?Preface, The Rule of Reason?

    One should note that the structure of TRES Corps is largely based in role-play. This is simply a matter of expediency -- military organization seems the easiest method of description as it is clear, concise, and practical.
    Experience has shown that communication is the key to maintaining a viable organization and camaraderie between members. As such, no officer will ever be denied the ear of a more experienced Jihaddi. Time may not permit this person to respond directly, but flat refusal to listen to other members is a serious offense that threatens the foundation of our group.
    In contradiction to military organizations, TRES members are under no obligation to obey arbitrary or non-sensical commands from someone with a larger title than theirs. Rank, and the implied ability to give an order, is based on experience, knowledge, and general maturity.
    In the case of someone abusing their title or acting irrationally, any member of the Corps is free to disregard them. It should be stressed one must have a justification for ignoring a reasonable request and not do so for reasons equally as arbitrary as an abuse of title. In other words, rationality and reason are paramount in every interaction.

    One should note: membership in TRES Corps is conditional upon living within the rules and conventions of the org. If in the opinion of the Admiralty, a member has sufficiently violated our rules then that member will be asked to leave, or dropped from our logs and denied access to our resources.

    In sum, the Rule of Reason:

    1) TRES personnel are expected to follow the orders/requests of their superiors until such time as they become irrational, unreasonable, or spongified. At such time, they are free to disregard them.

    2) TRES personnel in a position to make authoritative requests of other members are obligated to support their words with articulate reasons, critically so when challenged. Authority which cannot be justified is null and void.

?Ranks?

    TRES, arranged as a military outfit, does not detract from the philosophy standard which guides the actions of officers. Officers are promoted/demoted on the basis of merit in all forms. Communication between officers is thought to be the key to a lasting camaraderie within the ranks, and no officer will be denied the ear of experience, and are constantly encouraged to ask questions when there is confusion.

    TRES Corps uses a rough equivalent of the 19th Century United States' naval ranking system. From highest to lowest are as follows:

Title:	Duties:
Grand Admiral	Guides Squadron Leaders, Corps, Advises
Admiral	Guides their Squadron, advises Grand Admiral
Vice Admiral	may guide a Squadron, advises Grand Admiral
Rear Admiral	may guide a Squadron, advises Grand Admiral
Commodore	may guide a Squadron, advises Grand Admiral
Captain	general duties
Commander	general duties
Lieutenant Commander	general duties
Lieutenant	general duties
Lieutenant Junior Grade	general duties
Ensign	general duties
Recruit	general duties

    General duties consist of maintaining an active presence in the Jihad via a chosen method of action. One is free to choose their own methods and it is considered inappropriate for one's method to be assigned by another.
    In other words, if you're bored an don't know what to do, it is your own fault. Remaining interested and entertained is no one's responsibility but your own.
    The only ranks which come with any additional expectations are Commodore and above. These should not be perceived as an implicit "don't share your opinion with the Grand Admiral until you are a Commodore" or as a barrier to communication. Members are free to provide feedback and suggestions as the guy heading this org is a human just like everyone else and cannot see possibilities others might.
    The reason additional duties are placed on the higher ranks is that these people have proven their merit repeatedly and are known to have valuable feedback and commentary. This is not to say those of lower ranks are unworthy or lack ideas; they are simply someone with whom the Grand Admiral is less familiar and/or has not witnessed enough activity to merit a higher rank. More on this under the section "promotions."

?Promotions?

    As stated earlier, members are promoted/demoted on all *observable* merits/flaws. (We can't make a decision on no evidence, can we? :) )The final decision to promote/demote someone is made by the Corps' leader, Grand Admiral Davies, and all members of the Admiralty are free to recommend someone of a lesser or equal rank be promoted.
    If you are interested in being promoted, the following things tend to work:

    - thoughtful posts to ab4d
    - building things (web pages, programs, R&D, art work, etc.)
    - writing (essays, fiction, character profiles, etc.)
    - just about anything which is a contribution of some form or other to the Corps or Jihad.

?Squadrons?

    TRES Corps is currently divided into 5 squadrons: Alpha, Chi, Kappa, Omega, and Zeta. Zeta is the only squadron with a specialization: research and development.
    Here's who is currently in command of each squadron:

Alpha	Grand Admiral Davies
Chi	Admiral Keith
Kappa	Admiral J-Rock
Omega	Admiral Felton
Zeta	Admiral Svartalf

?Can I join another JAO?

    The answer to this is not a simple yes or no. In the case where efforts in another organization would largely be redundant or duplicated from what you can do in the Corps, the answer is 'no.' If the organization has as its main theme something outside of the Corps' general focus, the answer is 'yes.' Members seeking positions in other orgs are expected to petition the Grand Admiral as a matter of courtesy.
    The below is a general guideline for currently recognized JAOs in the Jihad. Like everything, this guideline is flexible to some degree and does not indicate an absolute position:

JAO:	Joinable:
Church of Saint Dino	Yes
M.A.U.L.	Yes
Maenads of the Holy Albino	Yes   (Invite only)
OJP	Yes   (Invite only)
Doberman Empire	No
Verthandic Rangers	No

    The reader should note, while some orgs may appear as not in conflict they are still denied. Specifically, it was a mutual decision by Grand Admiral Marburger and the VR Councillors not to accept applications from each others' organizations. Similarly, the Doberman Fleet Commander and the Grand Admiral have an analogous agreement[12].
    For a more detailed explanation, please see footnote 12.

?Do I have to be in Zeta Squad to do R&D?     No. All members of the Corps are free to design R&D and submit it to Zeta Squadron's CO/XO. You should go to http://zeta.tres.jihad.net to find out how to contact the CO/XO.
    The approval process for R&D is as follows:

    #1) Submit R&D to Admiral Svartalf or Captain Shadur
    #2) Revise as suggested
    #3) Submit to the Grand Admiral for final approval
    #4) Revise as suggested

    In the event Zeta's command staff is unresponsive, members may skip steps 1 and 2 and submit directly to the Grand Admiral. Most R&D which is reasonable, logical, and has some basis in fact should be approved without difficulty. Zeta is the primary hurdle in approval; the Grand Admiral typically rubber-stamps Zeta-reviewed material, but likes to at least look at things before they go public.