RMA:SoldiersGuide:Organization

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Front	Marshal's Foreword	Introduction	Organization	Rank Structure	RMA Chain of Command	How to Start a Chapter	RMA Special Programs	Glossary	Appendices

In the same manner as the other military themed components of TRMN, the RMA is made up of chapters that are meant to simulate the “ground forces” of the Royal Manticoran military machine within the Honorverse. These tactical units are the real world operating chapters of the RMA within the TRMN fan organization. This section of the manual will assist you in defining the relationship between chapter sizes and chapter designations, give you an idea of how the RMA is organized, and assist you in building a chapter within TRMN. A chapter’s military designation is determined by the number of personnel assigned to it.

Whether you belong to an RMN or GSN ship, an RMMC detachment, or an RMA ground force unit, the lowest level of the organization is a chapter. The most basic and smallest chapter in the RMA is the fireteam, and unit sizes from fireteam to regiment are chapters with specific size and staffing requirements. Larger formations, if called for, will be called divisions, corps, and field armies. Three or more regiments are considered a division. Two or more divisions are called a corps. The largest formation in the Royal Manticoran Army is that of a field army, which consists of two or more corps. Armies are the equivalent of fleets in the RMN, and the numbered armies will have the same corresponding territory that the naval counterparts have.

The RMA is composed of regular army units, but chapters can choose to partner with a peer of the House of Lords. This partnership will most often lead to a unit that is named after the peer as his or her lands. Chapters may choose to role-play as a division of Atmospheric Command, which is the RMA’s equivalent of an air force. These chapters will all be named as aerospace squadrons in MEDUSA. In terms of its military structure, the bulk of administrative functions are handled by Royal Army Headquarters on Manticore called High Command or King William’s Tower, and operational concerns are handled by the units in the field under their own recognizance.

Key Echelons

Just like the other military components of TRMN, the RMA maintains a structure and hierarchy designed to emulate the fictional force for which it is named. This includes military designations for chapters and larger echelons. In the RMN, the class and type of ship is determined by the size of your chapter and this holds true for the Royal Manticoran Army as well. Unit sizes from fireteam to regiment are essentially chapters with varying size and staffing requirements.

RMA High Command

High Command is the decision-making body of the RMA and is composed of the top officers of the RMA: Marshal of the Army, Deputy Marshal of the Army, the Commanding Officers of Intelligence, Logistics, and Signal Corps, Adjutant General, and the Sergeant-Major of the Army. These officers are charged with creating and implementing policy within the RMA as well as assisting TRMN bureaus with the everyday management of the RMA.

The Commandant of King Roger I Military Academy serves as a dedicated senior advisor to the High Command, but does not hold a billet within RMA leadership. They are an appointee of BuTrain by the Sixth Space Lord. However, they do serve a vital role in establishing esprit de corps within the army and are a vital component for building morale and creating appropriate educational materials for use by RMA members. The KR1MACO, is also a de facto member of Chiron House and will be a reliable source of information regarding membership within the Monarch’s Own.

Marshal of the Army (MotA)

The Marshal of the Army leads the army. They appoint the members of the High Command, represent the RMA's position in the Royal Council, and set the direction for the entire branch. Since the RMA is a component of all of TRMN, the Marshall of the Army is subject only to the First Lord of the Admiralty. The Marshal of the Army has a wide latitude on what direction he can set for his component in terms of events, activities, and charity work, and is the final decision maker within the RMA.

Deputy Marshal of the Army (DMotA)

The second-In-command of the Royal Manticoran Army is in charge of executive functions within the army. If, for some reason, the Marshal of the Army is unable to fulfill his duties, the Deputy Marshal will assume command of the RMA until such a time as the Marshal can return to duty or until a new Marshal can be appointed. The DMotA is directly responsible for overseeing the High Command members. They may also be responsible for overseeing committees and other duties as assigned by the Marshal.

Office of the Adjutant General (AG)

The Adjutant General Corps is responsible for people, and putting those people into units. They set up new units (with the assistance of the Office of the Third Space Lord), organize promotion boards (coordinating with the Chief of Staff of the FLA), inform commanders when people are eligible for promotion, and ensure that awards are processed (and sent to the TRMN Awards Officer in the Office of the Fifth Space Lord). In comparison to the Navy, this is the equivalent of BuPers, and BuShips. They maintain contact with all units to ensure clear communication and keep an open door policy for unit COs and NCOs to answer questions and resolve issues.

Office of the Commander, Intelligence Corps (CO-IC)

The Commander of the Intelligence Corps coordinates efforts with the Intelligence Services of the Bureau of Planning. These efforts will include, but are not limited to, event planning, convention planning, and ensuring that the batmen (orderlies) are coordinated with the Bureau of Planning Stewards Program.

Office of the Commander, Signal Corps (CO-SC)

The Commander of the Signal Corps is responsible for all communications relevant to the army. This is the department responsible for creating posters, managing social media, and for overseeing army entries in Mantipedia (the TRMN wiki) are up to date and relevant. This department will coordinate with BuPlan on the matters regarding recruiting, and BuComm, to ensure adherence to the overall TRMN brand.

Office of the Commander, Logistics Corps (CO-LC)

The Commander of the Logistics Corps will be responsible for establishing logistics policy for RMA and coordinating with BuSup in ensuring adequate supplies are created for purchase by regiments and individual RMA members. The Commander of Logistics Corps will also be responsible for coordinating with BuComm’s Art Department to ensure proper imagery policies are being adhered to by members wishing to build an official uniform (con minimum or otherwise).

Sergeant-Major of the Royal Manticoran Army (SGTMAJA)

Appointed by the Marshal of the Army, the Sergeant Major of the Royal Army is responsible for acting as an advocate for the enlisted members of the army; developing the non–commissioned officer (NCO) chain of support by recruiting and retaining NCOs; advising the Marshal and other members of the High Command on issues that concern the enlisted ranks within the army. The SGTMAJA promotes and assists in the organization of community service activities at all levels within the RMA, which includes the administration and handling of marksmanship awards for the entire RMA.

Administrative Command

Administrative functions throughout the RMA (and TRMN in general) are handled by command leaders and their staffs. As the RMA continues to grow in size, it becomes necessary to form administrative echelons of command in order to best serve our soldiers and ensure that units receive the support they require.

In order of precedence, these administrative levels are as follows:

Unit	Crew Size	CO Rank	XO Rank	NCOIC Rank
Field Army	2+ Corps	Lieutenant General	Brigadier General	Command Sergeant-Major
Corps	2+ Divisions	Major General	Colonel	Command Sergeant-Major
Division	2+ Regiments	Brigadier General	Colonel	Command Sergeant-Major

Field Armies

Commanded by: Brigadier General to General

The RMA field army represents the top most level of coordination in the administrative ladder, and the largest formation in the RMA, which extends down through each corresponding echelon to the individual chapter. It exists to provide a headquarters function in order to more effectively support the units within its area of operations. Army commanders serve at the pleasure of the Marshal of the Army and report directly to the Deputy Marshal of the Royal Manticoran Army.

Field armies are the equivalent to fleets, or naval districts, in the RMN and expeditionary forces in the RMMC. TRMN is divided administratively into geographic regions around the globe, and the numbered armies have the same corresponding territory that the naval counterparts have.

Unit	Unit Name	Area of Operations
First Army	Fort Manticore	MD, DE, PA, MA, CT, RI, NY, NJ, NH, VT, ME, DC (includes the greater DC Metro Area)
Second Army	Fort Gryphon	MN, WI, IL, IN, OH, KY, & MI
Third Army	Fort San Martino	Southern VA*, WV, NC, SC, MS, AL, TN, GA, FL & the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin American
Fourth Army	Held for future use
Fifth Army	Held for future use
Sixth Army	Fort Sphinx	OK, TX, AR, LA, NE, KS, MO, IA, ND, & SD
Seventh Army	Held for future use
Eighth Army	Fort Basilisk	AZ, NM, UT, CO, WY, & MT
Ninth Army	Held for future use
Tenth Army	Fort Talbott	CA, OR, WA, NV, ID, & HI
Anzu’s Army	Fort Tudev	Asian and Oceanic chatpers

Corps

Commanded by: Brigadier General to Lieutenant General

The corps, like the field army, is an administrative command that coordinates and controls operations between a collection of two or more regiments. Armies are made up of corps, and each corps may consist of several different types of regiments (infantry, aerospace, armor, etc.). Corps are labeled with a roman numeral in front of them (e.g. IV Corps). Corps will be assigned by the boundaries of the field army they serve and assigned to no more than 3 states in a field army.

Division

Commanded by: Brigadier General

This is a collection of 2 or more regiments, and is the first administrative echelon. The number of divisions is dependent on the number of regiments; typically there are no more than five regiments to a division, but this can be adjusted depending on the needs of the mission the division is assigned. Divisions are numbered (ordinal numbers i.e. 2nd Division), an absolute number from the time they were formed. Retired units can be called back into service when needed as a command echelon for regiments in its sphere of command. Where practical, divisions shall be composed of 3 regiments within a division’s area of operations. The intended mix is 2 active and 1 reserve regiment where possible.

Chapters and Tactical Units

The RMA chapter is considered to be a tactical unit, of which there are multiple levels determined by the chapter size.

Unit	Crew Size	CO Rank	XO Rank	NCOIC Rank
Regiment	17+ Soldiers	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Regimental Sergeant-Major
Battalion	14-16 Soldiers	Lieutenant Colonel	Captain	Sergeant-Major
Company	11-13 Soldiers	Captain	1st Lieutenant	1st Sergeant
Platoon	8-10 Soldiers	1st Lieutenant or Platoon Sergeant	N/A	N/A
Section	5-7 Soldiers	2nd Lieutenant or Corporal	N/A	N/A
Quad/Fireteam	2-4 Soldiers	Lance Corporal	N/A	N/A

Regiment (17+ Soldiers)

Commanded by: up to Colonel

A regiment in the RMA is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of squadrons or battalions (usually two or three battalions – 1,400 to 2,100 soldiers), commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel. The regiment is a formation of one or more like units employed almost exclusively for reasons of heritage, the continuance of battle honors and esprit de corps. In the RMA, for most purposes, the regiment is the largest permanent organizational unit. Above regimental level, organization is changed to meet the tasks at hand. Because of their permanent nature, many regiments have long histories, often going back for centuries. The senior non-commissioned officer is the master sergeant, responsible to the CO for unit discipline and the behavior of the NCOs. Although enlisted ranks can go higher. 

Regiments in the RMA belong to one large component which is the regular army. All chapters are run under the same command triad structure as other TRMN chapters. Should chapters wish to establish a relationship with a peer in order to facilitate chapter supplies, then the chapter can be adopted by a TRMN peer. This peer becomes an honorary member of the chapter and the chapter name is derived from their peerage. Peers may not hold a position within the chapter command triad, but may choose to transfer to their adopted chapters as a member if they wish.

Battalion (14-16 Soldiers)

Commanded by: up to Lieutenant Colonel

A battalion normally has a headquarters company, support company, and three rifle companies (usually, but not always, A, B and C companies) with up to 700 soldiers. The bulk of a battalion will ordinarily be homogeneous with respect to type (e.g., an infantry battalion or a tank squadron). Battalions are invariably commanded by a lieutenant colonel. A captain or first lieutenant (if the battalion is commanded by a colonel) acts as the executive officer (XO), the second in command. The senior non-commissioned officer is a master sergeant, although some may have higher ranking enlisted.

Company (11-13 Soldiers)

Commanded by: up to Captain

It is at this level and above that a full command triad MUST be implemented.

RMA companies consist of three platoons and a company headquarters (up to 170 soldiers, although the exact number may vary by unit type and structure). RMA companies are usually commanded by a captain, with a senior lieutenant as executive officer (XO) and assisted by a senior non-commissioned officer, usually a master sergeant.

Platoon (8-10 Soldiers)

Commanded by: up to First Lieutenant

Four sections comprise a platoon (42 soldiers). A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer – the platoon leader or platoon commander, usually a first lieutenant or lower. He is usually assisted by a second lieutenant and a senior non-commissioned officer, a platoon sergeant.

Section (5-7 Soldiers)

Commanded by: up to Second Lieutenant

Two quads comprise a section, led by a second lieutenant or lower. (9 soldiers). He may be assisted by both an XO at the rank of second lieutenant or lower and a junior non-commissioned officer- usually a platoon sergeant or lower.

Quad/Fireteam (2-4 Soldiers)

Commanded by: up to Corporal

The basic unit of the standard infantry regiment is the 4-man fireteam (often referred to as a “quad”), composed of 3 privates and led by a corporal or lower enlisted. Four people walking the three-and-one, the point followed by the tight concave arc, is the optimum number in the safest configuration. The quad is the smallest unit in the RMA and is the primary unit upon which the infantry organization is based. The concept of the fireteam is based on the need for tactical flexibility in infantry operations. A quad is capable of autonomous operations as part of a larger unit. Successful fireteam employment relies on quality small unit training for soldiers, experience of fireteam members operating together, sufficient communications infrastructure, and a quality non-commissioned officer corps to provide tactical leadership for the team.