Confederate Military

The Confederate Armed Forces are the military forces of the Confederation of Outlying Systems. They consist of the Confederate Army, Confederate Space Corps, Confederate Marine Corps, Confederate Drop-Jet Corps, Confederate Office of Intelligence Confederate Colonial Militia.

The COS holds a distinct military tradition, one that means it is considered an honour to join the armed forces, and one that means overall military command should be administered by civilians. Although the Chancellor is the overall military head the Department of Defence, a civilian run executive department headed by the Secretary of Defence, a civilian also. To coordinate military action, Confederate High Command (HIGHCOM) has several high ranking officers serving advisory roles in the Department of Defence.

Personnel

Recent numbers indicate that approximately 3.2 billion people are in active duty, with 2.2 billion in the many reserve components. The army is volunteer with a National Service period for 18 year old's, who must serve a minimum of 2 years in any of the armed services. Both genders take part in National service, although a small fraction of the female personnel opt for combat roles. If someone is in a higher education branch (a University, Technical College or an apprenticeship) they can opt to finish their education (usually taking 2-3 years) and join the Confederate Military when their education has finished.

Conscription can be enforced in times of need, although the last time this happened was several hundred years ago, when a major secessionist movement threatened the Confederacy.

Equipment

Basic Military equipment in the Confederate Military is standardised to a large degree. The basic SR-7 Assault Rifle is used all branches of the Confederate military, including the Colonial Militia. There are however many variations, usually among smaller and more specialised branches (for example while the SR-7 is used commonly among the Drop Jet Corps the Yarashi Assault rifle is used due to it's rugged design and superior ability in close quarters combat).

Ethos

The Confederate Military has a general set of ethos, internally and externally.

Internally, the Confederate Trooper Creed is dominant, acting as an unofficial set of guides. When a soldier, from nearly any branch is inducted into the military, they repeat and "sign" to the statements of the creed, said by the soldier's Commanding officer for the trainee to repeat, which are to be:

  • Swift and Independent of Thought and Action.
  • Bold.
  • Self Reliant, Self Disciplined and Self Improving.
  • Skilled at Arms and Fieldcraft.
  • Part of the Team and Family - we look after each other during
  • and after our service.
  • Professionally and Technologically Forward Thinking.