Sun Zhang Academy Cadre composition

[GoGo Yubari]

So, how do we think the Sun Zhang Training Cadres actually work in regards to staff vs cadet balance considering we don't have even officer candidates in the cadet pool? Sure, some of them may have been pegged as likely officer candidates, but they're still far off from entering officer school. This is the make or break moment for determining that possible future too.

The big officers in the regimental command staff are certainly non-cadets, no doubt down to battalion commanders and regimental/battalion XOs. Company commanders I'm not too sure, but certainly putting cadets in "captain" roles feels like a huge chunk of responsibility. Potential officer school candidates playing at lieutenants fits well enough.

Any thoughts?

[Metallgewitter]

I would agree with the lance leader position being handed to promising students. Maybe the best of them get promoted to be the XO of a company in order to teach them the basis of bigger units (leradership and administration)
And let's not forget the Sun Zhang cadres are sent to the battlefield so there might even be field promotions of students to company commander and maybe even battalion commander if said cadre takes enough losses or better to say the command staff takes losses.

[CVB]

Probably with a student lance leader being supervised by a senior NCO/instructor who has got the authority - either directly or by asking the company commander - to relieve a student who is out of his depth.

[GoGo Yubari]

I'm also thinking that the rhythm goes like this:
October to June - this is the time for an active tour.
July to September - time for graduations (and travel to postings), additional training for staff and cadets taking another tour, general administrative work, vacations, new cadets arrive, etc.

That jives with the rhythm issue that the DCMS had in the 4th Succession War, so it's likely to have been tweaked afterwards.

The reason I'm thinking about this in a practical, detail oriented manner is that I'm thinking of running a Sun Zhang Academy Cadre MegaMek campaign that functions as a feeder/farm team for my other Kurita-based Megemek campaigns. 

[BrianDavion]

it's not a direct 1 for 1 comparison, but in Warrior En Guard, the first Kittery Training Battalion, seemed to consist of 2 (or was it 3 officers) (the CO and his XO) and the rest of the cadre where Cadets. I would imagine that the regional training battlaions are orginized more or less like the fedsuns training cadres, which the sun Zhang cadre draws... inspiration from.

[Failure16]

I would imagine you would have three active/field instructors (commissioned or non-commissioned officer grades) per training company. If traditional force-structures need to be maintained, there then be nine cadet slots per company (giving a 1/3 ratio at the training lance level).

I would further submit that the forces deployed to/on a field operation would be the senior cadets and that the training companies would be much larger back at the academy.

Though the DCMS and AFFS have myriad differences, all of their tactical formations stem from a shared (SLDF-era) lineage. We know that the cadets at Meistmorn were led in the field by their instructor (the redoubtable Major Sergei Vang) at a ratio of 5/1, two of which were ready for graduation based on their codified skill levels, with two nearing completion, and one super-green newbie. So, while the comparison is not perfect, it gives us something to look at for some common ground.

[BrianDavion]

keep in mind Sun Zhang cadre members aren't cadets. they've completed formal training at the academy. and are serving another 9-18 months in the cadre, essentially "putting into practice" what they've learned

[Failure16]

Oh, sure. They "immediately enter military service in the Sun Zhang Academy Cadre" per House Kurita (FASA 1620) and "continue their training under active duty" according to the wiki. But I will continue to refer to them as 'cadets' for the duration of this discussion because calling them 'graduates' seems to be misleading given what they are doing--training under live conditions and in active operations.