Civillian Defense Force

"*Most scrap towns in the wasteland have militias, we are the only ones that have a scrap town for the militia.*"
—Prefect Elijah Decker, 2047.

The **Civilian Defense Front** (**CDF**) is a conglomerate of civilian militias formed from the efforts of various communities to protect themselves against the numerous threats in the post-Flash American Wasteland. Encompassing the nation from coast to coast, the CDF stands amongst the largest factions in the wasteland, even having established settlements in the far reaches of Alaska and Hawaii.

The CDF are the direct predecessors to the People's Republic of Tidewater, as well as the Reds.

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## History

### **Formation**

In 2032, the United States, along with the rest of the world, was almost destroyed from the nuclear hellfire the rained down upon it. However, those in bunkers, secluded areas, or who were just plain lucky survived. While some would leave the places they dwelled to only look after themselves, some would take it upon themselves to build places of safe refuge. Over time, communities sprang up, clinging to what was left on the Earth and using it to thrive. This showed that even though what caused the apocalypse was human greed and an insatiable lust for power, the spirit of helping people still lingered.

Among these communities and groups were some inner circles who had ambitious plans for rebuilding America in their own image. One of these groups eventually formed what would later be known as the Civilian Defense Front.

At the time, this group was known as the "Militia" or the "People's Militia", mainly focused in a small group of communities in eastern Georgia. Leaning heavily on the tenets of pragmatism, this group quickly gained major support from the communities around them and slowly grew to be a very popular group, thanks largely in part to their hardy and rugged nature which focused more or less on the idea of survival in the wasteland instead of any sort of political ideology.

By 2036, the group had officially formed itself to be an expanding power in the region and slowly but surely expanding its goals to helping the common wastelander get back on their feet with a series of somewhat divisive social policies that differed from town to town. The group continued expanding rapidly, pulling settlement after settlement into their ever-expanding fold as they marched westward to assert more influence in the wasteland.

It wouldn't be until 2049 until the People's Militia formally adopted a name: the "Civilian Defense Front", from a group with the same name in North Carolina. By this point, the CDF had already expanded to become a massive, near-nation wide network of towns and militias that were becoming increasingly centralized in-nature, particularly in the area of defense and its militia.

This expansionism was later encapsulated in the popular wasteland phrase, commonly used throughout the 2050s: "The CDF is a militia with towns, not a town with militias."

### **Lake Mead and Craterview**

In October of 2037, a Rifle Detachment comprising of 20 men and 2 Rifle Groups, along with a captain and a group of 7 engineers, entered the Lake Mead region and surveyed the region. This detachment, originally from a massive CDF Contingent expanding into the Southwest was later reinforced by a further 4 more Rifle Detachments comprising of approximately 140 men. These Rifle Detachments had the imperative task of holding down the valley's important route which straddled a trade highway leading straight to Vegas. Just 2 days after the CDF arrived in the valley, the regional commander of the CDF at a time gave the order to establish a Fort in a near-by motel which would later come to be known as Fort Ever Grande.

Construction of the Fort began on October 12th, 2037, with basic scrap walls being set up first and several scrap structures being built to house both refugees and CDF personnel. It took the CDF 3 weeks to fully erect Fort Ever Grande to proper operational status and the CDF begun accepting refugees. It was also during this time in which the CDF made contact with both the SLF and the USCPF in the region.

The CDF continued taking in refugees for 11 months, thriving off a well-to-do market that was frequently patronized by merchants and traders from across the land. However, it was soon becoming clear that the CDF was going to need a proper, permanent settlement in order to shelter all the various citizens and refugees in the area.

After several months of detailed surveillance and reconnaissance conducted on various parts of the valley and its terrain, it was decided to construct a town on atop two flat mesas located in the middle of the valley, chosen for its scenic 360-degree view of the surrounding area. Located on higher ground, the town was intended to be a fortress in itself, suitably located close to Fort Ever Grande, which would reinforce it with fresh troops and strike any invading force unexpectedly from the rear should the town ever come under siege. This town would later be named by the CDF as "Craterview", for its overlooking view of a massive crater that once belonged to a subdued blast from an ICBM that had struck the valley less than a decade earlier.

### **Craterview's Construction**

On the 3rd of December, 2038, the foundations were laid for Craterview. Throughout the cold winter months, engineers, contractors, and even volunteers from the refugees that the CDF had taken in toiled on Craterview's construction. The first structure that was built was the Governor's tower, later known as the Mayor's tower, as it was one of the most complicated structures within the town to construct. In one incident, the construction of the tower was temporarily set back due to extremely adverse weather, a costly lesson that the CDF took to heart, applying the lessons learned into all future buildings and playing up the CDF's near-legendary wasteland reputation for its ability to erect strong and sturdy scrap structures.

Throughout the town's construction, the CDF was hit by other calamities apart from weather: bandits, mutants, raider gangs. Repeatedly, the town's construction was delayed as a result of external factors. However, this only bolstered the CDF's efforts to finish the town, and the CDF increasingly piled on more and more security to watch over the town's construction site.

On the 15th of February, 2039, just about 3 months after initial construction began, Craterview was finished and ready for civilians to live and work there. Much of the CDF's garrison was moved to defend Craterview, with a good balance of forces remaining within Fort Ever Grande. The entirety of Ever Grande's thriving market was plucked out and dropped right into Craterview, a new town on elevated ground with better amenities and even some form of working plumbing and running water.

The CDF in Lake Mead were now in their prime years.

### **Fort Ever Grande Destruction and Exile from Craterview**

The beginning of the new decade in 2040 indicated the end of the lingering and frigid nuclear winter and ushered in the turbulence of the Dustbowl Era.

The completed town's location aided it dearly as a heavily trafficked merchant route laid near the sprawling mesas. This steady flow of merchants resulted in the town flourishing economically. It was also cohesive with the CDF's dogma of having social programs to help the homeless and less fortunate as well as to maintain the town's public infrastructure, a lesson learned from the rigors from other CDF settlements: taxes were also imposed on all residents living in the town, and all imported goods were tariffed upon entry.

Sporadically, in the year 2054 when the inhabitants of Fort Viridian, a sect of the former pre-flash US military who had radicalized their libertarian beliefs and were called the Southwest Libertarian Front (SLF), shelled Fort Ever Grande with its artillery. The incredulous survivors trudged to Craterview, only to be met with an ultimatum to either leave Craterview or have the town be destroyed. The CDF, beaten and with nowhere to go were reached out to by the USCPF, who had similarly taken just as many casualties from the SLF's sudden betrayal. The USCPF offered the CDF space within the Goldfield Mountain Complex, and the CDF accepted their offer: retreating to the Complex, where they laid dormant and bided their time as the town of Craterview established its own independent government led by Mayor Benson; which the SLF frequently took advantage of to exploit the town's resources through unfair trade deals.

### **Life in Goldfield Mountain Complex**

Following their move into Goldfield, the CDF was met with uncertainty. Uneasy tensions built between the USCPF and CDF as their vastly varying ideals clashed, sometimes violently. Despite this, the CDF made a real effort to get to know their USCPF counterparts through a series of inter-faction activities and patrols, learning skills from one another, and spending the time to effectively plan and prepare themselves for a counter-offensive against the SLF. However, with the SLF possessing a stand-off capability in the form of their artillery, the opportunity of a counter-offensive never came, and for the most part, the CDF was instead found using their resources to better serve the people in the wasteland and to build up their own reputation.

### **Craterview Insurrection**

Following a series of failed administrations, including one which was a front for the TLB to take resources from Craterview, a mobilized force of conscripted bandits and raiders called the Coyotes stormed Craterview and captured it. Shortly after, the CDF began setting up relief aid stations throughout the region to alleviate the pain and stress caused by the tyrannical raiders. However, along with multiple other factions, the CDF was smuggling large amounts of munitions to be used in a joint faction effort to push back the Coyotes.

After weeks of smuggling in guns and equipment to prepare, the CDF launched a surprise insurrection onto the coyotes, lead by Cmdt. James Walker. Civilians were supplied with weapons by the CDF, quickly charging out into the streets and shooting down unsuspecting Coyotes. The initial stage of the battle ended quickly, the coyotes taken by complete surprise and not having any time to mount an effective defense. However, the second phase would be the most taxing to the CDF and the strong-willed CV citizens.

A brutal attack on the town, similar to the one that originally took it over, struck the back and front of the town. Fortunately for Craterview, CDF machine guns managed to pin down the force attacking the back for most of the fight, preventing them from flanking the main CDF force defending the front. After a while of intense fighting through the Craterivew Slums, the Coyote forces retreated out of the valley, defeated by the citizens of Craterview and the CDF.

### **Equipment**

The Civilian Defense Front is known to use all sorts of equipment and tools. If they can get their hands on something, it is likely that it will be used by them. Some of the firearms they are known for using include the NC-12, UCP, the advanced Sparo, and the Patriot. Many members also wear a leather apron to prevent being stabbed. An armband bearing the Civilian Defense Front's logo is found on their arm. The men and women within the CDF's ranks usually wear a light shirt, accompanied by pants made also with lighter fabrics.