What are Ranks?

Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person within a ranking system. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a military hierarchy. It incorporates the principles of exercising power and authority into the military chain of command – the succession of commanders superior to subordinates through which command is exercised. 

Rank is not only used to designate leadership, but to establish pay-grade as well. As rank increases, pay-grade follows, but so does amount of responsibility.

In Halo clans it is common that rank is defined through in-game skill, relationship with members and leadership in events. Apart of ONI and the experience provided is the definitive ranking system that awards players for engagement, challenges and participation all of which using key performance indicators present a fair and competitive metric based progression that simulate a career centered around the role playing narrative of ONI. Ranks are awarded through tenure, appreciation to our members and level a person is in our organization.

TYPES OF RANKS
There are a number of different forms of rank; from highest to lowest degree, they are:

Substantive or permanent: the fully paid and confirmed rank, this is the default type.

Temporary: usually granted for a specific task or mission. The holder holds the rank while occupying that position. Despite the name, temporary rank may be held for a considerable period of time, even years.

War : a temporarily confirmed rank only held for the duration of that war, though war substantive rank may be treated as substantive when considering the holder's eligibility for subsequent promotions and appointments. As our story is revolving around perpetual war, with the Insurrectionists, Covenant, Flood and Banished the rank is permenantly held by a Commanding General or Fleet Admiral O11

Acting substantive: is where the holder assumes the pay and allowances appropriate to the acting rank, but a higher commanding officer may revert the holder to previous rank held. This is normally for a short period of time while the permanent occupant of the office is absent. During wartime, acting ranks are frequently held on an emergency basis, while peacetime holders of acting ranks are often those who must hold their permanent rank for a sufficient period before being confirmed in their new higher rank.

STRUCTURE
Military authority is loosely modeled on the organization of the 21st century United States military. The force numbers given in the descriptions below are ideals, rarely matched exactly in the field. At the higher levels, these numbers include a significant amount of support personnel such as logistics and administration.

Fireteam
A fireteam is the smallest unit of UNICOM's force organization. It contains a total of three soldiers plus a fireteam leader, usually a corporal or sometimes a lance corporal in the Marine Corps.

Squad
A squad contains three Fireteams led by a sergeant for a total of thirteen members.

Platoon
A platoon normally contains three squads (39 personnel); plus the platoon leader, a Second or First Lieutenant; the Platoon Sergeant (the second-in-command), usually a Sergeant or Staff Sergeant; and a medic, for a total of forty-two men.

Company
A company contains four platoons plus a group of personnel assigned as "Company Headquarters Section" (164 personnel). It is commanded by a captain with a company first sergeant. The twelve companies of a brigade or regiment are named phonetically "A" (Alpha) through "M" (Mike) with the exclusion of "J" (Juliet). First Battalion consists of companies A through D, Second Battalion is companies E through H, and so forth.

Battalion
A battalion contains four companies plus a group of command and staff personnel assigned as Headquarters Company (eight hundred personnel). It is commanded by a lieutenant colonel with a battalion sergeant major; this would be a sergeant major in the Marine Corps or a command sergeant major in the Army.

Regiment (Marine Corps) or Brigade (Army)
A Marine Corps regiment contains three battalions, plus a group of personnel assigned as Headquarters Company (3,000 personnel) commanded by a colonel with a sergeant major as senior non-commissioned officer. The Army uses permanent brigades in lieu of regiments, though their unit compositions are largely similar to Marine regiments. Army brigades likewise contain an average of three battalions and their attendant personnel.

Division
A division contains four regiments plus a group of personnel assigned as Headquarters Battalion (14,000 personnel) commanded by a major general. The extra personnel in the force number given are support units, including medical, combat engineering, maintenance, and military police.