Platinum Band

Flag of the Platinum Band

The Platinum Band (the Band) is the main component of the Pillow Fortress Armed Forces. A professional, volunteer military, the Band is tasked with defending the Principality and its interests across all warfighting domains: land, sea, air, space, and more. The Band is subordinate to civilian control through the Department of Defense and ultimately the Princess as its commander-in-chief.

Flag of the Pillow Fortress as used by the Platinum Band. The fringe is symbolic and has no legal significance.

Etymology

The name "Platinum Band" derives from the Sacred Band, and elite unit of the ancient Theban military, which was undefeated until its ultimate destruction at the hands of Philip II of Macedon and, more notably, his son Alexander the Great. Platinum was incorporated due to the common cultural notion that it is a finer metal than gold (see, for example, its use in music recording certification). Additionally, it is believed that the name Platinum Band sounds cooler than something more literal such as Fortressian Defense Forces, or Fortressian Military.

Structure

The Band is divided into different branches called orders. Each order is devoted to a specific battlespace for which they recruit, train, equip, raise, and house units. The orders themselves have civilian leadership, specifically the oversight branches within the Department of Defense, which control things such as budget, procurement, and appointment of military positions, particularly those of the order's command staff, which consists of its highest ranking officers.

Orders contain two primary substructures, commands and field operating agencies. Commands are divided into specialties which raise particular kinds of units. For example, Army Engineering Command raises combat engineering units, while Army Air Support Command raises close in air support units. The second primary substructure of an order are its field operating agencies (FOA). FOAs do not raise units but rather serve the order in administrative and other capacities. See Typical Field Operating Agency Framework.

Existing alongside, though neither superior nor subordinate to the orders, is the Band's headquarters component, the Combined Operations Headquarters, which is what organizes the various warfighting units into combined military commands (CMC).

Ranks and Titles

The Platinum Band shares a single system of ranks across all orders in order to promote cohesion and common understanding during combined arms operations while also reducing confusion. This, unfortunately, has the side effect of all but eliminating some historically significant ranks, particularly those associated with the naval tradition. Where possible, these discarded ranks have been retained as titles. Below are tables of the various Fortressian ranks, along with their United States Army and United States Navy equivalents for comparison.

Officer Ranks
Pay grade	Platinum Band	U.S. Army	U.S. Navy
OF-10	Marshal	General of the Army	Fleet admiral
OF-9	General	General	Admiral
OF-8	Brigadier	Lieutenant general	Vice admiral
OF-7	Colonel	Major general	Rear admiral
OF-6	Major	Brigadier general
OF-5	Captain	Colonel	Captain
OF-4	Commander	Lieutenant colonel	Commander
OF-3	Lieutenant	Major	Lieutenant commander
OF-2	Sublieutenant	Captain	Lieutenant
OF-1	Ensign	First/Second lieutenant	Lieutenant junior grade/Ensign
OF(D)	Cadet	Cadet/Officer candidate	Midshipman/Officer candidate

Enlisted Ranks
Pay grade	Platinum Band	U.S. Army	U.S. Navy
E-9	Sergeant major	Sergeant major	Master chief petty officer
E-8	Sergeant	First sergeant	Senior chief petty officer
E-7	Petty officer first class	Sergeant first class	Chief petty officer
E-6	Petty officer second class	Staff sergeant	Petty officer first class
E-5	Petty officer	Sergeant	Petty officer second class
E-4	Corporal	Corporal	Petty officer third class
E-3	Private first class	Private first class	Seaman
E-2	Private	Private	Seaman apprentice
E-1	Recruit	Private	Seaman recruit

Warrant Officer Ranks
Pay grade	Platinum Band	U.S. Army	U.S. Navy
W-5	N/A	Chief warrant officer 5	Chief warrant officer 5
W-4	N/A	Chief warrant officer 4	Chief warrant officer 4
W-3	N/A	Chief warrant officer 3	Chief warrant officer 3
W-2	Chief warrant officer	Chief warrant officer 2	Chief warrant officer 2
W-1	Warrant officer	Warrant officer 1	Warrant officer 1

Titles of the Platinum Band
Title	Description
Admiralissimo	Commanding officer of multiple formations of self-sufficient vehicles
Admiral	Commanding officer of a formation of self-sufficient vehicles
Commodore	Commanding officer of multiples self-sufficient vehicles within a larger formation
Captain	Commanding officer of a self-sufficient vehicle