Military Structure

Overview

The Military is central to life in the Republic as all members are a part of it whether they enlist in the Professional Military or belong to the Reserve Militia. An official "call to arms" by the Minister of War invokes military service for all citizens no matter what branch to which they belong.

The Professional Military is expected to drill regularly and conduct formal patrols in return for payment in the form of weapons, armor and regular stipends of reagents, potions, mounts and bandages. The Reserve Militia may choose to participate in patrols and drills, but is not required to and will only receive stipends when called to service or in the event of an armory surplus.

Regardless of branch, the same structure and chain of command applies to both when called to service.

Rank Tier Concept

There are several tiers or sources of authority in the Republic's military. Each of these denote increases in responsibility, authority, and expectation. Each source also drives various concepts that are core to how the military operates.

Enlisted

Junior Enlisted

Enlisting in the Republic's military is done on a contractual basis. Each new enlistee enters into a Private Contract with the Republic that outlines a general Term of Service. Hence why the initial rank is titled Private. From there, Lancespada denotes veterancy within the 'tier' of a Private Contract.

Senior Enlisted - Non Commissioned Officers

Lance Corporals and Sergeants are NCOs or Non Commissioned Officers. They exercise leadership authority, but not under a Warrant or a Commission. Their Term of Service contract still denotes the authorities and responsibilities of their service, but they exercise no authority on behalf of the State.

Officers

Warranted Officers

Warranted Officers or Warrant Officers are warranted for a specific period or reason for military service. The Warrant Officers of the Republic are Prefects who have been warranted to exercise limited authority in command of the Militia Reserves when necessary. Since the Reserves are localized, as are the Prefects who command them it makes sense to warrant these Ministry Officers to lead when needed.

Commissioned Officers

Commissioned Officers, namely Lieutenants and Captains, are granted a full commission by the Republic's Senate and exercise authority under the Constitution on behalf of the People in their common defense. This grants field, staff, and operational powers on behalf of the Senate to these Officers. Without a Commission, no soldier may authorize or conduct military operations on behalf of the Republic. It is through this power structure that the Ministry of War operates. As war is a complex and multi-disciplined exercise of the Republic's power, it is the Senate as a whole that grants these powers and not just a specific Ministry.

Military Ranks

Each rank has its own set of responsibilities and expected command level, however, in desperate times there may be a need for an individual to step up and command above their rank. Some ranks also come with denotations of specialty, which begins at the Sergeant level. Each rank may at any time be granted a Veterancy "depth" or "step" to denote time in grade or heroic effort. Sergeants and Lieutenants may also be granted the 1st signifier to denote their elevated status above their peers and the added responsibilities of a 1st position.

Private

Fresh enlistees and recruits all begin at the rank of Private, historically this stems from the private contract that was entered into between soldiers and their commanders. Most will retain this rank for a considerable period of time, but may gain steps to signify dedication and time in grade. Privates form the meat of the military being the most numerous and fighting in the trenches as it were. Nearly all members of the Militia Reserve will stay at the Private rank.

Lancespada

In ancient times fighting in phalanx meant one carried a spear or extremely long lance as part of the diversity of switching between mounted and foot combat. Those who "broke their lances" were considered experienced and achieved a certain rank of veteran stature. Denotes a degree of veterancy.

Lance Corporal

This tradition of leadership among the "broken lances" has been preserved as part of the Lance Corporal rank. Veterans of combat who have proven themselves worthy are elevated to this rank. They are entrusted at the first level of leadership in command of a Lance. While not formally in charge of a Company it is noted that sometimes when all the Sergeants have been killed in battle it would fall to the most senior Lance Corporal to step up and take charge with the rest of the unit knowing that they had seen enough combat to be granted their rank and trusted with command in dire situations.

Sergeant

The Sergeant rank is perhaps the most diverse having a wide array of specialties and responsibilities. Newly promoted Sergeants are often times placed as Line Sergeant in charge of their respective lines in the formation with the most senior being denoted the 1st Sergeant in charge of the 1st line. The 2nd most senior Sergeant would take up position behind him in charge of the 2nd line and so on down the formation. When the 1st Sergeant falls in the battle the next in line would step up and take charge of that line.

In the event that each Line forms up with its own Cohort or similar archetype then the senior Sergeant of that cohort forms up on the right side of the formation.

Not only is the 1st Sergeant seen as the apex of the military career for each Company, they are also in charge of that unit under the command of a Lieutenant. The 1st Sergeant understands the ins and outs of their unit enabling the Lieutenant to focus on command. This includes discipline, arranging equipment and supplies with their Quartermaster Sergeants, drilling the formations and providing regular reports. Each Company has their Administrative Control or ADCON, Operational Control or OPCON, or Tactical Control or TACON which means that administratively a Company might organize a specific way day to day, but when the fighting starts or a unit is in the field these positions can be notional. When in the field each of these positions can be filled by anyone of any rank and become tactical for Command and Control to form the Chain of Command.

1st Sergeant is a Command Sergeant rank. It stands above the generalized Sergeant rank. Between Sergeants and Command Sergeants are Staff Sergeants.

As each unit specializes, so do the Sergeants. Sergeants may become Cohort Sergeants, who carry the title specific to their cohort or archetype. Artillery Sergeants for siege equipment, Infantry Sergeants, Archer Sergeants, Ranger Sergeants and Cavalry Sergeants. Specialized Sergeants represent the experts in their respective fields. Additional specializations include Quartermaster and Drill Sergeants who may specialize in combat as well as these specific functions. An Artillery Quartermaster Sergeant would be responsible for ensuring supplies and logistics were arranged for a Siege Engine Battery.

The progression for Non-Commissioned Officers is Sergeant -> Staff Sergeant (Various Archetypes or Cohorts) -> Command Sergeant (1st Sergeant or Command Sergeant Major being the senior most NCO in the Republic's Military)

Lieutenant

The commissioned officers of the Republic specialize in command and control of their Companies. While the enlisted troops run the unit, the officer in charge is in command and must ensure their unit is combat ready at all times. A partnership between officer and enlisted must be maintained in order to achieve maximum efficiency. Lieutenants may also specialize in combat areas and a 1st Lieutenant would report to the Minister of War on all military matters commanding in their absence and ensuring all the other Lieutenants are performing their duties. Depending upon the size of the Republic's military, a 1st Lieutenant may have their own unit or be a part of the Minister of War's personal staff.

Captain

Captain is a notional rank as it denotes an organizational position that is the apex of leadership at the Company level. A Captain may only serve in an administrative capacity while a Lieutenant leads in the field. Generally Captains are called to represent their unit as part of the War Staff to participate in planning and upper echelons of operations. A Count, Baron, or Knight may serve as the Captain of their levy and appoint a Lieutenant to lead in the field while they join the Doge's or Minister of War's retinue or War Staff. Individuals appointed directly as Captains may have demonstrated exceptional martial ability, but generally will carry another social title such as Knight in recognition for their leadership abilities as well as martial prowess.

Unit Structure

Lance

The most basic unit is the Lance. It is a 3-person team that fights independently or as part of a Company. Each Lance can be made up of the same type of equipment (infantry, cavalry, archers, siege engineers) or can be mixed. The standard line Lance consists of a shield up front, spear in the middle and an archer behind.

The alternative to a Lance for siege equipment is a team and represents a single piece of equipment and its crew (a single trebuchet with the personnel required to load and fire it).

A Lance or Team may be led by a Lance Corporal or a Lancespada

Size: 3

Line

Several Lances come together to form a Company, but the individual columns are organized as Lines and may be pulled out of the formation to reform independently. Generally, Lines are used to reform according to similar weapon styles, namely, archery or infantry to take and hold terrain.

A Line may be led by a Sergeant.

Size: 3 to 8

Company

Companies are multiple Lances all working together either as a Line Company in a single formation or multiple groups operating on their own, but unified in purpose. Companies are also independent units that may be joining the Republic under its banner as allies or subordinate guilds. Companies may also refer to greatly different styles of combat, for example, a Land based Company may work together with a naval Flotilla Company or an Infantry and Archer Company may be working with a Cavalry based Company of Lancers and Horse Archers. A Militia Company may also be formed up to work together with a Professional Military Company to provide efficient and separate chains of command and control. This system allows for flexibility in command.

Batteries are the alternate term for Companies of siege equipment. Multiple pieces of siege or artillery come together to form Batteries. Batteries operate independently for sieges or are attached to Companies directly for pitched battles.

Companies or Batteries are led by Lieutenants or Sergeants.

Size: 6 to 24

Battalion

Battalions consist of multiple Companies operating together and may go above the level of the Republic. Battalion is also known as a "Battle Line." Multiple guilds operating together for offensive means will generally form a Battalion under the command of a Captain, the Minister of War, the Doge or a foreign commander from the Kingdom of Hyperion

Size: 12 to 72

In the event that there are more than 3 Companies fielded, additional Battalions will be established in groupings of 3 to facilitate command and control. Since Battalions are offensive in nature, they require a focused element of command and control.

Regiment

Regiments are defensive or geographically organized units according to province within the Kingdom of Hyperion. Regiments are placeholder units that come together as a regional grouping during a "Call to Arms" made by a provincial commander.

Size: 6 to unlimited