Union Army

The **Union Army** is the land warfare service branch of the Union Armed Forces. As the oldest and most senior branch in order of precedence, the modern Union Army has its roots in the militias of West Novan and New Medland, which were formed to fight the Independence Wars (2338-2341). After the Independence Wars, the militias were disbanded and the First Assembly formed the Union Army in 2342.

The Army is part of the Department of the Army, a cabinet-level department. The Army is headed by a civilian senior appointed civil servant, the Secretary of the Army and by a chief military officer, the General of the Union. It is the largest military branch, the strength for the Regular Army was 38,000 soldiers; the Federal Militias (reserve component) has around 62,000 members. As a branch of the armed forces, the mission of the Union Army is "to fight and win our Nation's wars, by providing prompt, sustained land dominance, across the full range of military operations and the spectrum of conflict, in support of combatant commanders".

The main rifle for most infantry is the Summerwood Lefford-Maston "Trapdoor" Rifle. It also uses sidearms made by Yearling Gunsmiths.

## Ranks

The Union holds a standardised rank system. Officers are consistent between all branches, however there is some differentiation between enlisted ranks depending on the traditions of the branch. The only exception are the Army Medical Department (the professional medics) who are known as Physician or Surgeon, grades 1-6 (2nd Lt-Col).

General Officer Ranks of the Union Army
General
 Role

Field Officer Ranks of the Union Army
Colonel
 Role

Enlisted Ranks of the Union Army
Officer
Major
Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
 Role

#### Warrant Officers

Warrant Officers hold specific offices, and derive their title, usually, from these.

#### Alternative Ranks

Not all branches use the same terms, here are some of the variants:

**Private**

* Armourer (Arm.), Logistics Corps (Ordnance Regiments)
* Bandsman (Bdm.), Music Department
* Clerk (Clk.), Logistics Corps (Quartermaster Regiments)
* Engineer (Eng.), Engineers Corps
* Nurse (Nse.), Medical Service (nursing enlisted)
* Orderly (Ody.), Medical Service (non-nursing enlisted)
* Signaller (Sig.), Signals Corps
* Wagoner (Wgn.) Logistics Corps (Transport Regiments)

**Lance Corporal**

* Senior Armourer (SArm.), Logistics Corps (Ordnance Regiments)
* Senior Badnsman (SBdm.), Music Department
* Senior Nurse (SNse.), Medical Service (nursing enlisted)
* Senior Orderly (SOdy.), Medical Service (non-nursing enlisted)

**Sergeant**

* Band Sergeant (BSgt.), Music Department
* Charge Nurse (CNse.), Medical Service (nursing enlisted)
* Hospital Sergeant (HSgt.), Medical Service (non-nursing enlisted)
* Ordnance Sergeant (OSgt.), Logsitics Corps (Ordnance Regiments)
* Quartermaster Sergeant (QSgt.), Logistics Corps (Quartermaster Regiments)

All subsequent sergeant ranks follow the same prefixes (e.g. Senior Hospital Sergeant, etc).

## Organisation

For most of the army, the basic unit is the section. An infantry section is comprised of 13 men: 1 Sergeant, 2 Corporals, and 10 soldiers.

Sections are then grouped into Platoons. Infantry platoons are made up of 3 sections, as well as a Lieutenant and his assistant (usually a lance corporal or corporal). This totals 41 men.

The next level of organisation is the company. Infantry companies are made up of 3 platoons as well as a command section: Captain, First Sergeant, the company's executive officer (usually a lieutenant), and the officers' 4 assistants/runners. The company should therefore number 130.

Companies are grouped into battalions. Each infantry battalion consists of 5 companies, lettered A-E. The number of companies can fluctuate depending on what the army requires. The battalion staff contains: The Battalion Commanding Officer (a Lieutenant Colonel), executive officer (a major), the Battalion Sergeant Major, 4-6 staff officers (captains or lieutenants), and the staff assistants/runners. The standard 5 company battalion numbers around 660 men.

Battalions belong to a regiment, with each regiment containing 1-5 battalions. Each regiment is commanded by a Colonel.

The main operating unit of the army is the brigade. A brigade will be made up of multiple regiments from different branches to create an effective and self-sustaining fighting force.

## Structure

Currently, the Army is divided into the Regular Army and the Federal Militia. Some states further maintain state defence forces, as a type of reserve to the Federal Militia. The Army is also divided into several branches which specialise in their operations.

As well as dividing the army by its purpose, it is also assembled into Brigades.

Branches of the Union Army
 Cavalry Regiments
 Artillery Corps
 Logistics Corps
 Engineers Corps
 Army Medical Service
 Judicial Department
 Army Staff Corps
 Army Music Department
 Signals Corps

### Combat Arm

#### Infantry Corps

The Infantry Corps makes up the bulk of the Army's fighting force. It is the second-most senior branch (after the cavalry). The current Infantry Regiments are:

#### Cavalry Regiments

The Cavalry is the senior branch of the Union Army. It was officially second after the Infantry Corps, however many of the early political leaders had been cavalry officers and insisted that the Cavalry came first.

#### Artillery Corps

The Artillery Corps is the third and last of the original three branches of the Union Army. They are the smallest in number and divided into the Field Artillery and the Garrison Artillery.

### Support Arm

#### Logistics Corps

The Logistics Corps was originally established in 2346 as the Quartermaster's Department. It was then combined with the Army Transport Corps and Ordnance Corps in 2352 to create the Logistics Corps, taking the QMD's seniority. Regiments are still titled as "Quartermaster", "Transport" or "Ordnance", depending on their purpose.

Logistics Regiments
 2nd Transport Regiment
 3rd Transport Regiment
 4th Ordnance Regiment
 5th Transport Regiment

#### Engineers Corps

The Corps of Engineers is the most decorated non-combat branch of the Union Army. They are also the only non-combat branch to have given rise to a Chancellor (Coker Belton) and a General of the Union (Tarvo Selzeran).

Engineers Regiments
 3rd Engineer Regiment
 4th Engineer Regiment
 6th Engineer Regiment
 7th Engineer Regiment
 11th Engineer Regiment

#### Medical Service

The Army Medical Service (AMS) is comprised of two primary disciplines:

* Army Medical Department (commissioned physicians and surgeons)
* Army Nursing Regiment (non-commissioned nurses and assistants)

There are no official units of the Medical Service as they are provided as detachments to brigades and field hospitals will be formed as-and-when needed. The Medical Service is led by the Army Surgeon-General (ASG), who is ranked as a Lieutenant General.

#### Signals Corps

The Signals Corps are the newest branch of the Union Army, formed in 2368 as its own independent corps. It was established the year early by Captain R I Tipper of the 7th Engineer Regiment. After approval from the Secretary of the Army, the 7th Engineers were reformed as the 7th Engineer (Signals) Regiment. It then became the 7th Signals Regiment the year after with the newly promoted Colonel Tipper as its commander.

Signals Regiments
 3rd Signals Regiment
 7th Signals Regiment

### Service Arm

#### Judicial Department

The Judicial Department is the legal arm of the Union Army. It is comprised of three branches:

* Judge Advocate General's Office
* Inspector General's Office
* Provost Marshal's Office

The Provost Marshal's office is the law enforcement section of the Judicial Department, and includes the Military Police Regiment which has units across all camps and bases.

#### Army Staff Corps

The Army Staff Corps (ASC) is primarily comprised of staff officers concerned with the administration of various branches. It is headed by the Adjutant General and is divided into:

* Adjutant General's Office
* Army Pay Department
* Army Chaplains Department (military clerics, each denomination with its own office)
* Military Intelligence Department

#### Army Music Department

In 2365 the Army Bands of the various regiments were united into a single branch to allow for exchange of training and ease of administration. It was also in this year that full-time professional musicians were first hired for the military bands.

* Union Army Band, premier military band
* 1st Infantry (Pipe and Drums) Band
* 2nd Infantry (Academy) Band
* Union Cavalry Band
* Band of the Artillery
* Band of the Sappers
* Band and Bugles of the Newpoint Regiment

## Medals & Awards

The **Union Army awards and decorations** are primarily the medals, service ribbons, and specific badges which recognize military service and personal accomplishments while a member of the Union Army. Such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member's career. First Order awards allow the recipient to use post-nominal letters, but Second Order and Campaign Awards do not.

They are, in order of precedence:

### First Order Gallantry & Service Awards

#### Union Star (US)

The **Union Star** is the Union's highest and most prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognise Union military service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of gallantry. The medal is normally awarded by the Chancellor of the Union. The post nominal letters given are US.

There are two versions of the medal, one each for the Department of the Army and the Department of the Navy (Navy, Marine Regiment and Coast Guard). The Union Star was introduced for the Department of the Army in 2348 by Hyram Bridleman, soon followed by the Department of the Navy's version in 2450. The Chancellor typically presents the medal at a formal ceremony intended to represent the gratitude of the Union people, with posthumous presentations made to the primary next of kin.

#### Medal of Valour (MV)

The **Medal of Valour** is the Army's second highest military award for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the medal must be of such a high degree that they are above those required for all other U.S. combat decorations, but which do not meet the criteria for the Union Star. The Medal of Valour is equivalent to the Navy Star and the Marine Crossed Swords.

The Medal of Valour was first awarded during the aftermath of the Independence Wars, thus making it the oldest military decoration in the Union Armed Forces.

#### Gold Service Medal (GSM)

The **Gold Service Medal** (**GSM**) is a military award of the Union Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the army, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility. The performance must be such as to merit recognition for service that is clearly exceptional. Exceptional performance of normal duty will not alone justify an award of this decoration. The award is not given for service in action.

#### Silver Service Medal (SSM)

The **Silver Service Medal** (**SSM**) is a military award of the Union Army that is presented to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the army, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility. This award is often given to those who have served exceptionally throughout their career. The award is not given for service in action.

#### Cross of Merit (CM)

The **Cross of Merit** is awarded for gallantry. The gallantry displayed must have taken place while in action against an enemy of the Union, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the Union is not a belligerent party. The award takes the form of crossed swords.

#### Medal of Merit (MM)

The **Medal of Merit** is a Union Army decoration awarded to members of the army for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. The award does not require the recipient to have been in combat, but merely in a theatre of war.

### Second Order Gallantry & Service Awards

#### Patriot Star (PS)

The **Patriot Star** is awarded in the name of the Chancellor to those wounded or killed while serving with the Union Armed Forces. The award was established in 2380.

The Patriot Star is awarded to any member of the Armed Forces who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one Armed Forces after 3rd Coloran 2380, has been wounded or killed.

#### Medal of Commendation (MC)

The **Medal of Commendation** is awarded to any member of the Armed Forces other than General Officers who, while serving in any capacity within the military, distinguished themselves by heroism, meritorious achievement or meritorious service. The medal may be awarded to a member of a friendly foreign nation who distinguishes themselves by an act of heroism, extraordinary achievement, or significant meritorious service which has been of mutual benefit to the friendly nation and the Union.

#### Loyal Service Star (LSS)

The **Loyal Service Star** is awarded to any member of the armed forces who has served 20 years, including 6 months in a theatre of war.

#### Loyal Service Medal (LSM)

The **Loyal Service Medal** is awarded to any member of the armed forces who has served 10 years, including 6 months in a theatre of war.

### Campaign Awards

The following awards are listed chronologically. Decorations from hereon are worn in reverse chronological order. Campaign Medals are given to those who serve in an active role during a military campaign.

#### Temmon Medal

Given to the army service members who served during the Temmon War (2359-2360), it is considered to be the first campaign medal awarded.

#### Vermello Campaign Medal

The **Vermello Campaign Medal** was a Union military medal of the Army, Navy, and Marine Force issued for service in the Vermello campaign theatre of the Verrian-Union War. The medal was established on 9th Entide 2370.

#### Domestic Campaign Medal

The **Domestic Campaign Medal** was a Union military medal of the Army issued to those who were garrisoned within the Union's borders, but still considered to be active, during the Verrian-Union War. It was established on the 23rd Salwan 2371.

#### Coalition War Medal

The **Coalition War Medal** was issued to all members of the Union Armed Forces who served during the 1st Alevarian-Union War (2407-2409), commonly known as the Coalition War.

#### Buff Campaign Medal

The **Buff Campaign Medal** was issue to all members of the Union Armed Forces who were either garrisoned on the Buff Line, or subsequently served in, the Pixite War (2427-2429).

#### Gnoll Campaign Medal

The **Gnoll Campaign Medal** was a Union Army medal awarded to any soldier of the Army who had participated in the Gnoll Wars between 2435 and 2493. It was first awarded in 2460 and was issued retroactively to those who had previously served. Chancellor Saff Hope discontinued it in 2493.