Star Army Advisors are fully titled as “Unconventional Networking Advisors” and known as SAUNAs or “Hanzoku”. Advisors fill the role of organising, training and helping to arm allied insurgencies on hostile-controlled worlds. In peacetime, they are sometimes utilised as liaisons and cross-trainers with allied nations, or planetside defence planning advisors. They are part of Star Army Special Operations and trained by Star Army Reconnaissance. They work closely with Star Army Operations and the Star Army Doctrine Administration.

Advisors are responsible for keeping a clear line of supply and communications between the Star Army and allied or partisan forces. They are expected to be robust against enemy counterinsurgents, and to be well versed in local language and culture. They often spend most of their time moving between resistance movements, providing expert military and tactical advice, as well as training local forces in underground and asymmetric warfare. They are the Star Army's foremost experts on asymmetrical warfare and unconventional tactics.

Advisors' functions are:

• To help to mobilise local resistances on hostile-held planets.
• To provide a clear and robust line of communication and coordination back to the Star Army.
• To give expert advice on insurgencies and asymmetric warfare.
• To facilitate training and upskilling of local militias.

The minimum rank for this occupation is Santô Hei and the maximum rank is Shôshô. The majority of Advisors are NCOs by billet, but there is usually one officer per attaché tasking. Officer beyond lower ranks are usually organising from off-world or a friendly base. The occupational colors for reconnaissance units in the Star Army of Yamatai are the cornflower blue of Infantry, or RIKUPAT.

The new sleeve patch is a “Lavender” flower with bronze trim on a Cornflower Blue field​.

The Star Army of Yamatai began training specialized reconnaissance operatives in YE 40 under Star Army Reconnaissance, under Star Army Infantry. Before that, reconnaissance duties were handled spontaneously by other units either too specialized to fulfill the role full time or too general to operate within non-detection parameters.

The emergence of the Kuvexian threat in YE 37 and the subsequent fall of Hanako's World led to many interesting outcomes in relation to local resistance that occurred against Kuvexian rule during the war. It was found that this could be capitalised on with relatively few personnel, by providing expert advisors to local resistances in future.

After the establishment of Star Army Special Operations in YE 43, Star Army Reconnaissance and its occupations were controlled by SASO. In YE 44, Iemochi Feyani reorganised Star Army Reconnaissance occupations. The old Unconventional Regiment was renamed to Unconventional Networking Advisors.

There are no prerequisites for this occupation other than basic training and MOS training. After completing basic training, prospective Star Army Advisors may immediately sign up for specialized unconventional warfare training. A truncated version of Infantry training is done first, to ensure Advisors are capable of functioning effectively with Infantry, the course taking a month and a half. Next, unconventional training takes four months during which trainees learn insurgency histories, logistics, tactics, self-sustenance, improvisation, and scouting skills. There is also an extreme emphasis on physical conditioning and fitness.

The following is information that you are required to be familiar with and should refer to. This profession is to be used in specialised plots only. Advisors are rare and are deployed as expert liaisons. It is possible for them to be dispatched to allied forces outside of an active insurgency, perhaps to provide training.

You are likely a solo advisor, or in a small group of other advisors. In peacetime, you are attached to foreign allied forces to provide expert training and alignment with Yamatai. In wartime, you are deployed to fallen or hostile worlds, to organise and empower local resistances.

Advisors undergo training where they learn these skills through an exhaustive and rigorous twelve-week training course with an additional four weeks of on-post vocational specialization, some of which may be taught prior. Your character should have the following skills. Also, they should have everything covered in Star Army Common Skills. These do not replace common skills, rather they further them. Due to the number of skills below, in addition to the common skills, new attachés are only able to pick three of the following that expand on common skills. They will need to complete a 'certification' RP to finish one of the remaining skills the character did not 'have' at the start. Skills which fit in this category are: Demolitions, Vehicle, Survival, Knowledge, Humanities, Physical.

• Communication: This is further refined with Reconnaissance-related communications skills and codes, which increase accuracy and speed of communication in exchange for being harder to understand for untrained individuals. They should be understood by the Mission Operator. They are familiar with off-world communications. (Star Army Reconnaissance Training)
• Fighting: She has received increased training in asymmetric warfare. They also have training on how to be a good teacher, and be able to better upskill rebels. (Star Army Basic Infantry Training/Star Army Reconnaissance Training)
• Technology Operation: She had knowledge and training in using a select number of field systems intended for reporting to and from the Star Army without a large chance of detection by local enemy presence. (Star Army Reconnaissance Training)
• Mathematics: Basic levels of Calculus is taught, to improve information flow quality. (Star Army Reconnaissance Training)
• Demolitions: Has been given rudimentary instruction in general demolitions use and operation, intended to be taught to rebels so that they can destroy infrastructure. (Star Army Basic Infantry Training)
• Vehicle: Knows more about correct operation of improvised military vehicles than average. (Star Army Basic Infantry Training)
• Survival and Military: Your character has a high level of survivability in case they are cut off from allied forces. This includes but is not limited to the creation of shelters, survivalist training, and other essential skills. Your character can also accurately report their findings despite adverse conditions, enemy presence, and technological restrictions. (Star Army Reconnaissance Training)
• Knowledge: As there is a lack of support and increased personal risk in the line of duty of a Insurgent, split-second decisions can mean the difference between operational success and failure much more often than standard soldiers. Insurgents are expected to consistently display excellent logic in the face of adversity. (Star Army Reconnaissance Training)
• Humanities: Your character needs a strong understanding of cartography and other strategic skills.
• Physical: Your character maintains excellent physical condition, on account of their intensive training and workout regime. (Star Army Basic Infantry Training/Star Army Reconnaissance Training)

Advisors generally prioritize organisational, training and managerial tasks. They tend to keep back from combat. Their equipment allocation reflects this. Star Army Reconnaissance utilizes whatever is needed for the task at hand, here are some examples. Obsolete equipment from storage is occasionally used, especially if casualties are likely.

A substantial equipment list can be found on the Star Army Special Operations page.

These are the characters currently listed as Star Army Advisors.

ethereal created this article on 2022/09/22 19:13.

This was approved by Wes on 2023/01/27¹⁾.