diff --git a/howso/hierarchy.amlg b/howso/hierarchy.amlg
index 548e27318..f86017c90 100644
--- a/howso/hierarchy.amlg
+++ b/howso/hierarchy.amlg
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@
 		; 	type "assoc"
 		; 	description "The map showing the full hierarchy of the Trainee and all of its subtrainees."
 		; }
-		(assoc)
+		(assoc
+			;{type "list" values "string"}
+			;path to this trainee as a list of path labels
+			path_list []
+		)
 		(call !Return (assoc payload (call !GetHierarchy) ))
 	)
 
@@ -845,22 +849,42 @@
 	;method to recurse down the the hierarchy to output the currently contained hierarchy as a nested assoc
 	;with (false) for trainees that are stored independently
 	#!GetHierarchy
-	(let
-		(assoc children (indices !childTraineeIsContainedMap))
-
-		(zip
-			children
-			(map
-				(lambda
-					(if (get !childTraineeIsContainedMap (current_value))
-						(get (call_entity (list !traineeContainer (current_value 1)) "get_hierarchy") (list 1 "payload"))
+	(append
+		!metaData
+		(assoc
+			"id" (retrieve_from_entity "!traineeId")
+			"path" path_list
+			"contained" (true)
+			"children"
+				(map
+					(lambda
+						(if (get !childTraineeIsContainedMap (current_value))
+							(get
+								(call_entity (list !traineeContainer (current_value 1)) "get_hierarchy" (assoc
+									path_list
+										(if (size path_list)
+											(append path_list (current_value 1))
+											[(current_value 2)]
+										)
+								))
+								[1 "payload"]
+							)
 
-						;can't traverse down trainees that are stored externally
-						(false)
+							;can't traverse down trainees that are stored externally
+							(assoc
+								"id" (get !containedTraineeNameToIdMap (current_value 1))
+								"path"
+									(if (size path_list)
+										(append path_list  (current_value 1))
+										[(current_value 2)]
+									)
+								"contained" (false)
+								"children" []
+							)
+						)
 					)
+					(indices !childTraineeIsContainedMap)
 				)
-				children
-			)
 		)
 	)
 
diff --git a/unit_tests/ut_h_hierarchy_by_id.amlg b/unit_tests/ut_h_hierarchy_by_id.amlg
index ebd7e2e81..b2b88d974 100644
--- a/unit_tests/ut_h_hierarchy_by_id.amlg
+++ b/unit_tests/ut_h_hierarchy_by_id.amlg
@@ -133,15 +133,56 @@
 
 	(print "Renames and copies: ")
 	(call assert_same (assoc
+		unordered (true)
 		obs result
 		exp
-			(assoc
-				AA (assoc
-						b (assoc)
-						big_C (assoc e (assoc))
-					)
-				c_copy (assoc e (assoc))
-			)
+			{
+				contained (true)
+				id "model"
+				path []
+				children [
+						{
+							children [
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (true)
+													id "e3"
+													path ["AA" "big_C" "e"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "c2"
+										path ["AA" "big_C"]
+									}
+									{
+										children []
+										contained (true)
+										id "b2"
+										path ["AA" "b"]
+									}
+								]
+							contained (true)
+							id "A1"
+							path ["AA"]
+						}
+						{
+							children [
+									{
+										children []
+										contained (true)
+										id "e3"
+										path ["c_copy" "e"]
+									}
+								]
+							contained (true)
+							id "deleteme"
+							path ["c_copy"]
+						}
+					]
+
+			}
 	))
 
 	(call exit_if_failures (assoc msg "Renaming."))
@@ -266,15 +307,48 @@
 	(call keep_result_payload)
 	(print "Updated is_contained_map has all the c_copy trainees as not contained: ")
 	(call assert_same (assoc
+		unordered (true)
 		obs result
 		exp
-			(assoc
-				AA (assoc
-						b (assoc)
-						big_C (assoc e (assoc))
-					)
-				c_copy (false)
-			)
+			 {
+				children [
+						{
+							children [
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (true)
+													id "e3"
+													path ["AA" "big_C" "e"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "c2"
+										path ["AA" "big_C"]
+									}
+									{
+										children []
+										contained (true)
+										id "b2"
+										path ["AA" "b"]
+									}
+								]
+							contained (true)
+							id "A1"
+							path ["AA"]
+						}
+						{
+							children []
+							contained (false)
+							id "deleteme"
+							path ["c_copy"]
+						}
+					]
+				contained (true)
+				id "model"
+				path []
+			}
 	))
 
 	;load into trainee AA
@@ -331,16 +405,68 @@
 
 	(print "Hierarchy for model after save and load is correct: ")
 	(call assert_same (assoc
+		unordered (true)
 		obs result
 		exp
-			(assoc
-				AA (assoc
-						b (assoc child_of_b (false))
-						big_C (assoc e (assoc))
-						loaded (assoc e (assoc))
-					)
-				c_copy (false)
-			)
+			{
+				children [
+						{
+							children [
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (true)
+													id "e3"
+													path ["AA" "big_C" "e"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "c2"
+										path ["AA" "big_C"]
+									}
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (true)
+													id "e3"
+													path ["AA" "loaded" "e"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "deleteme"
+										path ["AA" "loaded"]
+									}
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (false)
+													id "deleteme2"
+													path ["AA" "b" "child_of_b"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "b2"
+										path ["AA" "b"]
+									}
+								]
+							contained (true)
+							id "A1"
+							path ["AA"]
+						}
+						{
+							children []
+							contained (false)
+							id "deleteme"
+							path ["c_copy"]
+						}
+					]
+				contained (true)
+				id "model"
+				path []
+			}
 	))
 
 	;cleanup saved test model
@@ -408,16 +534,54 @@
 
 	(print "Hierarchy for model after deletion: ")
 	(call assert_same (assoc
+		unordered (true)
 		obs result
 		exp
-			(assoc
-				AA (assoc
-						b (assoc)
-						big_C (assoc e (assoc))
-						loaded (assoc)
-					)
-				c_copy (false)
-			)
+			{
+				children [
+						{
+							children [
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (true)
+													id "e3"
+													path ["AA" "big_C" "e"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "c2"
+										path ["AA" "big_C"]
+									}
+									{
+										children []
+										contained (true)
+										id "deleteme"
+										path ["AA" "loaded"]
+									}
+									{
+										children []
+										contained (true)
+										id "b2"
+										path ["AA" "b"]
+									}
+								]
+							contained (true)
+							id "A1"
+							path ["AA"]
+						}
+						{
+							children []
+							contained (false)
+							id "deleteme"
+							path ["c_copy"]
+						}
+					]
+				contained (true)
+				id "model"
+				path []
+			}
 	))
 
 	(call exit_if_failures (assoc msg "delete trainees." ))
diff --git a/unit_tests/ut_h_hierarchy_by_name.amlg b/unit_tests/ut_h_hierarchy_by_name.amlg
index cc67c62f7..42996d76c 100644
--- a/unit_tests/ut_h_hierarchy_by_name.amlg
+++ b/unit_tests/ut_h_hierarchy_by_name.amlg
@@ -129,15 +129,56 @@
 
 	(print "Renames and copies: ")
 	(call assert_same (assoc
+		unordered (true)
 		obs result
 		exp
-			(assoc
-				AA (assoc
-						b (assoc)
-						big_C (assoc e (assoc))
-					)
-				c_copy (assoc e (assoc))
-			)
+			{
+				contained (true)
+				id "model"
+				path []
+				children [
+						{
+							children [
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (true)
+													id "e3"
+													path ["AA" "big_C" "e"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "c2"
+										path ["AA" "big_C"]
+									}
+									{
+										children []
+										contained (true)
+										id "b2"
+										path ["AA" "b"]
+									}
+								]
+							contained (true)
+							id "A1"
+							path ["AA"]
+						}
+						{
+							children [
+									{
+										children []
+										contained (true)
+										id "e3"
+										path ["c_copy" "e"]
+									}
+								]
+							contained (true)
+							id "deleteme"
+							path ["c_copy"]
+						}
+					]
+
+			}
 	))
 
 	(call exit_if_failures (assoc msg "Renaming."))
@@ -292,15 +333,48 @@
 	(call keep_result_payload)
 	(print "Updated is_contained_map has all the c_copy trainees as not contained: ")
 	(call assert_same (assoc
+		unordered (true)
 		obs result
 		exp
-			(assoc
-				AA (assoc
-						b (assoc)
-						big_C (assoc e (assoc))
-					)
-				c_copy (false)
-			)
+			 {
+				children [
+						{
+							children [
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (true)
+													id "e3"
+													path ["AA" "big_C" "e"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "c2"
+										path ["AA" "big_C"]
+									}
+									{
+										children []
+										contained (true)
+										id "b2"
+										path ["AA" "b"]
+									}
+								]
+							contained (true)
+							id "A1"
+							path ["AA"]
+						}
+						{
+							children []
+							contained (false)
+							id "deleteme"
+							path ["c_copy"]
+						}
+					]
+				contained (true)
+				id "model"
+				path []
+			}
 	))
 
 	;load into trainee AA
@@ -370,16 +444,71 @@
 
 	(print "Hierarchy for model after save and load is correct: ")
 	(call assert_same (assoc
+		unordered (true)
 		obs result
 		exp
-			(assoc
-				AA (assoc
-						b (assoc child_of_b (false))
-						big_C (assoc e (assoc))
-						loaded (assoc e (assoc))
-					)
-				c_copy (false)
-			)
+			{
+				children [
+						{
+							children [
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (true)
+													id "e3"
+													path ["AA" "big_C" "e"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "c2"
+										path ["AA" "big_C"]
+									}
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (true)
+													id "e3"
+													path ["AA" "loaded" "e"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "deleteme"
+										path ["AA" "loaded"]
+									}
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (false)
+													id "deleteme2"
+													path ["AA" "b" "child_of_b"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "b2"
+										path ["AA" "b"]
+									}
+								]
+							contained (true)
+							id "A1"
+							path ["AA"]
+						}
+						{
+							children []
+							contained (false)
+							id "deleteme"
+							path ["c_copy"]
+						}
+					]
+				contained (true)
+				id "model"
+				path
+					;{type "string"}
+					;path to this trainee as a list of path labels
+					[]
+			}
 	))
 
 	;cleanup saved test model
@@ -461,15 +590,54 @@
 
 	(print "Hierarchy for model after deletion: ")
 	(call assert_same (assoc
+		unordered (true)
 		obs result
 		exp
-			(assoc
-				AA (assoc
-						b (assoc)
-						big_C (assoc e (assoc))
-						loaded (assoc)
-					)
-			)
+			{
+				children [
+						{
+							children [
+									{
+										children [
+												{
+													children []
+													contained (true)
+													id "e3"
+													path ["AA" "big_C" "e"]
+												}
+											]
+										contained (true)
+										id "c2"
+										path ["AA" "big_C"]
+									}
+									{
+										children []
+										contained (true)
+										id "deleteme"
+										path ["AA" "loaded"]
+									}
+									{
+										children []
+										contained (true)
+										id "b2"
+										path ["AA" "b"]
+									}
+								]
+							contained (true)
+							id "A1"
+							path ["AA"]
+						}
+						{
+							children []
+							contained (false)
+							id "deleteme"
+							path ["c_copy"]
+						}
+					]
+				contained (true)
+				id "model"
+				path []
+			}
 	))
 
 	(call exit_if_failures (assoc msg "delete trainees." ))