Terran Confederation

The Terran Confederation (sometimes referred to simply as Confed) is the primary human government in the Wing Commander science fiction series.

The Terran Confederation is an alliance of systems and regional governments which provide unified protection and economic growth. The Confederation was formed on August 23rd,cite book
title=Action Stations
first=William R.
last=Forstchen
publisher=Pocket Books
date=January 1998
location=USA
id=0-671-87859-X] 2416"Kilrathi Saga" Calendar] with the signing of the Articles of Confederation,cite book
title=The Price of Freedom
first=William R.
last=Forstchen
coauthors=Ben Ohlander
publisher=Baen
date=1 October 1996
location=USA
id=0-671-877518] the first unified Earth government since the grisly disintegration of the World Economic Consortiumcite web
last=Wing Commander CIC
first=The
title=Episode 4, ISDN
work=Secret Ops Fiction
url=http://www.wcnews.com/articles/sofiction.shtml
accessdate=2006-07-10] in the early 25th century.

Government and Politics

The Terran Confederation is a representative democracy organized on the federal system (making its name something of a misnomer as a confederation is a different type of government than a federation; in the original pitch document the Confederation was referred to as the Terran Empire). It consists of approximately seven hundred systemscite web
title=Prophecy Map
url=http://download.wcnews.com/files/wcp/wcum.jpg
format=JPG
date=1997
last=Origin Systems] spread over four thousand light years as of 2681. The Confederation is divided into eight sectors (Avalon, Gemini, Hawking, Sol, Vega, Argent, Epsilon and Enigma). Each of these is further subdivided into four quadrants.

The Confederation government is headed by an elected President. In an event where the President is infirm, resigns, or is otherwise incapable of fulfilling the duties of the office, he/she is replaced by the Vice President. The most recent example of this was in 2668, when President Harold Rodham resigned following the uproar over the Kilrathi False Armistice.cite book
title=
first=William R.
last=Forstchen
location=New York
date=1994
publisher=Baen
id=0-671-722115]

The chief legislative body is the Confederation Senate. The Senate is based in Washington, D.C on Earth, across the mall from the old Congress building of the United States.

Military

The Terran Confederation Military (known collectively, and somewhat informally, as Confed) is divided into four branches: the Army, Marines, Navy, and Space Forces. Each branch has a representative on the Confederation military's governing council, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, based on Earth. Its commander-in-chief is the President.

Rank Structure

There are two basic rank systems in use within the military of the Terran Confederation. One is used by the Army, Marines and Space Forces, the other by the Navy. Transfers between the two services are possible.As evidenced from Christopher Blair's transition from the end of the Wing Commander IV novel, where he is a Brigadier General in the Space Forces, to Prophecy, where he is a Commodore]

References