Sources:Adama's Dossier

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This is a source page that includes additional information, such as transcripts of videos, et al. Content on this page may be considered official source materials for reference, understanding that the wiki itself may not be a source barring special conditions.

Cautionary Note

Much of this information was not meant to be thoroughly dissected, and thus is error prone, particularly with the subsequent installments: "Razor," the Caprica series, and Blood and Chrome.

Of greater note, this source existed during a moment in time before the creation of the timeline for the prequel Caprica, notably the establishment of the YR/BYR methodology. While it is no longer a "Rosetta stone" of the Re-imagined Series' timeline, it remains here as testament of its now-deprecated status as a guidepost to the Re-imagined Series timeline.

Background

In the episode "Hero", Laura Roslin reviews a dossier prepared for her by Billy Keikeya on her first day aboard Galactica. It includes large photos of battlestar Galactica, a photograph of the CIC crew of Valkyrie, a (somewhat illegible) certificate appointing Saul Tigh as "Junior Executive Officer" in the Colonial Forces, and a cursory biography of William Adama, reproduced in full below.

The five-digit string to the right of the solidus is almost certainly the year of the listed event. Note that "Hero" takes place on the 45th anniversary of Adama's first commissioning, putting its events in the year 21356, and two years after the events of the Miniseries, which would therefore have been in the year 21354.

Please also note that the dating format here is atypical and does not correspond to other documents throughout the series. The source may be used for relative dates and a holistic understanding of Adama's career, but does not present reliable information on the nature and format of the Colonial Calendar.

Chronological Analysis and Logic Errors

When compared to the established timeline, Adama's Dossier contains several significant chronological inconsistencies that demonstrate its deprecated status as a timeline reference. The inconsistencies originate from the prop's creation before the series' timeline mythology was fully developed, particularly prior to the establishment of the YR/BYR dating system and the expanded chronology introduced in Caprica and other spin-offs. While useful for understanding relative chronological relationships between events, the absolute dates in this document are not reliable for timeline construction.

Dating System Incompatibility

The dossier's five-digit year format (21XXX) creates conversion problems when aligned with Caprica's established YR/BYR dating methodology. Converting the dossier dates using the "Hero" anniversary reference:

21354 = Fall of the Colonies - 0 BCH (2000BYR)
21290 = Adama's birth (64 BCH (36YR) vs. established ca. 58 BCH (42YR))
21311 = First commission (43 BCH (57YR) vs. established 42 BCH (58YR) in Blood and Chrome)

Major Chronological Discrepancies

Age at Commission: The dossier places Adama's birth at 21290 and first commission at 21311, making him only 21 years old when commissioned as a fighter pilot. The timeline dates would make him approximately 16 years old—both ages are problematic for military service.

Service Gaps: The dossier shows a 17-year gap between mustering out (21314/38 BCH (62YR)) and recommission (21331/21 BCH (79YR)), while the timeline demonstrates that Adama served in the merchant marine from 37 BCH (63YR) to 30 BCH (70YR), creating only a 7-year military service gap.

Combat Readiness Timeline: The dossier shows Adama receiving a combat commendation just 10 months after initial commission (E4/21312), suggesting unrealistically rapid training progression from recruit to combat-ready Viper pilot. This is also contradicted by the events of both "Razor," which initially establishes Adama's first Viper mission coinciding with the final day of the First Cylon War in 40 BCH (60YR), and Adama's assignment to Galactica in Blood and Chrome in the 10th year of the war circa 42 BCH (58YR).

Promotion and Assignment Issues

The dossier's promotion timeline shows Adama achieving Major rank six years after recommission, then advancing to Executive Officer and Commander positions in rapid succession. This creates inconsistencies with the established career progression outlined in episodes like "Scattered" and "Hero."

Dossier Prop Text

The following is replicated from the original prop as presented in the episode "Hero" from the close-up.

Commander William Adama

Born H5/21290 and raised on the colony of Caprica, in Qualai, a small coastal community
Mother, Evelyn Adama, an accountant.
Father, Joseph Adama, a prominent attorney who specialized in criminal defense and civil liberties.

Military Service

D6/21311 First commission, Battlestar Galactica, fighter squadron
E4/21312 Commendation for shooting down Cylon fighter in first combat mission.
D5/21314 Mustered out of service post-armistice
R6/21317 Served as Deck Hand in merchant fleet and as common […] aboard inter-colony tramp freighters
D1/21331 Recomissioned to Fleet
D6/21337 Major: Battlestar Atlantia
R8/21341 Executive Officer: Battlestar Columbia
C2/21345 Commander: Battlestar Valkyrie
C2/21348 Commander: Battlestar Galactica