Codex 01 - Colonial Battlestar Groups (D30)

When the Battlestar was first introduced during the opening years of the First Cylon War, the Colonial Fleet would introduce the Battlestar Groups to organize their fleet. These Groups would forged in the fires of the war, and would see how the Colonial Fleet be organized for many years ahead. After the end of the war the Colonial Fleet would streamline the organization of the Battlestar Groups and would introduce a ranking for different type of groups.

A Battlestar Groups is fluid and often changed for whatever mission or purpose that is needed. Often a large Group would be broken off into several smaller groups for whatever reason. The Colonial Fleet would also sport several more dedicated groups like the Marine Assault Group, or the Gunstar Group. These would serve as secondary positions in the Colonial Fleet.
 * Galactica-battlestar-galactica-3996823-1280-960.jpg

Type I Battlestar Group
Commanded by: Commander

The very basic Battlestar Group and is organized around a single, sometimes large, Battlestar. Mostly these groups sport a Battlestar, a few Escort Ships, and a couple of Support Ships. Thanks to the small nature of these Groups they are commanded by a Commander, from the Battlestar itself.

Sometimes these groups are simply a single Battlestar moving around the Colonies for whatever purpose, or reason, while other times it is simply on a mission that requires a small number of ships. This would often be an escort, or special, mission around the colonies.

Type I Example
Battlestar Group 41, a Type I Group organized around the Mars Class Battlestar Valkyrie.

BSG 41 ORBAT:

 * Battlestar Valkyrie
 * Gunstar Troya
 * Gunstar Mjonir
 * Escort Guardian
 * Escort Watcher
 * Escort Venator
 * Escort Hunter
 * Support Ship Aeris

Type II Battlestar Group
Commanded by: Rear Admiral

A more advanced group usually sporting three to five Battlestars with various escort and support ships. These are the more common everyday groups and several are permanent or honorary positions. Often the other Battlestars are either Orion or Mars Class Battlestars with a Jupiter, Saturn, or later Mercury Class Battlestar in the lead, though there are a few groups that have more then one large Battlestar in a group.

Most often the Group takes up the number of the senior or largest Battlestar, though there are several cases where one of the smaller Battlestars gives its number to the Group. This is often the case when the commander of the group chooses the smaller Battlestar as their flagship.

Type II Example
Battlestar Group 62, organized around the Mercury Class Battlestar Pegasus and commanded by Rear Admiral Helena Cain. The group would sport three Mars Class Battlestars, nine Escort Ships, and two Support Ships.

BSG 61 ORBAT:

 * Battlestar Pegasus
 * Battlestar Albion
 * Battlestar Fearless
 * Battlestar Glory
 * Gunstar Gladius
 * Gunstar Saber
 * Gunstar Cutlass
 * Gunstar Rapier
 * Escort Samis
 * Escort Adenis
 * Escort Adula
 * Escort Namis
 * Escort Nora
 * Support Ship Belgon
 * Support Ship Gale

Type III Battlestar Group
Commanded by: Vice Admiral

Basically a combination of several other Battlestar Groups, and are sometimes just referred to as a Fleet. They are organized for specific missions or reasons, and are never really a permanent formation like some of the Type II Battlestar Groups.

These groups sometimes sport over twenty Battlestars, about fifty or so Escorts, and about twelve to twenty Support Ships depending on the mission. Thanks to this a Type III Group is often one of the largest groups ever formed.

Type III Example
Battlestar Group 25, organized around the Battlestar Altantia and is one of the only Type III Groups that is a permanent group thanks to the Altantia being the flagship of the colonies. During the Fall of the Colonies, BSG-25 would become one of the largest ever groups to be formed in Colonial History with numerous Battlestars, hundreds of Escorts, and many different Support Ships gathered under the control of the Altantia.

Type IV Battlestar Group
Commanded by: Commander, or Rear Admiral

One of the only dedicated Battlestar Groups, and is organized mostly for long range exploration or scientific mission. These groups vary in size depending on the mission, but whatever the size the Group would sport numerous support ships often outnumbering the Escort Ships. Often these Support Ships, would not only military but civilian as well thanks to whatever mission these groups are on.

Thanks to the variable size of the groups, it often depends on who would command the group with most small groups being commanded by a Commander, while larger Groups would get a Rear Admiral. Other times the group would get both a military commander and a civilian leader in joint command of the group it really depended on the mission.

Sadly by the time of the Fall of the Colonies, it has been several years since any of these Groups where formed thanks to both Political and funding issues.

Type IV Example
One of the more modern examples of this type of Group would actually be the Colonial Refugee Fleet after the Fall of the Colonies. This is thanks to the various support ships both military and civilian, along with numerous other vessels.

Other Type of Groups
Overtime the Colonial Fleet has introduced a few other dedicated types of Groups into the Fleet to support itself, its main Battlestar Groups often, and civilian-run operations. While these groups are not often Battlestar Groups they still may posses a Battlestar or two depending on the situation.

Gunstar Group (GSG)
One of the main secondary groups of the Colonial Fleet, and is centered around a single Gunstar. These groups often find themselves being the main patrol, and interdiction groups. They would patrol around the Colonies, and interdict suspected ships as needed. During the year or two before the Fall of the Colonies, these groups would started to be lead by the New Heavy Gunstar type of ship with two or more of the lighter Gunstars serving as escorts.

Marine Assault Group (MAG)
A Group that is formed around a Marine Combat Unit (MCU) and its assigned barracks or assault ship. This group would basically have either have one or two Marine Assault Ships and several escorts. These groups mainly fell out of use when the Colonial Marine Combat Units were replaced by the smaller Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) and attached to large Battlestar Groups. Though there is usually one or two Marine Assault and Support Groups attached to the Fleet when they are needed.

Fleet Support Group (FSG)
This Group is basically formed around one of the various large support or auxiliary ship classes of the Colonial Fleet like the Berzerk Class Fleet Support Ship or a Fleet-operated Lemnos Class Factory Ship. They serve as the Colonial Fleet's main supply chain and keeps the combat ships of the fleet running smoothly. Sometimes during higher tensions or risk of combat these groups are escorted by Gunstars or other escort craft.

Mobile Auxiliary Surgical Hospital (MASH)
One of the more dedicated Fleet Groups of the Colonial Fleet, and is organized around a Mercy Class Hospital Ship or a smaller Asclepius Class Mobile Hospital Ship. These groups are really the only unit in the Colonial Fleet to be never armed nor due they possess an escort ship.

The Group is often deployed during a disaster or major accident which needs a dedicated medical unit on site instead of transporting injured to distant Hospitals. The MASH Unit would allow the Colonial Fleet to easily respond to these incidents and save numerous lives in the process. Usually the Colonial Fleet sport several of these groups at any one time, and are often deployed several times a year. The majority during the Hurricane Season on Aquaria, or large-scale forest fires on Aerilon. Only one of the MASH Units survived the Fall of the Colonies and alter managed to join the Pegasus Refugee Fleet. This unit would go on to serve as the main medical unit in the Fleet till the formation of the Colonial Remnant.