Originally conceived as a peacekeeping force to maintain ‘order’ inside the Terran Alliance, the TAAF was intended to be used as a means to enforce the laws of the Alliance in relation to international relations.  This didn’t hold true for long, as the TAAF found itself being used for a variety of different purposes.  Exploration missions, some cargo transport, and some research & development all fall under the monolithic umbrella of the TAAF these days.

Members of the Terran Alliance are drawn from all walks of life.  Some of them are veterans of their home nation’s military, who can transfer from that organization to the TAAF under service recognition agreements.  Others are idealistic patriots who wish move beyond the era of nationalism and serve humanity as a whole.  And plenty of others are just civilians with a desire to serve and an appetite to see the cosmos – service with the Terran Alliance Armed Forces guarantees that you will at least see other worlds inside the Sol system.

All soldiers of the TAAF each have a unique 9-digit identification number assigned upon recruitment.  The ID number is prefixed with one letter signifying service branch. A for Administration, B for the Navy, C for the Marine Corps, D for the Army and Logistical Corps, E for the CEC, and F for TAPS.

 

Rank Structure and Advancement

The TAAF operates using a simplified ranking system compared to most Earth militaries.  There are 9 Officer ratings and 6 Enlisted ratings – though within each rating there can be a varying scale of pay commensurate with soldier experience and service history.  For ease of distinguishing between service branches, each rating has a different title for each service branch.

OFFICER RANKS

 

¹ While the pay grades of O-6, O-8, and O-9 exist in TAPS, they are not actual ranks.
² Promotion to flag rank (O-7 and above) is as much a matter of politics as competence. All prospective flag officers must be nominated by the Council of Ten and confirmed by the People’s Chamber and State’s Chamber before being promoted to O-7. If a character who is eligible for such a rank has taken actions that might place them in disfavor with those groups — or even one specific member of those groups — they may be refused promotion past O-6, regardless of their qualifications. On the other hand, connections are helpful when striving for flag rank.  For all intents and purposes, the highest a player character can rise in the ranks for actual rank is O-6, barring odd circumstances.  Players may receive a pay grade higher than O-6, however.
³ Administration and CEC have no O-10 rank officer currently.  Administration has no representation on the Joint Chiefs since they report directly to the Joint Chiefs, and the CEC is represented on the Joint Chiefs by a Council General stationed at Tycho.
⁴ An O-7 Naval Officer is referred to as a Vice-Admiral if serving under the command of an Admiral, and as a Fleet Captain if they are commanding their own battlegroup.  The rank of Vice-Admiral is also used for certain high-ranking positions in Administration

N/A means that there is no officer rank title at that level for that division of the armed forces.  If there is no named rank below a rank with an N/A, then the lowest named rank is the lowest rank in that branch.  For instance, the lowest rank a member of the Combat Engineer Corps can hold is that of Corpsman at the O-2 level – there are no enlisted in the CEC, the organization is entirely career military.  If there are ranks both above and below the N/A, than that rank just represents an increased pay grade.

ENLISTED RANKS

Promotion Points	Rank/Pay Grade	Army	Marines [Pre-2023 rank in italics]	Navy
0	E-1	Gunner (GR)	Private (PR) [Soldat]	Crewman (CM)
1	E-2	Gunner First Class (GRF)	Lance Corporal (LCP) [Gefreiter]	Senior Crewman (SCM)
3	E-3	Gunnery Corporal (GCP)	Corporal (CPL) [Obergefreiter]	Lead Crewman (LCM)
6	E-4	Specialist (SPC)	Sergeant (SG) [Hauptgefreiter]	Petty Officer Second Class (POSC)
9	E-5	Gunnery Sergeant (GSG)	Staff Sergeant (SSG) [Stabsgefreiter]	Petty Officer First Class (POFC)
12	E-6	Senior Gunnery Sergeant (SGSG)	Senior Staff Sergeant (SSSG) [Oberstabsgefreiter]	Chief Petty Officer (CPO)
15	E-7	Master Sergeant (MSG)	Sergeant Major (SGM) [Unteroffizier]	Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO)
20	E-8	Senior Master Sergeant (SMSG)	Senior Sergeant Major (SSGM) [Stabsunteroffizier]	Senior Master Chief Petty Officer (SMCPO)
25	E-9	Chief Master Sergeant (CMSG)	Command Sergeant Major (CSGM) [Befehlscorporal]	Command Master Chief Petty Officer (CMCPO)
(Appointment Only)	E-101	Master Sergeant of the Army (MSGM)	Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SMMC) [Stabsunteroffizier der Marineinfanteristkorps]	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)

¹ There is only one E-10 ranked soldier for each service branch that has enlisted ranks at a time.  E-10 is a desk job, and that soldier is tasked with representing the interests of all enlisted soldiers in their service branch.

SDA Members who do not officially hold rank in a branch of the armed forces can opt to undergo command training.  Those who complete this training effectively have a base O-2 Rank for the purposes of command structure, with some holding higher rank due to experience.

The interaction between Enlisted and Officer ranks is convoluted, having to do with given circumstances, soldier experience, and orders.  However, it is generally assumed that E-4 is roughly equivalent to O-1 and E-6 is roughly equivalent to O-2. However, in a command or combat situation a commissioned officer always takes precedence unless an emergency arises (such as that commissioned officer being incapacitated).

WARRANT OFFICER RANK TABLE

A warrant officer is a specific type of officer, a technical specialist rather than a generalist with command training. Instead of being commissioned by the Grand Duchess as a military officer, a new warrant officer —at the W-1 pay grade — receives a warrant from the appropriate member of the Joint Chiefs who oversees his service branch. Pay grade/ranks W-2 and above are commissioned by the Grand Duchess, however.
The primary thing that sets warrant officers apart from their commissioned brethren is that they remain single-specialty soldiers throughout their careers, focusing on their chosen areas of expertise rather than attaining command and staff positions. The vast majority of warrant officers are formerly enlisted personnel who qualified for warrants after two to five years of service.
Almost all warrant officers are technical specialists, serving in support arms rather than combat arms. The exceptions to this rule are aerospace warrant officers, who can serve as pilots in the Army and Navy, and Army Special Forces warrant officers, who serve in all Special Forces positions. In terms of rank and respect, a warrant officer is roughly equivalent to a commissioned officer of equivalent pay grade, and is usually deferred to in technical matters within his area of expertise. In a command or combat situation, however, a commissioned officer almost always takes precedence.
In game terms, any character with an appropriate character background can begin play as a warrant officer, or become a warrant (officer during play by choosing the Warrant feat. Warrant officers determine their starting promotion points in the same fashion as enlisted personnel and commissioned officers, but learn their pay grade/rank and determine their rank benefits by consulting warrant officer rank table.

AVERAGE PAY AND SERVICE COMPENSATION

Rank/Pay Grade	Weekly	Monthly	Annually
ENLISTED
E-1	500 Credits	2,500 Credits	30,000 Credits
E-2	600 Credits	3,000 Credits	36,000 Credits
E-3	800 Credits	4,000 Credits	48,000 Credits
E-4	1,100 Credits	5,500 Credits	66,000 Credits
E-5	1,400 Credits	7,000 Credits	84,000 Credits
E-6	1,700 Credits	8,500 Credits	102,000 Credits
E-7	2,000 Credits	10,000 Credits	120,000 Credits
E-8	2,500 Credits	12,500 Credits	150,000 Credits
E-9	3,000 Credits	15,000 Credits	180,000 Credits
E-10	3,100 Credits	15,500 Credits	186,000 Credits
WARRANT OFFICER
W-1	800 Credits	4,000 Credits	48,000 Credits
W-2	1,100 Credits	5,500 Credits	66,000 Credits
W-3	1,500 Credits	7,500 Credits	90,000 Credits
W-4	2,000 Credits	10,000 Credits	120,000 Credits
W-5	2,600 Credits	13,000 Credits	156,000 Credits
COMMISSIONED OFFICER
O-1	800 Credits	4,000 Credits	48,000 Credits
O-2	1,100 Credits	5,500 Credits	66,000 Credits
O-3	1,400 Credits	7,000 Credits	84,000 Credits
O-4	1,700 Credits	8,500 Credits	102,000 Credits
O-5	2,000 Credits	10,000 Credits	120,000 Credits
O-6	2,300 Credits	11,500 Credits	138,000 Credits
O-7	2,800 Credits	14,000 Credits	168,000 Credits
O-8	3,300 Credits	16,500 Credits	198,000 Credits
O-9	3,800 Credits	19,000 Credits	228,000 Credits
O-10	3,900 Credits	19,500 Credits	234,000 Credits

Payday is Sunday (in Tycho Unified Time).  If a soldier sees combat in a given week, their pay is multiplied by 1.5.

If an enlisted soldier serves for at least six years, they receive a 30,000 Credit grant towards starting a business or attending a university.  This bonus is increased to 60,000 Credits upon the completion of nine years, and increases again by 30,000 credits every three years after.  Officers must serve at least nine years, but receive the same grant upon departure.

COMMISONED OFFICER VS WARRANT OFFICER VS ENLISTED

For the most part, a division has both Officer and Enlisted ranks (Administration, CEC, TAPS do not, they are career-only organizations).  Officers are those who have made a career of their armed forces service, whereas enlisted are those who plan to eventually leave the service after their contract is up.  A soldier can transition from Enlisted to Commisioned Officer by completing their branch’s designated Officer Academy or at the Unified Officer Training Academy at the Tycho Colony, upon which time they are immediately promoted to the O-2 level for E-3s, or the O-3 level for E-4s.  E-1s and E-2s cannot enter the Officer Academies.  Officer Academy traditionally takes two years to complete, during which time the candidate will often continue to engage in active deployments, possibly extending the time in the Academy. Warrant Officers are also eligible to receive a full commission, but this is rare. Transitioning from Enlisted to Warrant Officer is done by taking the Warrant feat.

Orders and Requisitions

As a character rises in rank, they gain the ability to call in orders, and gains increased ability in requisitioning gear.

REQUISITIONS

Groups in the armed forces can requisition gear for a mission by using these rules.  A group has an amount of credits for requisitioning items equal to the following formula: total number of character levels in the group x 2000 credits

For characters with rank, add half the characters rank number to their levels when determining the amount of credits available for requisitioning.

These are not actual credits and can therefore only be used to obtain gear from TAAF quartermasters or authorized retail outlets (with commander’s permission). Requisitioning gear beyond this is done via the Knowledge [Civics] skill check made by the group’s commanding officer, with a DC equal to 20 + (1 per additional 1,000 credits being requisitioned). The commanding officer may add the sum of all Requisition Bonuses of the soldiers under their command to this check.

ORDERS

Orders are special requests for support that a character can issue.  Before deploying on a mission, a character fills their order suite with orders of their choice (subject to availability).  Orders include intelligence requests, air strikes, supply drops, and the like.  Once used, that order slot is expended for the duration of the mission (unless the GM says otherwise), but multiple instances of the order can be selected.  Using an order takes an amount of time listed in it’s description.  Orders fall into one of three categories, Minor, Major, and Command.  There are usually improved versions of an order at higher categories.  Calling in any order requires a comlink, and requires you to be within signal range.

Character Rank	Orders
E-1	0
E-2	0
E-3	1 Minor
E-4	2 Minor
E-6	2 Minor, 1 Major
E-7 and above	2 Minor, 1 Major, 1 Command [With CO’s Approval]
W-1	1 Minor
W-2	2 Minor
W-3	2 Minor, 1 Major
W-4	2 Minor, 1 Major, 1 Command
W-5	2 Minor, 2 Major, 1 Command
O-1	1 Minor
O-2	2 Minor
O-3	1 Minor, 1 Major
O-4	2 Minor, 1 Major
O-5	2 Minor, 1 Major, 1 Command
O-6	2 Minor, 2 Major, 1 Command
O-7 and above	Irrelevant, you’re in charge. (In practice, 2 of each category)

Additional orders may be granted depending on mission circumstances.

Minor Orders

• Mortar Strike – Call in a strike from off-site  artillery.  This functions as an area-of-effect attack targeting a 2-square radius anywhere that you can see and radio the location of to the artillery crew.  This attack is made at a +5 bonus, but using a Targeting Laser to paint the center of the target area increases this to a +10.  The laser must be held on target for the duration of the attack for this bonus to persist for each strike.  A mortar strike does 4d6 damage, and takes 1d4+1 rounds to begin, and repeats every 1d2 rounds until 5 shots have been fired.  Calling in a mortar strike takes two Standard Actions (over two consecutive rounds), or a Full-Round action.  Availability of this Order can be limited due to battlefield conditions.
• Basic Intelligence – While in the field or prior to deployment, you can request basic intelligence about the area you are in or being deployed to.  This functions as any Knowledge check of your choice, made at a +5 bonus (made as if the person making the check was trained).  Requesting Basic Intelligence takes 5 minutes.
• Request Ground Support – This calls in a ground or air vehicle, chosen from the list below.  The vehicle takes on-average 2d10 minutes to arrive, but the time could be longer or shorter, depending on how far the character is from a sortie location.  Requesting ground support takes a Standard Action.
  • Enough ATVS or Groundbikes to transport the squad
  • One or two ATMTUs, dependent on squad size
  • One uncrewed RAV
  • A Medivac for extraction or transportation
  • Other vehicles may be available depending on location and circumstances.
• Request Reinforcements – Using this order deploys a number of CL 1 soldiers (type dependent on TAAF branch the reinforcements are called in from) equal to one-half the requesting character’s level.  The reinforcements take on-average 2d10 minutes to arrive, but the time could be longer or shorter, depending on how far the character is from a sortie location.  Requesting reinforcements takes a Standard Action.
• Remote Override – If a character is unable to seize control of an electronic device in the field, they may call in remote support from a qualified technician.  This functions as a Use Computer check made at a +10 bonus, and requires you to be able to connect a datapad (or visual wrist comm) to the device in question.  Calling in a remote override takes one minute.
• Emergency Supply Drop – This calls in a supply drop consisting of 1 ration pack for each character in the squad, and one of either 1 medical kit and additional 4 medpacs, or 1 tool kit.  The supply drop takes on-average 2d10 minutes to arrive, but the time could be longer or shorter, depending on how far the character is from a sortie location.

Major Orders

• Air Strike – Call in an air strike from aerial support.  This could be aircraft, or atmosphere-capable spacecraft, depending on the location.  Either way, the effect is the same.  This functions as an area-of-effect attack targeting a 4-square burst radius anywhere that you can see and radio the location of to the air support.  This attack is made at a +10 bonus, but using a Targeting Laser to paint the center of the target area increases this to a +15.  The laser must be held on target for the duration of the attack for this bonus to persist for each strike.  An air strike does 10d6x2 damage, and takes 3d8+1 rounds to begin, with possible modifiers to this time due to location of air support.  The air strike occurs every 1d2 rounds for 10 rounds before the aerial support has to return to base for re-arming.  Calling in an air strike takes two Standard Actions (over two consecutive rounds), or a Full-Round action.  Availability of this Order can be limited due to battlefield conditions.
• Detailed Intelligence – While in the field or prior to deployment, you can request detailed intelligence about the area you are in or being deployed to.  This functions as any Knowledge check of your choice, made at a +10 bonus (made as if the person making the check was trained).  Requesting Detailed Intelligence takes 10 minutes.
• Request Transport – This calls in an orbital-capable transport vehicle, usually a Shuttle or a Marine Assault Craft, depending on the amount of transport capacity required.  The vehicle takes on-average 2d10 minutes to arrive, but the time could be longer or shorter, depending on how far the character is from a sortie location.  Requesting transport takes a Standard Action.
• Request Reinforcements – Using this order deploys a number of CL 5 (MAXIMUM, actual CL is dependent on situation) soldiers (type dependent on TAAF branch the reinforcements are called in from) equal to the requesting character’s level.  The reinforcements take on-average 2d10 minutes to arrive, but the time could be longer or shorter, depending on how far the character is from a sortie location.  Requesting reinforcements takes a Standard Action.
• Remote Override – If a character is unable to seize control of an electronic device in the field, they may call in remote support from a qualified technician.  This functions as a Use Computer check made at a +15 bonus, and requires you to be able to connect a datapad (or visual wrist comm) to the device in question.  Calling in a remote override takes one minute.
• Emergency Supply Drop –  This calls in a supply drop consisting of 10 ration packs for each character in the squad plus 4 medpacs, and one of either 1 medical kit and 1 surgery kit and an additional 4 medpacs, or 2 tool kits.  The supply drop takes on-average 2d10 minutes to arrive, but the time could be longer or shorter, depending on how far the character is from a sortie location.

Command Orders

• Orbital Bombardment – Call in a bombardment from orbital support.  This requires a vehicle of at least frigate-size to be in orbital support position.  Valid vehicles for this are Railgun Frigates, Missile Frigates, Phoenix-Class Command Ships, Conqueror-Class Battlecruisers, Praetor-Class Torpedo Cruisers, and Iwo Jima-class Mobile Marine Bases (although the base must be in orbit, or on the ground within 400 kilometers of the location needing to be bombarded).  This functions as an area-of-effect attack targeting a 6-square blast radius anywhere that you can see and radio the location of to the orbital support.  This attack is made at a +15 bonus, but using a Targeting Laser to paint the center of the target area increases this to a +20.  The laser must be held on target for the duration of the attack for this bonus to persist for each strike.  An orbital strike does 5d6x5 damage, and takes 2d6+1 rounds to begin, with possible modifiers to this time due to location of and type of orbital support (for example Missile Frigates take longer to come into effect, since they support with missile strikes, which are slower moving than a railgun strike.  The orbital bombardment occurs every 1d2 rounds for 10 rounds before the orbital support has to cease for reloading or moves out of orbital range.  Calling in an orbital strike takes two Standard Actions (over two consecutive rounds), or a Full-Round action.  Availability of this Order can be limited due to battlefield conditions.
  If available, this order can also be used to call in attacks from larger assets, such as Artemis-class Bombardment Lasers mounted on defense platforms or Conqueror-class battlecruisers.  For information about the effects of an Artemis-class laser strike, see the weapon’s entry in the Vehicle section.
• Sensitive Intelligence – While in the field or prior to deployment, you can request sensitive, often classified intelligence about the area you are in or being deployed to.  This functions as any Knowledge check of your choice, made at a +20 bonus (made as if the person making the check was trained).  Requesting Sensitive Intelligence takes 15 minutes.
• Request Space Transport – This calls in an interstellar-capable transport vehicle, usually a Janus or Hecate-Class Runabout, Hermes-Class Courier, or possibly a Standard or Heavy scout, depending on the amount of transport capacity required.  The vehicle takes on-average 2d10+3 minutes to arrive, but the time could be longer or shorter, depending on how far the character is from a sortie location, and the status of transports in this area.  Requesting transport takes a Standard Action.
• Request Reinforcements – Using this order deploys a number of CL 5 (MAXIMUM, actual CL is dependent on situation) soldiers (type dependent on TAAF branch the reinforcements are called in from) equal to 5 + the requesting character’s level.  The reinforcements take on-average 2d10 minutes to arrive, but the time could be longer or shorter, depending on how far the character is from a sortie location.  Requesting reinforcements takes a Standard Action.
• Remote Override – If a character is unable to seize control of an electronic device in the field, they may call in remote support from a qualified technician.  This functions as a Use Computer check made at a +20 bonus, and requires you to be able to connect a datapad (or visual wrist comm) to the device in question.  Calling in a remote override takes one minute.
• Emergency Support Drop –  This calls in a supply drop consisting of 1 fully-trained and equpped combat medic, 10 additional medpacs, 2 tool kits, and 1 month of ration packs per character.  The support drop takes on-average 2d10 minutes to arrive, but the time could be longer or shorter, depending on how far the character is from a sortie location.

Uniforms

Unlike actual combat armor, uniforms and non-combat armor require no feats to use. They do not provide any bonus to reflex defense, instead providing a bonus to Fortitude Defense and (in some cases) Damage Reduction. Any damage reduction provided by them stacks with other sources. Uniforms and non-combat armor can be worn underneath or in conjunction with standard armor, unless otherwise specified. However, any bonus to Fortitude Defense will not stack with additional pieces of armor, only the highest bonus applies.

Armor	Cost	Damage Reduction	Equip Bonus to FORT Defense	Max DEX Bonus	Speed	Weight	Availability
Terran Alliance Armed Forces Dress Uniform	N/A	–	–	–	–	2 kg	Military
Terran Alliance Armed Forces Mess Dress Uniform	N/A	–	–	–	–	2 kg	Military
Terran Alliance Armed Forces Service Uniform	N/A	1/-	+1	–	–	2 kg	Military
Terran Alliance Armed Forces Tactical Uniform	N/A	2/-	+1	–	–	3 kg	Military
Terran Alliance Marine Corps Undersuit	N/A	2/-	+1	–	–	4 kg	Military, Marine Corps Only

Terran Alliance Armed Forces Uniforms – TAAF Uniform Regulations originally called for a single armed forces-wide uniform, but this was rejected when different branches of the armed forces protested about the design of the uniform itself.  Instead, each branch originally had distinct uniforms, though some of them shared the basic uniform design.  This proved to be a logistical nightmare, and complicated matters in joint force operations, so the idea was scrapped after several years in favor of several standardized uniform types. Trim color on the uniform is used to distinguish service branches from each other. The Army is indicated by orange, CEC by dark green, Marine Corps by red, Navy by gray, and TAPS by light blue. Specializations are denoted by additional trim colors: black indicates commanding and executive officers, blue indicates operations personnel, green indicates security, gold indicates engineering, white indicates science and medical, and light gray indicates weapons crew. Each service branch has their own unique take on the uniform, but after the standardization of uniforms this is limited to accoutrements that are added to the uniform – Marines have ceremonial swords as part of their dress uniforms, the Army likes adding lanyards and decorative cords, the CEC wears their Quantum Computing Units and Shield Bracers as part of all uniforms, Administration is known for adhering strictly to the uniform regulations as originally written, and TAPS tends to be rather…lax…about their adherence to the uniform regulations as written.

• Terran Alliance Armed Forces Dress Uniform – The most formal uniform available to TAAF personnel, the dress uniform is typically worn at military ceremonies, official receptions, diplomatic events, and other special occasions. It corresponds to a civilian white tie or formal dress code, and is worn with the full form of all awards granted to and qualifications earned by the soldier. TAAF uniform code allows this to include non-TAAF awards as well, leading to some dress uniforms for older and more heavily-decorated personnel becoming cumbersome and looking like something more resembling the garb worn by stereotypical 20th century militaristic world leaders. As this is a uniform intended for non-combat situations, it provides no protection at all. The prestige associated with the uniform provides a +4 equipment bonus to Persuasion checks made against civilian citizens of the Terran Alliance (situation and target-dependent). This uniform is available in two variants, one with pants, and another with a skirt that ranges in length from knee-length to ankle-length (chosen by the wearer upon being issued the uniform). Formal shoes are worn with this uniform.
• Terran Alliance Armed Forces Mess Dress Uniform – Designed to be a step down from the dress uniform in terms of formality, the Mess Dress is a uniform that corresponds more to a civilian black tie or semi-formal dress code. TAAF awards are worn in miniature form, while non-TAAF awards are worn in miniature form (if available) or in full form (if not available in miniature form). Qualifications are worn as normal. It is commonly seen worn by TAAF personnel at high-profile social affairs, and like the dress uniform it offers no protection at all. It is not as elaborate as the full dress uniform, but it still provides a +2 equipment bonus to Persuasion checks made against civilian citizens of the Terran Alliance (situation and target-dependent). This uniform is available in two variants, one with pants, and another with a skirt that ranges in length from knee-length to ankle-length (chosen by the wearer upon being issued the uniform). Formal shoes are worn with this uniform.
• Terran Alliance Armed Forces Service Uniform – Corresponding to civilian informal or business attire, this is the everday uniform worn by TAAF personnel not expecting to see combat. Unlike the Dess and Mess Dress uniforms, the Service uniform includes protective elements, providing an element of defense while on-duty. While it does include pockets for storing small items, it contains nowhere near as many as the Tactical Uniform provides, and therefore provides no benefit. This uniform is available in two variants, one with pants, and another with a skirt that ranges in length from knee-length to ankle-length (chosen by the wearer upon being issued the uniform). Unlike the dress uniforms, this uniform includes combat boots.
• Terran Alliance Armed Forces Tactical Uniform – The battle dress uniform of the Terran Alliance Armed Forces is available in a wide range of camouflage patterns, distributed to personnel as the combat situation changes. It has built-in protective elements, providing an element of protection against incoming fire, close-combat attacks, and environmental hazards. Additionally, it contains numerous pockets for storing small items, up to the size of a tool kit. Up to 14 items of up to 1 kg each can be stored in the uniform, items stored in this fashion are treated as if they were 1/4th their weight for the purposes of carrying capacity and can be retrieved with a single move action as if they were stored in a bandolier or utility belt. Unlike the Dress, Mess Dress, and Service uniforms, the Tactical Uniform is only available with pants. As a combat uniform, this uniform is worn with combat boots.

Terran Alliance Marine Corps Armored Undersuit – This single-piece, form-fitting bodysuit is the day-to-day operational uniform for any Marine that could potentially see direct combat. Officers who might see direct combat have a habit of wearing it underneath their uniforms. The garment is functionally the base layer of a Marine’s armor, doubling both as a protective layer and as a uniform. While the majority of the environmental and physical protection systems are in a Marine’s actual armor, the undersuit contains defensive weaves and insulation, providing a measure of protection to a soldier while out of their armor. The undersuit contains all the standard rank, service branch, and specialization insignias of the standard tactical uniform, and it contains the biomonitor function of the Marine’s armor.