Standard Operating Procedure

Verbiage:

To ensure clarity within this document certain terms are used for certain things. Here is a small list to help promote clarity.

• Captain: A whitelisted USCM Captain. Anything with the word Captain only applies to Whitelisted USCM Commanders. These rights cannot be transferred.
• Commander: The current Commander of this ship. Anything that mentions the Commander also applies to acting commanders. These rights are transferable to any new aCO.
• MP: Military police. These rights also include deputized XO’s, SO’s or Synthetics who are dealing with marine law. These rights cannot be transferred.
• Officer: A person who is commissioned into the USCM. Thus Commissioned Officers. These rights cannot be transferred.
• For all other roles and mentions, a specific person can be appointed if the specific role is not available but the chain of command should be followed if possible. This also means these rights are transferable. Only the current Commander may appoint people to a new position.

Foreword: The Captain

The Captain of a vessel holds certain privileges as outlined in Marine Law. Additionally, they may reasonably alter General Regulations within Standard Operating Procedure so long as these alterations do not contradict Marine Law or go against the SOP’s listed as unavailable for change. Should there be concerns about the exercise of this privilege, any personnel may contact High Command to inquire about the legitimacy of such changes and request they be overturned, The Captain may also face punishment. This privilege is not extended to anyone taking up command in the Captain’s absence.

General Regulations

Rules of Engagement

The following are the standard rules of engagement. They may be modified by the Commander as necessary in accordance with AO developments.

• Any potentially useful equipment found in the AO such as weapons or tools may be requisitioned for military use by any USCM personnel with the rank of SSGT and above.
• Buildings and obstacles within the AO may be constructed or deconstructed in accordance with strategic or tactical directives. The use of plastic explosives is authorized for demolitions.
• Wildlife is not to be needlessly hunted if passive. Any hostile wildlife or wildlife that approaches the perimeter of FOBs, supply lines or compromises the personal space of marines or their formation may be shot on sight.
• Humans that are not overtly hostiles are to be halted and their intentions uncovered. Survivors are to be debriefed and be given the option to board the Almayer as a passenger, they may be offered this freely.
• Other military or paramilitary entities may be allowed to continue their operations if they prove beneficial or indifferent to USCM interests.
• The use of force is authorized to disable non-compliant personnel. Hostile personnel may be killed on sight.

Equipment

Standard issue equipment

Standard issue equipment is defined as any military uniform, armor, weapon or accessory personnel may find in their crew locker, as well as those they emerge from cryosleep with and any equipment normally available for issue by the Requisitions Department.

Additionally, the Captain may issue special equipment on a case by case basis, such as special headsets for ease of communications or special weaponry for certain marines or squads so long as it does not contradict Marine Law. Alcohol may be stored in the Officer’s Mess, Commanding Officer’s Mess, Captain’s Quarters and CL’s Private Quarters.

Uniform Regulations

USCM and USCM-affiliated personnel are required to be wearing appropriate clothing during operations. Deploying marines and MPs should be wearing their uniform, boots, and armor at a minimum. Other crew must wear their uniform and assigned footwear. Headwear, if any, is worn, must be your properly assigned headgear, or an acceptable replacement.

• The Captain may not authorize an SOP change for uniform regulations to allow personnel to deploy without clothes or a lack of uniform.
• Department specific uniforms and headgear are limited to the persons within that department unless given out by the head of the department or Commander.
  • MP's must always use their department-specific headgear.
  • One should not use other head of department's uniforms or headgear unless approved by ones own head of department.

Equipment Handling Procedure

Aboard the ship, weapons must remain holstered when not in use. Under normal circumstances, weapons may only be fired in the firing range. Weaponry may not be left unattended unless it is properly secured in spaces intended for it (weapon racks, gun cabinets, etc.). Medicines may not be left out in the open. All pills must be contained within properly labeled pill bottles, and syringes, autoinjectors, surgery tools, and other medical devices must be placed within their designated containers (surgery trays, medical bags, etc.)

Authorized Weapons - Code Restrictions

• Code Green - Authorized Weapons may be carried by deploying marines (any standard issue weapon or weapon ordered from requisitions), security (non-lethals and sidearms only, not riot gear such as beanbags) and any personnel issued with a weapon upon the start of an operation.
• Code Blue - All crew are authorized pistols. Military Police may carry any lethal weapons to subdue non-human threats. Military Police may use non-lethal riot gear to subdue Marines during a Mutiny or large gatherings of insubordinate personnel. Flashbangs are considered a Riot tool.
• Code Red - No Weapon Restrictions.
• Code Delta - Normally happens when one of the Dropships crashes on the Almayer. You are authorized to use ANY kind of weaponry. The acting Commander may order a general Evacuation, Self Destruction of the ship, or hold the Almayer.
• Exception: Firearm use and possession are allowed if you or someone you are responsible for are in immediate, life-threatening danger and the appropriate code-level has not been set.

Ship modifications

Under normal circumstances, the ship may only be modified either on the Captain’s order or with the permission of the Chief Engineer + Commander and if the modification affects a department, the head of the department in question must also authorize it.

Non-Modifiable Standard Operating Procedure

The SOP written below may only be modified with High Command's permission and not solely by the Captain.

Conduct of Briefing

The Captain or Commander is to ensure a proper briefing before any operation is being held. The briefing should not be performed in the hangar or the dropship due to the noise levels in those areas. The briefing performed must at least involve the Squad Leaders as well as CiC personnel, which includes the on-duty Staff Officers. Failure to adhere to this will incur Neglect of Duty Charges.

• This procedure may be skipped in the event of Delta alert or another Emergency situation.

Department SOP

Specific Department orders and their standard procedures are listed here. These should always be followed and carried out by the department personnel. The head of the department holds responsibility for his department and answers directly to the Commander of the ship.

Medical

The Chief Medical Officer has final say over the medbay and medical procedures onboard the Almayer, except when overridden by the Commander. They may authorize or prohibit experiments at their discretion, set medbay procedures, and fire or hire civilians working in their department. They may only fire medbay staff in case they have performed a Marine Law violation. When in medbay all combat marines are required to listen to and obey the orders of the CMO. During Delta Emergency Alerts, any medical personnel is to either get to the escape pods and evacuate the ship, or hold in safe locations with marines, to provide medical support for the wounded troops.

Requisitions

The Requisitions Officer has control over the requisitions bay and the right to decline service to any member of the crew, including other officers. No equipment may be taken from the Requisitions Bay by non-requisitions personnel without the RO’s approval. His decisions on such matters may only be overridden by the Commander. During Delta Emergency Alerts, the Requisitions Department is to follow the Command orders. All Requisitions personnel are to join standard marines in either holding the Almayer or Evacuate the ship as well as getting Civilian personnel into safety, depending on the orders given by the Command Staff.

Security

The Captain has the final say on law enforcement in his operational area as outlined in Marine Law. It is the duty of the Chief MP to ensure procedure is observed and the law is carried out in a just manner. Should the Chief MP believe the Captain Is abusing his position, he must contact High Command for permission to relieve him.

MPs have a duty to enforce Marine Law and ensure order is maintained, and breaking Marine Law would incur in neglect of duty charges. To this end, other members of the crew may not interfere with their actions when enforcing the law, such as barring them from entering an area if they have reason to be there. However, when ordered to, MPs must leave sensitive areas such as Operation Theatres unless performing an arrest. Additionally, MPs have a duty to keep the ship and shipside crew safe. In such matters, they must obey the orders of officers in accordance with their position within the ship.

Third-Party Personnel

Marines are encouraged to peacefully recover any third-party personnel found in an area of operations and offer them refuge within their ship. All personnel recovered from a combat zone must be searched on arrival and their weapons and unauthorized items secured within the Brig. They may keep their clothes and tools, provided they are not used for criminal purposes.

• Survivors may refuse to answer questions and use their right to remain silent. They may not be punished for this.
• Should the civilians deploy to the area of operations again they may request to be given back their gear and an MP must escort them to the dropship to make sure they deploy. Returning Civilians will have to be searched again but may skip the medical check.

They must also be provided with adequate medical care and sustenance. Civilian personnel recovered may be given a temporary junior position in a department or join the USCM should their qualifications allow for it as outlined in the Employment procedure.

• Third-Party Military or Paramilitary forces may be allowed to keep their weaponry, provided their presence is beneficial to the operation.

Eviction of Survivors

Survivors can only be evicted or denied access to the ship in these cases: The Captain can overrule either decision and the Commander may overrule the CMP.

• Should a survivor commit a Major crime the Commander or CMP may choose to evict them or refuse entrance to the Ship after their sentence has been completed. Once the survivor is evicted, they are barred from boarding the Ship again.
• Should the survivor be confirmed to have any confirmed ties to a military or paramilitary organization. The Commander or CMP may bar the person from entering.

Employment Regulations

Demotion and Termination Procedure

For crimes with the punishment of demotion or termination USCM affiliated personnel may be demoted to a more junior position within their department (or into the Operations department in the XO’s case) If that position does not exist, they can be terminated. Should the Commander wish, he may turn any demotion to a termination instead allowing them access only to the common areas of the ship.

Employment Procedure

Personnel recovered from the Area of Operations may be temporarily employed in the Requisitions, Engineering or Medical department according to their skills or join the forces of USCM if the current Commander allows it under the rank of PVT. Employed personnel must be given an ID identifying them in their new position and given access to their work area. Employed personnel are given a junior position and must obey the orders of all Almayer personnel assigned to that department.

Restricted Areas and Access Modification

Personnel may only legally access areas their ID grants them passage to unless someone responsible for the area allows them entry. The Commander may restrict anyone from accessing any area of the ship. Heads of Staff may evict anyone from their departments except the Commander.

The Captain may modify the access afforded to any person’s ID card at will. (No all-access| Server Rules). The Commander may modify access to all departments and grant access to all departments with the Head of Department's approval. During emergencies, officers may modify their own access if required.

Anyone with access to a department may grant others access to that area but may be overruled by the head of the department. The Captain can overrule Head of Departments, but a regular Commander may not.