“Humans have this bizzare, deep-seated need to have their accomplishments recognized and rewarded with little metal tokens of recognition. Do not question this, or attempt to understand it.” – from ‘A Proximan’s Primer on Humanity’ by TorAka Rakan
AWARDS
Multiple instances of the same award are represent as follows. A second instance of the award is granted as a bronze cluster. A third instance of the award upgrades the bronze cluster to a silver cluster. A fourth instance of the award upgrades the silver cluster to gold. The exception to this is the Defense Service Medal, in which multiple instances are awarded as service stars.
HIGH-LEVEL MILITARY AWARDS
These awards are awarded only on rare occasions. A commanding officer can nominate one of his subordinates for an award, but the decision is made by a higher body. Especially high awards can also be marked with a ring of laurel leaves; these are referred to as being “with laurels.” The highest military award in the Terran Alliance is therefore the Medal of Honor, gold cluster, with laurels, which absolutely nobody has, or is likely to ever have.
Medal of Honor – The Medal of Honor is the highest military award available, and can only be awarded by decision of high command (O-9 Rank for a given service branch, CEC is awarded by Council decision). It is given for exceptional heroism and service to the Terran Alliance as a whole, and has only been awarded a handful of times. This award gives a +4 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel (and most national militaries as well), and provides +4 Promotion Points with no maximum that can be earned from this award.
Order of Distinguished Service to the Alliance – This knightly order is awarded by the Grand Duke/Duchess for military service above and beyond the call of duty, in regards to the Terran Alliance as a whole. This award entitles the recipient to use the pre-nominal of either Sir or Dame. This award is never given more than once, but the grade of the recipient could be improved if the situation merits it. It comes in three grades, each with their own post-nominal letters. This award grants a +3 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel, and a number of promotion points based on the grade of the award. If raised to a higher grade, the promotion point gain increases to the new amount.
Knight-Commander of the Order of Distinguished Service to the Alliance (KDSA) [+3 Promotion Points]
Commander of the Order of Distinguished Service to the Alliance (CDSA) [+2 Promotion Points]
Officer of the Order of Distinguished Service to the Alliance (ODSA) [+1 Promotion Points]
Silver Star for Valor – The Silver Star is awarded for exceptional bravery in the face of danger. Originally intended as a wartime-only award, it has been granted several times for peacetime bravery. This award gives a +2 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel (and most national militaries as well), and provides +2 Promotion Points for the first instance of this award and +1 Promotion Points for all subsequent instances, with no maximum.
Sash of Merit – The Sash of Merit is given for heroism and excellence in the performance of duty. It is not strictly reserved for deeds performed during wartime, but is normally associated with combat. It has been given for diplomatic or scientific accomplishment by soldiers. This award gives a +1 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel, and provides +1 Promotion Point for each instance of this award to a maximum of +3 promotion points.
Colonial Medal – The Colonial Medal is given for heroism and distinguished actions that were performed on Terran Alliance territory outside of the three founding members of the Alliance (Earth, Luna, Mars). This award gives a +1 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel and colonial citizens, and provides +1 Promotion Point for the each instance of this award to a maximum of +3 promotion points.
Naval Commendation Medal – The Naval Commendation Medal is given for notably heroic or successful actions in combat by a Naval officer or enlisted man.
Army Commendation Medal – The Army Commendation Medal is given for notably heroic or successful actions in combat by a Army officer or enlisted man. This award gives a +1 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel (bonus is increased to +2 when dealing with the Army), and provides +1 Promotion Point for the each instance of this award to a maximum of +3 promotion points.
Marine Commendation Medal – The Marine Commendation Medal is given for notably heroic or successful actions in combat by a Marine officer or enlisted man. This award gives a +1 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel (bonus is increased to +2 when dealing with the Marine Corps), and provides +1 Promotion Point for the each instance of this award to a maximum of +3 promotion points.
TAPS Commendation Medal – The TAPS Commendation Medal is given for notably heroic or successful actions in combat by a TAPS officer. This award gives a +1 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel (bonus is increased to +2 when dealing with TAPS), and provides +1 Promotion Point for the each instance of this award to a maximum of +3 promotion points.
CEC Commendation Medal – The CEC Commendation Medal is given for notably heroic or successful actions in combat by a Combat Engineer. This award gives a +1 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel (bonus is increased to +2 when dealing with the CEC), and provides +1 Promotion Point for the each instance of this award to a maximum of +3 promotion points.
Commendation for Special Operations – The Commendation for Special Operations is given for notably heroic or successful actions in combat by a soldier engaging in an operation under SpecOps command. While there is a uniform decoration for this award, the classified nature of the activities that lead to one receiving the award usually means that the recipient cannot wear it. This award gives a +1 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel (bonus is increased to +2 when dealing with the other Special Operations members, and to +3 when dealing with people who have clearance to know the details of how you earned the award), and provides +1 Promotion Point for the each instance of this award to a maximum of +3 promotion points.
Superior Service Medal – The Superior Service Medal is a commendation for high skills and diligence in the performance of duty. It is not necessarily associated with combat – the SSM can be awarded for managing a base or some scientific advancement. This award gives a +1 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel, and provides +1 Promotion Point for the each instance of this award to a maximum of +3 promotion points.
COMMON MILITARY AWARDS
These awards are always given when the conditions are met.
Combat Medical Badge – Awarded for performing medical duties while being actively engaged by the enemy.
Defense Service Medal – The Defense Service Medal is awarded for serving in any operational theater. Subsequent awards are represented by service stars. After receiving four service stars, the bronze service stars are replaced by silver service stars, each representing 4 bronze stars. After receiving four silver service stars (representing 16 service stars), the silver service stars are replaced by gold service stars, each representing 16 service stars. Therefore, a defense service medal with 2 silver stars and a bronze star indicates participation in 10 different theaters of combat.
Spacer’s Medal (Alexy Leonov Commendation): The Spacer’s Medal is given to any soldier exposed to vacuum or radiation while in space. The SDA also awards this.
Long Service Medal: The Long Service Medal is given after 15 years of service. The SDA also awards this.
CAMPAIGN SERVICE MEDALS
Awarded to any member of the armed forces that served during an established campaign, time of emergency, or the like, these are automatically awarded at the conclusion of the campaign.
World War 3 Service Medal – This was the first service medal created, awarded to TAAF members who served in the Third World War (11/26/2015-5/12/2017).
Belt Rebellion Service Medal – Awarded for service during the Belt Rebellion in 2022.
CIVILIAN AWARDS
These awards are given to both civilians and armed forces personnel when the situation merits it.
First Contact Medal – The First Contact medal was created after contact with the Proximans in 2025 and granted to the entire crew of the Feng-Huang. Aside from this initial awarding, the only other time it has granted was retroactively to the crew of the 1999 Jovian System mission that made first contact with the Teuthidoids. Obviously, it would only be granted for a contact that does not end in hostilities. This could also be granted to civilians and SDA members.
New Worlds Medal (Gus Grissom Commendation): The New Worlds medal is given to the human who is the first to set foot on an alien world. The issue of what is designated a “world” has been a matter of some debate. The SDA also awards this for non-military members.
Order of the Terran Alliance – The Order of the Terran Alliance is given for great service to the Alliance as a whole. It has been associated with humanitarian actions, but is occasionally awarded for wartime actions as well. The Order is a knightly honor, awarded by the Grand Duke/Duchess. This award entitles the recipient to use the pre-nominal of either Sir or Dame. It comes in three different grades, each with their own post-nominal letters. This award grants a +3 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with Alliance citizens, and a number of promotion points based on the grade of the award. If raised to a higher grade, the promotion point gain increases to the new amount.
Knight-Commander of the Order of the Terran Alliance (KOTA) [+3 Promotion Points]
Commander of the Order of the Terran Alliance (COTA) [+2 Promotion Points]
Officer of the Order of the Terran Alliance (OTA) [+1 Promotion Points]
Purple Heart – The Purple Heart is awarded to someone that is injured by enemy action. In game terms, “Injured” is defined as either suffering a persistent condition due to an attack, falling to the bottom of the condition track and thus falling unconscious, reaching zero hit points, or being killed (in which case the medal is awarded posthumously). This award gives a +1 commendation bonus to Gather Information, Knowledge [Civics], and Persuasion checks made with TAAF personnel.
Terran Alliance Medal of Freedom – The Medal of Freedom is the highest award issued by a civilian authority in the Terran Alliance. It is given for extraordinary acts of courage, skill, or service to the Humanity as a whole. The Terran Alliance Medal of Freedom is awarded by decision of the People’s Chamber
QUALIFICATIONS
Qualifications are a representation of someone’s skills and abilities. Originally these were essentially minor awards for the armed forces, until the disaster response teams in the Alliance realized they needed a more effective way of determining what skills they had available in a given area, especially when dealing with ‘remote backwaters’ such as parts of Mars and the Alpha Prime colony. Passed in 2025, the GRAB Act (Government Registry of Abilities) opened up the formerly military-only qualification system to civilians and ‘other inhabitants of Terran Alliance-overseen land’ (allowing for Proximans to earn qualifications as well). The name refers to the fact that once a qualification is earned, law enforcement, first responders, the armed forces, and the pretty much the government in general essentially have the ability to ‘grab’ the qualification-holder to have them respond to a situation. Employers are mandated to comply with GRAB pickups, and are compensated for the temporary commandeering of their staff. Qualification-holders are also compensated for their work – with compensation being orders of magnitude larger than the fee to take the test to earn the qualification. It is not required to use the phrase “your government needs you” when activating a someone covered under the GRAB Act, but it has become a trend.
Anyone can earn a qualification, civilian or military, and the number of available qualifications grows by the year. To earn a qualification, a test must be passed. These tests are run at regular, publicly-posted intervals, all over the alliance. Once earned, a qualification is good for 3 years, after which point it needs to be renewed. The fee for a test to earn a qualification is minor, ranging between 50 credits and 200 credits.
Qualifications are represented by small badges, easily displayable on military uniforms and civilian clothing. While civilians are not required to display their qualifications, it is starting to become ‘in fashion’ to do so. Qualifications are also tied to a citizen’s identification, both digital and physical. Their ID card will list their qualifications, while the digital ID on their comlink will do the same. This allows there to be a constantly-updated list of who in a given location has what qualifications, should the need arise to use them. Some qualifications are still restricted to the military, as there would be no foreseeable need to call upon a civilian with that skill set.
Badges, Devices, Insignias, and Ribbons – These indicate what form the qualification takes when worn. A Badge is a fabric addition to a piece of clothing. A Device is an addition to either a Badge or an Insignia, and is usually metal. An Insignia is a metal decoration, typically cufflinks, tiepins, or brooches, though there is no rules regarding the form – the only thing that is set in the rules is the logo, which is usually available in a wide range of forms. Ribbons are fabric additions like Badges, but they are designed to be worn as shoulder insignias.
Aircrew Badge – This indicates proficiency with at least one crew role (other than pilot) found aboard fighters, corvettes, fixed-wing aircraft, rotary aircraft, and airspeeders.
Aviation Badge – An outdated name, this indicates proficiency with piloting one of the following: fixed-wing aircraft, fighter-class spacecraft, corvette-class spacecraft, airspeeders.
Capital Ship Badge – This indicates proficiency with piloting spacecraft of frigate size and larger. Recipients also usually have an Aviation Badge, but it is not a prerequisite.
Certified Ethical Hacker Insignia – Originally this was the ‘proper civilian equivalent’ to the TAAF’s Information Warfare qualification, but following the opening of the Information Warfare qualification to civilians it has changed its curriculum. Nowadays, the CEH Insignia requires the Information Warfare qualification as a prerequisite and mandates that the recipient be held to high standards regarding ethical conduct during their duties. The CEH Insignia also covers non-electronic methods of information warfare, such as infiltration, social engineering, other ‘old-school’ methods of compromising systems.
Communications Badge – This indicates proficiency with the infrastructure behind modern communications systems, including basic computer systems.
Combat Diver Insignia [Military Only] – This indicates proficiency with combat dive systems, such as zero-bubble rebreathers and underwater fighting techniques. If a recipient had the Diver Insignia prior to earning this, this insignia takes the place of it. It has the same grades as the Diver Insignia: Beginner, Advanced, Rescue, Guide, and Instructor.
Diver Insignia – This indicates that the holder is proficient with SCUBA and similar technologies, taking the place of preexisting diver certifications. It comes in five grades, listed in ascending difficulty: Beginner, Advanced, Rescue, Guide, and Instructor.
Expert Aviation Device – This indicates proficiency with three of the categories for the Aviation Badge.
Expert Field Medic Device – This indicates proficiency with both field and combat medicine. While it is open to civilians, it is not commonly found among them outside of first responders.
Field Medic Badge – This indicates proficiency with field medicine, a good skill set to have for anyone who would be going into rural and wilderness areas. This is the most common qualification found among civilians.
HALO Device – This addition to the Parachutist Badge (a halo above the parachute) indicates that the wearer is qualified to participated in both HALO and HAHO drop operations.
Information Operations Badge-Originally a military-only qualification called Information Warfare (there was a civilian counterpart called Information Management), the Information Warfare qualification indicates proficiency in information warfare (defined as the offensive use of computer systems and hacking to hamper enemy operations) and information defense (defined as the defensive use of computer systems to counter information warfare). The division between the military and civilian qualifications was successfully torn down by the information security industry, which sought to train civilian IT workers in offensive techniques so that they could better defend against them.
Linguistics Badge – This badge indicates that the recipient is fluent in at least 5 spoken languages.
Mage Insignia – Awarded by the SDA, this Insignia indicates that the holder has demonstrated a basic proficiency with magic, and can be called upon to deal with magic-related problems in a crisis.
Marksmanship Ribbon – Comes in three types, pistol, rifle, and long-ranged rifle.
Master Aviation Badge – This indicates proficiency with all four of the categories for the Aviation Badge.
Melee Combat Ribbon – Comes in three types, knife, bayonet, archaic
Military Engineering Ribbon – Worn on the shoulder sleeve, this badge indicates proficiency in military engineering duties such as bridge-building, minefield operations, demolitions, field defenses, and general construction, as well as road, airfield, and landing area construction and repair. While it is a ‘military’ qualification, it is actually open to civilians as well.
ORBIT Device – This addition to the Parachutist Badge (two orbits crossing over the parachute) indicates that the wearer is qualified to participate in Orbital Reconnaissance Battalion Insertion Tactic drops. This requires HALO/HAHO training and qualification as a prerequisite. Originally this was a military-only qualification, a successful campaign by thrill-seeking civilians in 2028 opened it up to civilians as well.
Ordnance Disposal Badge – This represents proficiency in bomb and explosive disposal techniques.
Parachutist Badge – This indicates proficiency in solo parachute use, comprising both single-drop and mass-drop usage.
Pathfinder Ribbon [Military Only] – Commonly referred to as the “Guerilla Ribbon,” this qualification indicates competency with guerilla-style warfare and military operations in remote, difficult-to-reach areas.
Psionics Badge – Most recipients of this badge choose to not display it, since it could make them a target of hate crimes. This indicates that the bearer is psionically-active and can be called upon to deal with psionics-related problems in a crisis.
Ranger Ribbon [Military Only] – Worn on the shoulder sleeve, this ribbon indicates proficiency in small-unit infantry combat tactics in woodland, mountain, and swamp operations.
Rotary Device – This device, added to the Aviation Badge, indicates additional proficiency with rotary-wing aircraft.
Scout Ribbon – Often seen as a prerequisite to the Ranger Ribbon in the military, the Scout Ribbon represents proficiency in overland navigation in woodland, mountain, and swamp terrains, along with survival skills for the same terrains.
ShipOS Management Badge – This indicates that the bearer has completed a series of courses regarding shipboard computer systems and has displayed proficiency with ShipOS management and crisis resolution.
Unarmed Combat Ribbon – This qualification indicates competency in unarmed combat.
Xenolinguistics Device – This addition to the Linguistics Badge indicates that the recipient is proficient in at least one language of non-Human origin.