Astra Militarum - Astra Militarum Rank Hierarchy: The military organisation of the Astra Militarum is a simple, hierarchical chain of command to which blind adhesion is required, especially from the lower ranks. Independent thinking and action is at best frowned upon, and at worst sanctioned by death. This one-way immutable decision structure is the only method that has proven efficient in coordinating the gargantuan resources necessary for the correct deployment of the Imperial Guard in a given war zone.The main issues of confusion and lack of cohesion within the Imperial Guard's hierarchy come from the interdependence of the Imperial Guard with the Imperial Navy and the Adeptus Administratum's Departmento Munitorum. Indeed, following the Horus Heresy, the Primarch Roboute Guilliman made sure that no single individual would ever again have enough military power to threaten the stability of the Imperium. Thus, the Imperial Guard furnishes the manpower, the Departmento Munitorum furnishes the materiel and the Imperial Navy ensures air superiority and transports both men and weapons to their objective without intervening directly on the ground other than providing air support. The arrangement has proven effective, but politicking amongst Imperial officers can lead to confusion in the chain of command as they vie for seniority and the most prestigious assignments. It is one of the roles of the Commissariat to ensure, by force of arms if necessary, that the Imperial military's chain of command always remains clear and operationally efficient.From highest to lowest, the ranks of the Astra Militarum include:RankSummaryLord Commander MilitantSupreme Commander of the Astra Militarum and a High Lord of Terra.Warmaster (Lord Solar)A special rank only rarely bestowed upon a general officer who leads an Imperial Crusade.Lord CommanderSupreme military commander of one of the five Imperial Segmentae.Lord General MilitantSupreme military commander of a designated theatre of operations or Imperial Crusade.Lord GeneralVarious different titles for this rank exist depending upon cultural context, including Lord Castellan, Lord Marshal and Captain-General. This general officer commands an entire army group and is a member of the General Staff of the Astra Militarum.GeneralVarious different titles for this rank exist depending upon cultural context. This general officer is the leader of multiple regiments in an army group or the commander of a single battlegroup and is a member of the General Staff of the Astra Militarum.ColonelVarious different titles for this rank exist depending upon cultural context. This officer is the commander of an entire regiment or equivalent formation.MajorVarious different titles for this rank exist depending upon cultural context. This officer is usually the executive officer of an entire regiment or equivalent formation, or the commander of a regimental sub-formation incorporating multiple company-sized units.CaptainVarious different titles for this rank exist depending upon cultural context. This officer is the commander of a company or equivalent-sized formationLieutenantVarious different titles for this rank exist depending upon cultural context. Commander of a platoon or equivalent-sized formation.SergeantVarious different titles for this rank exist depending upon cultural context. This non-commissioned officer is the commander of a squad or equivalent-sized formation.CorporalVarious different titles for this rank exist depending upon cultural context. This non-commissioned officer can serve as the commander of a squad or equivalent-sized formation in the absence of a Sergeant.Trooper (Guardsman)A rank-and-file enlisted trooper.SpecialistsThe Astra Militarum is assisted by a range of specialists who hold no official place in its military chain of command. These include Commissars, Priests of the Ecclesiarchy, Tech-priests, Enginseers, Sanctioned Psykers, Inquisitors.