Hierarchy

CORPORATE

The corporate side of the VANGUARD is controlled by a board of ten chairpersons and seated at the head of this committee is the Patriarch who is also the Legion Commander of Atlanta. This person controls 30% of the board and so they need only the support of three chairpeople to stand as the majority. Below this board it is broken down into a standard structure consisting of Presidents, Vice-Presidents and Executives dealing without the business side of the organization. Their role is out of the public eye but indirectly dictates the configuration of the military side of the faction through budget and behind-the-scene dealings.

Appearance is extremely important to the philosophy of the VANGUARD and corporate executives are not above the requirement of a uniform. All corporate employees must wear gun-metal gray. With the exception of black foot wear their attire must be this specific color, and all at times they must wear a symbol of the VANGUARD in the form of a lapel pin, brooch or ring.

CAVALIERS

Among the Vanguard is an order of fighter-monks known as Cavaliers that hold standing among in the ranks.

Cavaliers are essentially 'warrior-priests'. They are shining examples of the Vanguard, reminiscent of the Templar Knights themselves. They reflect the highest ideals of 'Humanity', a combination of physical and spiritual perfection.

Within every Legion there are only a handful of Cavaliers. Not many care to live as they do. They are completely devoted to the Faith, there isn't much room for anything else. Converting, preaching and upholding the laws of the Vanguard is all they do.

While they do not take vows of abstinence, they are married to their order and take vows of poverty. They own only that which allows them to best serve the Vanguard and the Faith. They are expected to completely commit to their order and doing so receive a special ranking that compares to their level of devotion.

Cavaliers generally do their own thing. They exist outside of both the military and police sides of the organization and are afforded special privileges to by-pass a certain levels of security protocols.

Cavaliers are highly trained and highly motivated.

MILITARY & LAW ENFORCEMENT

The Vanguard is comprised of three tiers: Corporate / Research and Development, Law Enforcement and a expeditionary military force. Below we will explore the two main recognized tiers that the general populace most often associates them with.

Every branch is referred to as a LEGION and is headed by a Legion Commander who oversees the entire city/area.

The LEGION itself is centrally located, often residing in a building large enough to contain and conduct all their daily operations. Every city, however, will develop sectors and in time the Vanguard will set up what they refer to as a 'bastion', in each sector, which is more or less like a police precinct.

This structure is more urban. The true strength of the Vanguard exists in the military which has absorbed many of the detached personnel of the former United States.

MILITARY TASK FORCE

Due to the fact that a large amount of the Vanguard is former Military they have adapted the Marine Air-Ground Task Force structure (MAGTF). A balanced air-ground, combined arms task organization of forces under a single commander (The Marshal) that is structured to accomplish a specific mission.

There are four core elements:

• The Command Element (CE), a headquarters unit that directs the other elements.

• The Ground Combat Element (GCE) comprising infantry, supported by armor (tanks), and artillery, but may also include special units such as scouts or Recon Battalions, snipers, and forward air controllers.

• The Aviation Combat Element (ACE), which contributes the air power to the MAGTF. The ACE includes all aircraft (both fixed wing and helicopters), their pilots and maintenance personnel, and those units necessary for aviation command and control.

• The Logistics Combat Element (LCE), contains all of the support units for the MAGTF: communications, combat engineers, motor transport, medical, supply units, and certain specialized groups such as air delivery and landing support teams.

The four core elements describe types of forces needed and not actual military units or commands. The basic structure of the MAGTF never varies, though the number, size, and type of Marine Corps units comprising each of its four elements will always be mission dependent.

Within the Military tier of the Vanguard the standard 'Marine Corps' rankings incorporated apply but this is not say that every LEGION possesses the elements of a full MILITARY TASK FORCE. They are mainly for emergency situations and perimeter missions outside of standard Law Enforcement jurisdiction.

EVERY LEGION IS PRIMARILY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT STRUCTURE AND THE MILITARY TASK FORCE COMPONENT IS UTILIZED WHEN NECESSARY.

LAW ENFORCEMENT - BASTIONS & OPERATIVES

Bastions are named in relation to the area of the city they reside and are coordinated by a Marshal who is the right hand of the Legion Commander. Each bastion in turn is controlled by a Captain and from their the ranks branch out to Lieutenants, Staff Sergeants, Sergeants, Lance Corporals and Troopers.

Legionnaire is a term that could describe any Vanguard Officer but it is most commonly used to describe the lowest rank, more popularly known as Trooper.

Every LEGION and BASTION has several departments of specialized personnel, so ranks will vary in accordance. Some of these legionnaires are known as Operatives and outrank common troopers, their authority bordering on the importance of a Lieutenant.

Operatives hold rank like any legionnaire, but their titles are different. They begin as a Cadet then after approximately six months to a year will be promoted to an Officer and referred to as an 'Operative'. From their they can work toward Special Operations or Covert Operations, and these three departments and headed by Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, and finally a Director of Operations.

After the Resonance many of the police officers and soldiers who joined the Vanguard had their previous ranks transferred to a comparable status in the organizations hierarchy. Many of it's initial Operatives were F.B.I. and C.I.A. agents, and much of their legions consist of absorbed military personnel.

LEGIONNAIRES (TROOPERS)

The bulk of the Vanguad's force consists of Troopers, the majority of them law enforcers and soldiers displaced after the Great Resonance. Easy to dismiss as fanatics most Troopers are anything but. They believe in upholding the law, a law that does not tolerate allowances for those possessed of unregulated abilities that threaten the peace. Many are family men and women working to ensure that their children's world will be safe and void of 'free shifted beings' in the future.

They wear stylish gun-metal gray colored uniforms, commonly light weight kevlar armor designed for a wide variety of situations. More serious incursions and specialized departments warrant different types of armor ranging from heavy duty to extremely light weight scouting outfits, whatever is required. The bottom line is that the Vanguard remain uniform at all times. Immaculate appearance is prided upon and an unkept uniform will be reprimanded.

LANCE CORPORAL — TROOPER

Troopers work in six to eight person, partnered units commanded by a Lance Corporal. It is their duty to regulate and conduct their five one of which will be their direct partner. Some Lance Corporals, however, may request for specialization and work outside of unit with a single partner, another Lance Corporal or Sergeant.

STAFF SERGEANT — TROOPER

These higher ranking Troopers are responsible for five to seven units (30 to 56 Troopers). They fall into a coordinating role and only enter the field during full scale operations. They directly under a Lieutenant who oversees all units in a bastion.

SERGEANT — TROOPER

Sergeants who do not take on the role of coordinating Staff remain in the field. They either command a unit which will contain a Lance Corporal or specialize and work with a single partner.

LIEUTENANT — TROOPER

A lieutenant can choose to remain in the field as a specialized officer or accept the position of a commanding role where they are responsible for assisting and carrying out the direct orders of their Captain. A bastion may have several lieutenants.

CAPTAIN — TROOPER

A captain commands a bastion, works in other capacities at the main office or specializes.

MARSHAL — TROOPER

This is the highest rank a Trooper can achieve and is a distinguished role. The Marshal is the bastion overseer and answers directly to the Legion Commander. There is only one per city unless the area becomes so large that it warrants the existence of two to regulate everything.

DEPARTMENTS

The Law Enforcement side of the Vanguard is also divided up into various departments, ranging from Forensics, to Ballistics, to Weapons Development. Investigations is often the area of Operatives but depending on the nature of a case, Legionnaires may be assigned investigative cases.

SPECIAL OPERATIONS

The Vanguard like any other militant faction has specialized operatives. Depending on the nature of their function special privileges are afforded to these teams. They exist in both the Military and Law Enforcement tiers.

OPERATIVES

Troopers that specialize are on the path to becoming an Operative but many often decide to remain serving the Vanguard in a public capacity. Those who choose to continue their training can enter the covert world of an Vanguard Operative, agents prepared for very specific tasks in the war against 'The Altered World'. Highly trained and highly motivated, Operatives are the cream of the crop and it is these Legionnaires that tend to be a little more fanatical than the rest.

Another way to become an Operative is to enter the cadet program right out of basic training. Test scores must reach a certain standard and if the person qualifies they begin Operative training after which they will serve as a Cadet for approximately six months to a year.

Operatives hold rank like any legionnaire, but their titles are different. They begin as a Cadet then, God willing, are promoted to an Officer and referred to as an 'Operative'. From there they can work toward Special Operations or Covert Operations, and these three departments are headed by Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, and finally the Director of Operations who would be equal to if not of greater importance than a Marshal.

If an Operative held a rank from their time as a Trooper, they will retain that ranking and all their accolades.

Operatives wear various styles of the HLNA uniforms including suits when in the public eye. Unless their mission is covert or revealing their color could invariable threaten their well-being they are bound like every other HLNA member to wear the gun-metal gray.

HRAT — HIGH RISK ASSAULT TEAM

Captained by @Samantha Cooke this hand selected of team of ten to twelve individuals is used to carry out precision strikes when all other avenues of diplomacy have been exhausted and the target is deemed to be exterminated with extreme prejudice for the greater good.

HRAT reports only to Legion Commander Strand and are allowed to set their own targets, which sets a stigma on the group in the eyes of Vanguard Legionnaires. So long as they operate with the parameters set by the Legion Commander they are fully funded to carry out their own missions. These missions involve the extermination of hostile 'altered entities'; to strike fear into the hearts of the non-human population and do so while maintaining their anonymity. Above all, HRAT is undercover, nothing they do is to be linked with the Vanguard in order to maintain deniable plausibility. The team does, however, occasionally performs public missions for the Vanguard in High Risk situations where they will wear the gun metal grey uniforms of their faction.

WATCHERS (WATCHMEN)

This is a term used to describe implants in society who the Vanguard have always counted on, and still do, to obtain information and subtly sway the public mind. They are political and law enforcement personnel only (for game purposes no others are allowed). They maintain their lives as such and are truly not part of the Vanguard structure. They do not hold 'rank', they are not part of their daily routines. They are only called upon when necessary and in turn are able to contact the Vanguard with pertinent information. They DO NOT have their own agenda where the Vanguard is concerned.

Watchers HAVE TO maintain their secrecy, if their allegiance and devotion to the Vanguard was ever found out not only would they lose their job but they'd probably go to prison as well.

Any member who wishes their character to be a 'watcher' of the Vanguard must request permission first before doing so. We only allow certain types of characters to play this role, and the requirements vary in accordance with the overall state of the world at the time.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT - SCIENCE DIVISIONS

Because the Vanguard believes that the 'altered' are incurable soulless beings who are no longer the people they were, there is no need to invest time in cures. All their investments in science are to develop better weapons and humane ways to control 'altered' individuals.

Every Legion has a science division headed by a Director of Science. The hierarchy is then simply based on seniority and merit.