Chain of Command

This is the Document Release Information
Article Number:	7CAV-R-001
Scope:	Chain of Command
Version:	1.1
Effective Date:	27JAN24
Last Modified Date:	31JAN24
Approving Authority:	Regimental Commanding Officer
Point of Contact:	Regimental Adjutant General

Chain of Command

As a gaming community based on military simulation and tactical realism, the 7th Cavalry Gaming Regiment follows a customized military chain of command structure that all members must follow. Our chain of command and structure are loosely modeled on the United States Army, and adapted to meet the needs of our gaming community.

Definition

The 7th Cavalry Gaming Regiment’s Chain of Command (CoC) is a series of positions in order of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed. This structure ensures clear lines of authority and communication, allowing for effective command and control, administration, and reporting relationships within the Regiment.

Purpose

The purpose of the Chain of Command (CoC) is to promote morale, maintain discipline, unity of effort, and mission success. The CoC works by ensuring that authority flows down from the top, and information and feedback flow up. This structure enables clear decision-making, coordination of resources, and effective communication. It also establishes accountability, as individuals at each level are responsible for the tasks and orders they receive from their superiors. Violating the CoC can lead to confusion, inefficiency, and a loss of communication and accountability.

Structure

The 7th Cavalry Gaming Regiment is structured and organized into hierarchical sub-units that are each supported by different levels of the CoC through positions called billets. It typically consists of the following line-unit or combat unit structure, whose primary purpose is to provide a unit level organization to support our games:

Regiment > Battalion > Company > Platoon > Section

Each of the above line-units are supported by their respective levels of the CoC by primary billets:

General Staff (Regimental CO, XO, COS, other Generals, CSM) > Battalion Staff (Battalion CO, XO, SGM) > Company Staff (Company Commander, XO, 1SG) > Platoon Staff (Platoon Leader, Platoon Sergeant) > Section Staff (Section Leader, Assistant Section Leader) > Trooper

It also typically consists of the following support or secondary department structure, whose primary purpose is to advise the Regimental CO and to manage administrative functions:

Regiment > Department > Sub-Department

Each of the above departmental support units are supported by their respective levels of the CoC by secondary billets:

General Staff > Department HQ (Departmental 1IC, 2IC) > Lead > Senior > Clerk/Trooper

Billets

For information about the types of billets in the unit, please see Billets.

Unit Size Requirements

All staff members are required to adhere to the following listed minimums and maximums for Section, Platoon, and Company sub-unit sizes.

Procedure

1. If the sub-unit falls below the minimum, it must be merged if possible in order to maintain overall parent unit health.
2. If the sub-unit rises above the listed maximum, it will be split as soon as it is feasible, healthy, and possible in order to allow a good subordinate to leader ratio.
3. The Trooper numbers listed below include Section Leaders, but not Platoon or Company Staff.
4. General Staff reserves the right to intervene at their discretion, but barring exceptional circumstances will typically do so only when a unit is at or below critical numbers.

Unit Numbers

Unit	Description	Minimal		Critical		Nominal		Maximum
	Scope	Troopers	Sub-Units	Troopers	Sub-Units	Troopers	Sub-Units	Troopers	Sub-Units
Section		4	-	-	-	8	-	13	-
Platoon		12	2 Sections	20	2 Sections	24	3 Sections	48	4 Sections
Company		28	2 Platoons	36	2 Platoons	48	2 Platoons	96	3 Platoons

Waivers

Any deviation to the above guidelines requires a waiver from the Regimental Chief of Staff (COS) or their designate. When requesting a waiver, Company Staff must submit a request by forum private message to the relevant Platoon Staff, Battalion Staff, and COS. A waiver should normally be sought if no split is planned or a planned split will require more than thirty (30) days.

Structure & CoC Flowchart

The following is a flow chart of the 7th Cavalry Gaming Regiment's structure and supporting Chain of Command:

Scope, Delegation of Authority, and Orders

All responsibilities and authority originate from the Regimental Commanding Officer billet. All unit commanders (Battalion CO, Company Commander, Platoon Leader, and Departmental 1IC’s) are considered command authorities within their own scope of command. All reasonable orders and tasks from a superior are expected to be carried out by their subordinates in the CoC.

Orders & the Wiki

Anything that is not in writing as policy/SOP on the 7th Cavalry Gaming Regiment Wiki should be delegated to the discretion of the appropriate command authority and/or sent up the appropriate Chain of Command for review. All staff/leaders (decision making authorities/command authorities) are encouraged to exercise their discretion and best judgment within the bounds of the 7th Cavalry Code of Conduct, General Orders, and Chain of Command, when no written SOP exists for a particular situation. Reasonable orders should always be followed by subordinates. Otherwise, all active written Regimental policy and SOP should be followed and enforced by all members on this Wiki.

Regimental SOP always supersedes SOP or policy from a lower unit. Additional criteria can always be added to Regimental SOP for the use of a sub-unit (such as Battalions or Departments) by appropriate command authorities, but the Regimental SOP is always the minimum standard and cannot be lowered.

Right of Review

All personnel who are higher in billet in their respective CoC have the right to undertake a review of any level below their billet and within their scope of command. The Regimental Commanding Officer has the authority to review any billet and member across the Regiment.

The intent behind this directive is to declare that every higher billeted level is delegating responsibility and authority to every lower billeted level they directly or indirectly supervise through subordinates.

An example of the order of authority in the CoC is:

1. Regimental CO to the Regimental Chief of Staff
2. Chief of Staff to Battalion Staff
3. Battalion Staff to Company Staff
4. Company Staff to Platoon Staff
5. Platoon Staff to Section Staff
6. Section Staff to Trooper

Chain of Command Escalation

When submitting an issue to your CoC each level will have three (3) calendar days to take appropriate action on said issue. If three (3) days pass and the issue has not been dealt with to the satisfaction of the originator, the originator may then send it to the next level in their CoC.

An Example

Originator, PFC.Trooper.A, sends an issue to the Section Leader (SL). SGT.Sierra.B doesn't get around to answering it in three (3) days so PFC.Trooper.A sends it to 2LT.Papa.C. 2LT.Papa.C reviews it and tells PFC.Trooper it will never get passed and doesn't send it up. Three days pass and PFC.Trooper.A sends it to MAJ.Charlie.D. MAJ.Charlie.D concurs and sends it to LTC.Bravo.E who is on vacation. Three days pass with no notification from LTC.Bravo.E so again PFC.Trooper.A can now send it to the General Staff who will offer final say on the issue.

The order of escalation would be as such:

1. Originator: PFC.Trooper.A
2. SL: SGT.Sierra.B
3. PL: 2LT.Papa.C
4. CO: MAJ.Charlie.D
5. Battalion CO: LTC.Bravo.E
6. General Staff: GEN.Star.F (this is the final level)

Intent

The intent behind this directive is to give every level adequate time to address an issue as well as give the trooper who has an issue or new idea a speedier process to get it addressed.

Exceptions

Exceptions to this document may be made at the discretion of the General Staff depending on the needs of the Regiment.