Athalmar Land Force Command

*`‘Our Blades will light the Way’`*

*`- Athalmar Saying -`*

## The Imperial Army

Athalmar Army Insignia, representing the indominable will of the Athalmar, even against all odds

## Organization

### Organization Type

* Ground Operations
* Army Logistics
* Army Academy

### Leader(s)

* Athalor, Malacos Ulveth
* High Marshal of the Imperial Army

### Sub-Unit(s)

* Administration
* Army Air Corps
* Engineering Corps
* Supply Corps
* General Maintenance
* Armor Corps
* Artillery Corps
* Army Intelligence
* Maritime Division
* Air Division
* Military Police
* Special Forces Command
* Marine-trooper Corps

## Overview

**Land Force Command**, more commonly known as the **Imperial Army** and to foreign powers as the **Athalmar Army**. It is a largest military branch of the Athalmar Military, with several billion personnel active at any time. Its generals and marshals are responsible for an similar percentage of the total military budget and personnel as the more prestigious Athalmar Navy. It is the largest formation of armed soldiers in the Galaxy, outdoing most other states by a large margin, only a few managing to compete in either quality or quantity. When deployed, the **Imperial Army** uses a combined arms doctrine in which the enemy's forward defences are broken by overwhelming force, at which point fresh, uncommitted mobile operational reserves are sent to exploit the strategic depth of an enemy front, surgically striking at the enemy's weak points with infantry, armour, air support or more specialized contingents of the Military, including orbital and auxiliary support.

A major defining feature of the **Athalmar Army** is its approval to adopt genetic, cybernetic and mechanical enhancements in their forces, relying in their ingenuity and capabilities to exploit every side of warfare to achieve their directives. Their ranks are respected and sought after, as it gives a chance for individuals to rise in the social ranks, gain citizenship tiers, complete mandatory service and see the galaxy. The Imperial Army itself has an array of primary missions: Capturing, maintaining and administering control of colonial, primitive, occupied or developed populations, be them Athalmar or otherwise. Considering just how vast any planet is, this has led to a military service of unprecedented scale, both in size and capability.

## Training, Organization and Structure

Prior to the Stellar Mantle, the **mandatory service** **ran for around 18 years** and followed with an **18 years term enlistment**. Unlike those pre-spacefaring armies however, it was soon discovered that the vast distances involved, combined with the need for more comprehensive training, made it impossible to honour such a limited time commitment. One division of troops that had been raised in the southern margins of the Empire spent almost half a year traveling to the front lines, another 3 months in orbit and then forced into another 6 years of peacekeeping duties before spending another half a year going home. Because of this, Land Force Command moved away from functioning under principles of individual personnel assignment or short term volunteer contracts, adopting instead a structure and training regime more akin to the principles of a more permanent standing army. This is a necessity as the Imperial Hegemony found itself having to control territory over vast distances, using massive numbers of soldiers. Pre-spacefaring military structure was not just unfeasible, it was quite impossible to uphold, as the vast distances involved made moving around units smaller then divisions a logistical and bureaucratic nightmare. As such, a term of enlistment in the Army lasts for 9 years, allowing recruits to finish their mandatory service in two terms, with the first two years serving for sensible training, either as an officer or enlisted. The term length is half that of the Navy due to the more flexible role portrayed by the army and the presence of numerous auxiliary forces, which are more viable for planetary garrison than pure Athalmar recruits. All recruits enlist as basic entrants to the service and are then directed onto an officer or enlisted track following evaluation of their skills. The initial 2 years are spent to effectively shape all recruits, while simultaneously exposing them to a myriad of different combat conditions, from close quarters combat on space stations, arctic warfare, toxic atmosphere, the training regimes and a full combat drop from orbit.

Fatalities are minimized during this training period, either through genetic enhancement, specialized training regimes (to better fit the batch of recruits, whilst not diverging from military standards) and technological advancements in the medicinal field. A recruit may at any time be permitted to leave training during their first 2 years, as the service has no desire to weaken morale amongst the new or already enlisted troops. Though those who willingly leave can sometimes be seen with a declined social opinion, due to social stigma from the more militant members of society, the Athalmar State does not disdain from finding a suitable workplace for their capabilities or path for their ambitions. There is the exception of when in the presence of a national emergency, as a draft may also be instituted and citizens forced into the training program. Even then, however, standards are not relaxed and a recruit may still opt to abandon the program, though in this case they will be relegated into labour, administrative or logistical positions to support the war effort.

Those recruits who make it through training will graduate as a **unit** within the **Company** level (*approximately 1,000 soldiers*). Each Company in turn will be combined to form a **Battalion** (*10,000 soldiers*), which in turn forms a **Brigade** (*100,000 soldiers*), a full **Division**, made up of *10 brigades* for around **1 million soldiers** and, finally, an army **Corps**, made up of **10 Divisions**. Each company of the Athalmar Army is specialized. There may be an entire company of Armoured soldiers, another of light infantry, another of Atmospheric Aircraft pilots and so on. The companies are then organized into various battalions to serve their directive's overall purpose (be it support, armoured assault, artillery strikes, atmospheric engagement, etc) and then slotted into Brigades. While a Brigade is nominally intended to deploy on its own initiative and fight under any condition, it is the Division that is the principle unit organization within the Army, and Fleet Command designs its massive troop transports with this in mind.

The Divisions are formed from the massive pools of recruits who graduate, with most recruits rising in authority based on ability. The Division will then spend anywhere from **2 to 4 years training as a cohesive unit before it is approved for combat operations**. During time of war, companies that sustain too many casualties are disbanded and slotted into a replacement company drawn from a graduating recruit class. Something considered non ideal, but necessary to keep the division combat ready during war. The most skilled of the new recruits will be either Company commanders at the Captain rank or the company's Squad NCO, a Staff Sergeant. Higher ranking soldiers, Major, for the officers, and Platoon/Company Senior NCO's Sergeant First Class and above, are granted to soldiers who sign another full term of service at the end of their previous term of enlistment. In the case of the NCO's this is done to insure that the newly minted Captains and Lieutenants have a steadying experienced hand, to further pass on military tradition and capabilities to new recruits, that may be otherwise not delivered during training. Promotion for officers during their first 18 years is known to happen, given the meritocratic mindset of the Athalmar race. Present talent is rarely at waste, but can be denied if the service decides it has no use for such soldiers in higher ranks. The 18 year term is by no means a solid one, as all soldiers ultimately serve at the needs of the Empire, and in times of war, a term of enlistment can be extended, especially if a unit needs to be transported from one end of the Hegemony's territory to the other. Without jump drives, such a journey can take from half to a full year to complete. Time spent in these travels can be delegated to either further military competence and training or be discharged as an education initiative, providing support and resources so soldier may be reintroduced back into civilian life, progress their military career, further their own faculties or, rarely though, spend their time in stasis pods.

Promotion is based on need and ability with far more turnover in the enlisted ranks then the officers. The Ranks of Staff Sergeant, Sergeant and Corporal often frequently being given and lost based on need. The Army also has a special rank of Warrant Officer. Warrant Officers are members of the Army who are given broad authority within the service but are not considered part of the regular combat formations. A Warrant officer may, for example, be the captain of a massive divisional troop transport, a scientist in an Army run research lab, or an intelligence operative attached to the Army. All ranks are ultimately granted at the needs of the Army and there is no solid rules governing promotion, with commanders given broad authority to pick the ranks of their subordinates, with the caveat that should their picks fail to handle the responsibility, the failure will fall in equal measure both on the officer who failed, and the officer who confirmed them for that position.

The Divisions themselves are often frequently organized into Army groups that can range in size from 3 Corps to multiple dozens Corps. The size of an Army Group itself is based solely on the needs of the moment and not by any set standard. Regardless of size however, they are all **commanded by a general**, with General Ranks below that being given to a division or corps commander as a reflection of that particular commanders ability. The Athalmar Army has no sub organization between Corps and Army group such as Regiments. Such formations are created on the fly as combat dictates, where multiple divisions and corps within an Army group are required to coordinate with each other.

At the end of a Division's 18 years of service the unit flags and standards are retired and presented to a new graduating class of recruits to carry on the legacy, should **Land Force Command** determine a units legacy is worth continuing. It is rare for such a dishonour be given to a unit, but over the centuries many divisions have been permanently retired, their failures deemed too great to overlook and thus be foisted onto a new graduating class. Those soldiers in the retiring division deemed suitable for higher rank are permitted to serve another term of service, this time as the divisions senior officers and NCO's, thus allowing a continuity of tradition between the soldiers of the prior term and the new.

## Equipment

Athalmar combat equipment has changed over the centuries to reflect new technologies and doctrines. All soldiers are issued a P.I.U. (Plasma Infused Unit) Assault Rifle, A.C.S. (Adaptable Combat Suit) Armour, and a customizable combat interface. Early in its history, the equipment would maintain firing kinetic based projectiles. By the year 3100, the Imperial Army had adopted a varying type of equipment, namely gauss, plasma, energetic, missile and enhanced kinetic rifles. This versatility was streamlined towards the end of the 36th century, where plasma technology had progressed past the others in almost every aspect, thus becoming the primary use of the Military in rifle systems. The A.C.S. and combat interfaces likewise saw improvements, going from crude carbon nanofiber weave, to power supported plasteel, capable of **augmenting the physiology and mental faculties** of the user. The most advanced variants even allow for unsupported orbital re-entry of the soldier in question.

Beyond that the Army maintains a host of atmospheric aircraft, from fighter aircraft, landing craft, tanks, mobile artillery, and transports. Many of which are highly sophisticated in their armour, weapons, propulsion and onboard targeting systems. This is largely due to the concept of "not reinventing the wheel". The introduction of segments akin to anti-gravity plates, so to cause the vehicle to float, was viewed as role specific, being applied only to assigned directives and units. This is mainly due to its expensive cost and difficult handling.