Commonwealth of Reikland Armed Forces

The Commonwealth of Reikland Armed Forces, also known as the Commonwealth Military, Reikish Armed Forces, or Reikish Military, are the military forces of the Commonwealth of Reikland. It consists of the Commonwealth of Reikland Army, Commonwealth of Reikland Navy, and Commonwealth of Reikland Air Force. The President of the Commonwealth is commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and forms military policy with the Department of Defense, the federal executive department that serves as the principal organ through which military policy is carried out. All three branches are among the uniformed services of the Commonwealth.

History

The Reikish military draws it institutional history to the Housecarls and Fyrd, codified in Reikish Law following the unification in 183 BD. The Reikish Navy wouldn't be formed until 1046 AD. The modern Commonwealth military was formed during the Civil War as the Parliamentarian "New Model Army". Initially it was composed of the Army and the Navy, though the Commonwealth Marines would be formed by 1200 to answer the need for naval infantry. The Commonwealth Air Force would be formed in 1418 to take advantage of airpower.

Structure

The Commonwealth Armed Forces are led by the President of the Commonwealth, which Article TBD of the Commonwealth Constitution names as the "Commander in Chief of Army and Navy of the Commonwealth, and of the Militia when called to service." The Armed Forces fall under the primary jurisdiction of the Department of Defense, though the Commonwealth Guard reports to the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime.

The military chain of command flows from the President to the Secretary of Defense or (for the peacetime Guard) the Secretary of Homeland Security, ensuring civilian control of the military. Under the Department of Defense are three subordinate departments: The Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force. These are civilian led departments responsible for the day to day administration of the services. The military departments are responsible for organizing, training, and equipping forces, with the actual chain of command flowing through the Unified Combatant Commands.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, though outside the operational chain of command, are the most senior body of serving officers in the Armed Forces. They are led by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, a serving officer who receives a fifth star during their four-year tenure. The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs serves as the deputy and they are joined by the Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Commandant of the Commonwealth Guard, and the Commandant of the Commonwealth Space Command.

Leadership of the Armed Forces, including the President, the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, are members of the National Security Council, which advises the President on matters of national security, foreign policy, and military matters. The National Security Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor, the two most senior members of the National Security Council, may also be Armed Forces members. A sister council, the Homeland Security Council, advises the President on matters of homeland security and has a very similar membership roster to the National Security Council. The Homeland Security Advisor may also be a member of the Armed Forces.

Service Branch

The Commonwealth Armed Forces consist of six coequal military service branches. Five of the six, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Space Command, are organized under the military departments. The Guard is organized under the Department of Homeland Security in peacetime, with provisions made for military control during wartime or insurrection. With the exception of the Guard, the military services only organize, train, and equip forces. The unified combatant commands are responsible for the operational control of field forces.

Army

The oldest branch of the Armed Forces, the Army traces its lineage to the Housecarls and Fyrd that protected the Kingdom of Reikland from its formation in 183 BD until the Civil War in 1120 AD. During the Civil War, the Housecarls largely sided with the Royalists under William III while the Fyrd largely supported Parliament. The Parliamentarian Army was official named the Army of the Commonwealth of Reikland in the Provisional Commonwealth Consitution in 1128 AD and retained that name in the Commonwealth Constitution that was ratified in 1141.

The five core competencies of the Army are to conduct:

1. Prompt and Sustained Land Combat
2. Combined Arms Operations
3. Special Warfare Operations
4. Set and Sustain the Theater for the Joint Force
5. Integrate national, multinational, and joint power on land.

The Army is composed of the Regular Army and the Army Reserve. Personnel who complete their term of service spend an additional two years within the Ready Reserve, to maintain a pool of able manpower for crises. The Army is further organized into four Army commands, which organize, train, and equip troops, ten Army service component commands, which command forces attached to Unified Combatant Commands, and several direct reporting units. Army personnel are also organized into 21 distinct basic branches, each of which covers a series of military occupational specialties.

The four Army commands are:

• Army Forces Command, which provides forces to combatant commanders
• Army Training and Doctrine Command, which recruits, trains, and educates soldiers and develops Army doctrine
• Army Material Command, which develops, maintains, and acquires systems and material
• Army Futures Command, which determines future needs and directs modernization efforts.

The Army's field structure is broken into several subdivisions under its commands:

• The Army Group, a formation seen only in wartime and containing several armies, often from multiple nations. Usually responsible for directing campaigns in certain geographic areas and commanded by a general or a field marshal.
• The Field Army, a formation of several corps and attached units and is usually commanded by a general.
• The Corps, a formation of several divisions and attached units and is usually commanded by lieutenant general. The Corps is the highest level of command that provides operational direction for combat operations, with higher levels concerned with administration rather than operation.
• The Division, a formation of several brigades and attached units and is usually commanded by major general. Divisions are subdivided into Infantry, Armored, Airborne, and Mountain divisions. The Division conducts major tactical operations and sustained battlefield operations.
• The Brigade/Regiment/Group, a formation of several battalions, usually commanded by a brigadier general. The basic unit of maneuver for the Army is the Brigade, with Cavalry brigades called Regiments and Special Forces brigades called Groups. Brigades can achieve tactical objectives on their own.
• The Battalion/Squadron, a unit of several companies, usually commanded by a colonel. Cavalry battalions are called squadrons. In the 1510s AD, the Army reorganized to a Universal Infantry Battalion as part of the Modular Force Structure, totaling 700 men. Battalions can achieve limited tactical objectives or operate alone for a limited time.
• The Company/Battery/Troop, a subunit of several platoons and usually commanded by a captain. Cavalry companies are called troops and artillery companies are called batteries. Companies can perform a battlefield function on their own. The Universal Infantry Battalion also created a Universal Infantry Company of 124 men.
• The Platoon, a subunit of several sections and usually commanded by a lieutenant. The Universal Infantry Battalion also created a Universal Rifle Platoon of 36 men.
• The Section, a subunit of two or three teams and usually commanded by a staff sergeant.
• The Team, a subunit of two to six soldiers and usually commanded by a sergeant.

Guard

The Commonwealth Guard is the modern evolution of the Fyrd, the militia that served as the backbone of Reikland's defenses for centuries.