Difference between revisions of "Colonial Self-Defense Forces"

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The Colonial Self-Defense Forces (CSDF) is the unified armed forces of the United Colonies of Aldia that was established on the 1st of June 1619. It is administered by the Colonial Military Administration while the President of the United Colonies serves commander-in-chief of the CSDF, all strategic military decision is under the control of the President ensuring civilian control of the military. However, the President is expected to refer and heed to the advise of the Political & Morale Commander during times of war before deciding upon a military course of action. The CSDF consists of the Colonial Army, Colonial Navy, Colonial Air Force, Colonial Marine Corps, Colonial Maritime Forces and the Colonial Guard, the latter being the largest component of the CSDF in terms of number of personnel. The primary tasks of the CSDF is to protect and preserve the territories of the United Colonies from both domestic and foreign enemies. Although the United Colonies has maintained a policy of non-interventionism in its foreign policy, it also implicitly reserves the right the use of armed forces and declarations of war to resolve international disputes.

The Colonial Self-Defense Forces was preceded by the Aldia's Cooperative own armed forces, then known as the Multinational Task Forces (MTFs). The MTF was formed by the Aldian Cooperative in preparation for a major rebellion by Aldia's colonies. The Interplanetary War unified a majority of Aldia's countries together under the banner of the Aldian Cooperative. The MTFs integrated the military forces of these nations into an integrated global and space-borne military force. Through a series of successful Propaganda & Public Relation campaigns the Aldian Cooperative was able to militarize itself quickly to subdue rebel forces in space and on Aldia itself. By the end of the Interplanetary War, the Aldian Cooperative and the Multinational Task Forces were left as the sole unified global governing and military bodies respectively. Under the constitution of the United Colonies of Aldia, the Multinational Task Forces were reorganized into a permanent professional armed forces for the newly formed nation.

Conscription is provided by law although the CSDF has been able to maintain a reasonable number of personnel without resorting to a draft. There are approximately ten million active CSDF personnel, this excludes civilian employees who work within the Colonial Military Administration. The Colonial Guard, the CSDFs' organized militia component, is the largest branch of the CSDF and is also considered as the CSDF's reserve components. Currently more than half a billion citizens are registered as fully-trained members of the Colonial Guard. The CSDF is supported by many domestic defense contractors to supply it with state-of-the-art equipment.

History

Origins: the Interplanetary War

The Colonial Self-Defense Forces traces its origins back to the Interplanetary War of 1578. During this period of time the predecessor of the United Colonies, then known as the Aldian Cooperative, struggled to maintain the unity of Aldia's first few colonies. Tensions between colonial separatists and independent national governments who were not members of the Aldian Cooperative rose exponentially, prompting the creation of the Multinational Task Forces, a military organization that loosely integrated the military forces of the member states of the Aldian Cooperative. The Multinational Task Forces were ultimately successful in defeating rebel colonies and insurgent governments on Aldia.

The Multinational Task Forces were demobilized after the Treaty of Noel was signed in 1598 and nominal control of its armies were returned to individual member states of the Aldian Cooperative. However almost two decades later, the United Colonies would be formed and with it, the Multinational Task Forces were reorganized as the Colonial Self-Defense Forces which was comprised of the Colonial Navy, Colonial Army and the Colonial Air Force. During this time the Marine Corps were still a component of the Navy. It was not until the creation of the Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine which allowed Aldia to colonize interstellar space did the Marine Corps become a separate component from the Navy. It could be said that the Interplanetary War helped modernize and prepare the CSDF to face external threats. It was due to this war that the CSDF perfected the art of modern space warfare. The Magnetic Accelerator Cannon (MAC), the primary weapon of all ships in the Colonial Navy, was invented as a necessity from the war. Large-scale amphibious assaults launched by the Marine Corps highlighted the importance of an independent Marine Corps, hence the separation of the Marine Corps from the Colonial Navy.

The Unsung War

The Unsung War was the first major conflict that involved the full deployment of the CSDF, it should be noted that during this period of time the President of the United Colonies was still the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and in that in the event that the President becomes incapacitated that responsibility would be delegated to the Vice-President. The position of Political & Morale Commander did not exist yet during this period of time. The Unsung War could be described as a period of undeclared civil war in Aldia. Separatist sentiment caused by no representation in the Aldian parliament and economic stagnation prompted the outer colonies to form the Independent Systems Alliance (ISA), a loose coalition and military alliance of various outer colonies to attempt to secede from the United Colonies. On December 1872 the ISA attempted to neutralize the CSDF, the ISA launched full-scale attacks against key CSDF shipyard and military staging areas throughout the inner colonies. Although the ISA achieved in destroying a large number of ships of the Colonial Navy and occupied two inner-colony worlds, the ISA had failed to destroy key production facilities and the large capital warships of the Colonial Navy.

In response to the attack, the CSDF mobilized their forces and launched a counter-attack to retake the occupied colonies. The bulk of the ISA invasion force was destroyed in this counter-attack severely crippling the ISA's capability to launch further attacks. The President of the United Colonies then offered to initiate peace talks with the ISA, however before any fruitful progress could be made the President had disappeared. Because of this the Vice-President and a series of pro-war members of Aldia's parliament took control of the government and pushed for military occupation of the outer colonies. The President of the United Colonies was eventually rescued by CSDF Special Forces soldiers, who had also rescued the Prime Minister of the ISA. It would then be discovered that the entire war had been engineered by private Megacorporations from the inner colonies in an attempt to use the military occupation of the outer colonies to forcefully strip-mine their worlds for resources and turn the outer-colonies into Megacorporation enclaves, free from government regulations. The Vice-President and key members of parliament were secretly shareholders of these Megacorporations.

The President of the United Colonies, along with the Prime Minister of the ISA would begin to consolidate their forces together and eventually returned to Aldia. It was there where the loyalty of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces were shown. Upon the return of the President and release of evidence that incriminated the Vice-President and his allies, the CSDF immediately arrested them and any pro-war military officials. The war was ended with a simple hand-shake between the President of the United Colonies and the Prime Minister of the ISA. The "Jindabyne Declaration" is an Executive Order signed by the then-President that granted all colonies in the United Colonies representation in the Colonial Parliament. With their grievances addressed, ISA-aligned colonies peacefully rejoined the United Colonies-fold.

Contemporary Era

Command Structure

The Colonial Self-Defense Forces is subordinate to the government of the United Colonies of Aldia. As a result the Colonial Military Administration (CMA) a civilian government department, was created to oversee all military and paramilitary deployments and activities of the United Colonies. It is the parent organization of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces and is the dejure governing body of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces and all of its branches. Ultimately however all military decisions taken by the CSDF are decided by CSDF High Command (HIGHCOM). CSDF High Command is the highest governing & decision making body of the Colonial Self Defense Forces.

To assist the civilian administration, a Political & Morale Commander, is elected from HIGHCOM to assist the President in military-related matters. This role is a quasi-ceremonial one as during times of peace the role of the Political & Morale Commander is to advise the President & the cabinet of security and military related matters. During times of total war however, and with the approval of both the Colonial Parliament & Senate, the Political & Morale Commander and the Colonial Self-Defense Forces would become the emergency war time government of the United Colonies.

With HIGHCOM is a series of administrative bodies such as the Medical Corps, CSDF Astrophysics, Signal Corps (SIGCORP) and Signals Intelligence (SIGNIT). The CSDF Judge Advocate General Corps is responsible for all legal matters related to the CSDF, investigate crimes that involve military personnel, commands the CSDF Military Police and is involved in the drafting, publishing and enforcement of military laws, policies and protocols. The CSDF Symphony Orchestra is the official ceremonial musical organization of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces. Within the Orchestra are a number of smaller registered musical bands formed by CSDF personnel. Among the popular ones are the Marine Corps Jazz Band, Navy & Maritime Blues, the Ten Tenors of the Army, and the Air Force Choral Ensamble. Command for the defense of the territories of the United Colonies is administratively divided into regional Central Commands (CENTCOM). There are currently six CENTCOMs.

Service Branches

Colonial Navy

Colonial Marine Corps

Colonial Maritime Forces

Colonial Army

Colonial Air Force

Colonial Guard

The Colonial Guard is the organized militia force and reserve component of the Colonial Self-Defense Forces. Its personnel are part-time professional soldiers who also hold full time civilian jobs, they are generally citizens who wish to serve their country in a military capacity but do not intend to pursue a full-career in the military. Members of the Colonial Guard are required to be on duty for 30-day deployment roster, followed by a 180-day stand-down period. This stand-down period is when personnel return to their full-time civilian jobs. Furthermore members must be ready to be called for duty during times of emergencies. Colonial Guard units are funded by each colony, giving all of Aldia's colony an independent capacity to defend itself although the central government does allocate each colony a "minimum threshold" budget so that each Colonial Guard units fulfill the minimum requirements as a force-in-readiness. Training is provided by the CSDF. During times of war however or at the Politcal & Morale Commander's discretion, the Colonial Guard would be placed under the direct command of the CSDF. Currently more than five hundred million citizens are registered as members of the Colonial Guard.