Recruit

Inner Sphere Military Ranks
Enlisted
Field Officer
General Officer
For specific ranks see Military Ranks

Recruit is the rank given to soldiers who are entering boot camp or undergoing basic training. Frequently they have no rank insignia or a very simple one.

SLDF[edit]

Recruits in the SLDF wore a white rank patch during basic training and on their first posting.[1][2]

In the Second Star League Defense Forces, a Recruit was promoted to Private immediately after graduating boot camp. Those recruits who were entering the SLDF Naval Command were known as Spaceman Recruits.[3]

SLDF Rank Insignia
Rank Army Insignia (First SLDF)[4][5] Navy Insignia (First SLDF)[4][5] Insignia (Second SLDF)[6]
Recruit SLDF-Recruit-Army-1stSL.png SLDF-Recruit-Navy-1stSL.png SLDF-Recruit.png

Lyran Commonwealth and Lyran Alliance[edit]

LCAF/LAAF recruits wear the "Narrow Arrow" as their rank insignia, like Privates. They are not allowed to wear the Lyran Alliance insignia however.[7]

Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery[edit]

A recruit in the DCMS is titled hojuhei but bears no rank insignia.[8]

Armed Forces of the Federated Suns[edit]

Recruits in the AFFS wear a black sword on a green field as their rank insignia, regardless of their service branch.[9]

AFFS Ranks by Branch of service
Rank Insignia
Recruit Recruit-AFFS.png

Capellan Confederation Armed Forces[edit]

Unlike in other militaries, in the CCAF the rank of Recruit takes the place of Private and is retained by everyone who has completed basic training; prior to then, they are simply known as "Citizen." Infantry soldiers, vehicle support crews, and support personnel are all Recruits. After the Xin Sheng reforms, the title was replaced with Shia-ben-bing.[10][11]

Free Worlds League[edit]

Like the first Star League, the FWLM has Recruits and Spaceman Recruit depending on the desired branch of service. A Recruit in the FWLM has no rank insignia.[12]

The Clans[edit]

All the Clans lack the rank of recruit, as all members of a Warrior caste training sibko are essentially recruits. Several Clans refer to their warrior sibko members by nicknames however, which could be considered recruit ranks.

Clan Hell's Horses[edit]

Clan Hell's Horses warrior trainees are frequently referred to as "colts."[13][14]

Clan Jade Falcon[edit]

Clan Jade Falcon training officers (Falconers) will sometimes refer to their sibko members as "fledglings."[13]

ComStar/Word of Blake[edit]

Neither ComStar nor the Word of Blake Militia use the rank of recruit.[6]

Free Rasalhague Republic[edit]

The KungsArmé doesn't use an explicit recruit rank.[15]

Magistracy of Canopus[edit]

In the Magistracy Armed Forces, all incoming troops are known as a Volunteer until they have passed basic training.[16][17] Their rank insignia is a simple blue-green diamond edged in silver.

Magistracy Armed Forces Insignia
Rank Insignia
Volunteer MagistracyOfCanopus-Volunteer.png

Taurian Defense Force[edit]

All citizens of the Taurian Concordat must serve for four years in the Taurian Defense Force - two years on active duty, two years in the reserve - though the nature of that service varies. If they desire an actual military role, a Recruit will be given eighteen weeks of basic training before being assigned to a field unit. Other Recruits are given more limited instruction and instead assigned to their local canton's provisional training battalion, where their duties tend more towards garbage patrol than combat patrol. They use a single silver ring as their rank insignia.[18][19][20]

Taurian Defense Force Insignia
Rank Insignia
Recruit TaurianConcordat-Recruit.png

Marian Hegemony[edit]

In the Hegemony Armed Forces, a recruit undergoing training is known as miles, which is Latin for soldier.[21] They wear no rank insignia.

Outworlds Alliance[edit]

As the Alliance Military Corps gets most of its new troops via planetary lotteries held by the Parliaments of individual member worlds, calling a trainee "Recruit" is inaccurate. In recognition of this, the AMC identifies all its trainee soldiers as Defender.[22] A Defender's rank insignia is a simple green circle.

Alliance Military Corps Insignia
Rank Insignia
Defender OA-Defender.png

Hanseatic League[edit]

In the Hanseatic League this rank name is called Soldier.[23]

Umayyad Caliphate[edit]

In the Umayyad Caliphate this rank name is called Safiya.[23]

Castilian Principalities[edit]

In the Nueva Castile this rank name is called Caballero.[23]

Aurigan Coalition Military[edit]

In the Aurigan Coalition Military, Recruit is the rank given to infantry and vehicle crews.[24]

Notes[edit]

  • Ranks, when not preceding a name, are not capitalized.[25]
Ex: The major stood and rendered a salute to General DeChavilier.
  • Non-English ranks, with the exception of those used by the Federated Suns or Lyrans, are italicized.[25]


References[edit]

  1. The Star League, p. 112
  2. Field Manual: SLDF, p. 24
  3. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 80
  4. 4.0 4.1 The Star League, p. 113
  5. 5.0 5.1 Field Manual: SLDF, color plate 1
  6. 6.0 6.1 Field Manual: ComStar[citation needed]
  7. Field Manual: Lyran Alliance, p. 30
  8. Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 20
  9. Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 27
  10. House Liao (The Capellan Confederation), p. 71
  11. Handbook: House Liao, p. 111
  12. Field Manual: Free Worlds League, p. 22
  13. 13.0 13.1 Field Manual: Crusader Clans[citation needed]
  14. MechWarrior's Guide to the Clans, p. 46
  15. Field Manual: ComStar, p. 66
  16. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 24
  17. Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 86
  18. The Periphery, p. 74
  19. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 53
  20. Handbook: Major Periphery States, p. 112
  21. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 73
  22. Field Manual: Periphery, p. 88
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 Field Manual: Periphery, p. 14: "Periphery Comparative Rank Table"
  24. House Arano (The Aurigan Coalition), p. 25
  25. 25.0 25.1 Per Line Developer Ray Arrastia, 02Aug2022 (screencap)

Bibliography[edit]