About The Headquarters/Provost Honor Company: An Invitation

Nominations are hereby open for the North/South Alliance, First Federal Division Headquarters (Honor) Company...

Company Duties:

Grand Guards scheduling, training, and coordination

HQ guards scheduling, training, and coordination

On-battlefield guard duties attendant to and at the pleasure of the Division Command Staff —including but not limited to prisoner-collection and processing, emergency counter-attacks and hole-plugging, etc.

In-military camp provost duties and living history scenarios

In-civilian camp provost duties and living history scenarios

Arranging integration of and special assignments for such visiting reenactors from abroad as may wish to fall in with the First Federal Division for N/SA national events.

Note:This Headquarters/Provost Honor Company will not be used as modern event staff or police but as living history soldiers/reenactors only. A separate Provost for Security and his company are responsible for the modernorganization-interface security duties. Including gate control, automobile/truck/trailer control, medical and police interface issues, etc.

Recruitment Criteria

The individuals sought for this Headquarters Company, those soldiers we wish to honor are in the first instance, those soldiers that put in their time, stepped up and were authentic, top-quality soldiers/reenactors, blue or gray — whether officers or not —who have worked long hard and well to advance and preserve civil war reenacting.

We are seeking the participation of soldiers who would welcome fresh challenges, experiences, and faces in their soldiering and reenacting.

In particular, this company will include and honor soldiers who worked and continue to work hard and effectively to recruit and mentor the young soldiers/reenactors upon whom the future of reenacting depends and would like to serve at least once a year in an honored, proactive role in a really challenging part of the N/S A ranks.

Along such lines, we are looking for soldiers who will help recruit for the Headquarters Company one or perhaps two such youthful reenactors apiece, make sure they get to the event, and (with the support of the other HQ company soldiers) will personally mentor them before and during the event.

In this second instance, what we are looking for in such young soldiers are young men with undimmed passion for reenacting and perhaps soldiering itself, young men that are quietly perceived to be future officer material in their local organizations/units...

The more experienced soldiers that understand and agree with the need for this youth-recruitment-and-mentoring criteria, and want to do this well, are the ones we especially want to 'honor' and support. As well as honoring the particular young men, experienced or not, that understand and are keen to experience first-hand and become part of  the unique, unparalleled national-event-level reenacting and soldiering of the First Federal Division.

Regarding Kit

This is to be the First Federal Division Headquarters Honor Company. It serves within the context of the unique, primary impression of a functioning Civil War Army that the First Federal Division offers to reenactors and the public — with all this definition implies.

The Headquarters Company will at all times serve in direct proximity and support to the First Federal Division General Staff. The focal impression of the First Federal Division itself, is that of a proactively authentic functioning Federal civil war army in the western theater of war, and the impression of this of this company is to reflect and support this functional focal impression.

The soldiers in the Headquarters Company should therefore be experienced enough soldiers and living historians to have their basic kits in order and be prepared to make such minor adjustments to them in advance of events depending on simple pre-published guidelines for the particular impression required. It is not anticipated, nor is it desired that the matter of kit will require further distracting attention or correction on the part of the staff, company officers, or company members during the events themselves.

Put simply, the primary focus here is on dynamic, authentic Civil War soldiering, not kits. It is assumed that the soldiers that apply and be included are adult, top-quality living historians who understand this distinction, and to the very best of their abilities will pre-research, outfit, and deport themselves accordingly.

Communications Criteria

One rather unusual but critical criteria for Headquarters Company membership is email-literate and email-responsive soldiers. This Company is going to take a substantial amount of advance communication and coordination. if you aren’t comfortable with email, or aren't responsive on it, regretfully, this simply won't work for you ... or us.

Officers

Officers will initially be appointed by the Company Commander. We cannot guarantee anyone officer positions until we see who we have aboard and how the final construct shapes up for a particular event. If you can’t live without being an officer, and/or are unwilling to help experiment by rotating through different ranks and assignments until we see who is good at what…and what individuals really want to do, this isn’t going to be for you.

We are, however, certainly interested in hearing about your experience, interests, and ideas for the company. And we can at least assure participants in the Headquarters Company a ringside seat and a photo and bio on the FFD website...we have an 'in' with the Webmaster.

Shelter and Rations

At present, it anticipated that all company members will provide themselves with a dog-tent shelter-half and bedroll. And that, depending on event location, we will secure the loan of a suitable officers tent and fly and an enlisted man's fly from one or more of the Headquarters Company.

Period rations will be secured from either the N/SA itself or from one of the brigades providing such.

Who Can Apply

This Headquarters Honor Company is looking for soldiers, young, old and everything in between, who can make of themselves good, positive, welcoming company in ranks and around a campfire. Men whose company will be sought after by their pards around shared campfires for years to come.

Keep in mind that most if not all of the Headquarters Company members, as have most if not all NS/A reenactors have extensive prior service in both blue and gray ranks that and participation is equally open to soldiers from either side who fit our criteria. And that this Company is primarily about quality soldiering first, quality reenacting second, and Federal reenacting third, and finally, but by no means least, fraternal, cooperative North/South Alliance reenacting. If you choose to define your soldiering/reenacting strictly in blue or gray terms only, and aren’t comfortable with these definitions, we understand and pass no judgement. But again, this may not be for you.

How To Apply

If you want to come and help us build and serve in the FFD the Headquarters Company or know someone who might, email us a short bio (both reenacting and personal) and a couple of photos of yourself in Civil War uniform. Color or black-and-white, no matter. Just send the best images you have. (Photo(s) are mandatory. And preference is given to those that follow these and other such instructions.)

When To Apply

Future Event(s), Membership, Company Size Considerations

Keep in mind that our first N/S A-sanctioned event is this coming May in Kansas City, and that we have already begun receiving applications.

Company size will of necessity be limited. Future company membership for Kansas City (Stand of Colors) in 2008, Pea Ridge/Elkhorn Tavern in 2009, and for the 150th Anniversary Cycle N/S A events will be based on previous self-investment and participation. Anotherwords, soldiers with prior successful service and experience in the Company will receive future preference for membership spaces.

So if you are at all interested, email a bio, photo and/or any questions you may have, now.

"There was always community there if you dug deep enough. ... There was poetry as well—a luminous world always present beneath the surface, a world that people might offer up as a gift... if [one] only remembered to ask."

Gentlemen, we are now asking for our very reenactors, our very best soldiers to step up... and look forward to hearing from you.

Captain Michael Maurier
Captain, Headquarters Guard
Provost Marshall
(Living History)

pmcog@firstfederaldivision.com