Appendix A: Rank and Force Structures of the Equestrian and Gryphon Militaries
Though all the Equestrian service branches use similar ranks except for the Navy, their structure is not unified and joint chains of command can be difficult to determine. A Captain for the Corps is much higher than one for the Army, for example, and the only General the Corps has is its commanding officer while there are several grades of it in the Army, commanding brigades on up.
Equestrian Army:
The Equestrian Army is officer-heavy compared to the other services, and takes up nearly 2/3rds of the available student slots of the Equestrian Officer Academy, which is fair given that it is the largest Equestrian service branch by far. Senior enlisted are expected to enter the Academy at some point in their careers and the Army leadership prefer officers commanding units above platoon, but in practicality, only about a third to half have them. This leads to awkward situations where senior enlisted are outranked by officers commanding units beneath them, yet still have authority over them by virtue of commanding the higher unit. Duels are only too common for this.
The Army would prefer to address this by having senior enlisted as assistants to officers but the Equestrian Officer Academy is simply not able to train all needed, and the other services would say that the army is too liberal with officer appointments and there are not enough deserving candidates anyway.
Given its large size, there has been some discussion of the Army setting up its own separate Officer Academy on the grounds of an existing tactical school called Sunset Pointe for the express purpose of training its officers, but thus far the other services have balked and the Princess has not approved such a request, fearing the Army would become even more insular if she allowed it and the other services would follow suit.
Ranks and Units
Current contingency plans for war with the gryphons call for not increasing the number of units but rather, unit size from brigades on up, in effect doubling the Equestrian Army’s effective strength.
Militia
The Equestrian earth pony militia generally uses army ranks, though there are exceptions there as well, such as the Trottingham militia. Outside of Trottingham, the Earth Pony militia is casually detested by the regular Army for being at best half-trained and motivated. In the event of war, militia ponies would be drafted first but also treated as little better than raw recruits for it.
Equestrian Aerial Corps:
The Aerial Corps has fewer ranks, fewer officers and is more stringent in its chain of command than the Army, though there is wiggle room there as well. Battalions can be commanded by First Lieutenants all the way down to SFCs. The Corps also has the odd rule where all assigned to a base are subordinate to the base commander regardless of rank; this has likewise led to more than a few duels and disruptions of discipline in the past.
The Corps also has a curious dual-track officer system, differentiating between base and unit command above the battalion/outpost level. Captains command divisions but Majors and Colonels command the larger installations they work out of. It is believed this division of responsibility allows unit commanders to focus on training and combat while the base commander handles housing, supply and logistics; as an example, Captain Sirocco commands the 5th division but Outpost Gamma itself is in fact run by Colonel Contrail. There is also only one General in the Corps at any given point—the Corps Commander. In order to make that rank, you have to spend time as both a base and division commander so you know all areas of the Corps.
Ranks and Units
The following is an idealized rank chart, but in practice, there is considerable variation in who commands what on a given border base or unit. At Outpost Omega, which consists entirely of veterans, everypony tends to be higher ranked and thus have a lower level of authority than they typically would elsewhere.
*The Corps will grant a higher starting rank to particularly gifted trainees; about a quarter are named PFCs and given immediate command of a flight while about 5% make Corporal and become new squad leaders. The Corps also has the philosophy that if you train together, you should fight together, so new squads are, as much as possible, drawn from the ranks of the same training company.
In the event of a prolonged large-scale war, contingency plans exist to double the size of the Corps to nearly 30,000 pegasi, giving it the strength of six Gryphon legions. Much like the army, this would be accomplished by increasing the size of existing units above platoon level. Companies would increase from two platoons to three, and battalions from two companies to four, thus tripling their effective strength. Corps battalions participating in the Phoenix Fire operation were reinforced to wartime strength by taking platoons from other Corps Divisions, but reinforcing the entire Corps would take months of training and establishment of additional training bases.
Weather Teams
Weather platoons function as the Aerial Corps artillery arm, a force multiplier used to defend friendly bases and reduce hostile ones. One weather platoon typically consisting of 2-3 weather teams is attached to every outpost as they excel at static defense. They are, much harder to use offensively, however, as weather team members must keep the clouds still while firing them, attracting mage attacks and crossbow bolts. They require air supremacy or the protection of regular Corps soldiers to safely use on the attack. Each weather team is built as follows:
Roles may rotate between team members during drills, but typically the only way the ‘gunner’ gets replaced is if he or she is killed.
Pegasi Militia
The 5,000 strong Pegasi militia in Cloudsdale uses old ranks and tactics dating back to Imperial times, using the classic Aerial Phalanx to fight. In times of war they would be folded into the Aerial Corps, which is a prospect that does not generally please Corps soldiers. Though decently trained in their archaic tactics—ones the Corps feels are badly obsolete—neither they nor their equipment are up to Aerial Corps standards and would require extensive retraining before they could fight effectively as part of the Corps. Despite that, their primary duty is to guard Cloudsdale, and their sheer numbers would make any attack on the great city a very costly affair.
*Denotes an officer rank.
Royal Guard
Whether the Armored Guard or Plainclothes Security Division, the Royal Guard is almost entirely enlisted. Officers are few and there are only two graduated from the Equestrian Officer Academy every year; typically one for the Armored Division and one for the PSD. They command garrisons as well as installations; the highest rank of the Guard is Captain.
Armored Guardspony officers and promising young NCOs like Firefly are often seconded to other services to give them seasoning outside of Canterlot. Conversely, PSD agents often get ‘borrowed’ by the EIS to conduct “Temporary Additional Duty”—domestic surveillance or counterintelligence ops that do not require the services of the Black Lances.
Ranks and Units for the Armored Guard (PSD numbers are classified!)
*Like the Corps, the Royal Guard can give graduating recruits a higher starting rank ranging from Private First Class all the way up to Sergeant, though the latter is exceedingly rare. Also, when an existing soldier from another service transfers to the Guard, they are initially stripped of their rank but often returned an equivalent Guard one upon graduation. There are no exceptions to this, not even for highly decorated soldiers.
As an example, Windshear entered the guard a Sky Sergeant of the Corps, was then reduced in rank to recruit, but was named a First Sergeant of the Guard upon graduation, which was the equivalent Guard rank. This is not automatic, however; the Guard requires you demonstrate you deserve such treatment otherwise they will happily leave you with a reduced rank.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy has a very unique rank system that dates back to the time of the Celestial War, hearkening back to the days when Luna’s signature service assigned titles instead of ranks. Promotions are given too readily but Celestia limits them to only a dozen officers per airship outside of pegasus and transport squadrons to prevent nobles from simply buying their rank and titles.
Reforms have been instituted by Admiral Coral Torch in an effort to make the Navy viable again, but three hundred years of only ceremonial service have taken their toll. Battle Group leaders are given a great deal of autonomy in how they run their ships, meaning that some groups are better trained or disciplined than others.
The Navy also has no less than three rank advancement tracks: Airship Combatants, Airship Transports and Pegasi Squadrons. By tradition, those who pilot transports or belong to pegasus attack squadrons are automatically given officer ranks upon graduation from their respective training. This causes no small of resentment along the enlisted, since they’re the ones that have to keep the airships flightworthy while the Naval Pegasi, who often draw their ranks from the nobles and Cloudsdale well-to-do, tend to look down on the enlisted ranks. Unicorns pilot the transports and tend to be nicer about it, but they, too, chafe at being used as a glorified ferry service.
Gryphon Military
The experienced and well-trained Gryphon Imperial Military has a fully unified command structure across all services with the sole exception of the Paladins, which use an archaic rank structure dating back to ancient times. This enables joint chains of command to be set quite readily and eases the use of the combined arms warfare that the Gryphons favor and excel at.
The Gryphons also have fewer formations than the ponies—they do not have a concept of a battalion, for example—and, although there are some instances of lower ranks being assigned to a higher post in absence of a suitably ranked commander, you will never find any higher ranks subordinated to a lower one in the Imperial Military. They also have fewer enlisted ranks.
Rank Advancement
Gryphon rank advancement can happen either through meritorious service or by winning a duel with a higher-ranked opponent, in which case you gain their rank and armor. There are limits to this, however—warriors cannot generally challenge any more than one rank above themselves else they will lack the training and qualifications of their new post, and all challenges must be approved by a higher rank in the same chain of command. In practice, what this means is that the higher rank you obtain, the greater a warrior you were. Upon promotion to certain ranks, you are required by the Empire to attend a training class or tactical school suitable for your new responsibilities. The sole exception for this is battlefield promotion, as war is the greatest teacher of all.
Enlisted ranks in Black, Officer ranks in Dark Red.
Equestrian vs. Gryphon Military
What follows is a VERY rough equivalent of ranks and units between the Equestrian and Gryphon militaries excepting the Royal Navy. Gryphon ranks are unified between their services and thus apply regardless of service branch. Note that the list of Gryphon ranks is NOT exhaustive!
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Another fun chapter from you.
While i don't wish to discourage you from making lore to complement the story, i kind of was hoping for something a little less dry and textbook-ish.
8693479
Sorry, I completely missed the notification for this comment. You can expect the appendices to be this way, sorry. They're there for interest since I've had people inquire as to things like ranks, and will hopefully satisfy the military geeks who wish to read this story and explain a few things like rank discrepancies. This particular chapter is actually a duplicate of the final bonus chapter of Rise of Firefly, which I strongly encourage reading if you haven't already. You'll find other bonus chapters containing additional information there as well, which I plan to add to this story as well later, if in modified form. My favorite is probably this: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/281029/23/before-the-storm-the-rise-of-firefly/bonus-3---equestrian-military-awards
8683214
Thanks! A real chapter will follow soon.
8706329
I wasn't being sarcastic, I really did like the chapter. :)
Featured!! And damn does this story deserve it.
8708157
I just realized I reversed who my replies were intended for. You were were supposed to get the second one (”Thanks! A real chapter will follow soon.”) while CuriousCurse was meant to get the first.
Apologies; I’ve fixed it now,
8712649
Thank you! Here’s hoping it translates into new likes...
8714061
Let me just channel my inner thestral for a moment... EEEEEEE!!
Ok, I'm good.
8706329
I thought i had seen this before but couldn't recall where. Love hearing from you as your story telling style fills a niche i haven't seen much of and i hope you'll be able to bring this to a satisfying conclusion. I happen to be looking for a few stories to save for my long flight back to the states so i may peruse through some of yours. Any others in particular that you are proud of? I could do for a recommendation or two withing the next 12 hours or so.
8716286
Hmmm... well, depends on what you like! If you mean any other of my own stories, I’ve just taken ownership of the Turnabout Storm novelization, which I was heavily involved in editing/writing.
- MLP: FiM
- Ace Attorney
- Romance
- Adventure
- Comedy
A famous racer is found dead in the Everfree, and Rainbow Dash stands accused of his murder. Can an Ace Attorney from another world uncover the truth and prove her innocent, or will Rainbow Dash be banished to the sun for a crime she didn't commit?If you haven’t seen the videos/read the story, it’s an Ace Attorney / MLP crossover that was started in the early days of the fandom and I’m now bringing up to date with a massive editing pass. It’s one of the top-tier MLP crossovers, and has already spawned three side stories of my own, of which two are the Firefly stories. Yes, that came from there. It’s a long story and should do you just fine for a long trip!
I’m a clopfic writer as well. If that’s your thing, I’ve got several good ones. I highly recommend Five Star Service (you’ll have to click my stories link to see it), which is about as unusual a story as you’ll find on site, told in style of a mare writing magazine articles on her life and how an organization called Gentleman for Mares came about. That’s part of a much larger verse and it’s been very well-received. If you like anthro, I have an adult romance novel out for sale on Amazon as well. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LDIV8QI
Aside from that... if you’re looking for more military action, may I suggested Feathered Heart? It’s a modern Gryphon/US Marine crossover set in the Gentlemanverse with Gilda as protagonist. It shouldn’t work, but it really does:
- MLP: FiM
- Romance
- Adventure
The exploration of the Gryphon Kingdom and the love between a human and a griffin. While securing trade routes, Gilda reminisces how the humans arrive, the trials they face together, and the one who stole her heart. Set in the Gentlemanverse.I guess without knowing your exact tastes, it’s hard to make recommendations. But maybe these will do you. Safe travels!
8848525
Welcome! Hope you enjoyed the stories so far. Another Firefly chapter will be released hopefully next weekend.
8863317
*Waits
impatiently for more Firefly goodness.8885657
Wait no longer!
That was so well detailed
. Twilight would be proud
.
8910829
! I'm just dying to see it
!
Can't wait for what you have planned next
This has to be one of the best stories I have ever read. I really hope this story continues, it has captured my attention and I want more.
8939207
Appreciated!
More is coming...
8947203
Figured I'd drop by and say hi! Love your story but it's been a while since there was an update. Hope all is well!
9027417
I appreciate it! With apologies, I've stopped updating stories on site for a few months so I can focus on writing an anthro novel I've been letting languish for years. Details here: https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/813434/some-bad-news
To make a long story short, I'll return to updating my fimfiction stories in the fall.
Once again, very well planned
.
9154664
Eeyup
.
I do sincerely hope that this story is finished I'm quite invested in it now XD
9187564
Thank you! I have every intention of finishing it, but it may take a while to get there... Before the Storm took two-plus years to write; this will likely take even longer.
9188055
I did not know that!
I’ll have to find a way to incorporate that fact later...
9190578
I'm glad you plan on finishing it but if you ever need any help with it let me know, I'm no writer myself but I am more than willing to help in any other way
Well... There was a new chapter.
9196806
It’s fixed. They really should put a confirmation check on that.
Sorry, I must have accidentally clicked the unpublish button.
9196840
You'll want to consider a blog post on it if the views are abnormally low, it can sometimes mess with chapter notifications.
9201471
!
I eagerly await the next chapter
9201471
Yeah, it happens, you're just lucky it vanished between me seeing the chapter and me clicking it to read it... I was very confused by it going to a different chapter.
9288993
YEEEAAAAAHHH!!!!!
So i am up to date now, and i realy realy like your story.
I see you are realy activ, chatting with everyone, but the last update was nearly one year ago?
Is this on hiatus or do you still want to contuniue it any time soon?
Labpony
9407052
Glad you’re enjoying! But you might want to check the release dates again.
I’m assuming you looked at the Appendix since that was the last chapter in sequence, and it was released in January 2018. But check the date of Part 12 - Call of Duty instead, and you’ll get the real answer of when this last updated. In short, the appendix always stays at the end of the story, even though other chapters have been released since.
So yes, I’m still working on this, and as a matter of fact, I just started a new chapter on it this week. Look for it to be released hopefully before month’s end, and another one within a couple weeks after that as I attempt to finish off the Epsilon battle and close out the first day of war.
9434324
That was a paraphrase. The real, entire quote is
"Ten spears go to battle,” he whispered, “and nine shatter. Did that war forge the one that remained? No, Amaram. All the war did was identify the spear that would not break.”
Here's another for you , maybe for a griffin to use.
"When you see that your opponent is about to get back up, you must act quickly to crush his knees. Then he will bow and present you with his skull. " ___Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer
9439948
Personally I have the Pony POV Series in my favourites it consist of multiple long stories with the longest being about 800,000 words long. All stories are completed despite FimFiction saying the one about Tirek is incomplete.
9407095
Looking forward to more chapters, keep up the awesome work
Was wondering if, after these are complete, there'd be any plans to humanize the story and then actually publish. People would buy it if you went that route.
9456085
Indeed. A lot of it is simply Ideological Casus Belli pretending to be other things, but some of it is very much authentic. Celestia's power is terrifying, to say the least, and from where they stand this war has well and truly become one of survival against a creature they see as hopelessly over-powerful and unstable.
Or, they're using that excuse to conquer the world. I lean towards that one, personally.
9456092
That's fair. Personally, as a navy geek myself my group and I have put a lot of work into our airships.
Still can't help but feel Luna is smiling down on Loyalty and her crew, though.
9456127
Operation: Barbarossa, eh? I guess that'd make Cloudsdale, what, Stalingrad?
9455082
I did promise a written version of the original story when it hit 300 likes, and we’re getting within striking distance of that now. But a humanized version...? I don’t know. I don’t really want to see this lose its pony identity, and I know other people have published written MLP works (like FoE) so I’m not entirely certain what I can and cannot do with this right now.
9452889
Appreciated! The next chapter is already well underway...
9456134
Only reason I suggest human is the possibility of hasbro throwing a copyright/trademark fit.
Shouldn't Celestia be able to do something like this?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J0ldO87Pprc
It probably would have ended the war a whole lot quicker.
Yaaaay I got caught up.
9497387
that...is an excellent point. I especially loved the bit this chapter about Fell Flight eating all the mangoes and not leaving any for anyone else.
9498101
you say that like its a bad thing the only bad part about this is the w8 your fic's are very good and i enjoy reading them
9498127
Which means you are finding a way around dividing by 0.
And then calc 2 is going backwards. Which is as confusing as it sounds for anybody seeing this conversation without experience.
9498637
And then Calc 3 is taking all that to the next dimension.
9498871
And then Ordinary differential equations makes those differentials practical.
9500306
Thanks! Come to think of it, I still owe you guys replies on all your prereading comments. That aside, you should really give the chapter another read now. When you pre-read it, it didn’t have the graphics and storm diagrams it does now. I’d be curious to know if they help you understand things better as far as how the storm works and what they were trying to do.