Joining Process

The following describes the full path from initial contact to confirmed membership. Every step applies to all applicants without exception; officers do not have the authority to bypass the process for any individual.

Prerequisites

Before applying, a prospective member must meet all of the following requirements. Applications that do not meet these criteria will not proceed.

• Age: Applicants must be at least 18 years old. The 174th Battle Group operates as an adult community; this requirement is non-negotiable.
• Star Citizen account: Applicants must own a copy of Star Citizen and hold a verified RSI account in good standing. The group does not accept applicants who have not purchased the game.
• No prior bans: Applicants must not have been previously banned from the 174th Battle Group or from any other group known to leadership. Known ban histories must be disclosed during the interview; undisclosed prior bans discovered later are grounds for immediate removal.

Application

The joining process begins when a prospective member joins the group's Discord server. On joining, they are automatically presented with a short questionnaire covering basic information: their RSI handle, their age, their prior Star Citizen experience, and their areas of interest within the group.

Once the questionnaire is submitted, an available officer will arrange a voice interview. This is conducted on the group's Discord server and is the primary vetting step. The interview serves three purposes: to verify the information provided in the questionnaire, to assess whether the applicant is a good fit for the group's culture and expectations, and to give the applicant the opportunity to ask questions before committing.

Following the interview, the officer makes an accept or decline decision. If the applicant is declined, the officer must provide a brief reason. Declined applicants may reapply after 30 days unless the decline was on the grounds of a prior ban or conduct, in which case the matter is referred to the Rank 5 council.

Onboarding

Accepted applicants are onboarded immediately following the interview. The following steps are completed before the new recruit participates in any group activity:

• Discord role: The Rank 0 role is assigned, granting access to member-only channels.
• RSI org invite: An invitation to join the group's RSI organisation is sent. The recruit is expected to accept within 48 hours.
• Introduction post: The recruit posts a brief introduction in the designated welcome channel. This is not optional; it is the first step in becoming known to the group.
• Mentor assignment: The recruit is assigned a mentor: an experienced member, Rank 2 or above, from their area of interest. The mentor is the recruit's primary point of contact throughout the probation period.

Division assignment is not made at this stage. Recruits enter the group as undeclared and spend the probation period determining where they fit before the formal assignment is made.

Probation Period

All new members begin at Rank 0 and remain on probation until they advance to Rank 1. The probation period has no fixed end date; it concludes when the recruit meets the advancement requirements. During this period, the recruit has full access to group activities but does not hold a formal role and may not exercise any authority over other members.

Training during probation is structured around two activities:

• Shadowing: Recruits attend operations and activities alongside experienced members. This is the primary way recruits learn the group's procedures, communication standards, and expectations in practice. Recruits are expected to observe before acting and to ask their mentor when uncertain.
• Department drills: Departments organise periodic drills covering their specific discipline: ship combat and formation flying for Naval, FPS exercises and boarding drills for Marine, and field repair and resource operations for Auxiliary. Recruits are expected to attend drills relevant to their intended area and to treat them as a required part of their training, not an optional extra.

Mentors are expected to provide regular feedback to the recruit throughout the probation period and to raise any concerns with their division leader or department head promptly. Recruits who are struggling should be given guidance before any formal escalation.

Advancing to Rank 1

Advancement from Rank 0 to Rank 1 marks the end of probation and formal entry into the group as a full member. To advance, a recruit must satisfy all of the following:

• Minimum participation: The recruit must have attended at least three group sessions. Sessions count only if the recruit was an active participant, not merely present.
• Drill attendance: The recruit must have attended at least one drill run by the department of their intended division. This is the single most concrete indicator of whether they are prepared for the role.
• Minimum time: At least two weeks must have elapsed since the recruit joined. This ensures that advancement reflects consistent participation over time, not a concentrated burst of activity.
• Rank 3 sign-off: A Rank 3 or above officer, typically the recruit's mentor or their division leader, must confirm that the recruit is ready to advance. This sign-off reflects a judgment that the recruit understands and upholds the group's standards and is a good fit for full membership.

On advancing to Rank 1, the recruit's division is formally assigned based on the area they trained in. If the recruit has not settled on a division, the assigning officer and mentor will make the recommendation based on what was observed during probation. The recruit is granted the Rank 1 Discord role for their division and is eligible to begin working toward a defined role within their department.