Major

Major was a military rank used by ground and commando forces (such as the Imperial Army) and also by many starfighter corps.

This rank was in use in the Imperial Army of the reconstituted Sith Empire during the Sith Wars.

In the Imperial service, a major ranked between a commander and a colonel. In the Imperial Army and Stormtrooper Corps, majors were typically battalion commanders, leading units of approximately 600 to 1000 soldiers, while in TIE Fighter formations, they were often the executive officers of entire wings of 72 fighters, like Major Dalgas. They also acted as senior advisors and aides to colonels, generals, and Moffs. One of the most prominent Imperial officers to hold the rank of major was a clone of Royal Guardsman Grodin Tierce, who was in virtual command of the Imperial Remnant's entire military while advising Moff Vilim Disra and Flim during the Caamas Document crisis.

In the New Republic, the absorption of personnel from many different militaries with their own traditions may have caused a great deal of confusion in rank structure; but by the time of the Galactic Alliance, the rank of major had been firmly shifted down a grade to sit between captain and Lieutenant Colonel. In contrast to the Empire, Majors here were often found commanding smaller formations, for instance flights of a few fighters within a squadron unit.

In the Galactic Alliance Guard, however, the rank of Major was still borne by battalion commanders like Salle Serpa. This may indicate a revival or continuance of the Imperial Army usage, but it could also have been a response to the anomalous situation of the entire GAG, including Star Destroyer and numerous ground units, being commanded by a colonel rather than a general or a flag officer.

Text and facts from the “Major/Legends” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.