Qualification badges -military

[Mithras]

I was wondering if the Traveller universe, MTU or OTU, could use qualification badges like the US military, just going a bit further. There aren't many skills in Traveller books 1-6. What do you think? I'm designing a uniform and wonder about this feature.

Skills would be represented by 6 levels of qualification. ATV, Pilot, Vacc suit etc. It would help tie the character into the UPP a bit more too.

Levels? Basic, Advanced, Expert ???

 

[HG_B]

Levels? Basic, Advanced, Expert ???

Which version of Trav as they treat skill levels differently.

 

[Mithras]

Well it would be Classic, maybe including books 4, 5 and 6.

Would it make the uniforms look too cluttered? Like boy scouts with those qual badges down the arms? Then again, as I said, Classic doesn't dole out too many skills ...

Levels might be interpreted as basic, advanced, expert, master I, master II and master III. I've worlked out what these level badges might look like too.

So a Navy starman with Gunnery-1, Gun-Cbt-1, Vacc Suit-1 and Computer-2 would have 4 qual badges, two on each forearm; his highest would be Advanced Computer (2).

 

[aramis]

Paul, they're unlikely to be on the arms. Your current rating might be (it's a convenient place for that), but actual qualifications are likely to be worn on a large flat spot. Like the chest.

If we assume a 2x2cm badge, a typical pocket can have 3-5 across the flap.

So your sample starman would have his pocket flap covered. Not busy at all, for a dress uniform.

 

[Mithras]

Ah thanks. I'm a bit confused about when and with what uniforms these qualification badges are worn. Remembering my research on the Vietnam War I remember that CIB, CMB, aviator and parachute badges can be worn on 'fatigues'. So I can see a starman having badges for vacc-suit, navigation etc.

But does it work like that? I know a full dress uniform will probably include all relevant decorations and badges, but what about combat/flight/utility uniforms? On some currently deployed US personnel I don't see many badges at all on combat BDUs.

 

[HG_B]

http://www.usmilitarystuff.com/navy-stuff/badges-cap-and-collar-deivces/badges-1/

 

[Sturn]

((Sorry I rambled))


For more realism, I wouldn't equate exact levels with qualification tags like Basic, Advanced, Expert, etc. I've pondered certification tests in the past although this isn't exactly the same as qualification awards.

If you stay with only three levels of badges it may feel more realistic to group so a certain badge doesn't specify an exact level. A.i. Basic 0-1, Advanced 2-3, Expert 4+. This could get confusing though for some since versions of Traveller use the same titles for different skill levels.

Having a player take a qualification test, a task roll, would add realism but I wouldn't want to get into that much detail unless you were running an active military campaign. I don't think I would like having players roll for various qualifications and certifications while mustering out, but it's an idea. Create a personnel file during MO perhaps? Later, if you botched your test, you could pay for another test? Forced retesting every 4 years?

Current military badges don't really represent a skill level in my opinion. For example, someone learning basic marksmanship in training is immediately granted a badge for their uniform based upon a single marksmanship test where luck could be a huge factor. This is granted to a basic recruit who in, Traveller terms, would have a skill level of 0 in the weapon. But, the full range of badges is granted to recruits (and later after basic training) with some earning a high ranking badge who really aren't "experts" or "masters"

US Army uses Marksman, Sharpshooter, Expert for its badges. Anyone with even a little bit of training should be able to qualify Marksman, probably Sharpshooter if they take it seriously. Unless someone has some sort of innate hiccup when it comes to weapons, a little more training gets them an Expert badge. But, I wouldn't give any of these people more then a skill level of 0 unless they repeatedly, test after test, earned Expert.

 

[samuelvss]

The U.S. Army currently uses qualification badges, a limited number (3-4ish) can be displayed in subdued form on the current version of fatigues, the ACU. Numerous skills are not addressed, and many are a "been-there-done-that," implying no skill at all, like the combat infantryman, and the modern addition, the combat action. Some, such as pathfinder and parachutist, indicate a qualification; one with the parachutist badge can jump out of perfectly good aircraft while in flight. Aviators have pilots wings for this purpose, with seniorirty being indicated by a "senior," and "masters." Note, a master aviator has flown more than the junior, which means he or she will TEND TO be a much better pilot, on average. Some, like the marksmenship badge, are displayed on dress uniforms only; this, though, indicates the most recent level of qualification with a weapon. It has hangers for every type of waepon one can imagine. The previous version of fatigues, used sew-on subdued qualifiacation badges (wings, etc.). There were also tabs for schools (Ranger, Special Forces, and Sapper).

Bottom line, pilots would likely have "wings," differing for the type of vehicle. Someone in the CT military with Air/Raft-4 would likely have some kind of impressive doodad on the fatigue uniform. Combat Rifleman-4, maybe. Jack'o T-2, probably not. Tactics-2, probably not. In Book 4, commando school, probably. Mechanics-4, quite possibly, but mechanic-1 probably not.

 

[aramis]

The Army's Expert badge was, when I did basic in 87, issued for M16 by hitting 59+ of 60 man sized pop targets at a mixture of ranges from 100 to 1500m, when given 60 rounds of ammo, on any one of 5 qualification attempts. Sharpshooter was 55+, IIRC, and Marksman was 45+ or so. I requalified expert on 1st attempt; 59 targets dropped with 3 rounds remaining. (I had 3 shots that hit two targets each. Poor course design, IMO.)

When I qualified as a cadet, the year before, it was a total aggregate score of 380+ (of 400) on 20 rounds each at 100m & 250m standard NRA paper targets. 3 cadets made expert out of a company of 115 shooting, and 20+ made the 360 required for sharpshooter. Region waivered the unit to wear the army badges, issued by the AK Army National Guard. 12 failed the 320 required for marksman; that's an average of hitting the 8 ring or better. It was actually harder to get the NRA badges than the military ones.

Current army qualification badges for weapons are essentially based upon level 0 skill and dex... so for CT, I'd say Sum of Dex adjustment and level of 0 = Marksman, +1 = sharpshooter, +2 Expert, and +4 = sniper.

Most qual badges are not skill based... they're accomplishment badges.

Airborne wings are not granted for being able to parachute. They're granted for having completed the airborne school, or for having completed a combat jump in an active theater. Senior is 30 jumps, of those, 15 with full TO&E combat gear, 2 night jumps, and having lead others in jumps. Master is 65, 25 with full TO&E combat gear.

In CT/MT terms, if one is army or marine and has parachute skill, he should have basic wings. For senior, In basic CG, roll terms since getting the skill or less to have earned senior, and master would be made the senior roll, and, adding another die to it, still made it. For Advanced CG, each combat tour gets 1d6 qualification points towards award, as does gaining a level in skill; at 20 and 40 one gets senior and master.

The CIB is a "I was in an infantry unit in actual combat and survived" with a once per war per soldier limit. Higher awards are for additional wars in which it was earned.

In CT/MT advanced CGen terms, character is in infantry, and has raid, counter insurgency, or police action.

The other element, tho, is that typical restrictions result in many senior enlisted not being able to wear all of their badges. Even some cadets have run into the limits.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachutist_Badge_(United_States)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_Infantryman_Badge

 

[Mithras]

Many thanks for this great information, its always useful to hear from people who've actually worn these things! I've also been doing some reading on the Royal Navy, and found out that (especially in WW2) ratings (equivalent to rank) were divorced from measure of trade or branch skill level.

A petty officer may have had a trade, but be at a very low level; whereas an able seaman may have been very skilled. Such skill was/still-is denoted with increasing numbers of stars and crowns above/below the trade/branch insignia on the arm.

This strikes me as being very like Classic Trav, where skill level is almost divorced from rank.

You would recommend that I stick to 'your current job' though? Especially on ship-board duty uniforms. I still like the idea of qualification with air/raft, vacc-suit etc being represented on a duty uniform...

I suppose that any trade or skill level awarded need not resemble the US Army's method of 'testing', but could be an actual Navy course with assessment, courses grades, etc. and eventual licence to operate, work at that trade. The kind of thing I imagine you'd need to work on jet airframes/engines today, or to work as a Navy diver.

How about an unnumerated qualification patch. Each skill is given a discrete breast pocket patch. Your job or position on board ship is your shoulder patch, and that might have your skill level marked with accompanying stars/wreaths/crowns/sunbursts - whatever...

 

[Mithras]

Let me pick someone from 1001 Characters: Navy Starman 86

Starman 9976B9 Age 30 3 terms Cr20500
Medic-1, Computer-2

I rank him as Petty Officer 2nd class. He wears a Medic Skill badge on his right chest, but his trade is Computer, marked as Advanced, with a partial wreath around the badge.

I'll try another, Starman 25, the oldest I could find at age 50.

Starman 344BC6 Age 50 8 terms Cr117,000
Navigation-2, Computer-3, Medic-1, Ships Boat-1
I rank him as Senior Chief Petty Officer. He wears a Medic and Computer skill badge on his right breast pocket, and also Ship's Boat piloting wings. His current position is navigator on a non-starship or patrol cruiser, and he wears the Navigation skill badge on his right shoulder, again with partial wreath to mark as Advanced. If he gets the transfer he's after, he will move onto a larger ship or a base as a sensor systems analyst, and swap his shoulder patch for a computer patch, with unbroken concentric wreath surrounding the patch (denoting level 3: expert).

Hmm, it seems to work at this scale.

 

[aramis]

Actually, Paul, Ratings and Rank are not equivalents.

A rating is what you're judged competent to do. In some uses, it includes proficiency measures, stated as if a rate. In some fields, ratings start at apprentice; in others at 3rd class, and rise to 1st class, then chief. In some uses (I've seen this on USCG DD214's), Apprentice is listed as 5th class, and able as 4th class.

Your grade is what you get paid
Rate is the combined device

Your rank is how much authority one has. In the USN, currently, your rank is the lowest of grade and rating, tho they are all the same scale.

Take, for example, a buddy of mine.
Rating MA2 (Master at arms, 2nd Class)
Grade: E2.3 (E3 grade, service time column 3, which is over 4 years service)
Rate: Apprentice Master At Arms (MA5)
Rank/rate insignia: the two white stripes of a Seaman Apprentice under the specialty mark shield of a master at arms. (He was required to manufacture this by chopping the specialty mark out of one of his MA2 stripes... since the minimum grade for becoming an MA was, at the time, E5, and the MA rating runs MA2, MA1, CMA)
Notes: grade reduced due to disciplinary actions, and rate also reduced. Rating, however, remained the E5-level MA2.

Another sailor:
Ratings HM4 CTC (Formerly IT1)
grade E7
Rate CTC (Chief Telecomm Specialist)
Rate device: CTC, gold stripes (has multiple GCM's) - eligible to, but does not, wear his army Expert Field Medic badge.
Notes: Was army medic, was off active duty 4 years, in Army Guard. Joined USCG active; rated HM4 out of basic, but never wore the specialty mark, and was sent to A-School for Telecom. Graduated rated TC3, having passed the competency exams, and restored to paygrade E4. Rate was split while he was a TC2, and he was an IT2, then an IT1, then IT and RM recombined, and was a TC1, and recently, CTC. No longer eligible to wear his Army Sharpshooter M-16, but does wear his USCG Pistol and Rifle qual ribbons.

The Navy Model:
you sleeve tells people your basic competencies: how much authority, and in what field.
Your chest says how your career has gone, and if you have special secondary trainings. (Ribbons: which wars, and how brave, and if you behaved {GCM}.
Warfare Pins, Wings: I'm qualified to do my job in this chunk-of-service. Other specialized marks: I have special skills not covered in the Rate/Rating system.)

The Army Model:
Sleeve & shoulder says who your general is, possibly who your colonel is, how long you've been in, and how much authority you have.
Lapel says which sub-service (Infantry, Armor, Aviation, Medical, Engineers, Signal)
Ribbons say where you've been and how brave you are.
Stuff above ribbons is special honored fields
Stuff below ribbons is "I'm qualified on this gear"
Stuff on bottom of pocket is "I have this special duty"... Recruiter, Attache/Aide, etc.

 

[Major B]

Just a short add-on since I'm in agreement with almost all that has already been posted.

Many of the skills in traveller are core to whatever MOS the character holds, such as gunnery or communications, so wouldn't warrant a skill badge in my opinion.

Most US Army skill badges are really accomplishment badges as has been noted previously, but there are some exceptions. Also the badges themselves come in many forms - some are badges and some are tabs like those worn by rangers and special forces.

Example - a graduate of the US Army Airborne School would in my opinion hold the skill parachute-0 and is awarded basic (or bald) wings. That soldier could go to an airborne unit and over several years complete a hundred jumpos in all kinds of conditions and still wear bald wings despite being skilled at level 3 or 4 in parachute skill.

Senior airborne wings are awarded for completion of jumpmaster school and 30 jumps. You must have twelve fixed-wing jumps even to attend jumpmaster school and the course requires passing two demanding skill tests, but it doesn't award a badge in itself - just a skill identifier in your personnel file. Master airborne wings are awarded for completion of 65 jumps, including a specified number of jumps serving as a jumpmaster.

I haven't specified skill badges IMTU but I think they would be of essentially the same character as I've described. Drop troops would be awarded a badge upon completion of specified training but there is no skill awarded in the game to govern riding a drop capsule. Completion of training in the use of battle dress would not award any type of badge although it would grant the character a skill and a notation in his personnel file.

 

[aramis]

Major B, There is addenda in TD15 that adds "Drop Operations" to Special Combat. It's the skill of putting your capsule down where you're supposed to.

 

[Major B]

Thanks Aramis. I have to add that to the list of stuff I need.

I thought about this a bit over lunch and have a suggestion. If the purpose for including decorations in YTU is to be a sort of introductory for NPCs to the PC group or for the PCs to potential patrons, then the list below might help.

I think the total potential number of badges should be kept to a small number, but that is just personal preference. More variety can be added by using gradations such as some of the German Army's skills badges I recall. And they should be for events of significance or competency in core skills or qualifications in extraordinary skills.

Events of Significance:
- Assault Badge: awarded for assaults from orbit - bronze for 1st, silver for 4th, gold for 7th.
- Naval Action Badge: awarded for participation in a major naval engagement, colored as above
- Combat Service Bars: one short gold bar embroidered on the lower sleeve (near the cuff) for every six months serving in a surface combat assignment.

Competence in Core Skills:
- Marksmanship Badge
- Pilot Wings (maybe a distinction between thruster pilot and jumpspace pilot or astrogator)
- Grav Vehicle "pilot" badge

Extraordinary Qualifications:
- Commando Badge: awarded upon completion of commando school
- Drop Capsule Qualification Badge
- Zero G combat Qualification Badge

This plus medals or ribbons or some device to denote award of commendations, campaign participation, awards for valor or for wounds suffered in service.

 

[Mithras]

Ha, a more tailored approach rather than a block transfer of skills into badges. I can certainly create these badges, I like the challenge!

I'll look at these German skill bages, also, to see what I can learn....

 

[samuelvss]

I would agree with Major B, generally.

A distinction could be reiterated: what I wear on my dress or full dress unifrom, and what I wear when I'm turning a wrench or hitting the deck. Also relevant, what uniform does one wear in the starport or going home one leave: probably a dress uniform of some lower degree, which would show more than a utility/work/fatigue uniform.

I do think in a highly technical branch like the Navy, though, there would be more skill/qualification badges, certainly for easily quantifiable warfighter skills, like Gunnery, and Ship's Boat. Also, the valuable skills like Engineering, and Navigation would probably be added. Navy wold probably not have small arms badges, except possibly for dress unifroms. "Soft" skills like Admin, Liaison, Ship Tactics, Fleet Tactics wold probably not have any on-uniform recognition.

I would have battledress, because of the value of the equipment, taught at a special school, with a qualification badge.

There is also the fact that one may not wear all the badges one is entitled to: there may be space or other considerations. I am entitled to wear two badges that have no relevance to my job teaching Command and General Staff College for the U.S. Army, so I just avoid wearing them on my duty uniform. Similarly, those with too many, will pick and choose what they wear.

 

[Hemdian]

I was wondering if the Traveller universe, MTU or OTU, could use qualification badges like the US military, just going a bit further. There aren't many skills in Traveller books 1-6. What do you think? I'm designing a uniform and wonder about this feature.

IMTU lots of decoration on a IN uniform has fallen out of style over the millennia. The only uniform decorations are for actual medals (PH, MCUF, MCG, SEH). On the other hand there are competence certificates placed on a person’s service record. If the individual has the requisite skills they can sit an exam (at the service’s expense) to gain the certificate. This aids people transition into civilian employment when their service comes to an end: while their service record may be sealed, certificates can be moved onto their civilian resumes.

 

[fredofmars]

<snip>There is also the fact that one may not wear all the badges one is entitled to: there may be space or other considerations. I am entitled to wear two badges that have no relevance to my job teaching Command and General Staff College for the U.S. Army, so I just avoid wearing them on my duty uniform. Similarly, those with too many, will pick and choose what they wear.

Another option for the hi-tech environment of the IN might be some kind of display on the chest that could cycle through the various "badges" you could be wearing. Wearable displays are currently possible as built in parts of garments (and have been for a few years), and should be pretty easy to do at the IN's available tech levels - even TL12 should be able to do these pretty well compared to our ability in 2011 CE.

An alternate version could be a holographic display, so you could end up with a bunch of badges hovering right in front of you that is larger than your chest could hold if they were physical objects.

 

[kbailey]

Skills go to LVL 5. a 2 roll is an inherent failure. a 3, plus skill 5, is a normal success. Skills in excess of 5 are difficult to apply a metric to.

So, skill 1 is basic. Fair enough, you get a basic qualification. Skill 2 is better, but 3 is better yet for advanced. Skill 4 better, but 5 is best, and top of ability to measure, so we make that the expert. So there's a rubric: 1=BASIC, 3=ADVANCED, 5=MASTER.
Natch, a 2 gives you improved dice rolls and chances of success, and this REALLY MATTERS most when you have challenging situations. Samo for a 4 skill level.

And of course, the plucky JOAT, who may survive long enough to actually sit and pass a basic qualification test- someday.