What This Field Means
The later unit identity officially connected to this unit through succession, redesignation, consolidation, or another supported lineage event.
This links the record to a later canonical unit identity that officially succeeds, receives, or continues something from it. It helps readers follow organizational history forward through redesignation, consolidation, reconstitution, or other formal events.
How to Read It Correctly
A successor is not simply a later unit with a similar name, mission, location, number, or parent command. Official lineage or succession evidence is required.
Example
A redesignated organization represented by a later canonical unit record.
Technical Specification
The database column is [USMIL-Unit].[Unit].[SuccessorUnitID]. Nullable self-referencing foreign key to Unit.UnitID. It must identify an evidenced successor and must not be inferred from mission similarity.
When present, the value must identify an existing Unit row and the nature of succession must be documented in Lineage Continuity and evidence. Avoid circular links and do not use the field as a general related-unit pointer.
| Property | Definition or current value |
|---|---|
| Database column | SuccessorUnitID |
| Column order | 48 |
| 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 | 34 of 9341 Unit records (0.36%) |
| Distinct nonblank values in the live table | 31 |
| 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
- Predecessor Unit — The earlier unit identity officially connected to this unit’s lineage.
- 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.
- Inactivation or Decommission Date — The documented date the unit was inactivated or a commissioned command ended.
- Unit ID — The permanent record number used to keep this unit separate from every other unit in the guide.