Earthforce Awards

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any kind of list of the awards that Earthforce puts out to it's people? I know they have a silver star as Sheridan was awarded one during the Earth - Minbari War. I'm just wondering what kind of thing my characters would be wearing on their dress uniforms. Thanks guys and gals.

 

[frobisher]

I'm just wondering what kind of thing my characters would be wearing on their dress uniforms. Thanks guys and gals.

Well, there's Sinclair's "Survivor of the Battle of the Line" medal thing (which would presumably have a ribbon).

 

[Enlightened Bystander]

Of course, giving someone the line medal leads to all sorts of trouble (they've got to be twenty-eight+ at show start, few levels, including probably at least one of officer etc...)

 

[psyclonejack]

Does anyone have any kind of list of the awards that Earthforce puts out to it's people?

From www.usmedals.com:
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MEDALS
Today, there are two categories of military medals: decorations and medals. Decorations are awarded for valor or meritorious service. They are traditionally in the shape of a star, cross, hexagon or similar heraldic design. Although a few decorations are round, the circular shape is used almost exclusively for service medals. These medals are awarded for good conduct, participation in a particular campaign or expedition. There are 4 official forms of a military medal ... the 3 basic methods for wearing medals are Full Size, Miniature Medals on formal dress and Ribbon Bars. An Enamel Lapel Pin is worn on civilian suits and many Veterans use the enamel hat pin on their hats.

UNIT AWARDS & RIBBONS WITHOUT MEDALS
This is a special class of honors that comes as a ribbon only award since there is no medal associated with it. The first such awards were the Presidential Unit Citations established by the Army and Navy in World War II as a reward to units/ships cited for collective battle honors and as visual recognition to the individuals serving in these units or ships. All the services now have several ribbon-only awards for specific purposes (i.e., Recruiting Duty, etc.).

SKILL BADGES
Also There are skill badges: marksmanship medals, ribbons and badges which denote various levels of skill. The Navy and Coast Guard use marksmanship medals, the Army and Marines use badges and the Air Force uses a ribbon.
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My players are currently in the Dilgar War. And that gives them plenty of opportunities to collect medals and citations. Just looking at the amount of medals that are available for armed conflicts its easy to swap them over to the EF in the B5 universe.

Just spewing some fact,
Psyclonejack

 

[frobisher]

Of course, giving someone the line medal leads to all sorts of trouble (they've got to be twenty-eight+ at show start, few levels, including probably at least one of officer etc...)

Age would be 31+ I think (2247 (Battle of the Line), 18 to join Earth Force and then 3 years for flight school and OCS).

Any survivors of the line should be Officer (fleet or pilot), no pure Gropos as they wouldn't have been deployed to the ships (no need). Evac shuttle pilots wouldn't count as they weren't directly involved (that's what the whole battle was protecting, and they would have been next).

I'd want any Line Survivors to be at least 6th level.

Mind you, I'd also have no qualms about starting a campaign with a mix of characters at differing levels, according to their back story. That's probably the Traveller and (FASA) Star Trek GM in me more than anything else. Positions of command need older, more experienced characters


I'd certainly be wary of appointing a first level character at anything over the Rank of Lt(jg) or 1st Lt, and certainly no decorations other than Purple Hearts.

 

[Anonymous]

Any survivors of the line should be Officer (fleet or pilot), no pure Gropos as they wouldn't have been deployed to the ships (no need). Evac shuttle pilots wouldn't count as they weren't directly involved (that's what the whole battle was protecting, and they would have been next).

I'd say that Gropos are possible. My impression is that things were so stretched that all sorts of people could find themselves filling roles they wouldn't normally. EarthForce put everything they had left into the air and if there weren't enough navy types available to crew them all, then ground pounders could find themselves making up the numbers. Similarly, if an shuttle pilot found himself being bounced by a couple of Nials and somehow managed to survive (!!!!) they might be in line for a medal (they'd certainly deserve one).

 

[frobisher]

I'd say that Gropos are possible. My impression is that things were so stretched that all sorts of people could find themselves filling roles they wouldn't normally. EarthForce put everything they had left into the air and if there weren't enough navy types available to crew them all, then ground pounders could find themselves making up the numbers.

Ships wouldn't be fully crewed, certainly they wouldn't need security or troops. Not that the Omega was in service during the war, but the figure should serve. It was noted in "Endgame" that the crew of the Omega destroyers at that point was 1000. That'll likely be a full complement including the troops we saw in that episode... However, captain Gideon notes that 300 crew were lost on his old ship, the Cerberus (?) and that was operating as a deep range patrol, and was obviously fully crewed for that duty. Now, reduce that by a third (take three shifts down to two) and you'd have a ship operating at getting on for a minimum level (and it could probably go lower) You don't need any troops or security on board for their normal duties, ditto janiters and certain other ancillaries, so that figure could probably come down further, but in any case it looks like an EA capital ship could probably operate on 20% of its normal, maximum combat crew complement given the "last stand" conditions.

Now, yes, they'd taken significant losses, but there would be no need to deploy untrained personnel in ship critical functions, when they would in fact be better deployed in "Iraqi Republican Guard" mode pending the Minbari coming down to finish off Earth planetside.

To the best of my knowledge, the infantry in Earth Force don't deploy space fighters, that's the Fleet's job.

What you might have, thinking about it, would be the Flight School students from the training academies being put up in whatever fighters/trainers came to hand, but again, these would be destined to be Officers(Fleet/Pilot) not Soldiers.

The big thing is, they've been loosing ships and fighters hand over fist. The one thing the Earth wouldn't have is a man power shortage...

Similarly, if an shuttle pilot found himself being bounced by a couple of Nials and somehow managed to survive (!!!!) they might be in line for a medal (they'd certainly deserve one).

Absolutely, if that happened. However, said character I'd like to have had at least 8 or 9 levels in Officer(Pilot) at that point before I'd even let them talk me into it...

 

[Natxomann]

The EarthForce sourcebook (from the old Babylon Project RPG) , stated clearly that both officers and enlisted personnel can change from one operational branch to another easily , while retaining their original designations for military graduations in the process . It is for this that we can see majors and colonels commanding ships , and even generals commanding fleets . It is also for this that Earthforce used the generical designations of E-1 to E-9 for enlisted personnel and O-1 to O-9 for officers .
Because of it , a former fleet officer or petty officer , that fought as fighter jock or starship crewmember at the line , can become later a ground pounder , retaining the naval rank designation , and the medal of the line .
Hmmm... this could lend itself to be used as a background idea by the player , as the traumic experience of the line caused the character to ask for transfer to the ground forces .

 

[Lane Shutt]

Ships wouldn't be fully crewed, certainly they wouldn't need security or troops...You don't need any troops or security on board for their normal duties, ditto janiters and certain other ancillaries... but in any case it looks like an EA capital ship could probably operate on 20% of its normal, maximum combat crew complement given the "last stand" conditions.

Now, yes, they'd taken significant losses, but there would be no need to deploy untrained personnel in ship critical functions, when they would in fact be better deployed in "Iraqi Republican Guard" mode pending the Minbari coming down to finish off Earth planetside.

A real world Navy would try to keep ships as well manned as possible, even in a "last stand". Even security troops would be useful. I suspect that Gropos assigned to ships would be trained in zero-G and space suits, probably basic damage control as well. Those "ancillaries" you mention (boy I wish we had janitors) would be present, they would be trained in damage control and probably request to stay with the ship rather than wait on the ground to soak up bullets for the Gropos.

In case you didn't notice Damage Control is very important. A few good hits could take out power to the main weapons, a few good men could restore it in minutes. HAving a full crew also prevents a few casualties from reducing combat effectiveness. I do not remember how the Minbari dealt with disabled ships, if they left them to deal with later a good fleet commander would want his ships manned so they had the chance to return to the fight.

This means that Gropos and even the lowly E-1 cook fresh out of basic training could have received the medal for the "Battle of the Line". Given the fact that people often leave the service then return you could even have a junior (1-2 levels) officer with levels as enlisted and civilian wearing the "Battle of the Line" award.