THE SWORD FLEET

“The lines of ships firing their guns are an orchestra, and they play a symphony of destruction.” 

Admiral Jeremy Woodward, 2164

As a primarily waterside nation, hosting most of the massive Great Lakes, the Midwestern Union recognizes the importance of maintaining a strong naval ability. The Midwestern Navy is the second branch of the Midwestern Armed Forces and is by far the most well-maintained and largest segment of the MWU's military industrial complex, and serves as the pride of the entire nation. Currently, the MWN is divided into two commands: the defense-oriented Shield Fleet and the offense-oriented Sword Fleet.

Before federalization and the secession of the Midwest, naval power in the Great Lakes belonged to the Great Lakes Coalition. Navies in the Coalition were scattered and decentralized, with each serving the banner of a different city-state. Naval power was also wholly unequal in the Coalition, with some city-states hoarding and commanding powerful navies while others had little to nothing to defend their shores. It wasn't until the Huron Wars that naval forces began to resemble what they look like today. After the formation of the Midwestern Union, it gained the majority of the Coalition's seafaring forces, granting them an immediate edge in the war against the now-divided Coalition. 

The Sword Fleet is the largest of both commands of the Midwestern Navy, having 70% of the Navy's manpower and overall fleet capacity, while the Shield Fleet only received 30%. The Sword Fleet is the main offensive formation of the Midwestern Navy, responsible for all naval actions against the Great Lakes Coalition and other enemies of the Union. As a result, the fleet gets the most attention out of any formation in the Midwestern Armed Forces. The fleet mainly comprises vessels inherited from the Old Coalition; however, an increasing number are post-flash military productions, which the Union intends to fully outfit the fleet with in accordance with its rapid attempts to modernize itself. Due to the importance of naval security and the maintenance of the Sword Fleet, effectively all seaside MWU cities have a port attached to them, most being dedicated to maintenance, but locations such as the Mackarel Shipyards produce new ships.

Sailors of the Midwestern Navy come from all walks of life, though most are volunteers from either lakeside cities and towns or individuals who wish to serve in the war but not at an exponentially high risk of death. However, an increasing number of Sailors are impressed into service against their will and have never seen the lakes their entire lives up to this point. They are trained for 2 months at Fort Navsta, which used to be the site of the pre-flash Naval Station Great Lakes, and another month of training for a specialization before they're assigned to a vessel or a base. Sailors remain in the Navy to gain prestige and higher social standing, to make a fulfilling career for themselves, out of sheer patriotism, or just for monetary gain. Generally, most sailors are fiercely loyal to the Midwestern Union.

5TH NAVAL BATTLEGROUP "SABRE"

The 5th Naval Battlegroup, nicknamed "Sabre", was first established as the 5th Support Flotilla upon the creation of the Midwestern Navy in Congressional Edict 9, and was assigned to the Sword Fleet soon afterwards. The Flotilla was intended largely to be a supporting formation to back up the larger and heavier vessels of other formations. So its makeup was largely consistent of Logistics and Transport vessels as well as Patrol vessels recently acquired from the former Coalition ports to protect said vessels. The 5th Flotilla would be instrumental to naval operations in Lake Superior against the Western Coalition, as it kept troops along the coast, as well as naval vessels supplied and protected. 

Upon the outbreak of hostilities with the Eastern Coalition, the 5th Flotilla was reorganised into the 5th Naval Battlegroup due to the increasing need for naval assets to support the war effort. The MNS Emissary was assigned to be the lead vessel of the formation itself, and it draws its name from the sabre sword. The grouping overall was reassigned various offensive vessels such as Erie, St. Claire, Ontario, Huron and Michigan class vessels. The Battlegroup for the majority of the war thus far saw limited action in Lake Huron, mainly engaged in anti-piracy operations and limited actions against isolated Coalition naval groups in the Manitoulin Islands Campaign and a short stint defending the shores of Bakersville. The Battlegroup was then assembled in August of 2165 for a risky full deployment to Lake Erie to reinforce a blockade around the Sunrise Isles as a result of the Biomass outbreak, and crossed the perilous St. Claire Cutoff to reach the Lake. 

The Commander of the 5th Battlegroup is Commodore Ernest Zaitsev, leading the formation from the MNS Emissary. The sailors assigned to it are highly motivated to hopefully see combat and properly reinforce the Union's war effort.

MIDWESTERN NAVY RANKS

[LR] SAILOR

Sailors are the most basic but the most abundant rank in the Midwestern Navy, making up the core and backbone of the force as a whole. Sailors are rigorously trained in Fort Navsta for two months and then another month spent training for their specialization to ensure total efficiency in their careers. Sailors are mostly volunteers with some being forcibly impressed, but they are united in their fierce loyalty to the Midwestern Union.

[JMR] PETTY OFFICER

The first leadership position in the Midwestern Navy, Petty Officers are seasoned veterans of the Sword Fleet, with experience dating back to the War of the Ashes and pre-federalization Coalition navies in the Midwest. Due to their position, they are effectively the Navy's Non-Commissioned Officer rank. They are put in charge usually of groups of sailors to entire departments of a vessel. Due to this, they are largely independent in their decision-making. A specially selected Petty Officer may be assigned to lead a small scale vessel.

[MR] LIEUTENANT

Considered a 'proper' officer rank, Lieutenants are those who have the integrity, ambition, and strategic mind to rise through the ranks of the Sword Fleet. They start as naval cadets and are promoted to Lieutenant after graduating from the Naval Officer Academy. With their privilege, they are assigned to either highly important positions on a large vessel or to captain a moderately sized one. They are well-versed in how to lead and will do anything to ensure smooth operation.

[HR+] COMMODORE

Seasoned officers of the Midwestern Navy who have their experience that ranges back to the old Coalition naval forces in the Great Lakes for many long years. With their experience, they are a highly valued asset in the Midwestern Navy, being assigned to command large vessels and those integral to the war effort. A specifically assigned Commodore may also lead entire battlegroups from a command vessel.

[L] ADMIRAL

The most senior of all ranks in the Midwestern Navy, they are the absolute highest authority in the force, and command naval operations from the comfort of a war room or from a designated command vessel. The Great Lakes Congress may specially assign two Admirals to the rank of Fleet Admiral to lead the Sword and Shield Fleets, respectively. This rank is only held by Fleet Admirals Jeremy Woodward and Rebecca Vankirk. 

NAVY CULTURE

As a separate branch, the Midwestern Navy has developed in a more unique direction than the New Model Army, mainly inspired by the naval traditions of previous Coalition navies, as well as inspirations from other Unions and surviving pre-flash ones. Due to this, Sailors speak and act in their own different ways on board a vessel, with naval tradition being encouraged and even enforced on some crews.

"AYE AYE SIR!"

It's customary amongst the Navy that once an order is given, it is repeated with the words "Aye, Sir!" or "Aye, Ma'am!" to affirm it. This is done to ensure that the party being ordered has understood the order correctly and can acknowledge it in order to make sure that it gets done. This is because the ship and the surrounding lake are often loud, and it's hard to hear over the sound of engines, battle, and waves crashing against the ship. Also, due to the relative simplicity of the Midwestern Navy's rank structure, it is common to be referred to by your rating rather than your rank, examples being "Aye, Signaleer?" or "Aye, Swabbie?". 

NAVAL DIRECTIONS

Language amongst members of the Midwestern Armed Forces has its oddities, and the Navy is particularly enigmatic to those unaccustomed to their jargon. This is mainly due to the separation of the two branches and their development in terms of internal culture, as well as the necessity in terms of the Navy through its short existence and what came before it. The language iceberg starts with simple directions to describe the relative position of the ship and where you are on it, such as "Port", meaning leftward, and "Starboard", meaning rightward. The "Bow" is the forward-most point in the ship, and the "Stern" is the rear-most point on the ship. 

The language iceberg grows more complex, as the language used to describe position relative to the ship, often used for spotting targets and referring to which direction one may go on the vessel. The "Beam" of the ship is directly perpendicular to the length of the ship, originating from the halfway point between its bow and its stern. A "Quarter" is assigned a sideways direction (Port, Starboard), and travel direction (Forward, Aft). The resulting "quarter" is the space between the extended lines in the directions given- for example, the Bow Port Quarter, which will be the front and left side of the ship.

When giving orders, the word "Handsomely" describes careful, deliberate action, while the word "Smartly" describes a quicker, sharper action.

CAMARADERIE AND HONOR

Due to the relative nature of naval service, ship crews often find themselves isolated for long stretches of time with only each other for company. This is mainly because of the vast distances of the lakes, as well as the often extended combat missions spent patrolling or deterring hostile actors. This close-quarters environment fosters a unique sense of camaraderie, where sailors must rely on each other not only for their duties but also for companionship, entertainment, and emotional support. As a result, a strong sibling-like bond often forms amongst the crew, one that is rarely seen amongst other branches of service. Due to this, extended or violent internal disputes amongst experienced naval crews are a rarity.

Naval culture also promotes Honor among Officers and Enlisted, mainly through the values of integrity, respect, honesty, and courage. Sailors are encouraged to conduct feats that characterize heroism and immense courage, as well as be merciful to enemies.