Colonel

Colonel was a military rank associated with ground forces and some starfighter operations. It was greater than a Major and lesser than a General, and would be equivilent to a naval Captain. Most colonels would command a regiment or equivalent force.

Some colonels would be attached to major warships, either as commanders of the starfighter attachment, or as aides to the commanding officer (Admiral or Commodore, typically) for ground-based soldiering advice.

Colonel usually had one derivative, that of Lieutenant Colonel.

In Union Service
Both the Union Marines and Provincial Army heavily used the Colonel rank, as the typical deployment size for a force asset was at the regiment level. Typically, three to four regiments would constitute a division, commanded by a General. The regiments, though, would be headed by their own Colonel.

A Marine Regiment's Colonel would often interface with the Commodore or Admiral of the fleet element it was embarked upon, and would advise on all soldiering matters. A Colonel of this manner would retain a Lieutenant Colonel in his staff to coordinate additional logistics, such as support, intelligence, and Marine Aerospace Division assets.