Clouded Horizons:Garden Network Operations Doctrine

The Garden Network Operations Doctrine is a statute of rules, regulations, and instructions created by Cid Kramer in February 2139, following the founding of Balamb Garden. It consists of several articles that are designed to give Garden a firm yet malleable structure of operations to work with for both inter-Garden and intra-Garden affairs.

In 2140, the first amendment to the doctrine was created, effecting the first of the Garden Executive Operational Orders, or EOOs. Since then, five more have been added based on events and circumstances within the Network.

Articles

Article I: General Charter

1) Establishment and Operation of Balamb Garden

By this section of the Garden Network Operations Doctrine, there is to be established a facility for the training and education of students no younger than six (6) years of age. Students will be educated in math, science, and other elementary, middle, and high school concepts, introductory-level college concepts of the same type as previous, and the principles of military instruction and combat at the instructor's discretion.

Article II: Command Staff Powers and Functions

1) Regulations
The Headmaster may prescribe regulations to carry out his/her functions, powers, and duties under this title.

2) Official Registers
The SeeD Garden Commander may have published, annually or at such other times as he/she may designate, official registers containing the names of, and other pertinent information about, such regular and reserve officers of the armed forces under his/her jurisdiction as he/she considers appropriate. The register may also contain any other list that the Garden Commander considers appropriate.

3) Limitations On SeeD Forces Outside Garden

3a) Mandatory Staff Limitation

The Headmaster may not contract any greater than 65% of their Garden's SeeD officers to missions outside of Garden.

3b) Executive Waiver

The Headmaster may waive the operation of subsection (a) in times of emergency; the Headmaster must consult with the Headmasters of all other Gardens in order to waive this operation.

4) Special Operations

4a) Maintenance

The SeeD Garden Commander may appoint one (1) Head of Special Operations to operate a division whose operational size is a minimum of two (2) squads, but may not exceed an operational size of six (6) squads, for deployment in reconnaissance, unconventional warfare, or counter-terrorism objectives. The operational budget may not exceed 33% of the total SeeD budget per fiscal year, but it may obtain additional revenue from legal activities outside of Garden with the Garden Headmaster's approval.

4b) Deployment

The SeeD Garden Commander may authorize, with the agreement of his/her senior staff, an order to the Head of Special Operations to deploy a unit or several units of SeeD Special Forces to handle situations outside of the scope of SeeD's operational authority, jurisdiction, or capability.

Article III: Promotion Consideration

1) Promotion Consideration Rules for Garden Officers

1a) Merit-Based Promotion Consideration

An officer is eligible under this chapter for promotion consideration based on his or her acts in combat and non-combat situations alike. The officer may be promoted only at the official and allowed ruling of a promotion board of no less than six (6) ranking officers of Captain rank or above. If approved for promotion, the officer is promoted to the rank in question, with all pay, benefits, and responsibilities of that rank effective immediately.

1b) Time-Based Promotion Consideration

An officer is eligible under this chapter for promotion consideration by a promotion board of no less than six (6) ranking officers of Captain rank or above based on the following two (2) restrictions:

• 1) The officer is on the reserve-active status list or active-duty list of a branch of the Garden military system; and

• 2) During the one-year period ending on the date of the convening of the promotion board, the officer has continuously performed service on either the reserve active-status list or the active-duty list (or on a combination of both lists).

1c) Recommendation-Based Promotion Consideration

An officer is eligible under this chapter for promotion consideration by a promotion board of no less than four (4) ranking officers of Captain rank or above if the following two (2) restrictions are met:

• 1) The officer's CO writes a full report of the officer's actions and skills that merit his or her advancement to the rank in question; and

• 2) The acting SeeD Garden Commander verifies the legality of the document, thereby signing the document and granting permission for the promotion board to be convened.

1d) Continued Eligibility for Promotion

An officer shall continue to be eligible for promotion to the next higher grade, even if the officer has failed selection for promotion by paragraphs 1a, 1b, or 1c above, as long as that officer continues on active duty in other than a retired status and is not promoted.

Amendments

Amendment I: Executive Operational Orders

1) Garden EOO-000: The Sorceress Directive
In the event of a threat to Garden or the Garden Network by a Sorceress, this order may be issued to the threatened Garden by its Headmaster or to the entire Network by each Garden's respective Headmaster. Upon the declaration of EOO-000, all contractual obligations undertaken by the Garden(s) in question will be suspended and clients notified as such, as well as suspension of all further contract acceptance. This order will be considered Priority One until rescinded, and all SeeD in the field are to be recalled immediately. All Gardens are placed on the highest tactical alert until EOO-000 is rescinded.

2) Garden EOO-001: Garden Asset in Danger
In the event of a Garden asset falling under attack and being in danger of compromise, capture, or destruction by enemy forces as ordained by a mission statement, all unaffected assets are to immediately be placed on the highest tactical alert. This order can be activated to cover any Garden asset, including the OSIRIS and AVATAR networks. For the order to be rescinded, the asset must be recovered and the premises cleared by a SeeD Special Operations squad leader of at least Commander rank. The asset must also be checked for electronic monitoring devices, audio/video or otherwise, before being reinstated into active service. If the asset in question is one of the Garden Operation Networks, it must be cleared by all Network Administrators in the Garden Network.

3) Garden EOO-002: Command Personnel in Danger
In the event of a member of Garden command staff coming under imminent threat, the Garden in question may deal with the situation at their discretion. However, all Gardens within the network are required to verify the safety and position of their own command staff in this event.

4) Garden EOO-003: Imminent Danger to Garden Assets
In the event that a threat to Garden or Garden security is received, all Gardens are to immediately enter their respective lockdown protocols until the threat is countermanded and neutralized. SeeD operatives in the field are required to find a safe area and await orders from their respective Garden upon notification of EOO-003's activation.

5) Garden EOO-004: Senatorial Hall
During the annual meeting at Senatorial Hall in Trabia Garden, all SeeD operatives in the Network that are not involved in a mission are to be placed on high alert until the Joint Session is dismissed and members' safety is confirmed. EOO-004 will be rescinded at the time of confirmation.

6) Garden EOO-005: Missions Threatening Garden Network Existence and Operations
In the event of a mission presenting itself of high enough priority where the Network itself may be in jeopardy if success is not achieved, EOO-005 may be activated. At this time, all SeeD units in the field are to be recalled and reassigned as according to mission parameters. Only those SeeDs necessary for the maintenance and protection of the Garden(s) or assets thereof are to be held back; all other SeeD operatives are to be deployed to active duty immediately.

7) Garden EOO-006: High Priority Missions
The higest mission based directive. A Garden Commander or Garden Headmaster may order direct collaboration with other branches of the Garden Network and SeeD in order to facilitate a high priority mission. These missions usually include Garden Network security or contractual obligations with large organizations, like national governments.

Amendment II: The Republic of the Sphere

1) General of the Sphere
Trabia Garden shall have exactly one (1) ranking officer with the rank of General of the Sphere in the Republic of the Sphere as required by this article. That officer shall have the responsibility of overall military instruction and command alongside the Garden SeeD Commander.

2) Paladins of the Sphere
Trabia Garden shall have exactly four (4) ranking officers with the rank of Paladin of the Sphere in the Republic of the Sphere as required by this article. Those officers shall have the responsibilities of imposing and maintaining a training regime for the SeeD forces of Garden as well as assigning and maintaining unit rosters for SeeD forces.

3) Knights of the Sphere
Trabia Garden shall have at least one (1) but no more than eleven (11) ranking officers with the rank of Knight of the Sphere in the Republic of the Sphere as required by this article. Those officers shall have the responsibilities of relaying information between the commanding officers of lesser forces and the Paladins of the Sphere as well as leadership of a squad of SeeD forces selected by the ranking Paladin of the Sphere.