FWL Medals question

[Drop Bear]

OK I've checked HB Marik, FM FWL and HHB FWL and I can't find the Order of Precedence for the FWLM after the Big Gongs, do they go by Grade or do they go "Merit -> Valor -> Service -> Achievement - > Commemorative"  or do they go  "Valor -> Merit -> Service -> Achievement - > Commemorative"

I ask because in a RPG game the GM has asked me to put together a "Rack" for my character and I know Medals go before Ribbons but what convention of Precedence dos the FL use? since IRL different nations and services use different orders of Precedence and I don't want to just use (RW) Commonwealth or just US conventions if it's not right.

[Alan Grant]

I don't think canon sources have ever addressed this. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, you've already listed the books I'd check to see if it exists. FM: FWL and Handbook: House Marik does a good job of describing the various medals/ribbons/awards.

This bit in Handbook: House Marik is interesting, page 106.

Medals and decorations are commonplace in the FWLM (though
not to the extent of the Lyran Alliance military), but strict rules govern
the circumstances and manner in which they may be worn. For
dress uniform, medals are worn on the left breast below branch and
unit indicators, though some awards are only worn on a purple sash
over the jacket. Many medals are worn only for specific ceremonies,
their place being taken at other times by ribbon versions.

So that's helpful but vague. But it is actually as specific as things seem to get.

FM: FWL notes that prior to Thomas Marik's reforms there was a plethora of traditions across the FWLM. He worked to create one unified structure. So it could depend on your era of play.

I think it's also important to remember that creating order and structure for the "Rack" is meant to make it easy (or easier) for one soldier to eyeball the uniform (or service record) of another and identify what they see. So uniformity among a group is more important than getting it right according to canon, because canon doesn't seem to tell us.

So whatever method/system you use. I think it becomes more important that your player group agrees that's how it should be done, and make a note of that somewhere, and if any other FWL characters are around, that they adopt and use the same system on the group has settled on a precedent. That way players can scan each other's character sheets or whatever you are using and quickly spot the information they desire to find out on this front.

If you don't, if every player can do their own thing with this, they can make a randomized list of medals/ribbons, then there really isn't a need to create structure around this.

So I'd ask the GM about that. As in "If I come up with a system for how this should be organized, can we make it a policy that all players have to follow it?" And if the answer is no. If that person is going to insist you do such a thing, but not standardize it across the group. Then you coming up with a properly organized "Rack" for your character has limited value and I wouldn't invest a lot of time or energy into this.

I may not have told you anything you didn't already know. But I hope it was helpful.

[Drop Bear]

The Character has a bunch of Cadet Medals (has bean a Cadet since age 5), but as he's in his mid Teens he isn't part of the regular army yet (and if he has any say about it Wont), but by way of regular decorations he dose have three Civil Defense Ribbons, the Athletics Ribbon and a Commemorative Ribbon, by the end of the game year he'll have finished enough credits of his B.A. Humanities (provided he gets to go to Uni and study History with a minor in Civil Admin, his family wanted him to go the the Academy, but he enrolled in University on a Civil Service Scholarship first, but he has to join the Uni Cadet Core or he'll get jailed as a Draft Dodger since he owes the army for his military school fees) that he will have a Bachelors in Military Science and that will land him a Order of Merit (Medal not just the Ribbon).

[Alan Grant]

Ok, yeah I have no idea and neither does anyone else here. You may get opinions sure, but not 100% "here's the right answer according to canon" because that doesn't exist.

In the real world (and I have no problem imagining this being the case in Battletech as well), it's very common for military cadet programs, whether that means military colleges/academies, as well as cadet corps within civilian universities, to have their own uniforms. It helps to distinguish the cadets from the actual serving military members. Alongside that, they'd have ribbons and medals and other things that are specific to that institution and being a cadet, that do not exist for FWLM members, and therefore their own protocol for how to wear them.

They may closely resemble the active duty military uniforms. I've seen programs that worked that way, particularly with field uniforms or the equivilant of battle dress uniforms. But have their own unique touches that indicates that person is a cadet. Yet other institutions may have uniforms (especially day-to-day uniforms and dress uniforms) that differ a LOT from its related real world military, giving their cadet corps a really unique look and appearance. Alongside that, they have their own book on how the uniform and any ribbons/medals should be worn.

Many cadet programs that have been around a long time also have longstanding traditions, often generations old, of how THEY do things, due to various traditions, that differ from how the active duty military does things.

I also don't have a hard time imagining that in Battletech, a cadet corps at a civilian university might have close ties to the planetary militia. They may even be considered a reserve component of that planetary militia. We've often seen planetary militia/defense forces that have their own uniforms and dress codes. In the real world I live in the USA, and there is a cadet corps at a university not far from where I live, and I know technically, they are actually considered a component of my state's national guard. In practical day-to-day terms it has little bearing on anything. It's practically fine print, it's easy to overlook. But in fact, that's the reality of their situation. Scale that up to the scale of a militia/defense force for an entire planet. It's not hard to imagine that being a thing.

All this to say.. I think you have maximum freedom to make this up. Whatever logic makes sense to you. As long as your player group and GM are ok with it, it works. I'm about 99% sure there is no canon answer for this.

[The Eagle]

Alan has the right of it, really; we don't have this level of detail in our sourcebooks especially for cadet stuff.  I will add though that cadet-specific ranks and awards never translate to active duty, so if your character does matriculate into the service the rack starts over again.

[Drop Bear]

ATM the character is between secondary education and University, his family (Petty Nobles) put him through Military School on a FWLM Scholarship, they wanted him to go to the Academy or Military Collage, but he beat them to the punch and applied to University before they could apply on his behalf to the Academy, Technically he owes the FWL Government for around a decade of Private School so he has to join the Army or the Reserves to avoid Jail (He's not even 17 yet), so he signed up for his University Cadet Core (counts as Auxiliary Forces) that is always over subscribed so he's hoping for a Discharge sometime around of the end of the first year and that will clear him of his commitment (or so he thinks), especially if he can land a Civil Service job wile he dose his Masters in Medieval History.

He's not a Pacifist or Coward he just doesn't believe in House Malik or the Government (and thinks the opposition is just as bad just in a different way), he's read the Constitution and will fight to defend it and the people of the FWL he just dosen't like the Major Party Politicians like any Teen who thinks they are "Politicaly Aware", he dose have a talent for "Solidgering" Leadership and "Military Thinking" he just doesn't have a passion for it.

on top of that he has had an Inheritance of a Mech foisted on to him (from a 3rd cousin who died in a Cap-Con POW camp), the maintenance on that thing will eat his upcoming inheritances from both sets of his grand parents that are expected to move on in the next few years, and it also comes with a service commitment as dose some BS (largely Courtesy) Title he's set to inherit from some Uncle he doesn't like.


If I model his Decorations after the RW Commonwealth it would look something like  "Civil Defense/National Emergency Ribbon" "Commemorative Ribbon" "Sports/Athletics Ribbon" since proper national awards take precedence over the awards they give out to the Cadets that are more like Scouting Merit Badges.

[Alan Grant]

Sure, all that sounds fine.

[Pat Payne]

I don't think canon sources have ever addressed this. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

If you don't, if every player can do their own thing with this, they can make a randomized list of medals/ribbons, then there really isn't a need to create structure around this.

If you're playing a SW-era FWLM, this may be the way to go, as the original House Marik book states that House Marik's military at the time seemed to view uniform regulations as a suggestion rather than anything enforceable -- I get the impression that it ended up being in practice something like "Look, as long as you can be identified as House Marik troops to the satisfaction of the Laws and Customs of War, we'll give up otherwise on trying to enforce a dress code..."

So medal precedence may be the same way. Certainly the biggies would go first, but beyond that? I suspect it would be anything goes, especially with regards to raiding/conquest ribbons (defensive ribbons came, IIRC, during Tommy's reign and reforms, and so are beyond the scope of the above). I've got in my fanon/headcanon a (admittedly-ex) FWLM MechWarrior who wears her Distinguished Service Award as an earring, for instance, riffing off of its description as being as much a piece of jewelry as a military decoration. 

Edit in -- mistake in the ribbons instituted during Thomas Halas' tenure.

[Drop Bear]

GM hasn't given us a hard date, but Janos is C-G, i think it is '14 but can't be sure, don't know if the game is during Anton's Revolt or just some local cival war.