Kahanistan Republic Guard

The Kahanistan Republic Guard (Latin: Vigil Respublicae Cohanistanae) is the main military force of Kahanistan. In the pre-democratic days of Kahanistan, the Republic Guard originated as the literal guard of the theocratic dictator, that guard being the closest thing to an organized military until much later. Even now, the Republic Guard remains a formidable fighting force.

The modern Republic Guard consists of an Army and Air Force, and is 60% of the standing Kahanistanian military, being 20% Marines and 20% Navy. Of the Republic Guard, roughly one fourth of it, or 15% of the total military, is Air Force. Their current strength is six million standing, but over 50 million in reserve.

A typical recruit is enlisted for a 28-month contract, four months of training and two years of service, after which one is eligible to re-enlist for a longer contract. Nearly all reservists hold civilian occupations and only drill once a month. Others stay on as non-commissioned officers; after five years such NCO's are eligible to serve as reserve NCO's, although one can also become a reserve NCO by being promoted through the ranks as a reservist, but this is slower.

Officers who have graduated from the military academy or been commissioned from the NCO ranks can become reserve officers after five years.

The minimum ages for service are 12 for the Academy (which would lead to age 20 at graduation and commissioning), 15 for enlisted service in non-combat operations, 18 for combat operations, and 20 for service as an officer. There are no maximum ages for service.

Kahanistan Republic Guard training

The Republic Guard's training depends on how one approaches joining. Enlisted training is briefer than officer training, but the basics are rather similar.

Enlisted

Enlisted basic training consists of sixteen weeks of basic, after which the recruit is given the rank of Private. The sixteen weeks consist basically of physical fitness and weapons training; specialty training comes with assignment to a military job selected from a list of three submitted by the applicant at entry. Fitness drills are practiced daily for this four-month period.

First week: Introduction to physical fitness
Second week: Familiarization with small arms
Third week: Combat simulation
Fourth week: NBC drilling
Fifth week: Emergency medical treatment of minor injuries
Sixth week: First aid for combat injuries
Seventh week: Operation of military vehicles
Eighth week: Protocols for handling prisoners of war
Ninth week: Resisting torture
Tenth week: Escapes
Eleventh week: Krav Maga
Twelth week: Human rights indoctrination and explanation
Thirteenth week: Refamiliarization with combat drills and vehicles
Fourteenth week: Survival
Fifteenth week: Maintaining humanity towards prisoners
Sixteenth week: Urban vs. open warfare

Officers

Officer candidates undergo the enlisted training in a single-semester block at Kahanistan Military Academy, and after that, choose a civilian major and a military major. The civilian major determines the bachelor's degree obtained at the end of the study program. The military major determines the officer's career path; infantry, armor, fighter, bomber, logistics, intelligence, linguistics, etc.

Semesters at the military academy are sixteen-week blocks, three to a year. There are six semesters of military and eighteen semesters of civilian education. Civilian education focuses on eight semesters of secondary school training in mathematics, history, political science, foreign languages, writing and composition, computer science, and physical science, and ten semesters of civilian education of a university-level curriculum compatible to the civilian higher education system. Military education consists of the basic semester as well as introduction to diplomacy and communication, commanding troops on the small-unit level, avoiding civilian casualties, basic field language courses, ensuring compliance with the rules of war, and comparative miltary doctrines.

Kahanistan Republic Guard unit sizes

Imperial Marine units are the same size, but there are fewer of them and unit commanders are usually a rank or more higher.

Army Group = 16 divisions or 400,000 troops, commanded by a General of the Republic Guard. An Air Force Group (1,600 planes) can also be commanded by a five-star general.

Army = 4 divisions or 100,000 troops, commanded by a General. Can include Air Force fleets, despite the name. Armies composed entirely of Air Force units are called Air Forces.

Corps = 2 divisions or 50,000 troops, commanded by a Lieutenant General

Division = 5 brigades or 25,000 troops, commanded by a Major General (a unit of 100 planes is called an air fleet, is commanded by a MG, and counts as a division for purposes of Corps / Army formations)

Brigade = 5 battaliions or 5,000 troops, commanded by a Brigadier General

Battalion = 5 companies or 1,000 troops, commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel (wings of 20 planes commanded by a LTC or COL count as battalions for organization)

Company = 4 platoons or 200 troops, commanded by a Captain

Platoon = 5 squads or 50 troops, commanded by a Second Lieutenant (2LT's can command flights of 5 planes, counts as a platoon for organizational purposes)

Squad = 10 troops, commanded by a Sergeant

Ranks and Insignia of the Republic Guard

The insignia are very similar, identical for most ranks, to the US Army insignia.

Officer ranks

General of the Republic Guard - Five stars in a pentagon formation on the shoulder patch. Highest rank in the Republic Guard. Allows one to command army groups in battle. Usually appointed in wartime, but keeps the rank after the end of hostilities.

General - Four stars in linear formation. Commands an army. Is eligible for appointment as Minister of Defense.

Lieutenant General - Three stars in linear formation. Commands a corps.

Major General - Two stars next to each other. Commands a division, air fleet or important military base.

Brigadier General - One star. Commands a brigade. Lowest general rank. Often politically powerful.

Colonel - Silver cat insignia. Commands a smaller military base.

Lieutenant Colonel - Silver oak leaf. Commands a battalion. May be a wing commander in an air unit.

Major - Gold oak leaf. Highest rank of aide to Generals. Usual rank of instructors at military schools.

Captain - Two silver bars in railroad track formation. Commands a company.

First Lieutenant - Silver bar. Basically a morale boosting promotion given to a new officer. Little change of responsibility from Second Lieutenant. May be appointed as an aide to a General, however.

Second Lieutenant - Gold bar. Commands a platoon or air squadron.

Enlisted ranks

To see the Enlisted insignias, tilt your head to the left.

Sergeant Major of the Republic Guard - <<<*RG))) Representative of all enlisted Republic Guards. Only one in the service.

Sergeant Major - <<<*))) Highest rank of enlisted soldier one can normally obtain.

Master Sergeant - <<<))) Usual rank of a career enlisted soldier.

Sergeant First Class - <<<)) Usual rank of a Special Ops soldier.

Staff Sergeant - <<<) Usual rank of a drill instructor.

Sergeant - <<< Usual rank of a squad leader.

Corporal - << Lowest rank of soldier who can be called a "non-commissioned officer."

Private First Class - <) Highest ranked private. Forms the majority of front-line units.

Private - < Fresh out of 16-week training.

Recruit - No insignia. Still in training. Also the rank of cadets in the officer program.

List of well-known members or former members of the Kahanistan Republic Guard

General of the Republic Guard Marcellus Quintus Valens (born 1935, served 1955 - 2006), former Defense MInister, 32nd President of Kahanistan. Currently missing in action.

General Abu Hamza al-Aziz (1931 - 2005, served 1959 - 2005), Deputy Defense Minister in October 2005, used nuclear weapons against Shazbotdom, assassinated by unknown parties shortly afterwards.

General Nora Kasagawa (born 1952, served 1976 - present), commander of defending forces in the Battle of Al-Bahr, during the Invasion of Kahanistan, former Defense Minister.

General Iosif Malakov (born 1944, served 1967 - present), Minister of Defense.

General Howard K. Mercer (born 1948, served 1971 - 2003), ambassador to St. Fedski.

Major General Abdul Aziz Kantari (born 1958, served 1980 - present), watchdog (has a habit of blowing the whistle on atrocities or misdeeds, fairly controversial.)

Brigadier General Igor Kaselev (born 1970, served 1993 - present), Kahanistanian Military Intelligence, Deputy Director of Anti-Kraven Intelligence, also involved in other intelligence directorates. He is among the most shadowy figures in the Kahanistanian military.

Brigadier General Nadia Sklenova (born 1974, served 1995 - present), leftist political speaker and cover girl for several issues of Communist Monthly, still on active duty.

Lt. Colonel Mohammed bin Yusuf al-Za'if (born 1961, served 1982-1995), later became the 31st President of Kahanistan.

Lt. Colonel Mara K. Fulton (born 1978, served 2001 - present), commander of the Presidential Guard.

Captain Alyssa Petrova (born 1972, served 1993 - 1999), served in the Special Combat Service, later entered politics and rose to prominence in the Nationalist Party.

Captain Grant M. Foster (born 1981, served 2003 - present), publicized the Amestrian Occupational Authority's policy on summary executions, earning the rank of Captain for this act.

Armament

The Republic Guard uses a wide variety of weapons from all over the world. This listing is meant to be comprehensive, though not necessarily exhaustive, of the arms they currently use. As such, many new weapons may be added over time.

Armor

Merkava V, Kahanistanian version, heavy battle tank
Merkava IV MBT
Tosan LBT

Artillery

Al-Fao 210mm gun
Panzerhaubitze 2000 155mm gun
M-270 MRLS
BM-30 Katyusha
Machbet AA
S-400 AA defenses

Bombers

B-96 Nemesis tactical heavy bomber
B-2 Spirit stealth bomber
B-1 Lancer
Tu-160 Tupolev bomber

Fighters

F-1 Masada VTOL
F-35 Lightning II STOVL
F-22 Raptor ASF
MiG-29 and variants
MiG-31
F-14 Tomcat

Infantry

Tavor TAR-21 bullpup assault rifle
M-2 heavy machine gun
Bradley APC
Dragon Skin body armor (SOV-3000 variant)
Interceptor body armor
M203 grenade launcher
Javelin anti-tank gun
RPG-29 rocket launcher
Dragunov SVD sniper rifle
Mechem anti-materiel rifle (NTW 14.5 variant)