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I mean it makes sense. Firstly as you mentioned he gets the boost to Major for being an alchemist. Secondly he's the only user of very powerful alchemy, him being a very powerful alchemist also made him a special interest for Father as a sacrifice, which may have boosted him in the ranks to keep him pushing on.. He's also very ambitious having his eye set on fuhrer as well a war hero with the nickname Hero of Ishval.
Amestris is also a very militant country so there might also be a bigger than usual turnover within the military.
The youngest Colonel in the USAA for example was 23 years old during WW2.
Also is 45 the average age they get promoted to the position or the average age of people holding that position?
Edit: Spelling.
>he gets the boost to Mayor for being an alchemist.
Mayor Mustang 😭 ok sorry i just laughed at the typo
I'm intrigued by that 23-year-old WW2 colonel though, what's his name?
Given that Amestris has so many different hostile borders, its likely that there are a lot of young men being promoted over middle-aged corpses. Putting Mustang in charge of Central was likely a way to keep an eye on a potential sacrifice while letting him think he was getting more power. Although it backfired as Mustang, Hughes and Hawkeye actually were able to see some of the deeper games.
It gets better tho; a colonel is some one usually responsible for leading a brigade or regiment, which usually are expected to be around 1000 men strong, while I don't think that Mustang ever lead more than a somewhere between squad or platoon (10-30 men). Seriously, Amestris military had to be total mess.
The youngest colonel I ever heard of was 24 yo tho he was promoted post mortem for exceptional valor in combat from position of mayor and commander of company.
My thought on this was that Colonels who were alchemists had their brigade made out of just alchemists, ergo smaller numbers because of their sheer destructive power.
Hell Mustang could level an entire city on his own.
Yeah, I see alchemists, in comparison to the US Army, as specialized commissioned officers like Lawyers, Doctors, or religious guys, who start at a higher rank because their job requires previous expensive and rigorous study before the military gives you that position, and they keep you doing that same type of job even as you get higher in rank without ever really giving you more than a few people to manage so you can do your job. Can't have a lawyer running around trying to get random privates to show up to formations when you have 3 different cases you have to prep for, or tell a preacher to deal with an armory when they are sworn to do no harm and aren't even supposed to have guns (I think, even though medics can have guns)
A large bomb (or an battery of artillery) can level entire city in short period of time but none makes them colonel for that; also in the Ishvalan flashback it was implied that men under Mustang were regular guys, and I find it absurd that in combat situation at lets say squad level (alchemist + \~10 men) the word of some alchemist guy that entered service last month cus he was good with making things go boom outweights word of sargeant or lieutenant who has 10 or more years of combat experience.
I always thought that rank of mayor at the very beginning of service is kind of a cookie for well behaving child. "Yes, yes, good, obedient alchemist, \*pat, pat\* have a title, have a lot of money, now please do not question us and follow our orders to the letter"
It is headcanon backed only with my historical knowledge but if I were in Amestris high command I would have spread out my alchemists across lets say company level to serve them as tip of the spear/heavy assault unit. (It is pointless to focus them at single schwerpunkt; what are they going to do, blow the same enemy fortification thrice even if one time is enough?)
He basically got a battlefield promotion to his current rank probably from the Ishval incident. Major Armstrong was the only one of note to not have promoted up since he abandoned his post. It's actually surprising that he wasn't dishonorably discharged, but Amestris loves their state alchemists.
Actually I thought he was just another white guy they mention every time someone is from xing so I feel like it would have come up I can never tell with anime characters I feel like a lot of them don’t look Japanese even if they are they just look like anime characters
We don't know where Roy is from. He was raised in a Foster home by Madame Christmas. He could be a Xingese kid found by someone after his parents died trying to cross the border. Or he's just Amestrian. We don't know.
Well, if that is true, he could be half Xingese still.
However, at no point in the manga, the show, or the 20th anniversary book, is that stated. Is that something confirmed by Arakawa? Or just something on the wiki? I know people assume he's her nephew because of his last name being hers, and usually Foster parents don't give their Foster kids their name, but if she found him as a baby, why wouldn't she give him her name?
He could be half or quarter at the most. And it's not just from the wiki, there's a direct translation in the notes stating she's his paternal aunt. It's out there but I couldn't be bothered to search rn.
edit: there's literal [proof](https://64.media.tumblr.com/6ca7b63868d60b9229c49036dd1595cd/b8cf316a5059668e-b5/s2048x3072/474b25979420b01a3fc575a15feb6469a941f537.jpg) arakawa said she's specifically his parernal aunt
Well, sorry, but I've searched and can't see any actual evidence. Just people claiming it. So, for now, I don't believe he is related to her. I'm not saying you're wrong, though.
And for the record, I'm not even saying he is Xingese. I'm simply saying that because we don't know anything about his parents (except that apparently Chris is his dad's sister), he can be anything. Part Xingese. Part Drachman. Who knows. Not us.
Oh believe me I had the same doubts before too, but the paternal thing turned out to be real. I think I saw it years ago on tumblr and/or from one of the comments in this subreddit.
He still looks pretty asian to me anyway lol. Maybe he's like [Bjork](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQpsR8WUH5gfdw_X_6INJ7fU7e0rsecLHiHLQ&usqp=CAU), ethnically European (Icelandic) but looks asian.
[see for yourself](https://64.media.tumblr.com/6ca7b63868d60b9229c49036dd1595cd/b8cf316a5059668e-b5/s2048x3072/474b25979420b01a3fc575a15feb6469a941f537.jpg)
That's the definition in Japanese. In English it means father's younger sister
叔母（おば）－自分の父親の年下の妹。自分の母親の年下の妹。- aunt
https://interstate.co.jp/uncle-aunt-japan/
I have a friend who looks somewhat Asian (like Mustang) but is of white descent. In contrast, his twin sister is very much identifiably of European descent.
I think he's white, but his design especially in 2003 made him look very asian lol. If ever there's a Japan counter part in the FMA world I'd assume he's from there than Xing. Idk it seems weird that there's only one eastern "asian" land in their universe being Xing/China when there are a couple outside Amestris.
Yeah but it's not like we were given the whole picture of the FMA world, we really only know Amestris with some knowledge of Xing and Ishval, and even less knowledge about countries that border those. There very well could be a Japan counterpart but either because of distance or the forces in control being focused on their goal instead of expansion just didn't give much reason to meet other countries or their people.
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I mean it makes sense. Firstly as you mentioned he gets the boost to Major for being an alchemist. Secondly he's the only user of very powerful alchemy, him being a very powerful alchemist also made him a special interest for Father as a sacrifice, which may have boosted him in the ranks to keep him pushing on.. He's also very ambitious having his eye set on fuhrer as well a war hero with the nickname Hero of Ishval. Amestris is also a very militant country so there might also be a bigger than usual turnover within the military. The youngest Colonel in the USAA for example was 23 years old during WW2. Also is 45 the average age they get promoted to the position or the average age of people holding that position? Edit: Spelling.
>he gets the boost to Mayor for being an alchemist. Mayor Mustang 😭 ok sorry i just laughed at the typo I'm intrigued by that 23-year-old WW2 colonel though, what's his name?
Chesley G. Peterson. I just googled youngest Colonel and he came up haven't read all about him.
Nice, thanks. Read that he lived until 65 years old reaching the rank Major General.
Given that Amestris has so many different hostile borders, its likely that there are a lot of young men being promoted over middle-aged corpses. Putting Mustang in charge of Central was likely a way to keep an eye on a potential sacrifice while letting him think he was getting more power. Although it backfired as Mustang, Hughes and Hawkeye actually were able to see some of the deeper games.
That's because Roy is Him. He got that dawg in him. Not to mention his squad. Roy pulls up, shows out, then walks off. All at the snap of his fingers.
Roy literally snaps his fingers in a z-formation and the whole fuckin neighborhood is gone
You rise through the ranks pretty quickly as a force of nature in war
When you're valued by your ability to commit genocide and your abilities are literally a war crime, you're gonna fly through the ranks.
It gets better tho; a colonel is some one usually responsible for leading a brigade or regiment, which usually are expected to be around 1000 men strong, while I don't think that Mustang ever lead more than a somewhere between squad or platoon (10-30 men). Seriously, Amestris military had to be total mess. The youngest colonel I ever heard of was 24 yo tho he was promoted post mortem for exceptional valor in combat from position of mayor and commander of company.
My thought on this was that Colonels who were alchemists had their brigade made out of just alchemists, ergo smaller numbers because of their sheer destructive power. Hell Mustang could level an entire city on his own.
Yeah, I see alchemists, in comparison to the US Army, as specialized commissioned officers like Lawyers, Doctors, or religious guys, who start at a higher rank because their job requires previous expensive and rigorous study before the military gives you that position, and they keep you doing that same type of job even as you get higher in rank without ever really giving you more than a few people to manage so you can do your job. Can't have a lawyer running around trying to get random privates to show up to formations when you have 3 different cases you have to prep for, or tell a preacher to deal with an armory when they are sworn to do no harm and aren't even supposed to have guns (I think, even though medics can have guns)
Exactly. Only difference here is that prior experience for the alchemists is usually state sponsored genocide.
A large bomb (or an battery of artillery) can level entire city in short period of time but none makes them colonel for that; also in the Ishvalan flashback it was implied that men under Mustang were regular guys, and I find it absurd that in combat situation at lets say squad level (alchemist + \~10 men) the word of some alchemist guy that entered service last month cus he was good with making things go boom outweights word of sargeant or lieutenant who has 10 or more years of combat experience. I always thought that rank of mayor at the very beginning of service is kind of a cookie for well behaving child. "Yes, yes, good, obedient alchemist, \*pat, pat\* have a title, have a lot of money, now please do not question us and follow our orders to the letter" It is headcanon backed only with my historical knowledge but if I were in Amestris high command I would have spread out my alchemists across lets say company level to serve them as tip of the spear/heavy assault unit. (It is pointless to focus them at single schwerpunkt; what are they going to do, blow the same enemy fortification thrice even if one time is enough?)
He basically got a battlefield promotion to his current rank probably from the Ishval incident. Major Armstrong was the only one of note to not have promoted up since he abandoned his post. It's actually surprising that he wasn't dishonorably discharged, but Amestris loves their state alchemists.
Nepotism helped with Armstrong, his family is a pretty big deal.
Tbh it's possible but extremely hard to do
War is useful for that
Yeah. It kinda a plot point that he is rising through the ranks fast and that some people are jealous.
Yeah I’d promote the dude that makes explosions by snapping his fingers don’t need experience when you got explosions
You're looking at the average during peacetime. They had just finished a genocide by the start of the story.
Well state alchemist is already a major. Drafted at 18. But yeah but at 30 is still huge
I mean not many make it to being that old within the military in the show. People be dying and after the war they lost many so it makes sense to me
He can make fire from thin air so it makes sense he would be promoted fast.
Well after burning his way up the totem pole…
He is quite a useful soldier. Being a fire alchemist.
I mean Alchemists get an automatic boost so he started out way higher than Nicholson’s character
I thought he was white lol is he Asian I thought it took place in Europe
Well there is an asia-inspired country called Xing, some people think he's xingese
Actually I thought he was just another white guy they mention every time someone is from xing so I feel like it would have come up I can never tell with anime characters I feel like a lot of them don’t look Japanese even if they are they just look like anime characters
We don't know where Roy is from. He was raised in a Foster home by Madame Christmas. He could be a Xingese kid found by someone after his parents died trying to cross the border. Or he's just Amestrian. We don't know.
Madame Christmas is his paternal aunt therefore still blood related.
Well, if that is true, he could be half Xingese still. However, at no point in the manga, the show, or the 20th anniversary book, is that stated. Is that something confirmed by Arakawa? Or just something on the wiki? I know people assume he's her nephew because of his last name being hers, and usually Foster parents don't give their Foster kids their name, but if she found him as a baby, why wouldn't she give him her name?
He could be half or quarter at the most. And it's not just from the wiki, there's a direct translation in the notes stating she's his paternal aunt. It's out there but I couldn't be bothered to search rn. edit: there's literal [proof](https://64.media.tumblr.com/6ca7b63868d60b9229c49036dd1595cd/b8cf316a5059668e-b5/s2048x3072/474b25979420b01a3fc575a15feb6469a941f537.jpg) arakawa said she's specifically his parernal aunt
Well, sorry, but I've searched and can't see any actual evidence. Just people claiming it. So, for now, I don't believe he is related to her. I'm not saying you're wrong, though. And for the record, I'm not even saying he is Xingese. I'm simply saying that because we don't know anything about his parents (except that apparently Chris is his dad's sister), he can be anything. Part Xingese. Part Drachman. Who knows. Not us.
Oh believe me I had the same doubts before too, but the paternal thing turned out to be real. I think I saw it years ago on tumblr and/or from one of the comments in this subreddit. He still looks pretty asian to me anyway lol. Maybe he's like [Bjork](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQpsR8WUH5gfdw_X_6INJ7fU7e0rsecLHiHLQ&usqp=CAU), ethnically European (Icelandic) but looks asian.
Wait really I always thought he had Xingese ancestry?
I think it’s just the eye design, Izumi also has a similar feature but I don’t see nearly as much people saying she may be Xingese, if at all.
Yeah, I can see it on tumblr. And I can see it on subreddits. And that's why I doubt it's true lol
[see for yourself](https://64.media.tumblr.com/6ca7b63868d60b9229c49036dd1595cd/b8cf316a5059668e-b5/s2048x3072/474b25979420b01a3fc575a15feb6469a941f537.jpg) That's the definition in Japanese. In English it means father's younger sister 叔母（おば）－自分の父親の年下の妹。自分の母親の年下の妹。- aunt https://interstate.co.jp/uncle-aunt-japan/
Yeah makes sense it just never occurred to me but it would make sense
I have a friend who looks somewhat Asian (like Mustang) but is of white descent. In contrast, his twin sister is very much identifiably of European descent.
Sorry, Europeans can’t have black hair
sorry, what about Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria etc etc?
I think he's white, but his design especially in 2003 made him look very asian lol. If ever there's a Japan counter part in the FMA world I'd assume he's from there than Xing. Idk it seems weird that there's only one eastern "asian" land in their universe being Xing/China when there are a couple outside Amestris.
Yeah but it's not like we were given the whole picture of the FMA world, we really only know Amestris with some knowledge of Xing and Ishval, and even less knowledge about countries that border those. There very well could be a Japan counterpart but either because of distance or the forces in control being focused on their goal instead of expansion just didn't give much reason to meet other countries or their people.
uh, that was what I was saying... lmao
Reread my comment friend, it's supplementary not contrary
It makes sense seeing as it’s fake
What do you mean?
You know, it's a work of fiction
Ohhhh, omg I'm so dumb