Category:Balamb Garden
- "Exaudio, comperio, conloquor."
- ―Printed on the Dedication Plaque of Balamb Garden, which translates to "To listen, to learn, to speak."
Balamb Garden is one of the three Garden military facilities, located in the region of the same name, and was the first Garden founded. It was founded in February 2139, one year before the founding of Galbadia Garden and two years before Trabia Garden. The current Headmaster of Balamb Garden is Cid Kramer, and the current Garden SeeD Commander is Squall Leonhart.
Balamb Garden is part of the Garden Organization, as founded by Cid Kramer. It is also a part of the O.S.I.R.I.S Information Storage Network.
Contents
Background
Balamb Garden was founded in February 2139 by Cid Kramer, husband of Edea Kramer. The two had the idea of founding the Garden as a means of preparation for combating Sorceresses. As the Garden was founded near the end of the Sorceress Wars, led by Adel Harbinger, this seemed a feasible option. With help from a Shumi named NORG, Cid founded the first of the three Gardens in the Garden Organization, specializing in the use of Guardian Forces and para-magic in combat through a method called junctioning.
In 2151, the Garden would find itself in combat with a Sorceress - ironically, the wife of Cid Kramer herself, Sorceress Edea, who had received powers from Ultimecia, a Sorceress from the future. A SeeD and future SeeD Commander, Squall Leonhart, led a team of six into combat with Edea, defeating her after a large conflict between Balamb and Galbadia Gardens. However, the conflict came with a price. Balamb and Galbadia suffered heavy loss of life during the conflict, both SeeD and staff, and Trabia Garden fell victim to a missile strike ordered by the Sorceress that devastated the Garden. Trabia Garden would be rebuilt the following year due to aid from Darius Elric DeValle, Sr. of House DeValle, and Galbadia would shortly thereafter find itself in an investigation that culminated in the removal of its Headmaster, Martine. Galbadia Garden would split with the Galbadian province soon after, renaming itself to Esthar Garden and finding shelter within Estharian borders by decree of Laguna Loire.
Balamb Garden has since introduced several reforms to the SeeD program that have by and large been accepted by the other two Gardens, one of the largest among them being the Accelerated SeeD Training Program.
Ranking Structure
- Main Article: Balamb Garden Ranks
- Main Article: Balamb Garden Command Staff
Balamb Garden, like any military organization, has a firm chain of command and seniority in place for organizational and instruction purposes. Entry members study and train for years in order to earn their commission as field officers. Balamb Garden's command hierarchy has largely stayed the same through the years, only adding the position of SeeD Commander in recent years to allow for more fluid control of the educational and militaristic aspects of the facility.
Garden Population
Balamb Garden's population is the smallest of the three Gardens by far, both due to its design and limited funding. However, the Guardian Force specialization at Balamb makes their SeeDs extremely capable in combat, even in small numbers.
Population Breakdown:
- Total Students: 3,200 (100%)
- Full-Time Students: 1,760 (55%)
- Cadets: 960 (30%)
- SeeD: 480 (15%)
Locations
Ranking and Command Structure
Balamb Garden's ranking and command structure has remained mostly the same over the years, with the important addition of the Garden SeeD Commander rank shortly before the brief conflict with Galbadia Garden. It shares the same basic structure as Esthar and Trabia Gardens.
Ranking Structure
Balamb Garden's ranking structure is simplistic, mostly owing to Cid Kramer's practicality and expectations of efficiency. All SeeD follow the same basic structure, with separations coming into play concerning the specific division and duties a SeeD is assigned to, rather than a different Garden division.
Enlisted Ranks
Layman
This rank is given to entry-level students to Garden. Before being allowed to decide upon a specialization, they must study basic concepts, such as history, mathematics, science, art, and language.
 Layman, Balamb Garden. |
Cadet
Upon reaching the age of nine, students are accepted into the SeeD program and given the rank of Cadet. Here, they will expand their studies, decide upon a specialization if desired, and prepare for the SeeD exam, as well as begin basic combat training.
 Cadet, Balamb Garden. |
Officer Ranks
Ensign
Upon completion of the field exam, a cadet is made a full-time SeeD officer and given the rank of Ensign. This rank makes up the vast majority of SeeD forces, and many are also found working underneath department heads and instructors as aides.
 Ensign, Balamb Garden. |
Lieutenant
Lieutenants are SeeD that have proven themselves to have an above-average level of skill in their chosen field, as well as a certain amount of experience in combat.
 Lieutenant, Balamb Garden. |
Captain
Captains are experienced SeeD officials who are generally experts in basic tactics and operations, as well as intermediates in their specialization of choice. Sometimes, Captains will be given command roles with a squad of Ensigns, though this is rare; most often, they aid in training and instructing cadets within Garden.
 Captain, Balamb Garden. |
Major
Majors are SeeD who have proven themselves experts in both basic skills and their specializations of choice. They are allowed to command squads of up to six members, though not all choose to do so. All Instructors are of at least Major rank, and any officials present in the operations center must be of at least Major rank.
 Major, Balamb Garden. |
Instructor
Instructors are SeeD members with a high proficiency in a given area who forgo field work for the chance to teach.
 Instructor, Balamb Garden. |
Colonel
Colonels form the backbone of the general command staff of Garden, taking orders directly from the members of the Republic of the Sphere and the Garden Commander. They are responsible for maintaining order and discipline within a command post during large-scale operations, and are certified to lead several SeeD squads at once either individually, or in the form of a larger unit. They also act as liaisons between Gardens and other organizations.
 Colonel, Balamb Garden. |
Headmaster
The Headmaster is the policy-maker in Garden, working closely with senior officials in the command staff to dictate how Garden should be run. He has final say over all non-military matters, and thus the highest precedence in these matters.
 Headmaster, Balamb Garden. |
Garden Commander
The Garden Commander precedes the Headmaster in matters dealing with combat operations. They are the controllers of Garden military affairs by-and-large, handling the distribution of contracts to foreign entities.
 Garden Commander, Balamb Garden. |
Command Structure
Balamb Garden maintains a fairly large base of staff to command the Garden's various duties. The two most important figures are the Headmaster, responsible for carrying out political and economic decisions for the Garden system, and the Garden SeeD Commander, who holds decisions over SeeD forces, training, and missions. Both of these offices work in conjunction, often advising the other in order to effectively maintain the Garden's high state of efficiency.
Garden Headmaster
The Headmaster is responsible for maintaining political contacts, overseeing that Garden operations are carried out, and approving/declining contracts, among other things. The Headmaster serves a term of no more than 8 years, but can be re-elected indefinitely.
Garden SeeD Commander
The SeeD Commander of Garden, not to be confused with the SeeD rank Commander, directs and oversees the day-to-day trappings of SeeD training and operations. Often an instructor or a department head, the SeeD Commander is elected based upon diplomatic skill, administrative capability, and military judgment, and serves for 4 years, but can be re-elected indefinitely.
A capable leader and fearless warrior, Commander Leonhart's prowess on the battlefield is almost unsurpassed in the Garden organization. Hailed within Garden as a near-legendary figure because of his combat experience and bravery, Squall remains a Commander that elicits loyalty from all of his forces without question.
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Pages in category "Balamb Garden"
The following 6 pages are in this category, out of 6 total.
