Protector's Policy Directive 1001

Protector's Policy Directive 1001 was issued 21 December 2023 by the High Admiral of the Grayson Space Navy. This directive establishes the creation of an individual honor society for the Grayson Space Navy component of The Royal Manticoran Navy: The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, Inc. (TRMN).

PPD-1001, Grayson Space Navy Individual Honor Society

Introduction

1. The Grayson Space Navy shall establish and maintain an individual honor society henceforth referred to as GNS Covington (C3).

2. The intent and purpose of GNS Covington (C3) is to properly recognize the exceptional actions of members in service to the Grayson Space Navy.

• a. A parallel can be found in the Star Empire of Manticore’s HMS Unconquered honor society.

3. GNS Covington (C3) is helmed by a Permanent Commanding Officer and a Bi-Annual Commanding Officer.

4. All members of GNS Covington (C3) are considered “crew,” and may petition the Bi-Annual Commanding Officer for a specific billet as available to their rank upon induction.

• a. This shall include the Bi-Annual Commanding Officer, who may select a billet to hold upon the expiration of their term.

Eligibility and Nomination

5. Nomination and selection is limited to members of the Grayson Space Navy.

• a. A person shall be a member of the Grayson Space Navy if their branch of service is reflected as “Grayson Space Navy” in MEDUSA.

6. Nominees must have a minimum of one (1) year of service.

• a. This service may be with the Grayson Space Navy, or with any other component branch.
• b. The minimum one (1) year requirement may be waived at the discretion of the Selection Committee if a nomination is received that thoroughly demonstrates exemplary contributions despite not meeting the minimum service requirement.

7. Persons may NOT nominate themselves for induction consideration, nor may current GNS Covington (C3) crew members nominate themselves for consideration as the Bi-Annual Commanding Officer.

8. Nominees may be recommended by any person in The Royal Manticoran Navy, The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, who holds a billet of Chapter Commanding Officer or higher.

9. Nominees will be considered based on their contributions towards the betterment of the Grayson Space Navy.

• a. This may include, but not be limited to, recruitment activities, convention work, or completion of a project that directly benefits the Grayson Space Navy.
• b. Nominations may include service to the greater organization, but the Selection Committee is chiefly interested in service to and/or for the Grayson Space Navy.
• c. Service is the paramount consideration and may be a decisive factor in determining selection for induction to GNS Covington (C3).

10. At no time will nominees be informed of their nomination by anyone, to include the nominating officer, higher chain of command, or the Selection Committee.

Nomination Period and Process

11. The nomination period opens on the second week of September and closes on the second week of November in each calendar year.

12. The nomination process is as follows:

• a. All nominations shall be sent via email to graysonhonorsociety@gmail.com.
• b. Nominations must include the following:
  • i. Rank, Full Name, Service Number, and the name of their command or billet
    • 1. Example: CAPT John Doe, GSN | RMN-1234-10 | GNS Nonesuch (DD-00)
      • a. If a nomination is made by an officer higher than a Chapter Commanding Officer, for example a Fleet Commander or Space Lord, that officer shall inform the nominee’s Commanding Officer and include the same in all correspondence.
  • ii. Rank, Full Name and Service Number of the nominee.
    • 1. Example: S3C Abe Snuffy, GSN | RMN-2345-11
  • iii. A detailed description of the nominee’s contributions to the Grayson Space Navy, and more generally to The Royal Manticoran Navy, The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association as a whole.
    • 1. This description must include specific information about the contributions, to include dates and events as applicable.
  • iv. Any available supporting documentation to support the nomination.
    • 1. Supporting documentation should be attached to the nomination email as attachments.
    • 2. This may include letters of support collected by the nominating officer, After-Action Reports, newsletter articles, etc.
    • 3. Nominations received without supporting documentation will still be considered, however it will make the deliberation process more difficult and may result in a nominee not being selected for induction.

Selection for Induction to GNS Covington (C-02)

13. Selection as a crew member of GNS Covington (C-02) shall be conducted by the Selection Committee as follows:

• a. The Selection Committee shall consist of the following or their designee:
  • i. High Admiral of the Grayson Space Navy (Chair)
  • ii. Chief of Staff of the Grayson Space Navy
  • iii. Senior Master Chief Petty Officer of the Grayson Space Navy
  • iv. Commander, Grayson Home Fleet
  • v. Bosun, Grayson Home Fleet
  • vi. Current Bi-Annual Commanding Officer of GNS Covington (C-02)
  • vii. Crew Member of GNS Covington (C-02) selected by random lottery by the High Admiral
• b. The Chair of the Selection Committee shall not vote, unless to break a tie, except as detailed in 22.d.
• c. The Permanent Commanding Officer of GNS Covington (C-02) may be invited to be part of the Selection Committee as an observer but shall not have a vote unless also acting as a designee.

14. The Selection Committee shall begin deliberations after the close of the nomination period.

• a. Selection of a nominee for induction shall be by majority vote of the members of the Selection Committee.
• b. The Selection Committee may elect to not accept any new members for induction.
  • i. Nominees identified as non-selects by the Selection Committee may be referred for consideration of another award deemed suitable based upon the nomination package.
  • ii. Any such award is at the discretion of the High Admiral of the Grayson Space Navy.
• c. If selected for induction to GNS Covington (C-02), the appointment is permanent.
  • i. A crew member may elect voluntary separation or be involuntarily removed for cause as detailed below.

Selection of the Bi-Annual Commanding Officer

15. Following the selection of new inductees, the Selection Board shall consider selection of a new Bi-Annual Commanding Officer, beginning in 2023 and reoccurring every other calendar year thereafter.

• a. Criteria for the Bi-Annual Commanding Officer is as follows:
  • i. Candidates must be current crew members of GNS Covington (C-02), to include any newly selected inductees.
  • ii. Candidates must be Captain (O-6) through Fleet Admiral (F-5) in the Grayson Space Navy.
• b. Nomination process:
  • i. A list of those eligible for Bi-Annual Commanding Officer of GNS Covington (C-02) shall be provided to the Selection Committee by the High Admiral of the Grayson Space Navy.
  • ii. The Selection Committee shall nominate one or more candidates from that list.
• c. Selection:
  • i. Appointment of the new Bi-Annual Commanding Officer shall be by majority vote of the Selection Committee.
  • ii. The appointment is for a period of two (2) years.
  • iii. Once selected, the Bi-Annual Commanding Officer must remain in the Grayson Space Navy for their full term.
    • 1. If a Bi-Annual Commanding Officer subsequently transfers out of the Grayson Space Navy during their term, the appointment shall be considered forfeit, and the Permanent Commanding Officer shall assume full command responsibilities until such time as a new Bi-Annual Commanding Officer can be appointed.
    • iv. Appointment as Bi-Annual Commanding Officer is once per lifetime, subject to the discretion of the Selection Committee.

Appointment of the Permanent Commanding Officer

16. Like HMS Unconquered, GNS Covington (C-02) has a Permanent Commanding Officer appointed over the Bi-Annual Commanding Officer.

• a. The Permanent Commanding Officer is automatically inducted as a crew member of GNS Covington (C-02).
• b. The Permanent Commanding Officer shall be subject to the same rank restrictions as the Bi-Annual Commanding Officer.
• c. This appointment is ceremonial, except as in 15.c.iii.1 and 19.c.i, and is used to recognize preeminent service to, or for, the Grayson Space Navy.
• d. The Permanent Commanding Officer should be a member of the Grayson Space Navy, however that requirement may be waived at the discretion of the High Admiral.
  • i. As such, the Permanent Commanding Officer shall be the only non-Grayson Space Navy member authorized to display the distinctive crest badge medallion on a non-Grayson Space Navy uniform, or on civilian attire.
  • ii. If the Permanent Commanding Officer is of a component other than the Grayson Space Navy, they are authorized to wear a Grayson Space Navy uniform commensurate to their current rank, in accordance with 19.b and Grayson Space Navy uniform regulations, in the performance of their official duties.
• e. The High Admiral of the Grayson Space Navy makes all appointments to the position of Permanent Commanding Officer acting for, and at the direction of, the Protector of Grayson.
• f. Appointment as Permanent Commanding Officer is for life or until voluntary retirement.

Announcement of new Inductees and the Bi-Annual Commanding Officer

17. Those selected for induction to GNS Covington (C-02), as well as the new Bi-Annual Commanding Officer as appropriate, shall be announced by the High Admiral during the Protector’s Birthday Celebrations, which takes place between 21 and 24 December of each calendar year.

Membership Insignia, Rights and Duties

18. The insignia of the honor society is the crest badge of GNS Covington (C-02) as allocated by the Office of Shipbuilding and born by her at the First Battle of Yeltsin.

• a. The crest badge is executed as a silver medallion.
• b. This is distinct from the badge of the modern GNS Covington (CLAC-01).

19. The rights and duties of a crew members of GNS Covington (C-02) are as follows:

• a. All crew members shall display the crest badge medallion of GNS Covington (C-02) on their uniform in accordance with Grayson Space Navy uniform regulations.
  • i. Those crew members that subsequently transfer to another component branch of The Royal Manticoran Navy, The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, while still considered a member of the honor society, shall not display the crest badge medallion on whatever uniform or civilian attire they may now wear.
    • 1. This regulation is akin to the prohibition on HMS Unconquered insignia being worn with a uniform that is not of the Royal Manticoran Navy or the Royal Manticoran Marine Corps.
  • ii. If a crew member returns to Grayson service, the crest badge medallion shall once again be approved for display.
• b. The Bi-Annual and Permanent Commanding Officers, in addition to displaying the crest badge medallion of GNS Covington (C-02), shall be entitled to display a silver cap band on their service cap, indicating command of a hyper capable warship, as well as display a Command Star on their mess dress uniform.
  • i. Additionally, they are entitled to wear the distinctive garrison cap of a starship commander with the appropriate uniform combinations.
    • 1. This shall apply to any flag officer that may, from time to time, be selected as either the Bi-Annual or Permanent Commanding Officer.
  • ii. Wear and display of these items shall be in accordance with Grayson Space Navy uniform regulations.
• c. All crew members of GNS Covington (C-02) are members of a Special Advisory Committee to the Office of the High Admiral.
  • • i. The Permanent Commanding Officer shall be Chair
    • ii. The Bi-Annual Commanding Officer shall be Vice-Chair.
    • iii. The committee shall be empowered to discuss the Grayson Space Navy component and, through the Chair, may send recommendations to the Office of the High Admiral on how a process, or the component, may be improved.

Voluntary Separation of a Crew Member

20. A crew member of GNS Covington (C-02) may at any time request voluntary separation from the honor society. The intent being to recognize that a crew member may feel a need to withdraw for personal reasons.

21. Because of a need to understand the reasoning behind the request, perhaps an internal problem within the individual honor society that needs correcting, as well as a need to ensure that voluntary separation does not inadvertently incur punitive consequences, the following process is required:

• a. Any crew member wishing to voluntarily separate from GNS Covington (C-02) must send a formal request to the Bi-Annual Commanding Officer, cc’d to the Permanent Commanding Officer and the High Admiral of the Grayson Space Navy.
• b. Such request must state the request to voluntarily separate from the individual honor society and the reason(s) for making that request in sufficient detail that those concerned have a full understanding of the situation.
• c. At their discretion, the Commanding Officers and the High Admiral may approach the crew member to discuss the matter further to ensure a full understanding.
• d. Any crew member voluntarily separating from GNS Covington (C-02) shall not be barred from future consideration for re-induction.
• e. All requests for voluntary separation, and the reasons, shall be considered privileged information in accordance with the Official Secrets Act.

Involuntary Removal of a Crew Member

22. Crew members may be involuntarily removed from GNS Covington (C-02) for cause as follows:

• a. Involuntary removal shall only be considered in cases of grave misconduct against the Grayson Space Navy specifically, or The Royal Manticoran Navy, The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association as a whole.
• b. For the purposes of this policy directive, “grave misconduct” shall be understood as, but not limited to:
  • i. Conduct that brings dishonor to The Royal Manticoran Navy, The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association.
  • ii. Conduct that brings dishonor to the Grayson Space Navy.
  • iii. Repeated violations of the organizational Code of Conduct.
  • iv. Removal from the organization by the Disciplinary Committee.
    • v. Any other such activity that, at the discretion of the Selection Committee, is found to rise to a level that warrants removal from the Grayson Space Navy’s individual honor society.
• c. Removal of a crew member shall not be taken lightly and should be exercised infrequently.
• d. Removal of a crew member shall require a majority vote of all seven (7) members of the Selection Committee, overriding the prohibition on the High Admiral vote as detailed in 13.b.
  • i. If a higher authority than the High Admiral has directed the stripping of honors, or removal from The Royal Manticoran Navy, The Official Honor Harrington Fan Association, then the High Admiral may effect that crew member’s removal from GNS Covington (C-02) without convening the full committee and inform the Selection Committee of the reason for doing so.
• e. Those persons removed in these manners may incur a permanent ban from future membership at the discretion of the Selection Committee.

23. Persons who have either voluntarily separated or been involuntarily removed from GNS Covington (C-02) shall not display the distinctive crest badge medallion, nor in any way suggest that they are still members of the individual honor society.

Legacy Member Induction

24. The following shall apply only to those legacy members of the Protector’s Own, formerly the Grayson Space Navy individual honor society, and shall take effect only once upon the initial activation of GNS Covington (C-02) in December of 2023.

• a. All legacy members, and billets, of the Protector’s Own are hereby transferred to GNS Covington (C-02).
• b. Display of the legacy Protector’s Own insignia on uniform items is no longer authorized in accordance with Protector’s Policy Directive 1002.
• c. Transferred legacy members who are no longer affiliated, or were never affiliated with, the Grayson Space Navy are subject to restrictions on the display of GNS Covington’s (C-02) distinctive crest badge medallion in the same manner as any future crew member that may subsequently transfer to another component branch.
  • i. For further information see 19.a.i.
• d. The legacy billets of “Executive Officer” and “Bosun” are eliminated.

External Links

Protector's Policy Directive 1001 - TRMN Forums