What This Field Means
The earlier unit identity officially connected to this unit’s lineage.
This links the record to an earlier canonical unit identity from which it officially descends, was redesignated, reconstituted, split, or otherwise derived. It helps readers trace the organization backward.
How to Read It Correctly
A predecessor is not every prior parent, former commander, similarly named unit, or organization whose mission was inherited. The relationship must be supported as lineage or succession.
Example
The organization from which a later unit was formally redesignated or reconstituted.
Technical Specification
The database column is [USMIL-Unit].[Unit].[PredecessorUnitID]. Nullable self-referencing foreign key to Unit.UnitID. It represents one predecessor summary, while complex lineage can require separate relationship records.
When present, the value must identify an existing Unit row and be supported by a defined lineage relationship. Complex many-to-one or one-to-many histories may require relationship records beyond this single summary field.
| Property | Definition or current value |
|---|---|
| Database column | PredecessorUnitID |
| Column order | 49 |
| SQL data type | bigint |
| Kind of information | Foreign-key relationship |
| Cardinality | One stored value per Unit row. |
| Required | No; NULL is permitted |
| Database default | No database default |
| Key or relationship | Foreign key to USMIL-Unit.Unit.UnitID |
| Database check constraint | ([CurrentStatus]=N'Planned' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Status unknown' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Historical' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Inactive' OR [CurrentStatus]=N'Current') |
| Live population | 12 of 9341 Unit records (0.13%) |
| Distinct nonblank values in the live table | 12 |
| Live profile measured | September 2, 2026, 20:43 UTC |
Allowed Values and Definitions
No preset menu applies to this field. It stores an identifier, relationship, measurement, date, timestamp, or evidence-derived narrative. Valid content is governed by the SQL type, key relationship, nullability, retained evidence, and the field-specific recording rule above. A list of observed contents would be data, not a list of allowed options.
Missing, Unknown, and Conflicting Information
A database NULL is permitted and means that no value is presently stored. It does not prove that the fact never existed, that the answer is no, or that the concept does not apply. Missing information must remain visibly different from a supported negative or inapplicable conclusion.
Connections to Other Fields
- Successor Unit — The later unit identity officially connected to this unit through succession, redesignation, consolidation, or another supported lineage event.
- Lineage Continuity — What the evidence says about whether two names or organizations belong to the same official lineage.
- Former Designation — An earlier official name used by the same supported unit lineage.
- Activation or Commission Date — The documented date the unit was activated or a ship or cutter command was commissioned.
- Unit ID — The permanent record number used to keep this unit separate from every other unit in the guide.