The Conduct chapter of the Stormwind Army Field Manual covers how soldiers of the Stormwind Army are expected to act when dealing with both allies and enemies of the Kingdom of Stormwind.
Acknowledgements:
Lord Maxen Montclair,
- Duke of Westridge.
- Marshal of the Stormwind Army.
Sir Jay Orcbane,
- Knight of Northshire.
- Captain of the Stormwind Army.
Sir Jeremaias Auromere,
- Knight of Stormwind.
- Lieutenant of the Stormwind Army.
Recruitment
All soldiers of the king's army must take the Oath of Service when they enlist. Each soldier is held to the tenents of the oath, which include fealty to the crown, obedience to officers, and honor in their duties.
Oath of Service
(To be taken by all recruits of the Stormwind Army. The recruit must kneel and repeat the following issued by a recruiter.)
"Upon my honor I do swear undying loyalty to the King, Varian Wrynn, and unwavering obedience to the officers of his great kingdom.
May those above judge me, and those below take me, if I fail in my duty.
Long live the King!
Long live the Kingdom!
I, (name), hereby affirm that I shall uphold this oath while in service to the House of Wrynn."
(After taking the oath, all recruits must be issued their uniform and field kit by their recruiter and informed of their unit's current orders.)
The Counter Oath
(To be taken by those issuing the oath of service.)
"I am honorbound to act in accordance to the king's law and shall enact his will through my position as (rank) of the Stormwind Army."
General Conduct
The following passages encompass the basic requirements that soldiers of the king's army are expected to uphold at all times. These articles are what separate the Stormwind Army from other militias as a professional military.
Civilian Conduct
Those who act on civilian contracts within the Stormwind Army are expected to maintain civility and respect for others as they represent the Kingdom of Stormwind.
Should civilians prove to be problematic in their conduct, they shall be subsequently removed from service and sent back to Stormwind.
Public Trust
The king, nobility, and their subjects expect all personnel to maintain high standards of appearance and conduct. Civilian faith in the king relies heavily on their belief that we will act on his will in an effective manner. We can help ensure that we regard this trust as vital through commitment to community values.
The mission of the homeland army is to work with all citizens to preserve life, protect the king's property, and promote individual responsibility and community commitment to the kingdom.
Following Orders
Every soldier within the Stormwind Army is required to follow all legal orders of his or her superiors without question.
Accountability
- The soldiers carrying out a command are just as responsible for the outcome as the soldier who issued it. Do not break the law.
Feedback
- Subordinates may privately bring their concerns to the commanding officer in regards to their assigned orders and duties.
Insubordination
The term "Insubordination" means not submitting to legal authority or being disobedient. In the military setting, insubordination is NOT tolerated.
The least punishment that you will receive is a demotion from your current rank. Depending on the severity of the order you failed to follow, you may lose multiple ranks, be subject to flogging, or even receive a Dishonorable Discharge.
Repeated insubordination is a guaranteed way to lose your place as a soldier.
Leave
There are times when soldiers must leave the field of battle for their own personal affairs. Leave is granted upon request or by a doctor should you be unable to attend your duties.
Magic
The use of magic, when directed in a form to cause pain or injury, may not be used against citizens of the Alliance unless magic is used against yourself. You may, however, use magic to augment your armor and harmlessly immobilize your assailant.
Mages who break this protocol will face suspension and possible demotion and referral to the Stormwind Circle of Magi.
Harassment
For enlisted soldiers of the Stormwind Army to maintain a respectful and productive atmosphere, all ranking men and women must respect the feelings of others. All soldiers must know that when it comes to discrimination and harassment, all officers, staff, and enlisted men and women of the Stormwind Army are expected to follow one very basic commitment about doing things right.
Treat all fellow soldiers and citizens with dignity and respect.
Address
All soldiers of the king's army must properly address their fellow men and women in arms. Depending on a soldier's rank, they may be addressed in a manner of ways.
Enlisted Ranks and Non-Commissioned Members
Privates, Corporals and Sergeants must always be addressed by their rank when spoken to. If multiple soldiers of the same rank are present, address the one you wish to speak to by rank, followed by his or her family name.
Examples:
- "Private, go scout out that hill!"
- "Corporal Williams, may I speak to you in private?"
- "I will get right to that, Sergeant."
Knighted Officers
Knights of the Brotherhood of the Horse are granted honorifics for their long service to the crown. Male knights may be addressed by "Sir" or "Sir" followed by their family name, whereas female knights may be addressed by "Dame" in the same respect. They may also be addressed by their officer ranks.
Examples:
- "Sir! Scouts report that the Orcs are on the move!"
- "Dame Lione, the men are ready for your inspection!"
- "Orders, Lieutenant?"
Command Staff
The appointed noblemen leading the king's armies have honorifics of their own. Lords and ladies may be addressed as such, or by their officer ranks.
Examples:
- 'Yes, m'lord."
- "Commander, what would you have me do?"
- "Is there anything you require, m'lady?"
Saluting
Saluting is an act of professional respect unto those who have earned commissioned officer status within the Stormwind Army. Originating as shielding the sun from one's eyes when observing a knight's orders in battle, saluting was adapted for professional use.
A soldier of Stormwind saluting.
Saluting is necessary when:
- Outdoors.
- Approaching an equal or higher ranking knighted officers.
- Transferring leadership of formations.
- Passing/Greeting officers of allied militaries.
Note:
- Saluting should only be done outdoors!
- Should a superior knighted officer or Lord-Marshal address a formation, the commander of the formation would give the order for his formation to stand at attention while he or she salutes the officer.
Saluting unnecessary when:
- Indoors.
- Addressing a prisoner.
- When hands are occupied.
- Soldiers are deployed in the open.
- Soldier(s) are off duty and in civilian clothes.
- Addressing Non-Commissioned Members (Those below Knight-Lieutenant)
Note:
- When indoors, nod and affirm vocally in instances where you would salute when outdoors.
- When addressing a senior Non-Commisioned Member, rather than saluting, the proper protocol is to come to attention and await permission to speak.
- If addressed to speak with an officer, put what you are carrying down and salute!
- Should a superior knighted officer or Lord-Marshal address a formation, the commander of the formation would give the order for his formation to stand at attention while he or she salutes the officer.
Departing the Presence of a Nobleman
When dismissed or excusing oneself from the presence of a nobleman (Including the Lord-Marshal), proper due must be given to station. Proper procedure for departing is as follows:
Once dismissed, salute (If Nobleman holds military rank), then walk back - facing the nobleman - for roughly a yard. Bow, then turn and depart.
Immediately turning your back to a nobleman is a sign of disrespect (and insubordination in the military) and is punished by summary flogging.
Accompaniment
When addressed by a superior ranking soldier of the Stormwind Military, you shall not leave his or her company until directly given permission to be dismissed or given orders to carry on with your duties.
Permission to Speak
If accompanying a senior ranking soldier, you will not speak in his or her company unless directed or given permission. If the senior ranking soldier is incapacitated, the senior ranking soldier under him must speak for the unit.
Deployment Conduct
When the troops are deployed to any locale, it is expected that every soldier be present and accounted for on the field, with no extranueous individual actions elsewhere in Azeroth. Unless given specific permission to leave the field, you must stay in the designated deployment area.
Soldiers who knowingly break this rule and leave the field of operations without permission will be summarily suspended from duty.
Host Nation Sensitivities
Learn as much as you can about where you are going before you deploy- it may be profoundly different than what you are accustomed to in the Kingdom of Stormwind.
As we represent our king and kingdom through our actions and words, we must maintain high standards of appearance and conduct to our allies.
Keep in mind that when not within the kingdom, you are subject to the laws of the land you are in.
Religion
- Not all nations follow the Holy Light. Displaying some religious icons may be offensive to our hosts.
Appearance
- What may be acceptable in Stormwind may be offensive elsewhere.
Literature
- Beware of anything that might be constituted as illegal in some countries.
Social Customs
- Learn the do's and dont's of the host nation.
Rules of Engagement
Command authorities issue rules of engagement that describe the circumstance and limitations under which soldiers can start or continue military operations.
In armed conflict, the rules of engagement are specifically tailored for each mission or area of responsibility to provide guidance on the use of force.
Do...
- Use the amount of force required to complete your mission and counter hostile acts or hostile intent.
- Fight combatants who are declared hostile. Combatants are all persons participating in military operations or activities or pose an immediate threat to you, your unit, or other friendly forces.
Do not...
- Harm enemy personnel who surrender.
- Kill or torture enemy prisoners of war.
- Attack noncombatants who include civilians, sick and wounded, clearly marked medical personnel, enemy prisoners of war, and chaplains.
- Misuse protected symbols, like the argent crusader's standard.
- Mutilate the corpses of the enemy, or take any appendage or body part as a form of 'trophy' or 'token'
Always...
- Collect and care for all wounded.
- Treat civilians and prisoners of war humanely and with respect.
- Respect private property and possessions.
- Report actual or suspected violations of protocol to your commander.
Fraternization
Fraternization is the act of showing physical affection. When deployed, fraternization is strictly prohibited between all enlisted soldiers of the crown and is a punishable offense.
In time of war, NO SOLDIER of the Stormwind Army is permitted to fraternize with ANY enemies of the kingdom in any form, under penalty of court marshal and dishonorable discharge.
If Taken Prisoner
If taken prisoner by enemies of the kingdom, the only information you are permitted to give is your name and rank. Do not disclose tactical information to the enemy, and never accept preferential treatment in exchange for said information. Escape if possible.
Deserters
Deserters are allied soldiers whom retreat or leave the field of operations with intent to escape from the war at hand. They are to be hung if found to have knowingly disobeyed a command not to retreat.
Prisoners of War
Prisoners of war are enemy soldiers captured by allied soldiers. They are to be escorted to prison camps as soon as possible.
Under no circumstance should a prisoner of war be released without express consent of the Royal Military Council and the King himself.
Punishment
In his majesty's army, non-commissioned officers and knighted officers may invoke punishments upon their subordinates as necessary to maintain order. All punishments are at the discretion of the knighted officers to review for validity.
Involuntary Physical Training
Ranking Sergeants and above may assign their subordinates to involuntary physical training for minor infractions such as forgetting to salute or improperly addressing their superiors, etc.
Reassignment to Kitchen and Janitorial Duty
Ranking Sergeants and above may assign their subordinates to duties as frycook or janitor for repeated minor infractions such as forgetting to salute or improperly addressing their superiors, etc.
Re-attendance of Basic Training
Ranking Sergeants and above may assign their subordinates to attend basic training to relearn concepts they believe need to be reinforced.
Demotion in Rank
Ranking Lieutenants and above may reduce a soldier's rank to what they believe would be fitting for both their competence and willingness to follow protocol.
A public flogging.
Corporal Punishment: Flogging
Ranking Lieutenants and above may issue corporal punishment in the way of flogging to soldiers who suffer great failures or embarrassments that dishonor the king, his noblemen, or his army.
Dishonorable Discharge
Ranking Lieutenants and above may relinquish a soldier's rank if they believe that he or she is not worthy of remaining in service to the king and his army.
Execution
Ranking Commanders and above may order for a soldier to be executed if he or she is proven to have committed high treason, deserted a field of battle, or deliberately killed civilian non-combatants.