Royal Caledonian Navy

The Royal Caledonian Navy is the military starforce of the Principality of Caledon.

Mostly constructed at the Principality's TL12 A starports, the fleet is a standard-setter among TL12 Navies - largely due to its officer corps and Warrant Officer system. These systems - confusing to outsiders - are outgrowths of centuries of Caledonian naval tradition.

Officers - Caledonian naval officers start as Midshipmen at the Royal Caledonian Naval Academy. Entry into the four-year program is highly competitive, and is open to applicants of all social classes. Being of a noble family can help in gaining admission - but is of no use whatsoever in surviving the program, which features ruthless weeding out of the 50% or so of applicants who start the program (washouts serve the remainder of their four years as enlistees)

Once the midshipment graduate, the focus switches from weeding out to channeling; during their tour as Ensigns, they are separated by aptitude into career paths they'll follow for the rest of their naval careers; the ones judged to have great aptitude as agressive leaders with great tactical aptitude are "Commissioned" by the crown as Sub-Lieutentants (O2); they are on the command track. Officers with other aptitudes are diverted into the Warrant Officer track (see below).

Once commissioned, officers follow the path familiar to most of the world' navy officers:

• O1 - Ensign (a career period mostly spent assessing the young officer's career aptitude)
• O2 - Sub-Lieutenant
• O3 - Lieutenant
• O4 - First Lieutenant (or, if put in command of a smaller vessel, "Corvette Captain")
• O5 - Frigate Captain
• O6 - Captain of the Line

Caledonian officers are chosen for leadership skills - and are expected to exercise them constantly. They are judged by their accomplishments - and are expected to accomplish much. Aggressive leadership is called for (although not stupid or rash leadership). It's "Up or Out" for a Caledonian officer.

Officers (along with the ship's doctor/s, the ship's warrant Pilot and any commissioned Marine officers) have access to their ships' "wardroom" (on vessels large enough to have one - and most will have some sort of "wardroom", even a token space with a table, chairs and the ship's honorifics). The "Wardroom" is a combination dining room and social area, and is administered by the vessel's First Lieutenant (executive officer in Imperial rank); the Captain is allowed into the Wardroom by invitation.

Warrant Officers - While "Commissioned Officers" are commissioned by the Crown, and considered to be on the command track, the technical bedrock of the Navy is the Warrant Officer corps.

Warrant Officers - so named because they are given a "warrant" by the Navy, as opposed to the Crown - are officers in terms of responsibility, but will as a rule never command a vessel. They are experts in their technical fields, and as such highly in demand by the fleets of the various merchant firms (as well as less-reputable employers).

There are two routes into a Warrant Officer rank; selection from among Ensign graduates of the Royal Caledonian Naval Academy, and enlisted personnel who work their way up through the enlisted ranks (providing a second set of ranks through which a talented enlisted sailor's career can progress; upon reaching the rank of "Chief Petty Officer", an enlisted sailor joins the ranks at "WO1" in the list below).

Ships have the following Warrant Officers serving as department heads on vessels in Caledonian naval service:

• Pilot: The "Ship's Pilot" is a warrant officer who manages the pilots in maneuvering, jumping and navigating the ship. Most pilots start as ensigns with high mathematical, navigation and computer skills; about 10% come up from the ranks.
• Engineer: The "Ship's Engineer" is a warrant officer who manages the ship's Jump, Maneuver and Power Plant technicians; 2/3 start as Ensigns, and the remainder come up through the ranks.
• Gunner: The "Ship's Gunner" is the warrant officer in charge of making sure all the ship's guns are on-line and ready to go when needed. Virtually all (95%) Ship's Gunners come up through the ranks.
• Boatswain: The ship's "Boatstain" is responsible for handling cargo loading and stowage, maintaining boats and rescue equipment, and maintaining and managing the ship's airtight integrity. The Boatswain (or "Bosun") also helps the Shipwright with damage control. All Boatswains come up through the ranks.
• Purser: The "Ship's Purser" is in charge of managing ship's supplies, administration, and the service staff (cooks, stewards and supply staff). Most - 80% - start as ensigns.
• Surgeon's Mate - the ship's surgeon's assistant, and usually a highly-qualified medic. Over 90% come up through the ranks.
• Electrician - The "Ship's Electrician" is rarely if ever an actual electrician; the Electrician manages the maintenance of the ship's electronic equipment that isn't part of the drive or weapons systems.
• Shipwright: A vessel's "Shipwright" is a warrant officer in charge of maintaining the ship's hull and major structural elements. Shipwrights frequently alternate tours on shipboard with time working in repair yards, on repair ships, and at contractor shipyards. On shipboard, their most critical duty is damage control, and they are responsible for training the ship's crew in the art and craft of repairing damage under combat conditions.
• Deck Boss - In charge of flight deck and small craft maintenance crews on ships with large wings of shuttles or fighters. Manages the flow of light craft, and the operation of launch and recovery equipment. Almost all come from the enslisted ranks.
• Flight Boss - the warrant officer in charge of "air traffic control" on carriers and ships with large groups of small craft.

Not every ship includes every kind of warrant officer; scouts may have a warrant Engineer and a warrant Pilot along with commissioned Commanders and Navigators. No department will have more than one Warrant Officer (i.e., one warrant officer of any type) although there may be more than one Junior Warrant Officer assisting the Warrant Officer. A ship without a sizeable fighter or small craft wing may not have a Deck Boss or Flight Boss. But most Caledonian navy ships greater than Scout size will have a warrant Pilot, Engineer, Gunner, Boatswain, Purser and Surgeon's Mate.

When a Caledonian naval vessel goes into the reserve, the enlisted men and commissined officers will be reassigned to other ships - but the Warrant Officers will stay with their ships, overseeing refits and repairs and storage, and making sure their departments are ready for re-activation. They only leave the ship when they are promoted to a larger ship (or retire).

The Warrant rank structure is as follows:

• Junior Warrant Officer - can be up to three in a given department.
• WO1 - Department heads in smaller ships (<1000 tons)
• WO2 - Department heads in larger ships (1000-10,000 tons)
• WO3 - Department heads in ships between 1,000 and 30,000 tons
• WO4 - Department heads on ships greater than 30,000 tons.

Warrant Officers (and a ship's Marine NCOs) have access to the "Gun Room" - which has nothing to do with guns. It's analogous to the Wardroom - a dining and social space for Warrant Officers. Neither officers nor the Captain are allowed into the Gun Room without an invitation (barring a life-or-death emergency) outside of fleet and ship special events.

74.203.153.2 19:28, 11 August 2013 (EDT)