Freethinker Royal Army
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The Freethinker Royal Army is the primary ground combat arm of the Freethinker Royal Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest (alongside the Freethinker Royal Navy) of the Commonwealth's myriad armed forces. By personnel, it is the largest branch of the FRAF, and has the second largest budget of any of the armed forces. It incorporates the Royal Army Reserves as its operational reserve, and is supported by the Freethinker Territorial Army, a national militia, and the varied provincial and territorial Ground Defence Forces.
History
Present
The FRA played little role in the Fargon Crisis save for humanitarian relief after the war. Although a significant number of forces were deployed to the province prior to the events of the Crisis as garrison forces, these were usually dispersed units which had little overall impact on events. The Army played a secondary role to local provincial defence units in the fight against FARM.
Rank Structure
Equipment
Side Arms
Uniforms
Traditions
Infantry Traditions
Scarification
There is a common practise amongst Freestian infantrymen, particularly those in service for several years, to acquire scars from combat and, despite the advancement of Freestian restorative medical technology, to retain often quite large scars from wounds sustained in combat. This also covers and includes losing natural eyes, ears, and even limbs, and replacing such with tougher, more industrial looking implants. Generally, given the melee-heavy nature of Freestian ground combat against a number of domestic opposition forces (notably Krork and Chaotic infestations), most soldiers with multiple years of combat duty will acquire quite impressive collections of facial and bodily scars.
This tends to be a more male phenomenon, most female infantry will generally take less scarring before treatment, but this is mostly an artefact of tradition. It is estimated that approximately 12% of Freestian serving infantry are missing at least one of their original limbs, extremities or various sense organs.
Generally, only infantry or other combat arms will embrace such scarification, and only to the degree that combat performance isn't affected. The only formal regulations in regard to such practises concern mainly Officers tend to refrain from the practise, especially if seeking a flag officer position. However, a number of famous front line commanders did embrace the practise whole-heartedly.
There is considered to be a practical benefit, the scarring and other visible damage reflecting experience and endurance, as well as enhancing the inherent formidable appearance of the (usually) Ghoulish soldier. The origin of the tradition comes from Outbacker communities, where originally scars would be attained through handling native mega-fauna of various types, the willingness to get close and manhandled such animals being a mark of bravery. Given the significant number of recruits drawn from this background, the practise soon spread throughout the combat ranks.
Upon leaving service, most soldiers will go for a full rejuvenation and loose most of the scarring to allow for an effective return to civilian life. Scarring obtained from accidents or friendly fire incidents are not usually retained as well, due to the dother than honourable nature of their acquisition.
Head Trophies
Head trophies are the skulls or even dried remains of the separated heads of opposition forces or large native fauna that have been mounted on one or both pauldrons of the Armoured Dress Uniform of some Freethinker ground regiments, again, mostly infantry in nature, though incorporating other combat arms.
Unlike scarification there are strict rules about what can and can't be incoporated as such a trophy. Notable requirements are; i) a trophy must come from a source directly neutralised, without immediate assistance and with only hand-to-hand or otherwise limited weaponry, by the individual in question, and ii) must not come from an enemy deemed 'protected' under the Freestian Prisoner Reciprocity Law.
This practise is considered seperate to the standard parts-stripping or enemy equipment looting that generally constitutes 'trophy taking' in a modern military sense.