When a Commissar decides that a Cadet has failed in his duty to become a Commissar, but has not shown cowardice or insubordination, the Cadet is relieved and may be either sent to a Stormtrooper unit or become an officer in a penal battalion. Others volunteer for service in a Rogue Trader's entourage, and others may face darker destinies. [4] Junior Commissars Inductees must have absolute faith in the Imperium. They must display the proper levels of sincere totalitarian idealism. They must be able to fight as well as any hive-spire duellist while fulfilling the conflicting roles of merciless taskmaster and inspiring hero with equal ease.

The curriculum does not stop at honing the intellect either as all Progena are trained in physical endurance and skill at arms by the infamous Drill Abbots. The Drill Abbots are hardened Imperial military veterans and have usually spent half their lives in Imperial military service before being ordained as Ministorum Priests. Stern, stoic, unforgiving and relentless, the lessons imparted by the Drill Abbots will stay with Progena for their entire lives. After attaining suitable age and education at one of the many Schola Progenium institutions, a potential commissar is assigned to a regiment in the Astra Militarum at the rank of commissar cadet (akin to the rank of private in the Imperial Guard), and under the tutelage of either the regiment's commanding officer, or another commissar. It is suspected that a number of Traitor Army regiments were used in the Siege of Terra, though the exact extent of the Traitor forces has never been properly calculated, and most Chaos-tainted Imperial Army regiments became indistinguishable from each other. Commissars are trained from a young age to be strict adherents and upholders of the Imperial Creed and its associated strictures by the Schola Progenium, which serves the purpose of education and military training centres for commissarial cadets, Grenadiers, and Storm Troopers for all Astra Militarum regiments, and also provides officers for some. Training in this respect is highly demanding, and is designed to weed out the weak as soon as possible so as to concentrate on the most skilled candidates.Commissar - Commissar is the standard rank of these political officers, at least one being assigned per regiment of the Astra Militarum or voidship of the Navis Imperialis. It is their duty to "encourage" the troops of an Astra Militarum regiment to fight, fighting alongside the regiment's officers and taking control when morale is flagging or the troops are not fighting with sufficient zeal. In such situations a commissar can take over command from an officer and summarily execute any trooper who tries to flee. Even a colonel of a regiment must be sure to display courage and zeal at all times when the regiment's commissar is watching them. Both of these roles require Commissars to lead by example, and demonstrate outstanding personal bravery on the battlefield, as an example to their men. [1a] Commissar-Captains They embodied the rule of distant Terra and so far as the average militia warrior was concerned had the ear of the Emperor Himself. To falter in resolve within the sight of a discipline master in the heat of battle was to fail the Emperor of Mankind in person, a crime for which pain and ultimately death were judged to be fit rewards. The following information is not to be regarded as officially sanctioned and/ or is not written from an in-universe point of view. A detailed explanation of the term "Trivia" as used in the Lexicanum can be found here.

In the Old Testament, Cain was one of the two sons of Adam and Eve, who became history's first murderer after killing his brother, Abel. Commissars are tasked with the duty to maintain the morale of the troops during their massive campaigns, often in the face of staggering casualties. The commissar is empowered to use any means necessary to ensure the loyalty and moral purity of his or her charges, including overriding or even executing a regiment's commanding officer if necessary, and so is regarded with a mixture of fear, loathing and admiration by rank-and-file guardsmen -- and not a few of their officers.

Will They Make New Commissar Yarrick Miniature?

Commissars have been seen carrying anything from the classic Power Sword to the rarer Power Axe. Some commissars have been known to use Power Fists, though these are by far the rarest weapons used by the members of the Commissariat. Commissars are allowed a wide degree of choice when it comes to the personal weapons they carry into battle. Many expect to lead from the front and carry Power Weapons, Power Fists or Plasma Pistols. When assigned to a regimental headquarters, a Commissar is not expected to lead men in combat, so they usually keep their personal weaponry very basic, including a Chainsword or Power Sword and a Laspistol. The Laspistol is used by the Commissar to carry out any instances of summary execution for derelictions of duty by the troops under his command. Amongst the fanatical Guardsmen of the Death Korps regiments, such actions are rare indeed. Should a Commissar-General feel that it is absolutely necessary, he possesses the authority required to remove his regiment's commanding officer from his post and take over command of the entire regiment himself. Took part in the Indomitus Crusade. Later seconded to the service of the Rogue Trader Jakel Varonius. Some commissars prefer to replace their Bolt Pistol with a full-sized bolter. Power Weapons are easier to requisition, and are often requested to replace the standard-issue Chainsword.

Mitchell also said that the question he is asked most frequently by fans (followed closely by how to correctly pronounce Cain's first name) is what Cain's "true" character is - i.e., whether he really is a self-seeking rogue, or a better man than he gives himself credit for. Mitchell's answer is, he's not sure himself, and likely neither is Cain. [13] Lord Commissar Vance Theren - The most senior commissar in the Orpheus Salient of the Achilus Crusade, Theren has presided over matters of military discipline since the first day of the salient's foundation. A veteran of many conflicts, Theren has served both on the ground alongside the Imperial Guard, and as a fleet commissar with the Imperial Navy, giving him valuable experience in a variety of theatres of war, and making him an ideal choice for such high authority. His oversight into all Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy activities within the salient is carried out through the means of thousands of lesser commissars stationed aboard starships and deployed within Imperial Guard regiments.

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During the Great Crusade, some Imperial Army regiments utilised specialists known as "discipline masters." These stern task masters were responsible for maintaining discipline within the regiment to which they were assigned. They were also one of the few examples of outside Imperial officials that operated within the Imperialis Militia. Terrax Guard - The world of Terrax is the location of one of the Imperium's largest Schola Progenium facilities, and all the Terrax Guard Astra Militarum regiments raised there are sent through the facility, and trained using the commissarial training program. As such, a Terrax Guard regiment is essentially equivalent to a full regiment of Imperial commissars. During the Horus Heresy, an estimated 40-50% of the Imperial Army turned on the Emperor and joined the Warmaster Horus to make war on the Imperium. Most of these Traitor Army regiments eventually broke down into feudal and fragmented Chaos Cults, worshiping the various Chaos Gods, and causing great havoc amongst the civilian populations of millions of worlds. Their fanatical dedication to the service of the Emperor overrode any feelings of compassion, mercy or Humanity when carrying out the summary executions of those found wanting, for which they employed a ceremonial Electro-scythe. Junior Commissar - Junior Commissars are subordinate to full commissars, performing the role as a junior aide in the oversight of the regiment or voidship assigned to the oversight of a full commissar. They primarily perform as adjutants and in an investigatory role as well as carrying out the usual commissarial duties, although they do not have permission to perform executions without prior consent from higher-ranked officers. Junior commissars often undertake their commissarial role with smaller formations such as an individual squad, platoon or company.

Commissars have also been known to carry laser weapons, from Laspistols paired with a close combat weapon to their regiment's standard-issue Lasguns. Commissar Pius Kowle - Pius Kowle was an effective and ruthless commissar beyond reproach, but his actions were not tempered with humility or concern for the troops under his charge. After having a Guardsman flogged to death for wearing the wrong badge on his cap, Commissar Gaunt reported Kowle's heinous actions to Warmaster Slaydo, shortly before the climactic battle on Balhaut during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. Kowle felt cheated and robbed of glory and never forgave Gaunt for this personal slight to his honour. Commissar Kowle was reassigned to the world of Verghast to the Vervun Primary Imperial Guard regiments, and took charge as the senior commander of the Vervun Primary Commissariat. This local Commissariat was theoretically subordinate to their parent organisation, the Imperial Commissariat, and possessed fewer powers over regular Imperial Guardsmen, but jurisdiction concerns arose during the Defence of Vervunhive during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. Gaunt later placed Kowle under arrest, relieving the commissar of his weapon and his rank pins for various actions he had committed. Kowle then accompanied the small party that Gaunt led to confront Salvador Sondar and reactivate Vervunhive's defence shield. In a fight with a Chaos-corrupted servitor-beast in Sondar's chambers, Kowle killed it by thrusting a cluster of grenades down its jaws, losing both his arms. As he bled to death, he sneered that he had proven his point: that Gaunt was a weakling who didn't have the resolve needed to win. He cursed Gaunt for ruining his career and "robbing" the Crusade of a great leader. As a valediction, Gaunt returned Kowle's rank pins to him in the final moments of his life, and saluted him for "giving his best." Commissar-General Delane Oktar - A senior-ranking commissar that with the Hyrkan 8th, from the regiment's foundation to their victory on Balhaut, a world reclaimed by the Imperium during the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. He is also notable for having mentored the young Junior-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, who gained full rank status of Commissar at Oktar's death-bed. He learned many important lessons from Oktar that taught him the resolve of serving as an effective commissar tempered with humility and concern for the troops under his charge. These key lessons would later play in Commissar Gaunt's development of the Tanith First and Only into a very successful and notable fighting regiment of the Imperial Guard. Warhammer 40,000 Collectible Card Game (game system): Coronis Campaign — Commissar Christianis, card description

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Commissar Ciaphas Cain - charged with desertion, cowardice in the face of the enemy and misappropriation of military resources during a campaign on Adumbria. Vindicated by the tribunal. [13b] [13c] Amongst the ranks of the Officio Prefectus there are many heroic individuals who have become legend through their deeds. Some of those paragons may achieve the rank of lord commissar. Where a commissar will be attached as an ancillary officer to an Astra Militarum regiment's company, fulfilling their charge under the tactical direction of the company commander, a lord commissar will often lead the soldiers they oversee into battle directly. To join the Adeptus Ministorum is an honour beyond measure; from amongst their ranks, the most devout leaders of the Imperium are born. Individuals of a more scholarly bent, as well as those whose minds are suited for the grinding tedium of clerical and logistical roles, will instead spend the rest of their lives in the Adeptus Terra. Each trained adept has not only an exceptional mind, but also a solid grasp of the military arts due to his time in the Schola Progenium.