CDF staff

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The efficiency and efficacy of the Community Defence Forces of Sober Thought rests in large part upon the shoulders of those in the combined, land, naval and air staffs at all levels. There are five numbered staff branches: 1 Operations, 2 Security and Intelligence, 3 Personnel, 4 Logistics and Civil Affairs. Their numbers and names largely conform to the real world United States and NATO models but their prefixes differ greatly.

Highest of all is the Combined Staff, which is responsible for the CDF as whole. It is headed by a Grand Marshal and reports to the Ministry of Community Defence through the Vice Minister of Military Defence. Its branches bear a "C-" prefix. Next in line are the service Staffs, which use "L-" for the CDF Land Service, "N-" for the CDF Naval Service and "A-" for the CDF Air Service. Some of the senior officers in these staff branches may bear additional titles according to the tradition of their service. For instance, the Master General of Ordnance is the L-4A; N-1 the Flag Officer Fleet and A-4C Air Officer Commanding Movements.

Operational organisations use different prefixes according to their size, "F-" for formation, "U-" for unit and "S-" for subunit. A formation might represent a brigade group or division in the army, an air corps in the air force or a flotilla in the navy. Units and subunits exist solely to fight or provide direct aid so their staff branches are much atrophied and sometimes entirely absent.


Operations

This is the primary, in all senses, staff position. The people holding these offices are responsible for making plans for units and formations in the field. These staff officers control the sharp end of the armed forces, and must ensure that the point is driven home its best advantage.

Operations are broken into different sections according to the composition of their host. For instance, the N-1 might have deputies for surface ships, anti-submarine warfare and amphibious operations; the A-1 for air defence, bombing and ground support.


Security and intelligence

Although separate, military police and military intelligence work together in close proximity. MPs are called by a variety of archaic, jocular and offensive names; among the printable ones are Little Corporals, Red Caps, Provosts, Shore Patrol and Gendarmes. Their ordinary police work includes traffic control, property protection and criminal investigation. Besides providing base security by checkpoints at the gates and with roving patrols inside the base, MPs guard enemy prisoners.

In contrast, intelligence agents try to piece together the enemy's intentions and abilities. They may do this by examining satellite images, taking aerial photographs, intercepting electronic communications, interrogating prisoners or recruiting informants. Counterintelligence agents are like their counterparts only in reverse, since they are trying to ferret out security breaches at home rather than create them abroad.


Personnel

Recruiting, training, posting and paying are all important functions of this branch. The A-3 might set the number of slots for student pilots available at the flying schools, while a U-3 might be a single pay clerk responsible for salaries and disbursements for an air squadron.


Logistics

As Napoleon once remarked, an army marches on its stomach. Having the right plan, the right knowledge and the right people means little if the troops are not properly supplied. This branch is responsible for all types of supplies: food, clothing, weapons, ammunition, equipment, vehicles, fuel, transportation, mail, etc.

At the formation level in the army, the F-4 is usually a "second hat" for the Vice Commander in charge of the logistics demi-brigade. In contrast, a ship's U-4 would be very tiny because all the transportation is provided by the vessel itself so most of the staff is devoted to tending the sailors' personal needs.


Civil affairs

This is a sort of catch-all category that used to go by the ominous-sounding name of Military Government. Put simply, it is the branch responsible for providing soldiers, sailors and fliers with services normally provided by municipal government and for dealings with civilian governments.

Unlike many RL armed forces, military justice belongs here rather than in security and intelligence. This is because constitutionally court functions must be separate from police functions. Travesties of justice are made less likely when one organisation is not simultaneously the arresting officer, prosecuting attorney and case judge.

Public relations specialists, who try to create a positive attitude towards the armed forces, also belong in this branch. They also act as contacts to print, radio, television and electronic media. Internally, they run the official military media outlets for the consumption of the troops.