Themiclesian Marine Corps (according to November Magazine)

Themiclesian Marine Corps
房冗人, bjang-njung-njing
Emblem of the Themiclesian Marines
Founded	1318
Current form	1880
Service branches	Naval infantry Naval aviation (helicopters)
Headquarters	№103, Gwrjang-′ar St., Tonning
Leadership
Defence Secretary	Geoffrey m-Lrjem Tsodh
Captain-general	Margaret Sui
Personnel
Military age	18 – 45
Conscription	not in effect
Active personnel	7,354
Reserve personnel	5,220
Deployed personnel	482
Expenditure
Budget	$2,319,000,000 (FY2018)
Percent of GDP	0.08%
Industry
Foreign suppliers	Hallia
Related articles
Ranks	Naval Ranks

The Themiclesian Marine Corps (房冗人, bjang-njung′-njing) is the naval infantry branch of the Themiclesian Navy (艦航, kramh-gang) and performs a range of tangent and peripheral duties.

Name and translation

Themiclesian Marines acquired their Tyrannian names confronted with Tyrannian Royal Marines, who fought them in 1791 during the Raid on Rad and gave them their present name. Hallians and Sylvans prior to this regularly called them the Exercitus Thimiensis, "Themiclesian Army". The term Exercitus Thimiensis was even used by Themiclesian diplomats. In modern times, this is deprecated due to confusion with the similarly-named Themiclesian Army, which would have been called just "Army" in the early modern period. "Themiclesian Marine Corps" is the sanctioned translation of the Shinasthana bjang-njung-njing (舫冗人) since around 1810.

Themiclesians do not use bjang-njung-njing to translate "marine corps" in general; rather, the term st′jur-prjang (水兵, "maritime army") is used. This is because, domestically, st′jur-prjang refers to the lake-based naval infantry that was part of the militia, which predates the institutional Navy by several centuries. st′jur-prjang being the more inutitive term, it is preferred in translating foreign terms.

bjang (房) is a proper name for a cabin located in the stern of a ship and constrats with stjit (室), a cabin in the bow of a ship. Both pjang and stjit are compared to parts of terrestrial buildings. There is currently disagreement about the proper reading of bjang: the 3rd Regiment, formed in 1524 and the oldest extant unit, reads it as bjang, while the 4th and 5th Regiments, both dating to the Pan-Septentrion War, read it as pjang’ instead. Philologically, bjang is likely the correct reading, since it is homophonous with the root word bjang (房, lit. "rear chamber"), and also pjang’ means jib. Various theories have been forwarded to explain their confusion by individuals who "have good reason to distinguish them".

The word njung-njing (冗人) means "passenger". Currently, this term is still used to identify passengers on both ships and aircraft, but not passengers on road vehicles. The source of this name is uncontroversially linked to the archaic custom that all passengers on ships sailing beyond the coastline are required to bear arms for its defence, under the captain's direction.

History

Early centuries

Main article: Themiclesian Navy § History

The original distinction between sailors and "passengers" was first recognized in an edict dating to 503, forbidding passengers (anyone who was not a crew member) from defecting to enemies of the ship in case it was attacked. A similar edict in 508 required passengers to fight with the crew, should the captain of the ship order it. Another edict in 532 penalized any passenger who sought "to protect himself or his goods by means of a private peace with criminals, pirates, or enemy crews". Interestingly, the edict of 532 mentions that there were previous laws regulating the behaviour of passengers, though these regulations have been lost. Maritime historian C. Larter belives these laws evidence the "increased militarization of the Rjang merchant navy, seeking to utilize every person onboard." However, he also concedes that the role of passengers in these situations is "murky at best, due to a dearth of primary accounts".

The organizational ancestor of the Themiclesian Marines appeared in the early 800s. The state-operated fleet was organized to fight Hallian warriors, who raided the Columbian coast, to protect merchant ships, and to suppress piracy along the Halu'an, Columbian, and Meridian coasts. As the ships' crews were mostly impressed from oceanic fleets, the merchants and non-sailing individuals in them were organized as a sort of supplementary militia apart from the crew, which at this time were expected to engage the enemy, as customary to the domestic naval militia. While the militia was initially meant to augment the crew in battle, they were soon expected to do most of the fighting to protect the crew and keep the ship manoeuvrable. In the Battle of Clarkestown of 898 and in view of the merchant militia's background, the general leading the expedition ordered them to scout, which promptly compromised the whereabouts of the force and occasioned its extermination. Specifics of this battle are difficult to study, since only a few ships escaped the carnage that destroyed the entire force sent. Due to mounting pressure from foreign navies, the Bureau of Passengers in 1318 established permanent units in the merchant naval militia in Portcullia, officially cited as the founding date of the Marine Corps.

Wax Tablet Case

Main article: Wax Table Case (1370)

Early modern period

The entry of Sylva into the race for colonies in Meridia has prompted Themiclesia again to expand its fleet, which bifurcated into the North Sea Fleet (for the Halu'an Sea) and the South Sea Fleet (for the Meridian Ocean). The Admiralty devised an formula for calculating how many marines were required. Advocates of the formula stated that, since ships and marines are both fixed costs, expenditure on either can be mathematically optimized. Beneath the optimum, the likelihood of capture increases dramatically, while above the optimum, additional deployment carried diminishing returns. At the time, the cost of building each ship was quoted in rjiw, technically a unit of timber, but which included the labour needed to make it a structural part of the vessel. If it was lost, the loss was quantified as its current value. Each ship would become unsuited for battle in a given number of years after launch. Thus, the amount of marines needed was a function of the value of the ship. In the late 1500s, one marine was required for each 80 rjiw (c. 2.21 tons). Opponents of the formula asserted that it does not factor in the enemies projected to face and thus must be inaccurate. Nevertheless, the court adopted the formula, and the size of the Marine Corps seems to have followed it closely for the next two centuries, and its influence persisted despite abolition in 1799.

The adoption of the formula apparently had a radical effect on the way the force was organized. In the late 1500s, the induction to the Marines outpaced the number of applicants, who were guaranteed a trading license, which permitted them later to buy and sell goods overseas, for service. This, in effect, created an imperfect trading monopoly by former members of the naval service. However, the Secretary of State for Finance asserted to court in 1585 that commercial revenues would increase if the licensing system was abolished forthwith, and the court followed. Though proven correct, it also removed the only incentive to join the naval service as a marine, since salaries were uncompetitive. Only two years later, the number of enlistments dropped to zero; the government opened enlistment to the public in response. To prevent men from leaving, it extended terms of service from 6 to 12, then to 18 years. The quickly-developing nature of naval warfare in the 1500s also demanded the government prioritize cannon foundries and shipbuilding, both expensive, rather than increasing salaries.

Maverican War

Main article: Maverican Wars

Mutiny at Trjung-gwal

Four regiments of the Columbian Colonial Army were re-assigned to the authority of the Captain-general in 1731. Due to the history of conflicts with the Colonial Army, the fleet docked at Trjung-gwal turned out the four regiments in Jan. 1732, believing them to have other loyalties. The fleet combined this with other grievances, such as insufficient pay, long hours, and lack of holidays, and refused to sail unless they were addressed. While this took place without enemies present, the Themiclesian court was gravely troubled, if the Camians would inform the Hallians or Tyrannians to take advantage of the mutiny. To resolve the fleet's concern over the four new regiments of marines, they were required to take an oath before the crew of the ship on which they served, swearing to defend the sailors' bodies as their own bodies and their ship as their own homes. A ceremony was invented to boost the crews' confidence in the new regiments, through their visible and audible declaration of allegiance towards the fleet. The captain replied that the crew will give equitable treatment towards marines, having the same rations and living in the same quarters. This is remarkable as it shows significant Casaterran influence, since Themiclesians rarely swore oaths before this time.

Mutiny at Smljin-ts′jêng

On August 2, 1740, the 11th Regiment of Marines mutinied at Smljin-ts′jêng (神清). Apparently, 56 men of the regiment had been caned for a minor offence of which they are accused with a number of sailors together. The sailors received their captain's protection, which allowed them to pay fines in lieu of caning, but the same commution was not available for marines. The men barricaded themselves at a small, defensive position in the port at Smljin-ts′jêng. They presented their grievances written on a naval ensign, demanding whenever a captain decided to offer his protection to sailors, he should do the same for marines on his ship. However, the fleet set sail on the night of the 5th, leaving the 11th Regiment behind in their barricade, without addressing their grievances. Parliament disbanded the 11th Regiment on Nov. 22, 1740. While the grievance was not addressed, Parliament amended the Passenger Offences Act in 1741, making it possible for marines to pay fines assessed at the same rate as sailors, as long as their captain did not insist on corporeal punishment.

Raid on Rad

Main article: Raid on Rad

Infamous island commissions

Main article: Sale of commisisons in the Themiclesian military

Salary reform

In 1820, the Lord of Rjar-lang was Navy Secretary and launched an ambitious reform project in the entire force to eliminate corruption and embezzlement, which he reasoned was due to the excessive reliance of enlisted men on officers, who, on the one hand, abused their trust frequently and inflated troops numbers, and on the other hand, assessed fictitious fines to take salary money for themselves. Introducing the Casaterran use of primary documents to enhance control, he secured an act on the pretext that if every salary payment was agreed upon in amount and source, unit cohesion and willingness to fight would be increased considerably. Mechanically, this meant that the Director of Passengers had to submit his estimates for each marine's salaries to the Inner Administrator first, then against him each marine could claim due salaries according to his own calculations; discrepancies between the Director's assessments and the actual claim could then reveal misconduct. Ideally, it also allows funds to be paid directly to each recipient, without passing through intermediate financial officials, eliminating this opportunity for embezzlement. Additionally, the Director of Passengers had to submit his report before the full moon of August, while any claim submitted before this time was rejected, hopefully eliminating opportunities for officers to interfere with their men's calculations. Rjar-lang said that "the government intends to make every man free to negotiate his just rewards according to open and freely-accepted terms, and to seek reddress where it is denied."

The following year, Rjar-lang announced that final defrayments for marines' salaries had dropped by 41%. He attributed this to eliminated corruption and claimed a victory. However, modern historians cast doubt on Rjar-lang's claim, noting that the drop is far too big to have been purely out of eliminated corruption, and too small to indicate the elimination of the same. Records maintained by the Inner Administrator indicate that only 899 claims were received and approved, while over 1,000 were rejected for improper calculations, wording, or even poor handwriting. In 1820, there were still five regiments of marines active, who in total number at least 5,700, and fewer than 1/6 of them actually received their salaries; thus, if salary outlays represent 59% of the previous year's figures, then around 2/3 of this money has been embezzled, and only 1/3 were actually paid into marines' pockets. Additionally, the Inner Administrator required all petitions to be written on Phellodendri paper, which is resistent to rot and insects; however, this kind of paper was not available on Liang, so presumably only officers who carried this type of paper with them, stationed on Liang, were able at all to claim salaries.

Battle of Rafts

Main article: Battle of Rafts (1840s)

Battle of Liang-la

Main article: Battle of Liang-la

Mediatization

Main article: Mediatization of the forces (Themiclesia)

Trjuk's leadership

Main article: Trjuk Krjên-magh

Textbook crisis

In 1887, Parliament ordered the Ministry of Rites to compile a Shinasthana curriculum to the free public schools that to this point had followed the traditional method of language learning, i.e. philology and phonology. The ministry assembled a board of school teachers, at whose recommendation it selected a number of "representative texts" of various genres and literary devices to be introduced to schoolchildren. One such text selected was the Child's Tear (芻子淚, tsrjo-tsje′-rjebh), a long, tragic poem fictionally attributed to a child poet, starving in the streets because all parents and siblings had died of misgovernment. Amongst them is that the poet's 6th brother was seized by the marines when running an errand in Tonning, aged 16, and has not been heard of since. Spanning lines 299 and 322, the poet recounts puerile hopes that he may return one day with candies (of which Meridia was famous and dates the poem to the late 1500s) and some wealth but gradually consigns himself to believe his brother's corpse is now in some unmarked part of the ocean, "flesh and bone asunder, feasting fishes' stomachs / body forfeit to the Demesne Treasury" (裂骨肉饗魚腹 / 喪此身于縣官, ′brjat-kut-njuk-sk′jang-ngja−pje′ / smang-sn′ji′-snjing-gwrja-gwênh-kwal). The poet contrasts what happened to the physical body of his brother (eaten by fishes) to his personhood (lost to the treasury). Critics have read this as a simile of the government's taking of his brother to collecting taxes, i.e. his brother's life was exactly like expendable tax money. A secondary allusion is to marines protecting Themiclesia's fiscal interests; thus, when he was "lost to the treasury", it could also be read that he was "lost to the defence of the treasury". The poet contrasts the government, on the one hand, utilizes his human agency, but, on the other hand, denies him and his family humane treatment.

Once the poem was found in the national curriculum, records show that the Marines panicked and sent official letters in the hundreds, asking for the poem's retraction. These letters were not reprints but contained a variety of arguments against the poem's inclusion, from its being too bloody for children in second grade, to the detrimental effects it has on public opinions on naval service. The Marines having attempted to rehabilitate themselves after 1800, this poem defeated their desired portrayal as professional, voluntary soldiers and reminded the public of the ills associated with them. The inbox log (內書簿) at the Marines HQ show that only a fraction of letters generated replies, and most declined to comment. Journalist E. R. Kaw said that "the entire state is portrayed negatively, but you are the only ones who have complained to me." A Mr. Hrap replied that the poem makes a truthful account of known problems in Themiclesia during that time period and should stay in the textbook. A number of replies took the other position, saying that if the "poem causes a manifest odium to voluntary naval service, it should be recorded and submitted to the government," since "the very real tragedies past must not return to haunt us as tragedies new."

Prairie War

As public opinion was unfavourable to the Prairie War, the government passed the the Special Conscription Act, 1935 to conscript organized men in other departments. The 1st and 2nd Regiments were sent to the front this way, along with a litany of others. In view of a conjectural naval invasion to the west coast, the Marines were ordered to recruit in 1937, which progressed at a snail's pace. Dayashinese immigrants feared regional discrimination, which was known to be rife in some units, so the Dayashinese Parliamentary Lobby encouraged them to join the Marines instead, where they would form a majority; this has been called the "group-buy mentality" by some historians, where minorities could band up and create or enforce a less hostile environment. In 1940, Dayashinese men accounted for over 90% of the entire enlistment and 75% of the force.

PSW and D/ISOG infiltration

Starting when Dayashina declared war on Themiclesia, the IDA's Imperial Special Operations Group sought to infiltrate the Marines. The core object, as declassified D/ISOG papers show, was to cast doubt on the allegiances of the 100,000 or so Dayashinese-Themiclesians and terrorize the Themiclesian public behind the front, since some of the marines were used as rear-line troops. The Cabinet Office had, in 1937, heavily propagandized the immigrants enlistment as proof of a "defensive resolve that transcends ethnicity and language, affecting all that is human"; the Army further elaborated on this, in early 1939, with fliers dropped in Dayashinese camps to discredit their government's assertion of the war as a struggle between races. The infiltration concentrated on the Dayashinese-majority 4th and 5th Regiments.

To engender terror, Dayashinese operatives, mostly feigning as surrendering IDA soldiers, pretended to naturalize to Themiclesia; welcoming any opportunity to discredit Dayashinese unity, they were accepted heartily. They would then apply to join the Navy, which preferentially placed Dayashinese recruits (identified by their names) into the Marines. Infiltration in the 4th Regiment was particularly prolific, since it was assigned to guarding the temporary capital city at Blim-tsi, which was a coastal city with some naval armaments. Infiltrators then took advantage of the Marines armouries, which contained only light weaponry, to attack civic amenities and attempt assassination on the Emperor. Ultimately, attempts on the Emperor's life narrowly failed in two instances, and attacks on infrastructure were limited in their impact, since the Army's supply lines were diffuse. However, they did succeed in vexing the residents of Blim-tsi that a statute was passed to ban marines from the city.

Current roles

The Themiclesian Marines currently have four distinct roles, as defined by the Admiralty's White Paper on Naval Defence, 2003.

1. Protection of the Themiclesian fleet and naval installations from land-based and personnel threats;
2. Conversion of foreign naval and land assets in support of naval operations;
3. Defence of areas not assigned to the Army's military districts and Themiclesia's "small islands" in the Halu'an Sea; and
4. Certain diplomatic and ceremonial duties.

The fourth item is particularly diverse, and a considerable portion of the force is concerned with it. By historic custom, security personnel around most Themiclesian missions abroad are staffed by marines. Most missions travel with the Navy to their posting, so it was convenient for the Navy's soldiers to protect them. There seems otherwise to be no cause for this preference. There are exceptions to corroborate this: the missions to Dzhungestan and Maverica traditionally are guarded by the Capital Defence Force, since they reach their postings via land, not sea. One exceptional within the rule is Anglia and Lerchernt, where guards (in the embassy only) are staffed by gentlemen-at-arms. While at the beginning of the 20th century marines were actually selected for this duty, since the PSW the Foreign Office has trained its own agents instead, but they still wear the Marines' colours to circumvent legal issues. Historical records show that marines in foreign service were perpetually under martial law, meaning that the head of the mission, if a plenipotentiary, may execute them for any crime whatever until the abolition of capial punishment in 1853; thus, most marines feared foreign service.

Equipment

Gunpowder era

When gunpowder spread, boarding enemy ships became progressively less frequent. Themiclesian marines therefore receded in number and started to spend more time on land, manning naval fortifications and protecting the fleet in dock. In naval combat, where the gunpowder prepondered, they were one of the earlier adherents to hand-held firearms, only a century after ships were fitted with cannons. The argument was that the short range and inaccuracy of early firearms did not matter as much when the enemy had little cover and room to maneouvre on ships' decks.

The advent of firearms rendered most forms of armour, except the heaviest of plate, ineffective; however, that more engagements were shifting onto land allowed them to develop the medical apparatus that was only possible with territorial fortifications. Weaponry in this era generally followed Themiclesia's ability to supply them with modern firearms, though sidearms such as sabres were still retained. While essays were written arguing for an artillery department, the naval strategem did not include the Marines as a permanently land-based force.

In various campaigns in Njik-nem (now the north of Maverica), the Marines discovered that coating shoes in rubber increased their grip. Soaking these soles in rubber, common in Maverica, produced a much more resilient and comfortable sole; by the 1760s, most had their shoes regularly soled with rubber whenever available, and rubber was a commodity available on ships, since they were useful for stopping minor leaks. This fashion spread into other walks of Themiclesian society. The Army's shoe shop adopted the same technique with existing leather shoes in the 1800s, and this design survives into the modern age as the blue army shoe. When the Marines further learned to use old canvas to shell their shoes, wax was used to provide a water-resistent outer coat, offering protection against saline environments; this technique also found its way across the entire spectrum of military personnel soon.

Currently

Cloud-streak Class (虔雲艇) landing platform dock

• The Cloud-streak Class (虔雲艇, n-grjal-gwjen-m-lêng′) landing platform dock was introduced in 2000.

Culture

Professionalism

Chang and Beecky (1984) asserts that some of the activities of the Themiclesian Marines in the 19th century were remarkably similar to trade guilds of the day. Craftsmen continued to migrate to major cities, particularly close to coast, after the restarting of trade with neighbouring states in 1796. Urban-dwelling craftsmen built on the medieval institution of trade guilds and, many enriched through enterprise, began to develop professional pride. It was not only founded on excellence in one's skill, but also the resulting economic security.

Recruitment by abduction was terminated in 1798 after Parliament reduced the size of naval infantry component from 12 regiments to 6, one-third of its peak at 18 regiments. Reduced strength and a recovering economy allowed the government to double naval pay, which corroborated notion that marines were professionals, in the financial sense. This concept was then foreign to Themiclesia, since until 1847 more than half of Themiclesian males were in militias; only after the Liberal policy to reduce regional militias did the notion of soldiers as professionals gain credence. Chang and Beecky considers the measures the Marines have taken to assert professional pride, such as publishing their own weekly newspaper, to be "a bit of a thin act".

Non-regionalism

The Themiclesian Marines are a non-regional force, like most of the Navy and Air Force. Recruits since the 1500s were placed into its units without regard for origin, though it is assumed that most recruits are from the coastal areas, where recruitment took place. The Navy has recruited foreign sailors, or even impressed them from formerly hostile fleets, to replenish its own crew, especially after engagements with large casualties. The same applies to the Marines, though in their case the subject of impressment would be normal civilians, rather than sailors. The Home Militia, on the other hand, strictly maintained regional segregation, replenishing a unit raised from one place with only those raised from the same place. Under interregional and occasionally foreign influence, the Navy's language evolved from a pidgin of various Shinasthana dialects into a creole including native terms and Sylvan, Tyrannian, and Hallian. Since the recruitment of Dayashinese-Themiclesians in 1938, Dayashinese has also been added to the mixture, though the lexifier still appears to be Shinasthana, with foreign being primarily jargon. According to the ethnic Dayashinese recruits, they joined the Marines partly in fear of regional discrimination, which was known to be strong in some militia units that composed of the Themiclesian Army.

Emblem

The seal, adopted in 1843, had a dark blue field with a globe with orange longitudinal and latitudinal lines and red equator and prime meridian, an outer ring with increments, ovals in verdegris, silver, and gold, and the asterisms of the Great Dipper and the Boat. The globe represented navigation. The outer ring and ovals depict a traditional Themiclesian navigational instrument, whose functions were comparable to a sextant. The asterisms were key pointers for celestial navigation, the Great Dipper pointing to the north in the Northern Hemisphere, and the Boat to the south in the Southern. In 1872, the outer ring was added, with the Sylvanate translation added from sinister to dexter across the top, like the Tyrannian text today, reading Legio Navitarum Thimiensis ("Themiclesian Sailor Legion"). Tyrannian was substituted in 1880. Notably, the Shinasthana text was only added in 1979; this is typical for Themiclesian unit sigils, which were adopted expressly for the purpose of identification by foreigners.

Liberalism

Stereotypically, Themiclesian marines are Liberals, espousing their values of minimalism, efficiency, and personal liberties. Prior to the PSW, when military officers openly wore their political affiliations, most Marines officers were members of the Liberal Party; however, an exit-poll conducted as far back as 1978 suggests that the actual voting preferences of enlisted men did not differ significantly from any other part of the military, most supporting the Conservative Party. The cause whereof, upon interview, is the Conservative plank on employee insurance, benefits, healthcare, infant daycare, and other social policies from which lower-income individuals, such as soldiers and sailors, would benefit.

The historic reason why Marines officers tended to be Liberals is, on the other hand, well-studied. Around 1830, the urban middle class began to explore careers in military service (under commissioned rank), which previously had been limited to the aristocracy. Due to the negative reputation of the Marines, the aristocratic interest was weak, leaving it open to middle class candidates, who could not compete with aristocrats for more popular and well-regarded regiments. As the middle class were predominantly Liberals, so did they carry their affiliations into the institution; due to Liberal suspicion of Conservative officers, those were soon pressured to resign, leaving a "most Liberal and sound force", as Liberal prime minister the Lord of Gar-lang described it in 1856.

Progressivism

Main article: Sexual orientation and gender identity in the Themiclesian military

The Admiralty has gone to great lengths to portray the Marines as a progressive force. This is the direct result of several decades of international deployments along with allied forces, which has encouraged the force to be experimental and flexible. During the post-war era, the government wished to retain an international military presence or capability, for the fulfilment of "debts of honour" to the states which assisted Themiclesia, but was unwilling to spend accordingly. The defence establishment sought to give them the character of motorized and naval infantry at the same time. Being too under-manned to specialize into different branches, this required the adoption of special vehicles and other equipment. To the extent this goes against the general trend of the Themiclesian armed forces to become more specialized over time, it was deemed progressive. While the Army leadership of the 1950s believed many of their reforms were "nothing short of suicidal", only some of them were credited to increasing casualties, and these were duly corrected by an attentive Admiralty.

In the landmark case of Hik v. the Secretary of State for War, the court ruled in 1951 that the prohibition of females from taking combat roles was unlawful in the Consolidated Army. While the Consolidated Staff Board was unsure how to react to such a momentous decision in an orderly manner, the Marines announced on Dec. 18, 1951 that they intend to respect the right of women to serve to their fullest potential. At the time, Marines divided battalions into first through third lines, corresponding to the width of the front they were expected to hold; first-lines, which had the widest frontage and thus the least depth, were initially not open to females. The Air Force announced 20 days later that they would abolish all regulations on the grounds of sex. While the TAF did not name, the phrase "respect the right of women to serve to their fullest potential" was criticized as paternalistic and hollow. This was one of the few moments when Themiclesian forces have seriously fallen out with each other in the 20th century.

Until 1959, Themiclesian Marines prohibited homosexual contact between service members on penalty of imprisonment and expulsion. The rule did not, until 1958, extend to civilians or members of other services. In the first half of the 20th century, it was seen as progressive in some academic circles to discourage homosexuality and traditional to be agnostic; this arose under Casaterran influence, which boasted a considerable body of (now discredited) academic work asserting that homosexuality caused problems in the armed forces. By 1950, much of the previous work stigmatizing homosexuality in the armed forces was found unsatisfactory. Previously, homosexual contact between marines and other servicepersons was not punished, as they were "civilians" under the Passenger Offences Act. In 1958, the Common Penal Code unified the definition of the word "civilian", which briefly made homosexuality with other service members illegal. But in 1959, that law was amended to decriminalize homosexual contact.

Unit names

Current units

A solar glory, after which the 1st Regiment was named in 1399

In the unit renumbering scheme of 1971, Marines have started numbering at 201, since the Themiclesian Army are not using 2XX as unit numbers. This makes it less likely for unit numbers to be confused, which was a serious problem in the Pan-Septentrion War, in which each prefecture started numbering at 1. This meant there were as many "1st Regiments" as there were prefectures.

• 3rd → 203rd Regiment—Star Chasers (追星, tjul-stsêng), acquired by voice vote in 1918, in reference to the ancient traditions of celestial navigation that the Marines performed.
• 4th → 204th Regiment—Glory Seekers (榮益, gwrjing′-′ik).
• 5th → 205th Regiment—Sharpshooters (循射, sghjul-m-ljagh). But "sharpshooter" is homophonous with "missed by a long shot" (夷射, lir-m-ljagh) in many dialects, including the one most marines speak.

Former units

A circumscribed halo—the phenomenon after which the 2nd Regiment was named in 1548

This list is incomplete. For centuries, Themiclesian military units were named after auspicious natural phenomena or clouds, which were regarded as the portend of coming greatness and good fortune. Blem Mar, a 16th-century Themiclesian diarist, says that the navy's regiments all have "complimentary names" to bolster their confidence in the uncertainty and peril of oceanic travel, just as crews name their vessels. Becuase a great fire burnt down sections the Citadel of Kien-k'ang in 1792 and again in 1841, most of the disbanded regiments' names have been lost. While government authorities have used numbering to distinguish regiments from each other, debate continues whether numbers have been re-assigned at some point in history and if a regiment was in fact two regiments having used the same number at different times.

• 1st Regiment—Spectre (絢光, hwin-kwang), conscripted to the East Expedition Force in 1935.
• 2nd Regiment—Circumscribed Halo (繞虹, n-ngjawh-gong), as above.
• 6th Regiment—disbanded 1842.
• 7th Regiment—disbanded 1810.
• 8th Regiment—active 1512 – 1600, fate unclear, possibly lost in Meridia or amalgamated into another regiment.
• 9th Regiment—Aurora (極彩, grjek-ts′e′), disbanded 1810.
• 10th Regiment—disbanded 1860.
• 11th Regiment—disbanded 1740, due to mutiny.
• 12th Regiment—burnt to the waterline in 1791 in Raid on Rad.
• 13th Regiment—sank in 1762 off the coast of Camia.
• 14th Regiment—lost in Camia c. 1750.
• 15th Regiment—captured and massacred by the Tussle Nation of inland Columbia, c. 1710.
• 16th Regiment—disbanded 1810.
• 17th Regiment—lost in Meridia.
• 18th Regiment—burnt to the waterline in 1791 in Raid on Rad.
• 19th Regiment—disbanded 1868.
• 20th Regiment—disbanded 1869.

Nickname

The only known nickname that was applied to the Marines as a whole is lok (毓), usually translated as "metropolitans". This term arose in the 18th century when Themiclesia lost control over most of her colonial forces and used marines as a substitute for land warfare. This caused their number to skyrocket from 7 regiments to 18. The colonial forces that remained loyal to Themiclesia distinguished their identity from the metropole but maintained cultural affinity. The word lok means a recent progenitor. In an ancestor-venerating culture such as Themiclesia, this should be unrequited praise, but records indicate that it was perceived as an insult. Some provide that the word was used ironically, in the sense of an ancestor needing care by offsprings, such by as Camia and other colonies. A. A. Ascott argues that ancestral spirits were in need of worship and care, which would be negative attributes in soldiers. Ascott's view is supported by the fact that some Camians viewed Themiclesians as weak or effeminate. B. B. Banes asserts that it would be inexplicable for the Colonial Army to insult one of their principal allies this way.

Uniforms

See also: Uniforms of Themiclesian armed forces

Themiclesian Marines' dress uniforms

The War Ministry issued to the Royal Guards a Casaterran-style uniform in 1807. Taking their acceptance as a sign, the Navy Ministry commissioned uniforms for the naval establishment, in 1809. It included a blue linen jacket, waistcoat, under-waistcoast, silk cravat, shirt, trousers, and shoes. Collars were worn standing-up, secured by a cravat, often tied into a bow. Since uniforms were procured individually, there was considerable variation in colour and cut; in general, as long as garments fell within the vague wording of the regulations, it was deemed acceptable. A visually-uniform appearance was evidently not a priority. Since sailors and marines had the same uniform, the new Casaterran-style uniforms were too shared between them; however, different dressing habits, conditioned by their respective needs, soon took hold. Sailors frequently forewent the waistcoat and jacket, so as not to spoil these more expensive garments working onboard; captains often augmented uniforms at their own expense. While sailors' uniforms seemed to follow the international trend towards a spread collar and loose cravat, marines' uniforms followed civilian fashions closely.

The main dress uniform was updated in 1837 for a rounder look and left untouched until 1923. At the former time, the frock coat was introduced for daytime drilling and informal meals. The frock coat was knee-lengthed and combined with a teal waistcoat and matching cravat; this hue become the Air Force's uniform colour and is domestically known as "Air Force Teal". Tailoring uniforms being costly, many new recruits bought coats from dischargees, provided their figures matched; as the cut of both uniforms continued to follow fashion trends, this sometimes resulted in a mixture of fashion eras, captured on contemporary photographs. In one case, a single set of uniform (dating to c. 1848) was sold four times and still in use in 1866. Conversely, high-ranking officers were often seen out-of-uniform for a variety of reasons. After 1860, it seemed the under-waistcoat fell out of use as part of a pan-societal trend, but the waistcoat's lapels were cut from a different fabric, restoring the lost contrast; since the under-waistcoat was worn for warmth, the waistcoat was usually quilted from 1860.

By 1890, the stand-up collars and silk cravat appeared antiquated, but replacing them completely would stretch beyond what regulations permitted, even loosely inerpreted. In the civilian world, the frock coat gave way to the cutaway morning coat, and the lounge (tailless) gained acceptance as formal wear. The Themiclesian Air Force adopted a no-lapel uniform in the style of the Tyrannian Royal Army, prompting a number of regiments to imitate it. The public received well this new style, believing it to be sharp and distinctive. The Marines debated whether to follow this trend when their uniforms gradually fell from grace, but the Admiralty opposed it, pointing out that if marines were to loosen their cravats and throw back their collars, it would resemble what sailors wore. This discussion continued for several years until a lounge suit was adopted for day use in 1923 in addition to a drab uniform for field work. The waistcoat was eliminated. Collars were worn folded down, making way for a four-in-hand necktie. The old dress uniform was promoted to full-dress status for formal occasions, both day and night.

Oath

See also: Oathtaking in Themiclesia

Due to disruptions arising from the Columbian Colonial Army's augmentations in 1732, new marines regiments were required by law to take an oath before the ship on which they served, before they were allowed to board the ship. The oath, originally established for former members of the Colonial Army, was made mandatory for all members of the force in 1780, under a consideration of fairness.

[I, A.B.] swear, in war at sea, I shall observe all laws of passenger aboard this ship and defend your bodies as my own body and this ship as my home. [And] in the event [I] do not [as I say], [let me be] abandoned.

誓曰，海政，余冗舟用厥法罔廢，亦比乃身以朕身，茲舟以朕家。其爽也，棄。 djêdh-gwjat, m′e′-tjengh, la-njung′-tju-longh-kjot-pjap-mjang′-pjabh, lak-prji′-neng′-sl′jing-le′-r-ljem′-sl′jing, sn′ji-tju-le′-r-ljem′-kra. gje-srjang′-lar, k′jih.

To this, the captain or his mate would reply that he would treat marines as well as his crew, making no "unlawful distinctions".

In naval tradition, this bound marines to his crew; if they were found violating their oaths, they may be throw into the sea with impunity. Conversely, the captain could not be thrown off board if he was found making unlawful distinctions between his crew and the ship's marines, since statutes privileged captains and certain members of the crew from arrest or physical impairment. The legal interpretation of this oath has been controversial. For example, it was disputed if a discharged marine continued to have a bond towards his ship, if he encountered it somewhere else; jurists in the 18th century seemed to agree that such a bond existed beyond discharge, while into the 19th this was deemed unreasonable. It was also disputed if a marine had a duty towards a crew of a different ship in the same fleet, or if the captain of that ship had a duty not to make unlawful distinctions between his crew and that marine. As the Themiclesian court generally allowed the naval establishment to distill its own traditions regarding affairs of this kind, the legal effects of the oath were left unregulated until the Passenger Offences Act was amended in 1849, which made it an offence for marines to fail to defend the bodies of any crew in the Consolidated Fleet or to behave "in an unruly, objectionable, or provocative manner" on any ship.

Scandals

Pervert (2019)

In the 2019 deployment to Idacua along with the Royal Signals Corps, Themiclesian marines have captured an undisclosed amount of drug cartel members and paramilitaries they retained. A prominent paramilitary, based out of Kyrias and active in the Idacuan drug conflict, is Freedom Warriors, noted for their anarcho-capitalist beliefs. On Nov. 20, the Freedom Warriors tweeted that at least one of members were taken prisoner by the Themiclesian Marines, warning the latter that any abuse to the rights of prisoners would be reported. Captain-general Geoffrey Gwjang (王霾, gwjang mre) reportedly took insult and ordered an official tweet to call the Freedom Warriors "perverts". Reception has been overwhelmingly negative, with many satires appearing on the same platform. Many used the word "pervert" to put off those voicing legitimate complaints or concerns, e.g. the landlord of a leaky house calling a complaining tenant "pervert". By the end of November, "pervert" has become an Internet meme. Captain-general Kaw has been dismissed on Dec. 28, 2019, replaced with Colonel Margaret Sui. She says that the conduct of the Themiclesian Marines in Idacua "can stand up to the entire world's scrutiny" but apologizes for the "profoundly inappropriate tweet".

See also

• Themiclesia
• Deep Mission Troops
• Dayashina