Faramontese Armed Forces

Faramontese Armed Forces
Forze Armate Faramontese (Limonaian)
Flag of Faramount
Founded	1902
Current form	1963
Service branches	Army, Naval Army, Air Army
Leadership
President	Matteo Terrome
Minister of Defense	Raymond Foquet
Marshal	Raymond Foquet
Personnel
Military age	16-65
Available for military service	8,949,474, age 15-65 (2017)
Fit for military service	5,030,998, age 15-65 (2017)
Reaching military age annually	608,666 (2017)
Active personnel	23,880
Reserve personnel	14,619
Expenditure
Budget	$1.3 billion (2017)
Percent of GDP	1.1% (2017)
Industry
Foreign suppliers	Lysian Republic, Variota
Annual imports	$.4 billion

The Faramontese Armed Forces (Limonaian: Forze Armate Faramontese) are the military of Faramount. The armed forces are comprised of the Army (Limonaian: Esercito), Naval Army (Limonaian: Esercito Marina), and Air Army (Esercito Aereo). The President of Faramount is the commander in chief of the Faramontese Armed Forces, and exercises absolute control over the Faramontese Armed Forces, despite de jure constitutional safeguards. The Ministry of Defense administers the armed forces.

The Faramontese armed forces were comprised of approximately 23,880 active duty personnel, 14,619 reservists, and 19,550 civilian employees in 2017. Faramount budgeted approximately $1.3 billion, around 1.1% of its GDP, to defense in 2017. This sizable military force is engaged in regular combat operations with the FFRU and Deus Vult.

History

The Faramontese Armed Forces owe heritage to the Faramontese Colonial Regiments, Limonaian-commanded colonial army units whose soldiers were overwhelmingly recruits from the Fara people. The Grand Duchy of Limonaia established the first regiment in 1705. By 1870, there were twelve regiments, plus a number of support units. The Limonaian Kingdom began dismantling the regiments in the 1890s, so as to avoid any armed resistance to their plans to settle Faramount. These slow efforts collapsed in 1902, however, when the Limonaian Civil War left the King of Limonaia in dire need for military support. The King of Limonaia recalled nearly all Limonaian military units in early 1902, and then later in that year, ordered the colonial regiments to be called up for serve in Limonaia. Demoralized and betrayed, the newly recreated regiments' non-commissioned officers revolted, successfully obtaining independence for Faramount after only a few hours of battle.

Faramount reorganized its military upon achieving independence in 1902, seeking to emulate the Limonaian Armed Forces. The Faramontese established three services: the Army (Limonaian: Esercito), Navy (Limonaian: Marina Militare), and Air Force (Limonaian: Aviazone Militare). The Army constituted the largest branch, but both the Navy and Air Force were also sizable. The Republic of Faramount established clear civilian control of the military; the Prime Minister served as commander in chief, the minister of defense was required to be a civilian, and parliamentary approval was constitutionally mandated for all military operations. The armed forces became a highly politically influential body in the first decades of the republic, however, and ultimately, in 1963, deposed the democratic government in a military coup d'état.

The military junta that seized power in the 1963 Faramontesec coup reorganized the armed forces again. The Faramontese Army had carried out the coup, while the Navy and Air Force had sought to defend the nation's democratic regime. The military junta abolished both of those services as such, and had the army directly oversee all armed operations. The army consistently failed to appropriately fund naval defense and air defense operations, however, making clear the need for a change. After taking power in 1984, President Matteo Terrome reorganized the military again, creating the Naval Army (Limonaian: Esercito Marina) and Air Army (Esercito Aereo). The Faramontese Armed Forces today are amongst the most active militaries in the world, consistently engaging in combat operations against two active insurgent groups.

Organization

President Matteo Terrome possesses total control over the Faramontese military, and exercises this command authority through the Minister of Defense, the senior-most military officer. The current minister of defense is Raymond Foquet, a career military officer who holds the rank of Marshal. This system of supervision runs directly contradictory to the Faramontese constitution, which is widely ignored by the Terrome regime. The armed forces are in effect completely independent of the government, except in reporting to Terrome. Terrome is assisted in overseeing the military by the Faramontese National Security Council, a board of senior national security officials including the Defense Minister, Minister of State, Minister of Economy, Minister of Justice, and a number of subcabinet officials with relevant duties.

The Faramontese military has wholeheartedly adopted combined arms strategies and tactics, so Army, Naval Army, and Air Army personnel generally operate jointly in the field. To oversee these operations, the Ministry of Defense has established six cross-force commands, each led by a one-star rank or two-star officer. The Northeastern, Northwestern, and Southern Commands are combat theaters, to which combat units are assigned, though there is no active fighting in the Southern Command area. The air defense command and sea defense commands are, respectively, responsible for air and sea defense. The Transportation Command is responsible for military supply chain management.

The Faramontese military is organized into self-sufficient units for training, logistical, and lineage purposes. The Faramontese Army maintains two active-duty brigades, and one reservist combat brigade. A brigadier commands each brigade, which is a combined amphibious mechanized infantry and air assault unit that includes its own artillery, close air support, and other support assets, in total numbering around 4,600 personnel. The Faramontese Naval Army maintains three combat boat squadrons and two transport boat squadrons. A colonel commends each squadron, which has approximately 500-800 personnel including base defense troops, maintenance personnel, and other logistical support personnel. The Faramontese Air Army maintains several military transport squadrons, each commanded by a colonel and comprised of approximately 1000-1400 personnel including base defense troops, maintenance personnel, and other logistical support personnel. The Faramontese Naval Army and Air Army each also operate a number of reserve missile defense companies, commanded by a colonel, and containing a few hundred personnel.

The Faramontese military is organized into task forces, comprised of lower-level units, for operations purposes. A one star rank officer will also usually command each task force, which is similar in size to a brigade, but made up of elements of each force. The number, composition, deployment, and mission of task forces regularly changes, depending upon specific circumstance. Task forces in turn will be made up of task groups, similar in size to a regiment or battalion, task units, similar in size to a company, and task elements, similar in size to a platoon. The Faramontese military's Special Task Group is the nation's sole special forces unit; this light infantry unit is approximately battalion sized.

Personnel

A Faramontese Army squad.

The Faramontese Armed Forces contain approximately 23,880 active duty personnel, 14,619 reservists, and 19,000 civilian employees. The Army is the largest of the services, having some 14,070 active duty personnel and 7,035 reservists. The Air Army has approximately 55,90 active duty personnel and around 3,792 reservists. The Naval Army has 4,220 active duty personnel and about 3,792 reservists. The Ministry of Defense supervises the 19,500 civilian members of the Faramontese Armed Forces. As in most militaries, service members hold a rank, and are generally divided into two groups: commissioned officers and enlisted personnel. The armed forces use a uniform rank structure, though each service's titles vary.

Prospective service personnel are generally recruited from high school or university with a target range of 18-35. Enlistment is permissible from age 16 with the permission of a parent or guardian. Each force operates its own 10-week basic training program for enlistees. Each force also operates 4-8 month specialized training programs for enlistees that successfully complete basic training. Officer aspirants attend either a one-year force-specific training program or the Faramontese Military Academy, a four-year university program for personnel seeking a commission in any service. Aspirants at the military academy take general courses for the first two years, then force-specific courses for the final two years.

Enlisted personnel usually enter at the rank of E1, though it is possible to enter at a higher rank depending upon unique qualifications, special skills, or higher education. Normally, enlistment is for a three year service period, which can be renewed until the mandatory retirement age of 65. An enlistee usually rises to #1 upon completing training, E2 six months thereafter, E3 six months thereafter, and E4 one year thereafter, though this final promotion is predicated upon reenlistment. Promotions are based on merit, however; to move up, an enlistee must continually pass physical examinations, have good conduct reports, and avoid bad conduct reports. An E4 will sometimes have the opportunity to lead 3-4 personnel; otherwise, personnel at that rank and below do not play any leadership role.

Several Faramontese soldiers on patrol.

Personnel above the rank of E5 and above are non-commissioned officers. Winning promotion to the E5 rank thus requires a year at the E4 rank, the meeting of certain merit qualifications, the passage of an examination, and the completion a one-year training program. An E5 usually commands 6-8 personnel. To rise further, an enlistee must spend a year at rank, and then meet certain merit-based requirements. An E6 usually supervises 10-12 personnel, while E7s, E8s, and E9s usually serve as executive officers, advisors, or administrators for larger formations.

Commissioned officers enter at the rank of OF1, though it is possible to enter at a higher rank based upon education and vocation. An officer must serve at least four years after completing the academy or officer training, but thereafter can resign at any time. An O1 is automatically promoted to O2 after eighteen months in service, and to O3 after four years in service, unless good cause exists to deny the promotion. Rising in rank above O3 requires meeting certain merit-based qualifications; officers who fail to win a promotion after eight years are automatically discharged. Upon being promoted to O6, an officer must successfully complete a two-year war college program, or be discharged. At every rank, a commissioned officer either commands men or serves in a highly specialized role.

The armed forces are widely recognized as the most meritocratic, transparent, and corruption-free institutions in Faramount. The mean total compensation for a member of the Faramontese armed forces is $6,000, which is substantial in Faramontese terms. The military is viewed as one of few paths to socioeconomic progress, as such. Faramount has an entirely volunteer military. The Fara people, who are Faramount's dominant ethnic group, makeup nearly all members of the Faramontese armed forces.

Ranks

Faramount uses a uniform rank structure to promote cohesion in joint military operations. Every rank in each service corresponds to a specific rank level. The Minister of Defense holds the three-star rank of Marshal, equal to 9 in the Faramontese rank scale.

Rank	Army	Naval Army	Air Army
O8	General	Admiral	Commodore
O7	Brigadier	Commodore	Commander
O6	Colonel	Colonel	Colonel
O5	Lieutenant Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Lieutenant Colonel
O4	Major	Major	Major
O3	Captain	Commander	Captain
O2	Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Lieutenant
O1	Sublieutenant	Sublieutenant	Sublieutenant
OC	Aspirant	Aspirant	Aspirant
E9	Chief Sergeant	Superior Chief	Chief Sergeant
E8	Superior Sergeant	Senior Chief	Superior Sergeant
E7	Senior Sergeant	Chief	Senior Sergeant
E6	Sergeant	Superior Subchief	Sergeant
E5	Corporal	Senior Subchief	Corporal
E4	Chief Soldier	Subchief	Chief Airman
E3	Superior Soldier	Superior Sailor	Superior Airman
E2	Senior Soldier	Senior Sailor	Senior Airman
E1	Soldier	Sailor	Airman

Equipment

The Faramontese Armed Forces have through much of their existence struggled with limited funding, and as a result, they are overwhelmingly reliant upon older armaments and equipment. Faramount lacks any domestic arms manufacturing industry, and instead relies upon foreign imports. To some extent, Faramount does buy newer equipment, but more commonly, it purchases older equipment from other countries as they phase out that equipment. Varinco is the provider of most of it equipment.