Were the Khmer Rouge revolutionary forces organized into specific kind of structure, like a usual military force would be? If so, what was it like? Did they have different ranks to indicate skill, experience level and certain jobs? Or were they more just a mishmash of radical fighters and thugs, although as they gained more power and throughout the years right before they came to rule, I would assume they had some kind of hierarchy and structure to organize military forces and government bodies.

I am predominantly interested in the Khmer Rouge BEFORE they were in power, pre-1975. I am writing a work of historical fiction set before that period, which focuses on the KR as a revolutionary force trying to topple the current government, but it's very difficult to find any detailed information about them before then. A few of the characters are revolutionaries with the KR, and I'm trying to figure out what ranks or titles they might have, and if they are with a specific unit of fighters and what it's name should be.

Furthermore, and sorry if I'm not allowed to ask more than one question in a post (kind of new to reddit here, long time lurker, but rarely ever posted), but were there different terms and phrases used for different types of cadres, fighters and groups, or different jobs? Not just formal ranks, but informal and slang terms. What acronyms or abbreviated terms were there, if any?

During the time they were in power, ammunition and other costly necessities had to be rationed, because they couldn't afford them. Was this also the case before, during the revolution? I imagine it was, but thought they may also have just got by with stealing weapons, ammunition and making their own, and may have even been better off that way, as under the regime that kind of independent scavenging might have been seen as capitalistic and punished, so that's why so many things (such as ammunition) were not available, not just because they didn't have money, but because they weren't allowed to use other resources and find their own material, as was deemed unacceptable by the regime. Although I'm not sure if those same kind of policies were implented during the days when they were just a rebel forces, and only came later? I'm wondering if they were less strict back then and it was acceptable for guerrillas to steal, build their own weapons and find materials independently because it would have helped the revolution, but also they were against the people they'd be stealing from and may have viewed it as an act of resistance.

Finally, my last question. Under the regime, KR members and soldiers wore uniforms of black pyjamas and red scarves. Would they have worn these same uniforms during the revolutions, or did they not come until during the regime was in power. I'm thinking the rebel fighters might have just worn peasant or civilian clothes during the years before that, but figure it would have been more likely for them to wear the uniforms in the very latter years (1972 - 1974), right before they came to power.

In the scene I'm currently writing in my piece, there are Khmer Rouge revolutionaries sporting the black uniforms and red scarves, but it takes place in 1970, and I'm unsure if that's right or not. They are also shown to try and not waste bullets, for not being able to afford any. Also wondering if that works given the time period, or how it would given the context (they are revolutionaries, not actually in power.)

Thank you very much for helping out an amateur historical fiction/alternate history writer!