Terran Alliance Armed Forces

Originally conceived as a peacekeeping force to maintain ‘order’ inside the Terran Alliance, the TAAF was intended to be used as a means to enforce the laws of the Alliance in relation to international relations. This didn’t hold true for long, as the TAAF found itself being used for a variety of different purposes. Exploration missions, some cargo transport, and some research & development all fall under the monolithic umbrella of the TAAF these days.

Members of the Terran Alliance are drawn from all walks of life. Some of them are veterans of their home nation’s military, who can transfer from that organization to the TAAF under service recognition agreements. Others are idealistic patriots who wish move beyond the era of nationalism and serve humanity as a whole. And plenty of others are just civilians with a desire to serve and an appetite to see the cosmos – service with the Terran Alliance Armed Forces guarantees that you will at least see other worlds inside the Sol system.

All soldiers of the TAAF each have a unique 9-digit identification number assigned upon recruitment. The ID number is prefixed with one letter signifying service branch. A for Administration, B for the Navy, C for the Marine Corps, D for the Army and Logistical Corps, E for the CEC, and F for TAPS.

Rank Structure

The TAAF operates using a simplified ranking system compared to most Earth militaries. There are 10 Officer ratings 5 Warrant Officer ratings, and 10 Enlisted ratings (though only the Army, Marines, and Navy have Warrant Officers and Enlisted members). For ease of distinguishing between service branches, each rank has a different title for each service branch.

Officers

Promotion Points	Rank/Pay Grade	Administration	Army	CEC	Marines (Pre-2023 in brackets)	Navy	TAPS
0	O-1	Yeoman (YEO)	Cadet-Lieutenant (CDLT)	Cadet-Engineer (CENG)	Cadet-Captain (CDCP) [Kadettkapitän]	Ensign (EN)	Carrier (CAR)
3	O-2	Junior Leftenan (JLFT)	2nd Lieutenant (LT2)	Corpsman (CPM)	Squad Captain (SQC) [Kaderkapitän]	Junior Lieutenant (JLT)	Senior Carrier (SCAR)
6	O-3	Leftenant (LFT)	1st Lieutenant (LT1)	Engineer (ENG)	Platoon Captain (PLC) [Zugkapitän]	Lieutenant (LNT)	Flight Pilot (FLP) / Flight Engineer (FLE) / Operations Manager (OPS)
9	O-4	Leftenant Commander (LFTC)	Lieutenant Major (LTM)	Squad Leader (SQL)	Commandant (CMDT) [Kommandant]	Lieutenant Commander (LCMD)	Senior Flight Pilot (SFLP) / Senior Flight Engineer (SFLE) / Senior Operations Manager (SOPS)
12	O-5	Administrative Commander (ACMD)	Major (MJR)	Senior Squad Leader (SSQL)	Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) [Oberstleutnant]	Commander (CMD)	Postmaster (POST) (of planet or major location)
15	O-6	Administrator (ADMIN)	Major-Colonel (MJC)	Engineering Colonel (ENGC)	Colonel (COL) [Oberst]	Captain (CPT)	N/A (pay grade exists, but no rank title)
20	O-7	Senior Administrator (SADM)	Colonel-General (CLG)	Lieutenant General (LTG)	Brigadier (BGD) [Brigadegeneral]	Vice Admiral (VADM) or Fleet Captain (FCAP)	System Postmaster (SYSPO) (of Sol or Centauri) OR Service Postmaster (SERPO) (of the Navy, Army, Marines, or CEC), Flight Postmaster (FLIPO)
25	O-8	Vice-Chief (VCHF)	Marshal (MSL)	General (GNC)	Brigadier (2 Stars) (BGD2) [Generlamajor]	Admiral (ADM)	N/A (pay grade exists, but no rank title)
30	O-9	Chief of ... (C<Bureau Abbreviation> (ACC, Arch, IA, MInt, etc)	Field Marshal (FMSL)	Council General (CGNC)	Brigadier (3 Stars) (BGD3) [Generallieutenant]	Fleet Admiral (FADM)	N/A (pay grade exists, but no rank title)
(By Appointment Only)	O-10	N/A (no O-10 Administration rank exists)	Marshal of the Army (MSLA)	N/A (a Council General stationed at Tycho fills this role as needed)	Brigadier of the Marine Corps (BMC) [General]	Admiral of the Navy (ADMN)	Postmaster-General (PMG)

Promotion to flag rank (O-7 and above) is as much a matter of politics as competence. All prospective flag officers must be nominated by the Council of Ten and confirmed by the People’s Chamber and State’s Chamber before being promoted to O-7. If a character who is eligible for such a rank has taken actions that might place them in disfavor with those groups — or even one specific member of those groups — they may be refused promotion past O-6, regardless of their qualifications. On the other hand, connections are helpful when striving for flag rank. For all intents and purposes, the highest a player character can rise in the ranks for actual rank is O-6, barring odd circumstances. Players may receive a pay grade higher than O-6, however.

Warrant Officers

A warrant officer is a specific type of officer, a technical specialist rather than a generalist with command training. Instead of being commissioned by the Grand Duchess as a military officer, a new warrant officer —at the W-1 pay grade — receives a warrant from the appropriate member of the Joint Chiefs who oversees his service branch. Pay grade/ranks W-2 and above are commissioned by the Grand Duchess, however.

The primary thing that sets warrant officers apart from their commissioned brethren is that they remain single-specialty soldiers throughout their careers, focusing on their chosen areas of expertise rather than attaining command and staff positions. The vast majority of warrant officers are formerly enlisted personnel who qualified for warrants after two to five years of service.

Almost all warrant officers are technical specialists, serving in support arms rather than combat arms. The exceptions to this rule are aerospace warrant officers, who can serve as pilots in the Army and Navy, and Army Special Forces warrant officers, who serve in all Special Forces positions. In terms of rank and respect, a warrant officer is roughly equivalent to a commissioned officer of equivalent pay grade, and is usually deferred to in technical matters within their area of expertise. In a command or combat situation, however, a commissioned officer almost always takes precedence.

In game terms, any character with an appropriate character background can begin play as a warrant officer, or become a warrant (officer during play by choosing the Warrant feat. Warrant officers determine their starting promotion points in the same fashion as enlisted personnel and commissioned officers, but learn their pay grade/rank and determine their rank benefits by consulting warrant officer rank table.

Promotion Points	Rank/Pay Grade	Army	Marines (Pre-2023 in brackets)	Navy
0	W-1	Gunnery Warrant Officer Fifth Class	Marine Warrant Officer Fifth Class [Marineinfanterist Feldwebel]	Naval Warrant Officer Fifth Class
3	W-2	Gunnery Warrant Officer Fourth Class	Marine Warrant Officer Fourth Class [Marineinfanterist Oberfeldwebel]	Naval Warrant Officer Fourth Class
7	W-3	Gunnery Warrant Officer Third Class	Marine Warrant Officer Third Class [Marineinfanterist Hauptfeldwebel]	Naval Warrant Officer Third Class
12	W-4	Gunnery Warrant Officer Second Class	Marine Warrant Officer Second Class [Marineinfanterist Stabsfeldwebel]	Naval Warrant Officer Second Class
18	W-5	Gunnery Warrant Officer First Class	Marine Warrant Officer First Class [Marineinfanterist Oberstabsfeldwebel]	Naval Warrant Officer First Class

Enlisted

Not everyone signs up to make a career out of the armed forces. Some people just want to see the sights on the government's credit, others are drawn in by the appeal of the post-service grant money. Some do it to spite family, while others end up doing it by court order. Regardless of the path they took, these people all enlist, comitting to serve for at least 6 years. Enlisted service members form the bulk of the personnel in the three branches that are not career-only - the Army, Marines, and Navy. Even when taking the other three service branches into consideration they still vastly outnumber comissioned officers and warrant officers.

Promotion Points	Rank/Pay Grade	Army	Marines (Pre-2023 in brackets)	Navy
0	E-1	Gunner (GR)	Private (PR) [Soldat]	Crewman (CM)
1	E-2	Gunner First Class (GRF)	Lance Corporal (LCP) [Gefreiter]	Senior Crewman (SCM)
3	E-3	Gunnery Corporal (GCP)	Corporal (CPL) [Obergefreiter]	Lead Crewman (LCM)
6	E-4	Specialist (SPC)	Sergeant (SG) [Hauptgefreiter]	Petty Officer Second Class (POSC)
9	E-5	Gunnery Sergeant (GSG)	Staff Sergeant (SSG) [Stabsgefreiter]	Petty Officer First Class (POFC)
12	E-6	Senior Gunnery Sergeant (SGSG)	Senior Staff Sergeant (SSSG) [Oberstabsgefreiter]	Chief Petty Officer (CPO)
15	E-7	Master Sergeant (MSG)	Sergeant Major (SGM) [Unteroffizier]	Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO)
20	E-8	Senior Master Sergeant (SMSG)	Senior Sergeant Major (SSGM) [Stabsunteroffizier]	Senior Master Chief Petty Officer (SMCPO)
25	E-9	Chief Master Sergeant (CMSG)	Command Sergeant Major (CSGM) [Befehlscorporal]	Command Master Chief Petty Officer (CMCPO)
(By Appointment Only)	E-10	Master Sergeant of the Army (MSGM)	Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SMMC) [Stabsunteroffizier der Marineinfanteristkorps]	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)

Reservists, Guard Members, and Auxilairies

Reservist ranks operate as normal for their service branch, and they receive one-quarter the usual pay for their pay grade.

Guard members receive full pay for any time they are active, including training time. The Alliance Guard maintains the same rank structure as their full-time counterparts, however only the Enlisted ranks are used, as the officers that command the Guard are from the Reserves or the full-time Armed Forces.

The Air Guard (the naval auxiliary force) uses the same rank structure as the Navy, however only the Officer ranks are used. Air Guard rank confers no pay as it is a volunteer force, however members of the Air Guard do gain access to some TAAF-only training programs and are usually considered military personnel for other benefits. The Air Guard is comparable to the modern-day Civil Air Patrol, Civil Air Support, and United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Compensation

Mustering Out & Benefits

When a servicemember leaves active duty during any means other than dishonorable discharge, they qualify for certain benefits managed by the Veteran's Affairs office (TVA). Additionally, they are automatically enrolled in their service branch's corresponding reserves, if one exists. Some benefits are active even while still in the armed forces.

• Business & Education Grants - If an enlisted servicemember serves for at least six years, they receive a 30,000 Credit grant towards starting a business or attending a university. This bonus is increased to 60,000 Credits upon the completion of nine years, and increases again by 30,000 credits every three years after. Officers must serve at least nine years, but receive the same grant upon departure. This is a grant, not a loan, and repayment is not required.
• Business Loans - A servicemember who has received a Business Grant can also apply for a business loan. This functions as an exceptional-quality financial service for a loan, except only 5% up front payment is required - this payment cannot come from the grant money.
• Healthcare - Following the end of their active duty service, servicemembers retain access to TAAF medical facilities and services.
• Home Loans - As long as they have completed a single tour of duty (4 years), all service members qualify for VA home loans. These function as an exceptional-quality financial services for a loan, except only 3% up front payment is required.
• Training - Servicemembers retain access to GRAB-compliant training programs normally restricted to TAAF members, provided they maintain active security clearance.

Uniforms

Terran Alliance Armed Forces Uniforms – TAAF Uniform Regulations originally called for a single armed forces-wide uniform, but this was rejected when different branches of the armed forces protested about the design of the uniform itself. Instead, each branch originally had distinct uniforms, though some of them shared the basic uniform design. This proved to be a logistical nightmare, and complicated matters in joint force operations, so the idea was scrapped after several years in favor of several standardized uniform types. Trim color on the uniform is used to distinguish service branches from each other. The Army is indicated by orange, CEC by dark green, Marine Corps by red, Navy by gray, and TAPS by light blue. Specializations are denoted by additional trim colors: black indicates commanding and executive officers, blue indicates operations personnel, green indicates security, gold indicates engineering, white indicates science and medical, and light gray indicates weapons crew. Each service branch has their own unique take on the uniform, but after the standardization of uniforms this is limited to accoutrements that are added to the uniform – Marines have ceremonial swords as part of their dress uniforms, the Army likes adding lanyards and decorative cords, the CEC wears their Quantum Computing Units and Shield Bracers as part of all uniforms, Administration is known for adhering strictly to the uniform regulations as originally written, and TAPS tends to be rather lax about their adherence to the uniform regulations as written.

• Terran Alliance Armed Forces Dress Uniform – The most formal uniform available to TAAF personnel, the dress uniform is typically worn at military ceremonies, official receptions, diplomatic events, and other special occasions. It corresponds to a civilian white tie or formal dress code, and is worn with the full form of all awards granted to and qualifications earned by the soldier. TAAF uniform code allows this to include non-TAAF awards as well, leading to some dress uniforms for older and more heavily-decorated personnel becoming cumbersome and looking like something more resembling the garb worn by stereotypical 20th century militaristic world leaders. As this is a uniform intended for non-combat situations, it provides no protection at all. The prestige associated with the uniform provides a +4 equipment bonus to Persuasion checks made against civilian citizens of the Terran Alliance (situation and target-dependent). This uniform is available in two variants, one with pants, and another with a skirt that ranges in length from knee-length to ankle-length (chosen by the wearer upon being issued the uniform). Formal shoes are worn with this uniform.
• Terran Alliance Armed Forces Mess Dress Uniform – Designed to be a step down from the dress uniform in terms of formality, the Mess Dress is a uniform that corresponds more to a civilian black tie or semi-formal dress code. TAAF awards are worn in miniature form, while non-TAAF awards are worn in miniature form (if available) or in full form (if not available in miniature form). Qualifications are worn as normal. It is commonly seen worn by TAAF personnel at high-profile social affairs, and like the dress uniform it offers no protection at all. It is not as elaborate as the full dress uniform, but it still provides a +2 equipment bonus to Persuasion checks made against civilian citizens of the Terran Alliance (situation and target-dependent). This uniform is available in two variants, one with pants, and another with a skirt that ranges in length from knee-length to ankle-length (chosen by the wearer upon being issued the uniform). Formal shoes are worn with this uniform.
• Terran Alliance Armed Forces Service Uniform – Corresponding to civilian informal or business attire, this is the everday uniform worn by TAAF personnel not expecting to see combat. Unlike the Dess and Mess Dress uniforms, the Service uniform includes protective elements, providing an element of defense while on-duty. While it does include pockets for storing small items, it contains nowhere near as many as the Tactical Uniform provides, and therefore provides no benefit. This uniform is available in two variants, one with pants, and another with a skirt that ranges in length from knee-length to ankle-length (chosen by the wearer upon being issued the uniform). Unlike the dress uniforms, this uniform includes combat boots.
• Terran Alliance Armed Forces Tactical Uniform – The battle dress uniform of the Terran Alliance Armed Forces is available in a wide range of camouflage patterns, distributed to personnel as the combat situation changes. It has built-in protective elements, providing an element of protection against incoming fire, close-combat attacks, and environmental hazards. Additionally, it contains numerous pockets for storing small items, up to the size of a tool kit. Up to 14 items of up to 1 kg each can be stored in the uniform, items stored in this fashion are treated as if they were 1/4th their weight for the purposes of carrying capacity and can be retrieved with a single move action as if they were stored in a bandolier or utility belt. Unlike the Dress, Mess Dress, and Service uniforms, the Tactical Uniform is only available with pants. As a combat uniform, this uniform is worn with combat boots.
• Terran Alliance Marine Corps Armored Undersuit – This single-piece, form-fitting bodysuit is the day-to-day operational uniform for any Marine that could potentially see direct combat. Officers who might see direct combat have a habit of wearing it underneath their uniforms. The garment is functionally the base layer of a Marine’s armor, doubling both as a protective layer and as a uniform. While the majority of the environmental and physical protection systems are in a Marine’s actual armor, the undersuit contains defensive weaves and insulation, providing a measure of protection to a soldier while out of their armor. The undersuit contains all the standard rank, service branch, and specialization insignias of the standard tactical uniform, and it contains the biomonitor function of the Marine’s armor.