Army of Makaar
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| Nation | The Monarchial Assembly of Makaar | |||||
| Manpower | 11,321,000 active troops 21,415,820 reserve troops | |||||
| Military Age | 18 years of age | |||||
| Conscription | None - all branches of military are volunteer forces only, except in times of war | |||||
The Army of Makaar is the land fighting force of the Makaarian Armed Forces. It has undertaken many conflicts during its lifespan since it was formed, and is respected in The Youngworld as one of the most technologically advanced, disciplined and highly trained military forces in the world, fulfilling the Makaarian foreign policy of intervention in foreign conflicts to further Makaarian interests. Unlike its counterparts, the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, the Army does not bear the prefix "Royal", as it was formed when Makaar had no king and was under Jagorian rule.
History
The Army of Makaar was officially formed in 1692, when the country succumbed to Jagorian troops and became a Jagorian land. Several bands of resistance fighters fled into the Makaari mountains and bonded together, making attacks on Jagorian supply convoys and occasionally on troops and barracks. They were immensely successful, but could not face Jagorian troops head on because of their disadvantage in numbers.
When Jagorian rule ended in 1750, the King gave a mandate to the guerilla fighters. With more money and more resources, they were transformed from a small guerilla force into a larger professional army, with conscripts to form a large reserve force. The first records were made, and the professional army numbered 6,000, with conscripts numbering 30,000.
In 1930, after Jagor had taken and retreated from Makaar again, the decision was made to expand the army and invest in an air force and navy, to defend Makaar's new coastline.
Makaar remained a small power, building up its forces steadily, until the Van Stone war, when Makaarian forces moved to liberate the nation of Vekta, where President VanStone had embarked on a campaign of genocide. The war meant the end of the Makaar/Laskon alliance, and those two powers saw several skirmishes between their two militaries. However, the effectiveness of Makaarian troops, especially their parachute and Royal Guard special forces soldiers, paved the way for Makaar's status as a superpower on the Brave New World.
Rank Structure
Ranks are provided with the name in Makaarian and the English equivalent in brackets. Ranks are listed from highest to lowest rank.
Flag Officers
- Overtarbad (Field Marshal)
- Tarbad (General)
- Dem-Tarbad (Lieutenant-General)
- Dem-Dem-Tarbad (Major-General)
- Brekader (Brigadier)
Officers
- Obert (Colonel)
- Dem-Obert (Lieutenant-Colonel)
- Mador (Major)
- Haptaman (Captain)
- Overlutnant (First Lieutenant)
- Lutnant (Second Lieutenant)
Enlisted
- Varrant Offiker (Warrant Officer)
- Elistsad Offiker (Sergeant Major)
- Oversergent (Staff Sergeant)
- Sergent (Sergeant)
- Korpral (Corporal)
- Dem-Korpral (Lance Corporal)
- Overrekrut (Private 1st Class)
- Rekrut (Private)
- Kadet (Trainee)
Conscription
In Makaar, conscription does not exist and the armed forces are made up entirely of volunteers. However, Parliament reserves the right to conscript those between the ages of 18 and 45 in emergencies. This section details the history of conscription in Makaar.
The Homeland Security Act
Passed in 1930, this made military service compulsory for all males ages 18-24. 2 years military service was required. This was regarded as necessary at the time, but soon became unpopular.
The National Act
Included in this bill was a provision that allowed conscripts to leave the services if they could prove they had family or other commitments. It also said that the government had to pay them a higher rate of pay than their civilian job, and if that was not possible then that man could not be conscripted. This was passed in 1954.
The Civil Rights Act
Though this bill centred mainly on giving black and other ethnic minority groups equal rights, it also included a provision that eliminated conscription completely, though all conscripts still serving had to complete their obligation.
Recent Conflicts
The following is a list of recent conflicts in which Makaarian forces were deployed:
The Fort Europe War
Known as "The Makaarian War" in Fort Europe, and "The Commonwealth War" by many in Makaar, this is not one single war but actually refers to a long list of small conflicts and high tensions between the two superpowers. The start of the war is not clear; however, many believe it to have begun when the Commonwealth threatened to blockade Makaarian ports. At the time, the Commonwealth was unquestionably stronger than Makaar, and as Air Chief Marshall Sir William Fowler said of the crisis later, "Had the blockade gone ahead, it is unlikely that the entire military might that Makaar could muster at any one time would have been sufficient to break the blockade for any significant period of time. Without control of our territorial waters, we would be vulnerable to invasion."
As it became more apparent that Fort Europe intended to go through with their threat, Sir Fowler and a group of military analysts put together a plan to cripple the Commonwealth fleet before any such blockade took place. Thus, an attack took place soon after on several Commonwealth ports, done by the Makaarian Air Force.
The event triggered a war between Fort Europe and Makaar, which culminated in the fleets of the two nations engaging and badly damaging each other. The event also lead to the short Makaarian Civil War, as a disgruntled military took control of much of the nation for a short time, long enough to assassinate the Prime Minister of the time. Peace was negotiated with Fort Europe, though both sides claim victory. Since that time, relations between the two powers have been cold.
Makaar was able to quickly rebuild, and the Fort European economy wasn't able to compete with the Makaarian economy. This has allowed Makaar's military capability to challenge and, in some areas, surpass the Commonwealth's in recent years.
The VanStone War
The nation of Vekta, ruled by dictator Willem VanStone, was an ally of Makaar before tales of genocide emerged from the secretive nation. Communications intercepted by Military Intelligence from VanStone admitted that "I [VanStone] have already killed 5.2 million people".
A declaration of war came shortly afterwards, and Makaar's alliance with the nation of Laskon fell apart. However, as Makaarian troops arrived, people in Vekta (particularly those who knew that they were going to be the next victims of the genocide) began to revolt. Soon, the nation had fallen into anarchy. Makaar denied responsibility for the peacekeeping operation and withdrew, in a move widely criticised by many across the nation.
The Jagorian Civil War
In the region of Jagor, officially part of Makaar but with some self-autonomy, was once a seperate nation, and indeed controlled Makaar. Many citizens of the area still consider themselves Jagorians, and nationalist and seperatist movements have been slowly gaining popularity for years. The Makaarian government has a policy of refusing to negotiate on the status of the area.
For more than 30 years, the Jagorian Front for Liberation (JFL, or FFJ in Makaarian) has maintained a campaign against Makaarian forces, designed to force Makaar to withdraw from Jagor and allow them to become their own nation. An indigenous force, the Royal Jagorian Corps, maintains order, along with troops from surrounding areas and the local police force. Bombs are a part of everyday life in the region, which is also the poorest in Makaar. The Army maintains a constant presence of at least 500,000 soldiers there at all times.
In May 2007, rebel factions, lead by Freijar of the House of Virtus, self-proclaimed King of Jagor, took control the Brave New World's nuclear dampeners and deactivated them. They also obtained a nuclear weapon and threatened to detonate it within Makaar unless the Makaarian government withdrew all its forces from Jagor. This has prompted widespread panic as the government attempts to evacuate all urban areas within its three-day deadline.
The Army Today
Enlistment
Enlistment is entirely voluntary, though the law and army policy lays down the following requirements and restrictions:
Nationality
Soldiers must hold Makaarian citizenship, or must have been a resident of Makaar for at least 5 years, or must have a specially-granted permit from the Ministry of the Interior to work in Makaarian government positions, or be a Protected Person as defined by the Political and Safety Asylum Act. Officers must have held Makaarian citizenship since birth, or must have a specially-granted permit from the Ministry of War to be able to recieve Officer status with restrictions on security clearance.
Age
Soldiers normally must be 16-30 on the day of their enlistment, though those under the age of 18 require a parent or court-recognised guardian to confirm their enlistment. Officers must be 18-29 on the day of their enlistment, though older candidates may be accepted by order of the Ministry of the Interior.
Qualifications
There are no requirements for soldiers, though all those who enlist must pass a basic IQ exam, and those who wish to enter a specialist career in the army may need a qualification depending on the field. Officers must hold at least 120 SEPs (Secondary Education Points) and 50 FEPs (Further Education Points) before enlisting.
Gender
Women are forbidden from serving on the front lines of combat, and are forbidden from serving as tank drivers or artillery operators. Most women join the Medical or Communications groups, though Engineering is becoming a more popular option.
Medical
A full copy of a recruit's medical history must be submitted with his or her application. Diabetes is forbidden for front-line candidates or those serving in the medical corps. Having a history of migraines can also mean that an application is rejected. Pregnant women are forbidden from enlisting, and becoming pregnant whilst on active service can result in dishonourable discharge from the service.
A medical test is used on all recruits by army doctors. This includes a camp in the freezing Makaari mountains to test the ability of recruits to cope in cold areas.
