eight-pointed gold stars arranged in a horizontal line.
• The Vertical Bars: At the shoulder seam, there are two vertical gold bars featuring a distinct zigzag "v-pattern" embroidery.
• The Service Emblems: The insignia is completed with a gold button featuring the Volynian Coat of Arms (the silver Falcon and shield) and a wreath containing crossed rifles, signifying the wearer's status as a commissioned officer.
Why the confusion?
The debate is understandable! Most Western readers are conditioned to look for:
1. Three Pips: The British Army/RAF standard.
2. Two Bars: The US Air Force/Army "Railroad Tracks."
However, Ruan’s world is built on different heritage and specific international regulations. So, when you see those four stars and twin decorative bars on his flight suit, make no mistake—you are looking at the rank of a Captain.
In 1991 Volynia got independence from the USSR and went back to their Kingdom and democratically elected Parliament system, thus breaking the tradition of using the USSR two side by side stars on a gold two paralleled stripes for the rank of captain.
And to take the confusion further; the rank of Captain in the rest of the world is not the same as Captain in any Navy. A Navy Captain is equivalent to a Colonel in the Rest of the armed forces. (Some of my readers and even a Captain from the Indian Navy, when they found out of my rank before I retired, though that I commanded six or eight platoons. (LOL!!!)
And that Indian Navy Captain commanded a Carrier that I stood on the flight deck of when I was a boy of 9. The ship was then in the Royal Navy fleet when the Royal Navy visited Cape Town and later sold the carrier to India. Small world, isn’t it?
I for many years had the gold 3, five-pointed-stars, decorate each shoulder as a Commissioned Officer. And although I retired, I still hold that Commission and are entitled to be addressed as “Captain”, something that I don’t insist on, but many of my ex-colleagues still address me as such. Looks like if you retire, you are just placed on permanent vacation. LOL!!!
Hopefully, this clears up the "pip" count and lets us get back to the cockpit, romance and action!
So, here is chapter 16 of “Whispers in the Forest.” Enjoy!
All the best and God bless!
Bye 4 now!