OOC:

Vast Empire Capital Ship Service:

  Candidates go thru the normal Basic Training procedures as set by the Academy.

  Upon graduation, members will choose between the Starfighter Corps, and the Capital Ship Service.

  Members would choose a career path from the following choices:

          (Officer Ranks only)
•    Command  - Communications, Navigation, Tactics, and Strategy
•   
(Non-commissioned Officer Ranks only)
•    Engineering - Shipboard systems, Engines, and all hard assets of the ship
•    Security/Gunnery – Security, Policing/Safety, Marksmanship,  and Weapon maintenance
•    Flight Operations – Fighter support/repair, Deck Management, and Traffic Control

The members would follow a career path that would take them in and out of the Academy for promotion and educational purposes for each new assignment they choose.  Within each path the member would have to learn specific technical data for their given path and be tested for retention and demonstration. (To be developed later)

Members may choose to complete more than one career path.  If they choose to start a new career path they would have their current rank suspended and reduced (temporarily) to a rank more conducive to their new position.
(i.e.: a CWO Chief Engineer who chooses to learn a Flight Operations career path would be reduced to SCRW and inserted into the beginning ranks.  Rank would be restored as the member moves up the ladder in their new path w/o the need to re-enter the Academy)

The CSS would begin with 2-3 veteran officers who would be given command of a ship. (CR90 Corvette)  They would be formed into a Task force and a TF commander would be named from the group, as well as an XO.  The TF would then engage in missions as a unit.  Each member would write each ship En Toto.  [Crew: 1/ship]

From there the CSS would grow as warranted.  As each original commander is promoted to a new ship a new commander would be drawn from the ranks of the Starfighter Corps.

When the commanders reach the second level (Nebulon Frigates) then the full weight of the CSS would kick in.  There would be need for several positions per ship; XO, Chief Engineer, Chief of Security, and Chief of the Deck.  The individuals would write each mission from a SHIP only perspective, while the Commander would write from a Ship and TF perspective. [Crew: 5/ship]

Upon reaching the Third level (Vindicator Cruiser or Escort Carrier) the positions of Chief Navigator, Engineering XO, Security XO, and Deck XO would be added.  Writing perspectives would remain the same with the exception that the ship would act more independently than previous, and may or may not be included in a Task Force [Crew: 9/ship]

Upon reaching the Fourth level (Imperial I/II class Star Destroyer) the positions of Tactical Officer and Bridge officers, Engineers Mate and Engineering crew, Gunnery Mate and Security officers, Deck Shooter (Launch officer) and Deck crew.  [Crew: unlimited]

Crew and officers of higher level ships may be promoted to command or officer positions on other ships
(i.e.: the Chief Navigator on a Star Destroyer may be promoted to XO of a Cruiser, or the XO of an Escort Carrier may be promoted to Captain of Nebulon Cruiser)

All ship Captains would report to and be under the direct command of the Naval Commander in Chief and their subordinates.

Ships per Level:
Level 1- CR90 Corvette
Level 2- Nebulon B2 Frigate
Level 3- Vindicator-class Cruiser
              Escort Carrier
Level 4- Imperial I/II-class Star Destroyer

Quote:Alternate Career Program - First Draft & Discussion

Here is my first draft for the Alternative Careers Program. I have chosen 7 'headings' or 'subjects' which will lead people down certain careers, and divided them into 4 main tiers, with some of the advancing along two additional tiers.

As people progress along the tiers, they're training gets more advanced and they are able to do different things. The names of each section of a career paths are purely provisional, and are meant to reflect the level of training. Also, pretty much every other piece of information here is provisional, as this is more of an exercise to see how it plays out then anything else.

The initial career paths I have chosen are:

Medical(Med) – Train to become a doctor and head up an entire medical wing on a ship or a starbase etc...

Mechanics(Mech) – learn about star fighter and small ship maintenance, with the eventual goal of being Deck Chief of a ships hangar

Gunnery(Gun) – learn about turrets and batteries, with the eventual aim of becoming head of an entire section of batteries.

Engineering(Eng) – preliminary about being part of a starship maintenance section, such as the engines or power cores, it could possibly expand into other areas too.

Advanced Flight Training(AFT) – Something that could go alongside with the VENA, mean't to enable pilots to fly other fighter types, and lead into Starfighter command training.

Logistics(Log) – learn about the logistics of a Navy, leads into commanding logistics vessels, or entire fleets or divisions.

Operations(Ops) – bit of a general term, it starts off with training to become a member of a bridge crew, and leads into the starship command areas.

-----------------------------------
Tiers

Entry Tier – This would be the first tier that candidates encounter, and this is where they chose their initial career path. Each of these modules are merely the preliminary training stages, and so mostly involve class and theory work.

Medical Training(Med)

Mechanics Training(Mech)

Basic Target & Signal Analysis Training(Gun)

Advanced Flight Training(AFT)

Basic Logistics Training(Log)

Basic Engineering(Eng)

Basic Operations(Ops)

Second Tier – this would be the second phase of training, which would cover advanced thoeries and practical elements.

Advanced Logistics(Log)

Advanced Engineering(Eng)

Advanced Operations(Ops)

Basic Starship Theory(Ops)

Advanced Target & Signal Analysis(Gun)

Advanced Medical Training(Med)

Advanced Mechanics(Mech)

Flight Operations: Support(AFT)

Flight Operations: Recon(AFT)

Flight Operations: Experimental(AFT)

Intermediate Tier – the first of the placement tiers, with training complete candidates would be sent to the actual career areas to do a low-ranked job. From here there is less learning, apart from 'on the spot' training, and more playing out roles and trying to advance characters.

Engineering – operator(Eng)

Mechanics – deck hand(Mech)

T&SA – Gunnery crew(Gun)

Medical – Orderly(Med)

Logistics – Ve Support Fleet Intern(Log)

Advanced Starship Theory(ops)

Starfigher Corps Special Division(AFT)

Advanced Tier – In this stage, candidates would have been 'promoted' to roles with higher levels of responsibilities, and as such would need to show advanced knowledge and skills.

Engineering - officer(Eng)

Mechanics – Deck Chief(Mech)

Gunnery – Gunnery Sergeant(Gun)

Medical – Officer (med)

Logistics – Support Vessels
            Repair Vessels
                  Supply Vessels (log)

Operations: Bridge Crew member(Ops)

Command Training(AFT)

High Tier – The first of the 'Command' tiers, these section is mainly about honing the candidates chosen area of study, and playinf out high level command roles, and large scale contextual situations. These tiers are mainly focused on allowing candidates to enter starship command positions.

Small Starship Command(Ops)

Logistics Command(Log)

Starfigher Command(AFT)

Fleet Theory & Tactics(Ops)

Bridge Officer/Ship XO(Ops)

Specialist Command(Eng, Med, Mech & Gun)

Command Tier –The final and ultimate tier, this is purely to do with fleet command and operations.

Large Starship command(ops)

Tactical Training  -  Flotilla Command(ops)

Notes

Below is a diagram that I have created that better illustrates the progression of these career paths.



Please note as it is only a rough version, and that the higher tiers don't quite reflect the version due to size constraints

As you can see, the progression would be very simple. I haven't filled in all of the module names, but i've put a header over each column along with the tier names, so you can correlate each box with the list above.

Some other points to consider:

Most of these career paths will follow a simple linear progression, requiring candidates to do one tier before advancing to the next, and so on. However, when it comes to the ship command positions, the requirements will be more stringent, since a good captain is in theory knowledgeable in many areas.

This principle would probably kick in in the 'high'  & 'command' tiers, as everyone should be able to progress the first 4 in a linear fashion.

So, for example, in order to be able pass from advanced tier Operations to high tier Small Star ship command, you would need to not only have advanced tier operations + high tier operations, but also say and advanced tier pass in one other career path.

Same again for command tier modules, you would say need operations up to command tier, plus another high tier & separate advanced tier path. This would stop people getting to the starship command stage too quickly.

It also might be an idea to make the advanced star fighter course mandatory, as it goes hand in hand with the core squadrons and the VENA training. (for instance, the advanced tier 'Command Training' module could be a requirement for the SAE or MAE, for example. Also, if it's mandatory, it could be yet another requirement for the starship command modules.)

There are of course other career paths I haven't included, such as a Marine path, Technician, Naval Intelligence (as a pre-req for Reaper maybe?), R&D or starship construction...maybe other support or 'desk job' naval careers.

This isn't all of the information...but i've been working on it for a couple of hours so i think I may have forgotten some things. I'll add to it if i need to.

In the mean time, feedback and questions are welcome. If you don't understand anything, let me know.