National Defense Organization (Radictistan)
| National Defense Organization | |
|---|---|
| Active | -2018 |
| Country |  Radictistan |
| Allegiance | HRH Grand Duke Xenocimedes Radicti |
| Type | Home Guard |
| Size | 11 million personnel (April 2018) |
| Part of | Ministry of Defense |
| Commanders | |
| Commanding General of the NDO | Colonel-General Stepan Kucinich (DRA) |
| Assistant Commanding General of the NDO | Lieutenant-General Richard Feldmann (DRA) |
The National Defense Organization was a Radictistani paramilitary organization under the authority of the Ministry of Defense tasked with the defense of Radictistani territory against invasion. The organization had a secondary civil defense role. The NDO was made up of civilian volunteers plus Navy and Air Force reservists surplus to requirements. Senior leadership roles were held by officers and noncommissioned officers of the Royal Radictistan Army. In November 2017 it was announced that the NDO would be disbanded and replaced by a new organization, the Home Guard. The NDO was officially deactivated on April 10, 2018.
History
From its inception the NDO suffered from chronic indiscipline including rampant absenteeism. Many senior defense officials doubted that the force could play a useful role in the event of war. The beginning of the KPR insurgency in Norcustsur raised even greater fears about the loyalty and reliability of the force. The disbandment of the NDO was officially announced on November 24, 2017. Between March 2 and March 15, 2018 the Royal Radictistan Army carried out Operation Adamant to remove remaining weapons from NDO armories. The NDO was officially disbanded on April 10, 2018.
Organization and doctrine
The basic tactical unit of the National Defense Organization was the Commando, similar in size to an Army infantry platoon with 54 personnel in four squads. NDO Commandos were intended to operate independently in defense of a local area or as part of a larger unit during extended operations. Four Commandos plus a mortar team formed a Group. The largest permanent formation was the Battalion which comprised four to six Groups. For administrative purposes the NDO was organized into seven Sectors each corresponding to one of Radictistan's seven Counties. Each Battalion and Sector had a small cadre of full-time personnel to oversee the storage of weaponry and for other tasks.
The NDO played two roles in the defense of the Radictistani homeland. The first was to act as a barrier force, particularly within urban areas, to attrit an advancing enemy. Casualties during such operations were expected to be massive. The NDO's second wartime role was to perform stay-behind operations where small units allow themselves to be overrun by enemy forces. Once behind the front line the NDO soldiers would gather intelligence on enemy forces and perform acts of sabotage against enemy rear elements. The stay-behind role has gained greater prominence in the later years of the NDO's existence at the expense of the traditional urban warfare concept.
Personnel
The NDO primarily recruited volunteers with no prior military experience. Personnel were also seconded from the inactive reserves of the Royal Radictistan Navy and Royal Radictistan Air Force. Royal Radictistan Army officers and noncommissioned officers were assigned to fill senior leadership, training, and staff roles.
Recruits without prior military personnel received initial training on a part-time basis over a period of twelve weeks. NDO personnel undertook refresher training for two days each calendar month and three additional days each year.
Equipment
NDO units were equipped with only light weapons. Personnel were required to provide much of their own equipment including small arms. NDO units have no organic vehicles and it was envisioned that private automobiles will be used as transport in wartime. Crew-served weapons such as PKM machine guns and RPG-7 anti-tank weapons were issued by the government and stored at government armories. In response to instances of NDO weapons and equipment being illegally diverted to Communist insurgents and loyalist paramilitaries during the ongoing Norcustsur conflict, armories in Norcustsur were partially disarmed beginning in 2012. Remaining weapons were removed in March 2018 during Operation Adamant.