Enlisted Ranks

Rating (OR-2)

The rank awarded upon an enlisted sailor after completing their twenty-eight week training course at one of the shore establishments HMS New Saxony or HMS Cumberland. The first ten weeks is mainly composed of introductory training in basic military drill, discipline, maintenance, weapons handling, and comportment. This is often carried out at smaller establishments, such as naval schools or "floating forts", aka training areas in major naval orbital stations, such as HMSS Trafalgar, Sluys or Quiberon Bay. More specialised training is further handled by the large shore establishments Cumberland on Angevin, and New Saxony on the Arcadia coast on Aurora.

A sailor will be expected, at the end of their training, to be more than passably proficient in their field of operations, spanning from all-important gunnery and engineering, to the more humble hydroponics, mess deck, or administrative duties. A rating's level of education is the approximate work market equivalent of a certificate of apprenticeship. The median age of a rating in the Royal Navy is nineteen years old.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with white lining, white gaiters, and a single, thin, white band on the cuff. Navy beret. Parade dress is much the same stylistically, though with brass buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor, and the beret is changed for a white sailor's cap.

First Rating (OR-3)

The rank awarded to a rating that has shown leadership skills and portray a certain attitude that is deemed conducive. A First Rating is a leader of a small party of sailors, usually closed units such as a team of gunners, cooks, naval clerks, or any similar minimum-level formation, normally around five or six individuals. The rank of First Rating constitutes the first rung on the leadership ladder of the Royal Navy.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with white lining, white gaiters, and a single thick white band on the cuff. Navy beret. Parade is much the same, with brass buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor, and the beret is changed for a white sailor's cap, with a black streamer.

Leading Rating (OR-4)

The Leading Rating is a more specialised operator than a First Rating, their focus being on technical expertise rather than leadership or management skills. Following their training as a Rating, a Leading Rating would take on extra training courses or on-site practical experience to advance their skills to a level that is deemed by the Admiralty Board's level of expertise to be sufficient for promotion. A Leading Rating is not expected to, but very often are, forced to lead teams of subordinate ratings. Technically, a Leading Rating outranks a First Rating, but the distinction is so blurry that it is common Royal Navy practice to consider the ranks similar in terms of seniority.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with white lining, white gaiters, a single thick white band on the cuff and a white stylised rudder above it. Navy beret. Parade dress is very much the same, with brass buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. The beret is swapped for a white sailor's cap, with two black streamers.

Petty Officer (OR-5)

The petty officers are considered the nucleus of the Royal Navy, the plucky non-commissioned officers that keep the whole complex machinery of His Majesty's Navy running and getting none of the credit for it. A First or Leading rating is normally only considered for Petty Officer promotion following ten years in the Service, and then only after having demonstrated a knack for leadership, technical skill, and a certain flair for interpersonal relationships that might have gone under the radar in civilian society.

A petty officer is the leader of a sub-division of men and women, usually numbering between twelve and thirty, and they are the most immediate go-between for a mere enlisted rating and their officer. A petty officer is required a further ten-week course of training after getting chosen for potential promotion by their officer. No petty officer can apply on their own, they require a letter of recommendation from someone of at least sub-lieutenant rank or higher. Following completion of said course, the fresh petty officer (already an experienced Navy hand by nature of their service before this point) will report to a new ship/station/ground establishment where they likely would have no direct ties to subordinates.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with white lining, white gaiters, two white bands on the cuff, and a small white crown on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar. Navy beret. Parade dress is similar, but with silver buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a white sailor's cap, with a golden bordering underneath the rim, and a red kenofoam rose fixed to the front of the cap.

Chief Petty Officer (OR-7)

A merging of technical and leadership skills, the Chief Petty Officers of the Royal Navy is the human fuel that keeps the vast RN men-of-war running. They are elevated from Petty Officer rank virtue of their technical expertise, combined with hand-proof experience of commanding men and women in small to medium-small formations. Most often, a CPO would be assigned to command a critical sub-division, such as a Misaki fusion-bottle, the magazine and handling of such, or controlling an railcannon, or a head-chef on a mess deck.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and trousers with white lining, white gaiters, two white bands on the cuff, and a small white crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar. Navy beret, with a single white streamer. Parade dress similar, silver buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a white sailor's cap, a golden bordering underneath the rim, and a red kenofoam rose fixed to the front of the cap.

Master Chief Petty Officer (OR-8)

The rank of Master Chief Petty Officer is usually reserved for the most senior non-commissioned officer onboard a warship, or on a (smaller) naval station. It is comparable to the Royal Army rank of colour sergeant. An MCPO is in Royal Navy tradition (unlike most other modern navies) the one to head a side party when welcoming a dignitary or an admiral, though the tradition of making the most junior officer onboard carry out the duty is starting to make a return, much to the chagrin of the RN NCO corps. In terms of actual duties, an MCPO is the equivalent of a sub-lieutenant, commanding up to several divisions and having as many as sixty people under their command. They combine the technical skill of a hand long versed in the Royal Navy with leadership and know-how that only a long-time veteran can accumulate.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic and black trousers with white lining, white gaiters, three white bands on the cuff, a small golden crown with seven stars on their shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar. Navy beret, with a single golden streamer. Parade dress similar, silver buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor. Beret is swapped for a white sailor's cap, golden bordering underneath the rim, a golden streamer from the rear, and a red kenofoam rose fixed at the front.

Warrant Officer (OR-9/OF-1)

A Warrant Officer is the first rung on the path of the commissioned officer's path. An enlisted rank elevated to officer's level, the Warrant Officers are usually regarded with quite some reverence. They earn their promotions through literally decades of dedicated service to the King's Navy, first as an enlisted sailor, and then years later, become eligible for this distinguished promotion. Even junior officers are traditionally bound to pay heed to WO instructions, junior as they are, and the WO's have been around for at least half a century.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic, and black trousers with white lining, white gaiters. Three white bands on the cuff, a golden crown with seven stars on the the shoulders underneath the station/ship crest, as well as on their collar. White beret. Parade dress similar, silver buttons blazoned with the crowned anchor.

Senior Warrant Officer (OR-9/OF-2)

The post of Senior Warrant Officer is usually reserved for the most exemplary of NCOs' that serves on any one of the Royal Navy's platforms. Be it an active warship, an auxiliary vessel, a station, the Senior Warrant Officer is the scourge of the enlisted ranks, such as they are. According to Navy scuttlebutt, the SWO patrols the hallways, the gangways, the bulkheads in search of shirkers and malingerers. In reality, Senior Warrant Officers are dedicated NCO's who make sure the discipline of the Royal Navy warships don't ever fall below a certain level. They are also very handy assistants for junior officers, since they have so many years of experience.

Uniform: Action dress is black tunic, black trousers with white lining, white gaiters. Three white bands on the cuff, a golden crown but with seven diamonds on the collar. White beret with a white-gold seven-star anchor on the front. Parade dress similar, silver buttons blazoned with crowned anchor, but with small diamonds inlaid.