The Army Corps is the division of the Arconan Armed Forces that is directly responsible for ground assault and defensive actions. As the largest part of the military, garrisons can be found on every world in the Dajorra System. Currently commanded by Major-General Sashar Erinos Arconae and his deputy, General Jaco'be'lexo, the Army consists of four fully functional divisions, or commands. These include the Infantry Command, the Cavalry Command, the Training Command, and the famous Special Operations Command; each command has its own heirarchy of subordinate units, making inter-Corps cooperation essential to the success of the AAC's mission.
Training
Standard Soldier Training (SST)
The first phase of training that a soldier goes through is Standard Soldier Training, which is a 10-week basics course that touches on every area a soldier needs to know to make a career out of, and survive, in the Army Corps. These areas include:
- Personal Training (Push-Ups, Crunches, 1 and 2-mile runs, etc)
- Weapons Training (Ranged and Melee)
- Hand-to-Hand Combat Training
- Small Group Tactics (Breaching maneuvers, obstacle courses, etc)
- Military History
- Chain-of-Command
- Uniform Wear
- Army Language (Military Time and Phonetic Alphabet)
SST is currently taught by a cadre of both Noncommissioned Officers and Commissioned Officers, handpicked by the Chiss General Jaco'be'lexo, the Army Chief of Staff and deputy commander of the Corps.
The Commanding Officer of Standard Soldier Training is Lieutenant Colonel Danyar Marison, a Humanoid who served with distinction in the Ninth Great Jedi War, fighting alongside the Dark Jedi of Clan Arcona and losing his left forearm in the process. Besides reporting to Consul Zandro Erinos Arconae and General Jaco'be'lexo, LTC Marison also works with Lieutenant Talos Erinos, who was selected by Proconsul Entar to assist in the training of the Army Corps, based on his previous experience with the Black Hammer Brigade.
Once a soldier graduates from Standard Soldier Training, they are promoted to the rank of Private (or Private First Class if their performance warrants) and made an official member of the Arconan Armed Forces. Before they can truly see action or receive their first station, they must go through “Tactic Integration Training”, which serves to teach new soldiers how to efficiently combine their tactics with that of their Foxtrot Uniform superiors. TIT lasts approximately 8 weeks.
Tactic Integration Training (TIT)
Lovingly referred to as TIT, Tactic Integration Training is no joke, despite what it's acronym might suggest. It is during TIT's 8 weeks of training that Army soldiers learn to work and fight alongside the Foxtrot Uniforms, or Force Users of Clan Arcona. Rather than have various subjects spread out over the 8 weeks of training, TIT concentrates on only one topic: altering, improving, and refining a soldier's combat training so that it can retain full efficiency when used alongisde the awe-inspiring, and often unpredictable, powers of a Dark Jedi.
For 7 of the weeks, training is done with blaster rifles set to stun and the Dark Jedi cadre using cerulean Training Sabers and "Tier 2" Force powers (read: not inherently lethal). However, the last week of training before graduation is conducted in "Live-Fire" mode...literally. Stun settings are flipped to lethal and the Foxtrots are allowed to, and even encouraged to, use their actual lightsabers and any Force power they have under their command. Soldiers are forced to adapt and work in cohesion...or die. And while death is a regrettable result and a significant death toll has never been reached, there hasn't been a single TIT Class who have graduated with every soldier accounted for.
Army Divisions
Since the Army’s mission is rather broad, the Army has created a number of divisions, referred to as "Commands", to cater to the various aspects of the Corps. mission. As of now, the divisions are Infantry, Cavalry, Training, and Special Operations, each with their own subordinate specialities.
A squad of Army Troopers conducting a nighttime training operation on Eldar
Infantry Command (INFCOM)
Commanding Officer: Brigadier NPC TBA
Heavy Infantry
The “heavy hitters” of the Army Corp, the Heavy Infantry Brigades are the men and women responsible for paving the way for the rest of the Army, by utilizing assault vehicles (Canderous-class Assault Tanks), heavy weapons (RT-97C heavy blaster rifles, PLEX-2 missile systems, etc) and heavy armor (Ballistic Combat Armor)
Heavy Infantry soldiers are always the vanguard of the Army, at the fore of any major engagement and despite the difference in name, often work in perfect tandem with the Light Infantry, giving their brethren covering fire so that they can advance upon the enemy without much harassment. Besides tank drivers and heavy weapon operators, the Heavy Infantry Regiments also consist of a myriad other, but integral, units; these include a Quartermaster Supply Unit, Joint-Fire Observers, Combat Engineers and the like.
Arguably the most famous unit of Heavy Infantry is the Black Hammer Brigade, armed as they are with their Canderous-class Assault Tanks and Ballistic Combat Armor v2.
Light Infantry
The men and women of the Light Infantry are the ones you see on Army Corps. recruiting posters; standing tall and proud in their armored black fatigues, E-19 advanced blaster rifle slung over the shoulder. But the Light Infantry plays an absolutely vital role in the Army Corps other than being the poster boys and girls.
It is these men and women who advance on the enemy position on foot or in lightly armored vehicles, often in the wake of the Heavy Infantry’s artillery support and are usually tasked with being the first ones to secure an enemy outpost during an invasion or to clear a hostile building. Other than being the groundpounders of the Arcona Army Corps, the Light Infantry’s subordinate units are often given the more “combat-support” specialties such as Military Police, Scout and Reconnaissance Teams, Patrol Units, and Combat Medics.
Similar to the Heavy Infantry's Black Hammer Brigade, the Light Infantry boasts the renowned Sukhur's Legion sniper/scout unit.
Cavalry Command (CAVCOM)
Commanding Officer: Colonel NPC TBA
Compared to INFCOM, the AAC's Cavalry Command is relatively small, consisting of only two battalions (at three companies a piece). This is because the Cavalry's overall mission of "providing swift combat support" often requires for smaller formations, such as Lancer Companies or Search-Evasion-Rescue-Extraction (SERE) Teams.
Lancer Companies comprise the Command's primary combat role, which they fulfill by wielding Force-Lances and riding Aratech speederbikes at the front of an offensive formation. On the other hand, SERE is more of a "peace-time" occupation and has Cavalrymen either manning gunships or speederbikes as they attempt to locate and extract lost/injured personnel, stolen equipment, or senior officers. Recently however, SERE teams have been called upon to aide the local populace of the Dajorra System when people go missing, such as hunting parties or children.
It's a rule that Cavalrymen are to be trained in, and remain proficient in, both areas of the Command. However as one advances in rank, he or she may choose to focus on one of the specilizations, leading senior Cavalrymen to hold positions such as Lancer Team Leader or SERE gunship pilot.
Training Command (TRICOM)
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant Colonel Danyar Marison
The smallest of the four Commands, the Training Command is responsibly for exactly what it sounds like...providing the best training to the men and women of the Arcona Army Corps. As the Corps is relatively new and therefore smaller in size compared to some other militaries, there are two "Educational Divisions" and each have nearly identical layouts.
EdDiv 1 is Standard Soldier Training, or SST, and is made up for five mock Companies. Each of these companies are built to reflect the real thing, so as to ease the soldier's tranisition from training life to Army life, and are comprised of two platoons each. What makes these mock Companies truly unique however, is that every leadership spot (Company Commander, Company XO, Platoon Leader, Platoon Sergeant, etc) are filled by trainees and are rotated on a bi-weekly basis. There is overwatch for each Company however, in the form of an actual commissioned officer and noncommissioned officer.
Tactical Integration Training (TIT) is what TRICOM refers to as EdDiv 2. It's layout almost mirrors that of EdDiv 1's, except there are four Companies instead of five and these Companies are larger than their Division 1 counterparts. The chain-of-command being filled by trainees is also the same, with one caveat; trainees who held mock-leadership positions during SST are uneligable for a leadership position in TIT until the second rotation, which is one month into training.
Special Operations Command (ARSOC)
Commanding Officer: Colonel John Malay
The “shadow-warriors” of the Arcona Army Corps., the Special Operations Group are the ones you never see on the front lines (or on recruitment posters for that matter). Hardened and grizzled by grueling training and the hardest missions and made arrogant because of their high success rate, the Special Forces Group are the “secret weapons” of the Army.
SpecForce soldiers are always deployed before a war really breaks out and, if everything goes right, are always gone by the first time a Heavy Infantry Brigade fires the first shell. Assassination, guerrilla warfare, infiltration, asymmetrical action, and other “unorthodox” assignments are the ARSOC’s bread-and-butter and while kit varies depending on the current assignment, an E-19b Carbine Rifle, SSK-7 heavy blaster pistol, and a Del’Abbot Designs Combat Knife have been reported as a popular choice among Special Forces operators.
Special Forces Qualification
ARSOC personnel aren’t into kidnapping soldiers from the dead of the night and converting them into elite operators, that's more the purview of the Dajorra Inteligenence Agency and her Black Operations Teams. Instead, a soldier interested in Special Forces training must ask for an application from their Battalion Commander and fill it out. This in itself is no easy task as a soldier must list personal, military, and medical history as well as detail why they want to be in Special Forces and then finally obtain three written recommendations from senior military personnel. Furthermore, by submitting a completed application, candidates are agreeing to a thorough background check, done by a joint-unit of DIA agents and Military Police investigators.
Once this is completed and if the Special Forces brass approves the application, the soldier recruit is excused from his current assignment/deployment (unless it’s a time of declared war) and taken to the Arconan Capital, Selen, and from there to a place called “Kurs'kranak". Once there, the recruits are knocked down to size by former commandos of the elite Soulfire Strike Team and subjected to 50-weeks of the most intense and grueling training imaginable.
If a recruit passes, and survives, they are an official Special Forces Operator and given 5 week leave. Once they return to active duty, the new Operators are sent out on a mandatory 6-month tour with a dedicated Special Forces unit before returning to their original unit.
The Army's Identity
Uniforms
The uniforms worn by the men and women of the Arcona Military are very reminiscent of those worn by the officers of the first Sith-Imperial Army. While uniform color varies amongst the service branches, all uniforms consist of a double-breasted tunic, cap, trousers, and boots.
Army Dress Uniform
The uniforms of the Army are simple, comfortable, and practical, due to them being sewn from lightweight fabrics and traces of armorweave. The uniform itself is made up of three "components", the tunic, trousers, and boots; the first component, the tunic, is of the double-breasted variant and offers the unique feature of having electromagnetic particles sewn into it, allowing soldiers to attach their rank, nameplates, or unit insignia without using materials such pins or velcro. The trousers, or slacks, don't offer anything as advanced to its wearers, other than maximum comfort and a resistance to wear-and-tear. Finally, the uniform's boots are made of a soft and pliable leather that is moulded around a durasteel toe and frame, accounting for comfort but while still making sure that the wearer's feet are protected.
In accordance with AAF/PUW Code 023, uniform accessories consist of the following; rank insignia, unit patches, qualification badges, and honor cords. Each accesssory has its own place on the uniform and an order of importance, something that is drilled into soldiers from their earliest days in STS. For example, rank insignia, horizontal rows of blue and red squares, is worn in the upper center of the tunic, allowing for easy identification amongst soldiers.
Qualification badges, such as those from Sniper School or Jump School, are worn below the rank and to the left of the tunic. It deserves to be mentioned that only one (1) badge is worn and that badge is the highest one that the soldier has; for example, if a soldier has passed both Jump School and Special Forces Qualification, the SpecForce badge must be worn, as air jumps are included in Qualification.
The unit patch and honor cords are displayed on the "sides" of the uniform. In the case of the patch, it is the great seal of the Army Corps. and is electromagnetically sealed on the left shoulder while in the case of the latter, the cord is looped under the right shoulder and hangs freely. Cords can be awarded for various things such as command positions, serving as an aide to a senior officer, notable deeds, or even elite unit affiliation.
Uniform Color
As laid out by the AAF/PUW (Arconan Armed Forces/Proper Uniform Wear) manual, the uniform color of the three Corps. is laid out as follows; each Corps. is to have three (3) separate colors for their uniforms, dependent on the "class" that the wearer belongs to. The classes are divided into "Enlisted", "Junior Officer" (or Naval equivalent of Sub-officer), and "Senior Officer". In accordance with this rule, the Arcona Army Corps. has adopted the following three (3) colors for its uniforms:
*Enlisted wear Olive Green uniforms, with Corps. insignia displayed on the cap
*Junior Officers wear Tan uniforms, with rank insignia displayed on the cap
*Senior Officers wear Gray uniforms, with choice of insignia displayed on the cap
Tactical Assault Uniform (Fatigues)
The Tactical Assault Uniform, or TAU, is the combat attire and day-to-day attire of Army personnel. Made up of an fullbody black jumpsuit, with duraplast plating worn over on top, and steel-toed combat boots, the TAU is one of the best combat uniforms on the market. Designed by the Military Research Collective in 35 ABY, the exact production details were kept a close secret. The only thing that is known is that the uniform was designed within the Dajorra System and began field testing in mid-35 ABY.
The TAU consists of two primary parts and the first part of the ensemble, the jumpsuit, is the most "advanced" part. It is not only fire, water, and tear-proof, but it contains an electromagnetic weave that allows the duraplast plating to attach without the use of straps and clasps, which could possibly pose any number of safety risks for its wearers. Beyond being an efficient and safe choice, this electromagnetic attachment is a nod towards the Mandalorian ethos of the Corps, and indeed the whole Clan, as electromagnetic attachment is used by the famed Mandalorian warriors.
The armor plates make up the second part of the uniform; actually a new mix of duraplast and durasteel, for a good balance of protection and mobility, the plates cover the torso, shoulders, forearms, and shins. Once again similar to Mandalorian armor, the uniform's armor plates are segmented, which gives the soldier another boost to mobility. Finally,a rank plaque is magnetized to the top left corner of the chestplate and seal of the Arcona Army Corps is displayed on the right pauldron, while individual unit affiliation is shown on the right.
File:AACOfficer.jpgAn Army officer wearing the Tactical Assault Uniform
The TAU's blast helmet makes up the last piece of the uniform and, besides its upgrades over time and different color, it varies very little from the blast helmet commercially available galaxy-wide. The helmet itself is black and visorless and contains a wireless communications system that is useful for contacting ones superiors, or relaying information back to headquarters quickly and securely. A secondary helmet option exists for those who are deployed to active war zones, as a blast helmet would be more of a liability than anything; these helmets appear similar to their "at-home" variant, except they have a tinted visor, rebreather, and 15-minute life support system.
Accessories
Depending on the current theatre of war, the soldiers Occupation Speciality, or (in the case of officers) because a soldier simply wants, a number of accessories can be requistioned from the Quartermaster's Office. These include, but are not limited to, supplemental plating (often chosen by Heavy Infantry soldiers), alternative headgear, or tactical holsters and sheaths for pistols and bladed weapons.
Equipment
The Arcona Army Corps, as the premier ground assault and defence force in the Dajorra System, has access to a wide array of weapons. While some of these weapons are new, prototypical models that are currently in field testing, others are more "iconic", having been used by the Armies of the Rebel Alliance, Galactic Empire, Imperial Remnant, and so on. A list of common weapons employed by the AAC, their role, and who they are issued to can be found below:
SSK-7 Heavy Blaster Pistol
Heavy blaster pistol made illegal in the Core due to its high power and easy modification. Allows for "stopping" power and a solid 60 bolt plasma-pak as well as easy concealment although its weight exceeds that of standard blaster pistols. Routine issue sidearm for all soldiers; 7b variant available by request to officers and Military Investigative Service agents.
A295 Assault Rifle
Renowned blaster rifle, favored by the Rebel Alliance. Puts high accuracy, good range, and minimum recoil all in one package, though it sacrifices ammo capacity Standard issue rifle for Light Infantry soldiers.
T-21b Light Repeater Rifle
Famous "light" repeater, often used by the Galactic Empire. Offers very high power output and ammo capacity, at price of weight and recoil. Standard issue rifle for Heavy Infantry troopers.
AAC Conscript Carbine
Prototype blaster carbine, with a focus on precision and power over ammo capacity. Standard issue rifle for all Cavalry.
Del'Abbot Designs Combat Knife
11 inch (7in blade) durasteel combat knife, with serrated blade and blood tunnel. Standard issue melee/backup weapon for all soldiers.
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Besides a large armory, the Corps. also employs various "non-lethal" or "operation-required" devices. These commonly include grapnel lines, which can be attached to the underside of a blaster rifle, breaching charges, grenades of all types, shock-nets, E-Web emplacements, and many more.
Often times, an Army Soldier will carry the following around his waist: grapnel hook/line, two flashbang grenades (fragmentation if deployed), three extra plasma-paks (one for pistol, two for rifle), two stimpaks, and a canteen of water. Due to the broad nature of the Army's mission, there can be no telling what exactly a deployed Soldier will be issued as no two situations are really the same.
Facilities
As the largest branch of the military, and the one that is stationed on the ground 99% of the time, the Army Corps. has established bases and garrisons all over the Dajorra System. While the two most important facilities are Central Command on Selen and Kurs'kranak on Eldar, individual garrison camps are dotted around the planets.
Central Command (Selen)
A group of junior officers being briefed by a general officer
Central Command, as its name might suggest, is the overall command of the Arcona Army Corps. and therefore, it has its own large facility (made up of six prefabricated garrison bases) just 15 miles from Estle City. However, due to the Force-Sensitive nature of the Army's commander, MG Sashar Erinos, CENTCOM also has access to offices within the Arcona Citadel and it is there that the MG and his deputy reside most of the time, always ready to brief the Lord Consul and Honorable Proconsul on any and all combat matters that may arise. In addition to the MG and Deputy being stationed in the Citadel, the "Central Assault and Defence" unit is charged with guarding the Citadel, though the protection of the Consul and the more "sensitive" areas of the Citadel fall to Soulfire Strike Team and the Summit Guard respectively.
Kurs'kranak (Eldar)
Unlike CENTCOM's facilities on Selen, Kurs'kranak is talked about in a much more hushed tone and with good reason, as the base serves as the training and operations center for the Arcona Special Operations Command (ARSOC). Located deep in the Central Basin Region of Eldar and concealed by the densly forested areas that comprise the Basin, Kurs'kranak (which literally means Tree Fort in Mando'a) is where the truly classified stuff goes on and it is one of the only areas in the Arcona Dominion in which patrolmen have the authorization to use lethal force without providing prior warning. Indeed, to see Kurs'kranak is to be a member of Special Operations and to speak of it publically is to have your career - and life - suddenly cut short.
Garrison Camps (System-Wide)
The AAC's Garrison Camps, colloquiolly referred to as GARMPs, are the standardized installions of the Army. Each planet boast at least three (3), scattered across the planet, and all are in very close proximity of a town or large settlement. It is here at the GARMPs that the planets inhabitants can see the Army "at work". While access to the Camps themselves are restricted unless you are a member of the Corps or on official business, it is not uncommon for Soldiers to conduct PT runs and other forms of excercise through the settled areas they protect or to take their weekend leave in the town proper.
Ranks
The section below details the command structure of the Arcona Army Corps. The ranks are divided into three classes; Enlisted, Junior Officer Grade, and Senior Officer Grade. AAC rank insignia carries on the tradition set forth by the first Sith Empire, the Galactic Republic, and the Galactic Empire, in the form of horizontal rows of blue and red squares worn in the upper center of the tunic.
As with all of the other areas of the Arcona Military, rank is designated by the Shadesworn Rank of any given individual. The ranks below outline the ranks that are possible to attain by a Shadesworn member of Arcona, however, below, the ranking will outline which ranks will be open to individuals when they reach a certain Shadesworn rank.
There is a whole host of ranks available. Starting from the lowest, the ranks are:
Some of the ranks are open only to the Dark Jedi of Arcona, for example Major-General is only available to Shadow Lords. The Major-General is in overall command of the Army Corps. The Major-General is assisted in the administration by General Jaco'be'lexo, the Army Chief of Staff, and a hand-selected staff of other officers. Both the Major-General and General Thomas report to Consul Zandro Erinos Arconae and Proconsul Wuntila Zratian Entar.
An Arconan Dark Jedi’s Shadesworn rank determines what rank they will hold within the Corps, should they decide to enlist on a semi or full time basis. Loyalty, however, is still to Arcona and the Iron Throne, rather than to Army Corps itself.
Special Note Concerning Ranks
* symbol denotation
Some ranks within the Corps. are reserved solely for the Shadesworn of Clan Arcona. For instance, the rank of Staff Sergeant is reserved for those Shadow Disciples who prove themselves to be somewhere in between the ability of a Sergeant and a Lieutenant, but are not quite worthy of an officer's commission. Other ranks, per the Shadesworn designation, are unavailable to the Shadesworn; these include many of the Sergeant ranks for enlisted and Lieutenant Colonel and Brigadier for officer. These ranks are exclusive to the "non-Sensitive" members of the Army.