Barfleet Protocols - Swag
Official Barfleet swag comes in several forms, but we primarily focus on the three main pieces of swag:
Dog Tags
Tenure and participation in Barfleet are often most visibly represented by a crew member’s dog tag collection. The primary tag in that collection is the one that represents membership in a department on a specific ship, but there are endless tags available through various events and other means.
Department tags come in specific colors for easy identification:
- Engineering: Yellow
- Medical: Blue
- Security: Black
- Recreation: Green
- Command: Red
- Yo!: Purple
Rank Pips
Once promoted above the rank of Cadet, an officer is eligible to receive their pips. Ranks are represented by the Abandon logo and half ranks are defined by an olive or dot in the middle of the logo. The background of the rank badge is painted in the bearer’s primary department, as per the department tag colors. The pips for the ranks listed above are as follows:
- Ensign: 1 pip
- Lieutenant, Junior Grade: 1.5 pips
- Lieutenant: 2 pips
- Lieutenant Commander: 2.5 pips
- Commander: 3 pips
- Captain: 4 pips
- Commodore: 5 pips
- Admiral: 6 pips
Comm Badge
Once achieving the rank of Ensign, officers are eligible to purchase a Comm Badge from the ship’s Swagmaster (usually the XO). There are three variations of the Comm Badge:
- Traditional: The standard issued Comm Badge bears the official Barfleet martini glass logo. (It is worth noting that the Abandon crew specifically wears their Comm Badges upside down, showing the martini glass as empty and “in distress”.)
- Medical: Officers in the Medical department have a specific Comm Badge bearing a stylized Caduceus featuring the Barfleet martini glass and a snake winding around it. (Unlike our traditional Comm Badges, the Abandon wears the Medical badge right-side up, because an upside-down martini glass is a terrible way to serve a drink.)
- Order of the DD: For members of Barfleet who are abstaining from alcohol and would like that to be visible, there is a special Comm Badge that has the prohibition symbol (circle with a backslash through it) over the martini glass. If you see a member with this badge, respect their reasons and offer them a non-alcohol drink.
Swag Etiquette
It is expected of all crew members that they will wear at least one or more pieces of identifying swag when attending events, both locally and at other chapters. At a minimum, it is preferred that crew always wear their dog tags, with a strong preference for displaying their rank pips. Comm Badges are considered optional swag but are highly visible in dark rooms.
This etiquette is especially important when visiting other chapters, because their crew will not necessarily know you are a member of a Barfleet chapter and as such as due the privileges and access that comes with being one. We cannot guarantee you will not be considered Entertainment by another chapter if you arrive with no swag.
Furthermore, your swag is your property. There is an old tradition in Barfleet where misplaced swag that is located by another officer can be ransomed off by the finder. What this does not encourage is the actual stealing of swag off somebody’s uniform or costume. Do not take somebody else’s swag without their knowledge, this is considered by Senior Officers to be neither funny nor good behavior.
If, for any reason, you are missing any of your swag, please see the Swagmaster to purchase or borrow swag.
