Mainland Regiment

Mainland Regiment
Active	1970 (SC) - present
Country	File:Midlonia 112928.pngGreater Kingdom File:Freethinker.pngThe Freethinker Commonwealth
Allegiance	File:Midlonia 112928.pngGreater Kingdom
Branch	File:Midlonia 112928.png Greater Kingdom Army Midlonian Special Operations Command
Type	Light/Mechanised Infantry Special Forces
Role	Infantry
Size	42,000
Part of	Midlonian Army
Garrison/HQ	Fields of Gold, Midlonia
Nickname(s)	Bloody Berets Anvils (Refer to 'Hammer and Anvil' tactics)
Patron	Sarah, Queen of Midlonia
Motto(s)	Supero Omnia Surpass Everything
Colors	Red (Crimson), Beige (Khaki)
Commanders
Colonel-in-Chief	King Henry II

Malo ad malum - Motto of the 16/3 Mechanised Infantry Brigade

You will be reviled. You will be glorious. - Traditional mantra for passing out speeches.

The Mainland Regiment is a self contained infantry unit of the Midlonian Army with a personnel complement almost exclusively drawn from Freethinker-born Freestian Ghouls. Known popularly as the Mainland Corps, the Regiment is comprised of three standing light infantry divisions and a number of separate supporting units. The Regiment, thanks to its unique personnel mix, has a reputation for toughness and endurance and is particularly prized for its ability to function with consistent effectiveness in inaccessible combat environments. They are formally listed within the Midlonian Order of Battle as the 22nd Army Group.

Because large swathes of the remaining Midlonian colonial possessions consist of hostile and often poorly developed territory, units of the Regiment are frequently deployed to support occupation and garrison forces around the Empire. Henry II's military service, while he was the Prince of Mercia, was with the Regiment serving in the Akuman North West Frontier province, bordering Durghanistan. It is one of the few times a baseline human has served with the regiment.

Rank Structure

The Mainland Regiment has the same rank structure as the wider Midlonian Army.

Officers are usually drawn from the enlisted ranks, attending the Midlonian Army Officer Training Course after nomination by a current serving officer. To be eligible, enlisted personnel must have completed 24 months of service.

Transfers of officers from other units has been known, but the extremely high fitness requirements severely limits the number of potential candidates. Usually, only Parachute Regiment and Special Forces officers are accepted, and a four-week acclimatisation course is run to ensure standards are maintained. Exchange officers from other nation's forces may also train alongside the Regiment.

As a specialised unit, officers and enlisted personnel are paid at a higher rate than standard line infantry regiments in the Midlonian Army, and consistent with the pay rates afforded to personnel in the Freethinker Armed Forces.

Structure

Three light infantry divisions form the main strength of the Regiment. As light infantry and ranger specialists, actual deployment is usually at the battalion or company level attached to another Army force as a special operations or long range patrol element. Division level organisation is primarily administrative, and only during theatre scale military operations will a large number of units fight as a combined Regimental force. The 32nd Division functions only as an organisational designation, and its units are spread over a number of bases utilised by the Regiment.

It is the general aim of the Midlonian Army that one combat division and one attached artillery battery are deployed operationally or on immediate readiness at any time, one is on large scale exercises, and one under basic small unit training and replenishment. However, because of the demands placed on the force, up to half of the available combat units are deployed at any one time, and often are only withdrawn for training and replenishment once manpower levels are no sufficient for the unit to remain an effective fighting force. Deployments of up to 32 months are not unknown, though leave within this period is granted on a frequent basis to maintain morale.

All four divisions report to the Mainland Regiment HQ, which in turn is under the overall command of the Home Division and Midlonian Army Chief of Staffs. Operational control of the Special Operations Brigades is the prerogative of the Midlonian Special Forces Command.

1st Mainland Division "The Sons of Svard"

• 1/1 Special Operations Brigade "Henry's Own"
  • First Battalion - Special Operations Command
  • Second Battalion - Rangers
  • Third Battalion - Rangers
  • Fourth Battalion - Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre
  • HQ & Support Battalion

• 2/1 Light Infantry Brigade "2nd Navarre Grenadiers"
  • First Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Second Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Third Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Fourth Battalion - Light Infantry
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

• 3/1 Light Infantry Brigade "3rd Navarre Grenadiers"
  • First Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Second Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Third Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Fourth Battalion - Light Infantry
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

• 4/1 Mechanised Infantry Brigade "Glory Hunters"
  • First Battalion - Mechanised
  • Second Battalion - Mechanised
  • Third Battalion - Mechanised
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

• 5/1 Support Brigade
  • 1st Division HQ Unit
  • 123rd Royal Military Police Battalion
  • 541st Greater Royal Engineer Battalion

• 6/1 Mainland Territorial Brigade (Territorial Army)
  • First Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Second Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Third Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Fourth Battalion - Light Infantry
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

2nd Mainland Division "The Sidewinders"

• 7/2 Special Operations Brigade "Night Hunters"
  • First Battalion - Special Operations Command
  • Second Battalion - Rangers
  • Third Battalion - Rangers
  • Fourth Battalion - Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre
  • HQ & Support Battalion

• 8/2 Light Infantry Brigade "Day-trippers"
  • First Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Second Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Third Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Fourth Battalion - Light Infantry
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

• 9/2 Light Infantry Brigade "Svard's Lament"
  • First Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Second Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Third Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Fourth Battalion - Light Infantry
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

• 10/2 Mechanised Infantry Brigade
  • First Battalion - Mechanised
  • Second Battalion - Mechanised
  • Third Battalion - Mechanised
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

• 11/2 Support Brigade
  • 2nd Division HQ Unit
  • 124th Royal Military Police Battalion
  • 542nd Greater Royal Engineer Battalion

• 12/2 Mainland Territorial Brigade (Territorial Army)"Rockhoppers"
  • First Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Second Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Third Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Fourth Battalion - Light Infantry
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

3rd Mainland Division "Pyres of Gods"

• 13/3 Special Operations Brigade "Blackwings"
  • First Battalion - Special Operations Command
  • Second Battalion - Rangers
  • Third Battalion - Rangers
  • Fourth Battalion - Mountain and Arctic Warfare Cadre
  • HQ & Support Battalion

• 14/3 Light Infantry Brigade "Titans of Trembok"
  • First Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Second Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Third Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Fourth Battalion - Light Infantry
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

• 15/3 Light Infantry Brigade "The Unbroken"
  • First Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Second Battalion - Space Capable Light Infantry
  • Third Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Fourth Battalion - Light Infantry
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

• 16/3 Mechanised Infantry Brigade "The Devil's Own"
  • First Battalion - Mechanised
  • Second Battalion - Mechanised
  • Third Battalion - Mechanised
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

• 17/3 Support Brigade
  • 3rd Division HQ Unit
  • 125th Royal Military Police Battalion
  • 543rd Greater Royal Engineer Battalion

• 18/3 Mainland Territorial Brigade (Territorial Army)
  • First Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Second Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Third Battalion - Light Infantry
  • Fourth Battalion - Light Infantry
  • HQ & Weapons Battalion

32nd Special Support Division (Northern Yeomanry)

• 143rd Artillery Brigade "Iron Rain"
  • 1/143 Artillery Battery
  • 2/143 Artillery Battery
  • 3/143 Artillery Battery
  • 353rd Air Defence Regiment "Unyielding"

• 35th Organisational Support Unit
  • 912th Special Intelligence Battalion
  • 15th Testing Battalion, Greater Royal Engineers
  • Mainland Regiment Ceremonial Company
  • Mainland Regimental HQ

• Mainland Training Unit
  • First Training Battalion
  • Second Training Battalion
  • Third Training Battalion
  • Fourth Training Battalion
  • Training Support Unit

• 250th Air Assault Brigade, Army Air Corps "Angels in Darkness"
  • 356th Wing (VTOL Assault Transport)
  • 4331th Squadron (VTOL Assault Transport, Space Capable)
  • 1220th Squadron (VTOL Ground Attack)

• Mainland Regiment Reserve Cadre
  • 21/32 Reserve Cadre
  • 22/32 Reserve Cadre
  • 23/32 Reserve Cadre
  • 24/32 Reserve Cadre

Culture and Traditions

Like their Commonwealth equivalents, in the Regiment the Cleaver, a traditional implement of Freestian Outbackers, is widely utilised by enlisted personnel and there is an aura of myth that surrounds it as a weapon. Notable legends include the alleged need of the weapon to draw blood after being drawn, and many soldiers will cut their own thumbs and fingers in order to maintain this tradition.

Because of the high training and deployment demands, individual battalions are rarely requested for ceremonial duties. A dedicated ceremonial unit, traditionally comprised mostly of personnel nearing retirement or reaching the end of their service period without re-enlisting, is maintained to represent the Regiment in this capacity. The Ceremonial Company has performed the Royal Bodyguard function on twelve occasions since its creation.

In the Midlonian Armed Forces order of precedence, as the most recent combat infantry regiment created, the Mainland soldiers march last in the Midlonian Army line, ahead of the units of the Greater Royal Air Force. The exception is the artillery, engineering and air corps attached units, which march with their respective Corps.

The 32nd Division was historically a Cavalry division, drawn from a civilian militia (hence the Yeomanry title), which was deactivated after the Second Moonstone War. Its designation was maintained by a Territorial Army cadre after demobilisation. The current 32nd retains the colours and battle honours from its previous incarnations.

Legal Status

All serving members of the Mainland Regiment are considered as uniformed Midlonian combatants by both the Freethinker Commonwealth and Midlonia. However, they have been considered mercenaries by several other governments, including other former colonies of the Midlonian Empire. The use of the Regiment for such duties has lead to protests in the Commonwealth against various deployments.

Service in the Mainland Regiment is not classed as National Service by the Freethinker Government for Midlonian transferees applying for Freestian citizenship (Freestians need to have completed the service requirement prior to joining), but the time limit for service completion is suspended over the time in service. A Magisterial Certificate may be obtained if sufficient operations or engagements that benefits the Commonwealth are undertaken, such as training exercises in the Freestian Outback that provide a policing function or participating on a personnel exchange with the various Freethinker military forces.

Remittances from serving personnel and direct sales and servicing of military equipment to supply the Regiment contributes around Mt72,000,000 to the Freethinker economy.

At the end of the initial five year service period, Midlonian citizenship is offered as a traditional reward if service is completed honourably. There exists a large Ghoul expatriate community in Midlonia and its colonies that stems from this practise. Upon receipt of citizenship, soldiers are able to apply for other positions within the Midlonian Army. The Regiment is a large source of candidates for the Midlonian special forces.