The Cardassian Military was divided into at least twelve Orders and several militias, including Cardassian Militia 41. (TNG: "Ensign Ro"; DS9: "Emissary")

Garresh (Fifth through First rank) (Recruit and Enlisted)
Gil (Second Tier & First Tier) (Ensign)
Glinn (Lt.)
Dalin (Lt. Cmdr)
Dal (Commander)
Gul (Captain.)
Jagul ( Rear or Vice Admiral)
Legate (Admiral)

The Cardassian military has a strong respect for the chain of command, which reflects the Cardassian cultural respect for authority. Cardassian troops are fiercely loyal to their superior officers and their Orders, usually citing the name of their Order along with name and rank. A popular officer gains much support from his soldiers, and by extension, strengthens his vesala.

All new recruits start at garresh rank. Garresh make up the vast bulk of the military. They are individually ranked on a scale of Fifth to First Rank. These are roughly analogous to enlisted ranks in Starfleet.

The commissioned ranks are gil, glinn, dalin, dal, gul, and jagul. Gils are ranked at Second Tier then rise to First Tier with loyal service.

Officers must generally hold a rank of at least glinn to be given command of a department on board a starship or within a unit. Larger vessels and units require dalin or dal level officers. Guls are the rough equivalent of Starfleet captains. Guls command starships and bases, and serve as prefects and planetary governors throughout the affiliated worlds of the Union. Many guls are quite influential, building up extensive vesala networks. Jaguls are the equivalent of Starfleet admirals, commanding entire Battalions and Orders.

Legate is both a military and civilian rank. Many Legates serve in the Detapa Council, but exert considerable influence over their military orders through their extensive vesalas.

An officer who shows aptitude for leadership, problem solving and loyalty to his superior officer and to the Central Command will rise more quickly up the ranks than a run-of-the mill officer. Within this strict framework, creativity in getting the job done is rewarded. But mavericks who go off on their own and disregard the chain of command are soon reassigned to less favorable postings.

The Central Command is the formal name of the leadership of the Cardassian military. It is composed of the heads of the twelve military orders. In theory each Jagul has an equal voice in the Central Command. It is through vesala, resources, and size of each fleet that one or more Orders is more powerful than the others, and so receives the lion’s share of funding, ships and materiel.

The Central Command supports several training Institutes on Cardassia Prime and on neighboring planets in the system. Students with strength, stamina, and militaristic tendencies are enrolled into the Military Academies upon completion of their basic education. Most of these students are children of military, and predominately male, although the occasional female might be allowed to train as a soldier.

Central Command controlled all of its forces from a "war room" on Cardassian Prime. This facility was equipped with the best observation and strategic equipment in the Union. (DS9: Defiant) It was linked to Cardassia’s border through a system of outposts which transmitted data on space traffic to the control facility.

In the centuries of Central Command rule, advanced technologies were developed, either from within or by reverse engineering of alien technology. A number of methods were used to enhance troop performance, including drugs and suspended animation. Drugs were effective in the short term, but the soldiers became uncontrollable, suffering severe side effects that more often than not were permanent.

After the Cardassian Union joined the Dominion, Dukat controlled the Cardassian and Dominion fleets, with Weyoun at his side overlooking his decisions. After the Second Battle of Deep Space 9, Dukat lost his status as leader of the Cardassian people. His successor, Legate Damar, had limited control over the Cardassian Guard, since Weyoun and the Female Changeling would often override his military decisions. When Damar decided to rebel against the Dominion oppressors, Legate Broca was appointed leader of Cardassia. Unlike the two who held that position before him, Broca allowed Weyoun and the Female Changeling to control the Cardassian military at their discretion, simply carrying out their orders. (DS9: "Penumbra", "'Til Death Do Us Part", "Strange Bedfellows", "What You Leave Behind")

With the end of the Dominion War, the Central Command retook control over what was left of the Cardassian Military but did not regain political control over the Civilian government.

The Cardassian military is divided into Orders, each of which serves or patrols a specific region of space and includes both space and militia troops assigned to that region. A soldier's Order is one of the most important factors in identifying him and his duties, and most Cardassian officers use their Order as part of their title, such as "Gul Jasad, Seventh Order." The highest ranked Orders are the oldest and most prominent, wielding the greatest influence in Cardassian affairs, and holding correspondingly greater responsibilities. This section identifies the known Orders.

The Third Battalion of the First Order was a Cardassian unit known for their fanaticism. Their motto was "death to all."

Three members of the Third Battalion were left on the Cardassian space station Empok Nor in stasis when it was abandoned. They were test subjects of a failed psychotropic drug designed to heighten their xenophobia. Only two of the three were released when the Starfleet personnel entered the station, the third was dead due to a broken stasis chamber. (DS9: "Empok Nor")

During the Dominion War detachments from this order, according to Damar's speech at the start of the Cardassian Rebellion, attacked the Dominion outposts and cloning facility on Rondac III. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil")

Members of the Second Order made first contact with the Federation, and identified Starfleet as a potential threat to Cardassia. The Federation, being much larger with more powerful ships at its command, made the Cardassians feel like the underdogs in the quadrant, They expected that the Federation would seek to conquer Cardassia just as Cardassia had conquered its neighbors.

Gul Dukat was head of the Second Order, the most influential Order in the Cardassian Union, during the Occupation of Bajor 2346 through 2371. He took over Terok Nor, the orbital ore processing unit that refined ore from its base

rock so that freighters could take it back to Cardassia Prime. Dukat felt that capitulating somewhat to Bajoran workers’ needs and wants, he could get them to appreciate what Cardassia was doing for their own good. His methods seemed brutal by Federation standards, but they were downright lenient by Cardassian standards. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I", "Defiant" Star Trek Terok Nor: Night of the Wolves)

The Second Order conducted the raid against the Federation outpost at Setlik III, believing it to be a staging point for an attack against the Union. Although this proved incorrect, the Second Order used the Federation's aggressive response as proof against the Federation, and became a strong voice in favor of war against the Federation.

For decades, the Federation and the Cardassians engaged in skirmishes along their shared border. For the Federation, they were to protect their outermost colonies. For the Cardassians, who had decided to claim these areas for themselves, the skirmishes served to hold back the enemy who threatened their resources.

A student of Cardassian Studies must understand these skirmishes from the Cardassian point of view. The Federation was bigger and stronger, and the speeches of peace and democracy were alien to them. Of COURSE the Federation was out to invade Cardassia. And the skirmishes only increased animosity between the two powers.

The Second Order also made first contact with the Bajor system, and oversaw the Bajoran occupation with the help of the Obsidian Order. (Star Trek Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers). Gul Dukat was the military prefect of Bajor at that time. The resources mined from Bajor gave the Second Order considerable vesala throughout Central Command.

When Central Command chose to negotiate a peace treaty with the Federation and withdraw from Bajoran space, officers of the Second Order (including Gul Dukat) strongly protested.

The Dominion alliance placed the Second Order in charge of the Central Command, although still secondary to the will of the Dominion. Damar's rebellion against the Dominion drew many soldiers of the Second Order with him.

In 2375, Legate Damar sent a priority communiqué to Gul Yaltar of the Third Order. (DS9: "Image in the Sand")

During the Dominion War, detachments of this order, according to Damar's speech at the start of the Cardassian Rebellion, attacked the Dominion outposts and cloning facility on Rondac III. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil")

Emblem of the Third Order

When Gul Jasad from the Seventh Order requested reinforcements for a confrontation with Deep Space 9 in 2369, units of the Fourth Order were the closest ships, approximately one day away. (DS9: "Emissary")

Gul Aman Evek was a prominent commander of the Fourth Order during the 2370s. His primary responsibilities were in dealing with the Maquis near the DMZ and the Badlands. (VOY: "Caretaker")

In 2373 the Fourth Order was commanded by Gul Trepar. At the time, Trepar's aide was Glinn Borven. (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")

In Grathon Tolar's forged holo-recording, the Fourth Order was assigned to protect the flank of the 23rd Jem'Hadar Division as it advanced through the Glintara sector, in the planned Dominion invasion of Romulan space. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight") Gul Dolak's statement that he represented the Cardassian Militia 41 (which was distinctly pronounced as "four-one") could be taken to mean that the militia was attached to the Fourth Order, First Battalion.

They suffered some of the heaviest losses during the Dominion War, although not at the hands of their enemies.

The Fifth Order was known for their sophisticated military encryption codes, which used a recursive encryption algorithm, and was comparable to Elgol-red and Courier Code 5-9. Fifth Order Military Codes were among the military codes ruled out as belonging to the communiqué received at Deep Space 9 from the Gamma Quadrant. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow")

We may assume, then that the Fifth was the Intelligence Order of the Cardassian fleet, providing counterintelligence (false messages) to their enemies.

In 2371, the Sixth Order maintained Outpost 61 and Outpost 47 in the Almatha sector, under the command of Gul Toran. (DS9: "Defiant")

Gul Jasad was a commander in the Seventh Order, and was stationed near the Bajoran border in 2369. Three ships from the Seventh Order, lead by Jasad's starship, later approached Deep Space 9 while investigating the disappearance of Dukat's starship. (DS9: "Emissary")

Gul Benil was a commander in the Eighth Order in 2371 when he was under orders of the Central Command to stop and search all ships entering Cardassian space due to increased Maquis activity in the sector under his jurisdiction. (DS9: "Second Skin")

The Ninths Order's Heavy Weapons Unit, Third Assault Group maintained a base near Tempasa during the Occupation of Bajor. Kira Nerys led a raid on this base, and the Order destroyed her father's village in retaliation. (DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water")

During the Dominion War detachments from this order, according to Damar's speech at the start of the Cardassian Rebellion, attacked the Dominion outposts and cloning facility on Rondac III. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil")

The Cardassian Eleventh Order was a military division of the Cardassian Guard that was, according to Klingon General Martok, a reserve unit that was composed of "old men and walking wounded." They were stationed on Septimus III during the Dominion War.

In 2375, all 500,000 members of the Order were sent on what turned out to be a suicide mission by the Dominion when Septimus III was attacked and conquered by the Klingons. The Eleventh Order provided a diversion to cover the Dominion withdrawal from the Alpha Quadrant. In spite of promises of backup, reinforcements never came and the Order was completely wiped out. (DS9: "Strange Bedfellows")

The brave last stand of the Eleventh sparked the beginnings of rebellion against the Dominion among the military.

During the Dominion War, the entire Twelfth Order was headquartered at Sarpedion V, making it one of the most heavily fortified planets in the Cardassian Union in 2375. (DS9: "Tacking Into the Wind")

The officers and enlisted of the powerful ships of the Union got all the attention in the episodes. It is the Gul on your forward screen that challenges you when you "accidentally" cross into Cardassian Space. It is the Gul occupying a planet who you verbally fence with when he is holding one of your undercover officers.

But it falls to the thousands of ground troops who secure and hold the planets and colonies, who fill the ranks of security and order, who board and take down the enemy on a captured ship or installation.

Cardassian youth suited for ground troops are spotted early in their basic education years. Usually sons of militia follow in their fathers’ and grandfathers’ traditions. The families of soldiers who have made a name for themselves in service to Cardassia have vesalas that can extend clear into the Detapa Council.

All future soldiers go through first year at one of the many military institutes stationed on Cardassian Prime and habitable planets in the system. Militia training is necessarily brutal, for soldiers may have to endure the harshest of conditions in the field or in the hands of the enemy. They master hand-to-hand combat and learn expertise in a number of energy weapons.

Obedience and respect for authority is ingrained into all Cardassian youth from the time they can understand orders. These early lessons are honed into strict obedience to their superiors and each student is trained to be a necessary member of his unit.

Those students who are obviously brighter and more tactical minded than their classmates are chosen for command within the militia. In their second level of studies, such students will be given instruction in leadership, in tactical and troop management, as well as continuing their rigorous physical training.

Being a soldier is a proud tradition in many Cardassian families. Soldiers take pride in their profession and strive to serve their units, their superior officers and the Cardassian Union with unquestioning loyalty. Loyal service also brings pride and honor to their families, who are well-taken care of. A loyal and dependable soldier can rise quickly in the ranks.

Even after basic training, discipline is harsh. Should a soldier get himself into trouble, the entire unit is punished. Once the official punishment is meted out, it is a certainty that the punishment he gets from his unit members will be worse. These are the people he has trained and fought with, the people he belongs to. To bring disgrace on the unit is intolerable.

And yes, soldiers will be soldiers no matter what the species. Idle soldiers on long boring assignments occasionally get in trouble with the civilian population or harass the locals. Some may seek out bars and companionship that is inappropriate. But their unit mates will extricate him before their superior finds out. After all, a certain amount of … recreation …. Is expected!

Soldiers used to be under the scrutinization of the Obsidian Order. Usually there was an Obsidian Order "observer" on each vessel or each militia unit. The Order’s agent not only kept an eye on the troops’ movements, but also the loyalty of those troops.

A soldier in the militia lives for engagement. It is what he was trained for, it is his reason for existing.

"Minimum force" is not a concept in the Militia. They fight to win at any cost. Their weapons are set to kill, not stun. The mission is to clear out the enemy and secure the area or vessel for Cardassia. Once set on a target, soldiers will not quit until the mission is accomplished or they are dead.

During the height of the Central Command’s power, prisoners were taken only to interrogate for questioning and perhaps to publicly display on trial for political purposes. Only in this case were the guards weapons set to stun to avoid accidentally killing an important prisoner before Interrogation was done with him.

Cardassian warships on a mission of occupation or battle would have troops assigned to it. The units would take on the name of the Order to which it was assigned and a unit number, which became a part of every soldier’s identity.

Once landfall was made and the planet or colony secured, the surviving soldiers would become the security force of the facilities occupied.

Most of the ground forces believe in the Directorate doctrine. They see Federation treaties and ideals as soft and a threat to their identity as Cardassians. It is no surprise that due to their fierce loyalty, they follow the political leanings of their superiors. Many of them still tell tales of the days of glory, yearning for their return.

Following the signing of the Cardassian-Federation Treaty and the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor, Central Command was forced to abandon or mothball several facilities along the Federation border and inside the new Demilitarized Zone. Rather than destroy the facilities entirely, Central Command chose to strip them of their useful components, leaving the rest intact in case the Cardassian Union should ever need them again (the resource-poor nature of their homeworld makes Cardassians quite frugal).

In order to protect these facilities from foreign powers, pirates, or others, Central Command chose certain members of the militia of the First Order and placed them in cryogenic suspension within the facility. Sensor systems could revive the soldiers to deal with any threats to the security of the facility.

A series of psychotropic drugs enhanced the already fearsome abilities of the commandos. These drugs heightened feelings of xenophobia and caused extreme paranoia in Cardassians, making the soldiers into cunning and efficient killing machines while dealing with non-Cardassian invaders, but did not make them dangerous to their fellow Cardassians.

Federation personnel encountered Cardassian commandos from the First Order in cryogenic freeze on the abandoned space station Empok Nor. It is a virtual certainty the Cardassian Union has similar soldiers stationed throughout the Union, particularly in border areas like Bajor Sector. After the Dominion War, Central Command lost track of where they stationed some of these commandos, providing potential threats for Cardassian and Federation personnel alike.

Civilian ministries lent support to the Military as a whole.

The Ministry of Science set up facilities on annexed planets to assay the minerals and to study what the planet had to offer in the way of resources. Its personnel would recommend a course of action to their superiors in the Detapa Council, who would then allocate the funds for the operations to continue.

Medical facilities were set up to treat Cardassians and to diagnose and treat disease among the native workers.

Research labs would be set up in conjunction with Science and Medical to reverse-engineer any native technologies and to conduct research on the alien’s physiology. During the Bajoran Occupation, Dr. Crell Moset earned a hated and feared reputation among the Bajorans for his medical experiments on sick and dying Bajoran workers.

In the DS9 episode "Defiant," Gul Dukat needed the permission of the Ministry of Justice to change the death sentence for Thomas Riker to that of life imprisonment.