Military Promotions

[Weldun]

A little background: I'm running a Robotech game in the post-macross period, using the Mekton-Z system. However, I have been using a "brownie point" system in which the characters earn or lose points based upon mission completion. For now I don't have a problem, as I am putting them through the RDF equivalent of the Top Gun program (the Accelerated Training Program, or ATP), after which they will form a special forces team. The ranking system being used is shown below.

 

E-1: Private (PVT)

E-2: Private, Second Class (P2C)

E-3: Private, First Class (P1C)

E-3: Lance Corporal (LCPL)

 

E-4: Corporal (CPL)

E-5: Sergeant (SGT)

 

E-6: Staff Sergeant (SSGT)

E-7: Gunnery Sergeant (GSGT)

E-8: First Sergeant (1SGT)

E-9: Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO)

E-9: Sergeant Major (SGM)

 

O-1: Third Lieutenant (3LT)

O-2: Second Lieutenant (2LT)

O-3: First Lieutenant (1LT)

O-4: Lieutenant Commander/Captain (LCDR/CAPT)

O-5: Commander/Major (MAJ)

O-6: Lieutenant Colonel (LTCOL)

O-7: Captain/Colonel (CPT/COL)

O-8: Commodore/Brigadier General(COM/BDGEN)

O-9: Rear Admiral/Major General (RADM/MAJGEN)

O-10: Vice Admiral/Lieutenant General (VADM/LTGEN)

O-11: Admiral/General

 

Now I have two corporals, two staff sergeants and a gunnery sergeant and of those, it's one of the corporals who is showing the greatest leadership ability (which is a headache in of itself).

 

My questions are:

 

1. What rank should the commander of an elite, but newly formed, special forces unit be. This unit is trained not only in the operation of Valkyries but also destroids and conventional vehicles, as well as infantry operations, and each member also has a seperate MOS (Specialty).
   
2. How should I determine when to give them a promotion given that, as I understand it, s4 types tend to advance more slowly to prevent the unit from becoming "top heavy."
   

For anyone interested, I am using the Brownie Point system from page 108 of Robot Warriors, an old Hero supplement from the old I.C.E. days.

[Weldun]

Re: Military Promotions

 

Sorry, this probably belongs in General Roleplaying.

[Yansuf]

Re: Military Promotions

 

Interesting question.

 

Before dealing with that, I have two questions for you.

Why is E3 either a PFC or a Lance Corporal?

Why is E8 a Master Chief Petty Officer instead of a Master Sergeant?

MCPO is the Naval equivalent of SgtMaj.

 

Anyway, I have to admit I am not into the giant robot genre. But in current militaries, a Cpt (O3) tends to be the leader of special forces teams. I believe that is true for all US services (LT-O3 for Navy Seals), for the British SAS, and the Israeli military, although I may be wrong.

[Zeropoint]

Re: Military Promotions

 

In my experience, promotion goes like this:

 

1) you don't study for the advancement exam, because you know your superiors don't like you and you figure your evaluation scores are bad enough that you won't get promoted no matter how well you score

 

2) you take the advancement exam and score well enough to be promoted

 

3) your Leading Petty Officer becomes VERY resentful of the fact that you're now the same rank as he is

[Teflon Billy]

Re: Military Promotions

 

I did some noodling around with advanced military ranks for my Imperium Campaign world:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31735

 

On the enlisted side I had:

 

E-0: Recruit (those in Basic Training)

 

E-1: Private

E-2: Private First Class

E-3: Lance Corporal

E-4: Corporal

E-5: Sergeant

E-6: Staff Sergeant

E-7: Gunnery Sergeant

 

E-8: First Sergeant/Master Sergeant

E-9: Senior First Sergeant/Senior Master Sergeant

E-10: Sergeant Major/Regimental Master Sergeant

E-11: Brigadier Sergeant Major

E-12: Sergeant Major of the Division

E-13: Sergeant Major of the Corps

E-14: Sergeant Major of the Army

 

Warrants were specifically broken into two segments, flight and technician. Their distinction is much more stark than in the current Army, their rank insignia is different as well: Red on Gold for Flight, Black on Silver for Tech.

 

W-1: Apprentice Pilot/Technician

W-2: Journeyman Pilot/Technician

W-3: Rated Pilot/Technician

W-4: Senior Pilot/Technician

W-5: Chief Pilot/Technician

W-6: Senior Chief Pilot/Technician

W-7: Master Chief Pilot/Technician

 

In all reality, in a Mecha/Battledroids world, it'd be warrant officer's piloting the things not commisioned officers.

 

TB

[Weldun]

Re: Military Promotions

 

Interesting question.

 

Before dealing with that, I have two questions for you.

Why is E3 either a PFC or a Lance Corporal?

Why is E8 a Master Chief Petty Officer instead of a Master Sergeant?

MCPO is the Naval equivalent of SgtMaj.

 

1. The PFC and Lance Corporal comes from the bizzare RDF practice of putting Privates in fighter planes. The Lance Corporal is a kind of "Flight Captain" rank.
   
2. The Master Chief Petty Officer rank is a holdover from early attempts to unify the rank structure (which only succeeded at the enlisted ranks) and at that level the Naval side won out, but Sgt Majors were bumped up the pay scale.
   

Anyway' date=' I have to admit I am not into the giant robot genre. But in current militaries, a Cpt (O3) tends to be the leader of special forces teams. I believe that is true for all US services (LT-O3 for Navy Seals), for the British SAS, and the Israeli military, although I may be wrong.[/quote']

Well, it was already looking like I was going to send two of the characters off to OCS so that'll work that mess out, sort of. On that note, how long does OCS take?

[Weldun]

Re: Military Promotions

 

On a side note, as a part of running this game I have been designing the various mecha and equipment in the interlock system. Well, take a look at the M.A.C. II "Monster". See those guns on it's back. Those are Mark 7, 16in/50 cal guns. Yes, the same guns as mounted on the Iowa-class Battleship.

[Yansuf]

Re: Military Promotions

 

Well' date=' it was already looking like I was going to send two of the characters off to OCS so that'll work that mess out, sort of. On that note, how long does OCS take? [/quote']

 

In WWII, the US did it in 3 months ("90 day wonders".) More recently the length was 6 months. Now it is back to 3 months, but no longer includes officer basic branch training, which must be attended after graduation from OCS. IOBC (Infantry Officer Basic Course) takes 16 weeks.

 

I believe that the German army took a full year for their version of OCS during WWII.

[pinecone]

Re: Military Promotions

 

If it is war time you can also use "battle feild" promotions as well....

[Zeropoint]

Re: Military Promotions

 

I recall from watching Robotech that the "ship's force" used Navy ranks, and the "air wing" used air force ranks. Captain Gloval was an O6, Captain Rick Hunter was only an O3.

[FireTiger]

Re: Military Promotions

 

If you've any of the Robotech RPGs from Palladium, there are some suggestions in there.

 

Once the initial promotions of one Corporal the rest PFCs, and then one Sergeant the rest Corporals has passed, what they suggest in the books boils down to one promotion for every two Robotech experience levels.

[Weldun]

Re: Military Promotions

 

If it is war time you can also use "battle field" promotions as well....

Technically, the war is over. But this is the period where the RDF is engaged in mop-up exercises and R&D for the eventual expedition to Tirol. Of course Zentraedi activities in the Arginitine and Indochina quadrants and the Arkansas Protectorate, along with EBSIS activity around the globe, the RDF tends to still see a lot of combat.

If you've any of the Robotech RPGs from Palladium, there are some suggestions in there.

 

Once the initial promotions of one Corporal the rest PFCs, and then one Sergeant the rest Corporals has passed, what they suggest in the books boils down to one promotion for every two Robotech experience levels.

Yeah, I own every one of the old Robotech books except Lancer's Rocker's (which was just silly). But I'm using the fanbase compiled reconciled ranks because Palladium's version made even less sense. But I'll correct one of my previous statements. The minimum rank of a Veritech Fighter Pilot is Corporal. But the interlock system doesn't use experience levels (one of the reasons that I am using it), and I'm trying to keep their promotions based on achievement and, to a lesser degree, time in service.

 

I am looking into the British military's "Officer's Joint Appraisal Form (OJAR)" which seems similar to the US promotion point system (yes, the military uses XP ), but instead of being based on education (in a "highly deployable" unit? Sucks to be you!), it scores across several areas, in particular Professional Qualities, Management, Leadership, Officer Qualities, Operational Experience and Motivation. Fortunately, the RDF doesn't have an up-or-out policy due to falling recruitment, but even if they did, I could implement SOCOM's rank-lock.