Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery

Revision as of 14:30, 7 January 2010 by Mbear (talk | contribs) (→‎Military Ranks: Added links to various rank pages.)

The Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery (DCMS) is the military arm of the Draconis Combine. The warriors of the DCMS live by the tenets of bushido, the code of the samurai.

Command Structure

Coordinator

The Coordinator of the Draconis Combine is the titular head of the DCMS, although a significant amount of authority can be delegated to a Gunji-no-Kanrei.

Gunji-no-Kanrei

The post of Gunji-no-Kanrei (Deputy of Military Affairs) was resurrected after the Fourth Succession War by Coordinator Takashi Kurita to oversee the rebuilding and restructuring of the DCMS, reporting only to the Coordinator himself. Prior to the Fourth Succession War, the only figure to hold the position was Urizen Kurita I, and it has been a matter of speculation whether the position will remain active.

Military District Commanders

The military districts that make up the Combine are ruled by a Tai-shu (Warlord) who is in command of all military forces in the district.

Units of the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery

The Combine military is divided between those units assigned to the defense of a specific military district and so-called free floating regiments who are assigned as needed.

Military District Forces

Dieron Regulars

With the Dieron Military District closest to Terra, the well respected Dieron Regulars frequently see action against both the Lyran Commonwealth and Federated Suns and boast more 'Mech regiments than any other military district.

Galedon Regulars

Assigned to protect the largest section of the Combine bordering the Federated Suns and the Periphery, along with the former capital New Samarkand, the Galedon Regulars enjoy good relations with the Sun Zhang Mechwarrior Academy and Draconis Combine Port Authority thanks their location in the Galedon Military District.

Benjamin Regulars

While the Benjamin Military District is one of the smallest, the DCMS High Command uses the Benjamin Regulars as a ready-reserve to bolster both defensive and offensive operations.

Pesht Regulars

The largest of the military districts and boasting the Combine's capital of Luthien, the Pesht Regulars also had the fewest 'Mech regiments thanks to Pesht Military District's position away from the Lyran and Davion borders, a choice which hampered the defense of the region during the Clan Invasion.

Rasalhague Regulars

The core of the forces of the political sensitive Rasalhague Military District, the Rasalhague Regulars were noted for their actions against the Lyran Commonwealth as much the constant ISF scrutiny intended to ensure their loyalty to the Combine. The regulars were disbanded upon the formation of the Free Rasalhague Republic.

Alshain Regulars

Just as the Alshain Military District was formed from the remains of the Rasalhague Military District not ceded to to the FRR, the Alshain Regulars consist of former Rasalhague Regular troops. The Alshain Regulars suffered heavy losses in the Clan Invasion during their failed defense of their district, with the survivors renamed under the banner of the free floating Alshain Avengers.

Otomo

Insignia of the Otomo

The Otomo are the Palace Household Guard of the Draconis Combine. Slightly more than a regiment in size, their sole purpose is to protect the Unity Palace on Luthien and the Coordinator. Members of the Otomo are taken from Sword of Light regiments and the five military districts. Unit composition is a mix of 'Mechs, armor, and infantry. Only a member of the Kurita family can become commander of the Otomo.

Izanagi Warriors

Izanagi Warriors

Arkab Legion

Insignia of the Arkab Legion

In 2497, the Combine moved to take control of the planets held by the Azami. However, a virus to which the Azami themselves were immune killed the Kurita forces, leaving the determined natives victorious. After this, the Combine decided to grant the Azami limited autonomy in return for their loyalty and service. This included being able to continue practicing their branch of Islam, which is forbidden in the Combine. To make use of their spirit, they were trained as MechWarriors and granted three regiments worth of light and medium 'Mechs. These forces, known as the Arkab Legions, specialize in lightning-quick reconnaissance and raiding. Their unit colors are desert tan or dark green. They are not required to wear the Draconis Combine crest, due to their partial autonomy. The Legions are normally stationed on their homeworlds, but are expected to go where needed; the Lyran Commonwealth and the Federated Suns have suffered many raids conducted by the Azami warriors.

Free-Floating Units

Alshain Avengers

Created from the surviving remnants of the Alshain Regulars, the Alshain Avengers were formed after the conquest of their military district captital Alshain by the Clan Ghost Bear. Their sole objective to retake their home world and drive the invaders from Combine space, the Avengers eventually staged an unauthorized invasion of Alshain which triggered the Combine-Ghost Bear War and their destruction.

Amphigean Light Assault Group

Insignia of the Amphigean Light Assault Group

Their origins muddied, either as units formed in the mold of the Chain Gang Missions or as mercenaries directly employed by Amphigean Agriculture Inc. and loaned to the Combine, the Amphigean Light Assault Group generally serve as high speed shock troops with a pack mentality to combat.

An Ting Legion

Insignia of the An Ting Legion

Formed in the wake of the Second Succession War the then still prosperous world of An Ting, the An Ting Legion have history of honored service to the Combine and are closely linked to the An Ting Academy.

Genyosha

Insignia of the Genyosha

The unit was formed in 3027 by order of Coordinator Takashi Kurita. Create a force around his cousin and excellent military commander Yorinaga Kurita. To become elite military formation that answers only to the Coorindator himself. The unit priniciply was created also to counter the highly mobile mercenary unit known as the Kell Hounds, whom had disgraced Yorinaga on Mallory's World. The unit has been among most elite military force in the combine, being lead by future Corrindator Hohiro Kurita during the Clan War and fought the Great Refusal.

The formation grew between Forth Succession War to the Jihad to form two Regiments.

Ghost Regiments


Legion of Vega

Insignia of the Legion of Vega


Night Stalkers

Insignia of the Nightstalkers


Proserpina Hussars

Insignia of the Proserpina Hussars

One of the oldest Combine units, the Proserpina Hussars are legendary for their hit and run attacks. The unit also has a close relationship with the University of Proserpina, with a large number of officers alumni of that center of learning.

Ryuken

Insignia of the Ryuken

In 3023 Takashi Kurita hired Wolf's Dragoons to train a regiment in their tactics and tactical doctrines. The Ryuken regiment trained with and fought alongside Wolf's Dragoons, learning how to fight like the Wolf's Dragoon's. The Ryuken succeeded beyond expectations, causing Takashi Kurita to order the regiment broken into companies and to train and expand into their own regiments.

In 3027 the Dragoons contract with the DCMS expired and Jaime Wolf decided to leave Combine space. Warlord Grieg Samsonov did not want to allow the elite mercenary unit to leave his service and ordered several Ryuken regiments to stop them. The newly-formed Ryuken regiments met the Dragoons but proved not to be their match. Though almost crippled in the conflict, the Dragoons decimated four of the Ryuken regiments before leaving Combine space.

Shin Legion

Originating in the Capellan Confederation, the Shin Legion were forced to depart Capellan space quickly upon the ascension of Romano Liao to the Capellan throne. Two of the three regiments made it out of the Confederation, and joined the distant Draconis Combine for safety. Attrition has further diminished the brigade - as of 3059, the Shin Legion could only field a single regiment of BattleMechs.

As the Shin Legion was a foreign brigade, it had a low priority for procurement of war materiel within the DCMS. While serving the Draconis Combine, the Legion was sent on nearly suicidal missions without hesitation, and displayed unwavering loyalty. The unit's colors are flat, dark green with black highlights, and a gray patch omitted - the legion is not allowed to display the Kurita dragon crest.

Update: in 3061, the remaining Shin Legion accepted the invitation of Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao to repatriate to the Capellan Confederation with no reprisals.

Sword of Light

Insignia of the Sword of Light

The Sword of Light represent the elite of the DCMS. In order to join, one must have five years of flawless service in another regiment and pass a series of mental, physical, spiritual, and political tests. Non-combat staff are tested in the same manner. Sword of Light regiments receive top priority for supplies, and even have their own dedicated JumpShips and DropShips. One oddity of these regiments is that each one consists of four battalions instead of three. The Sword of Light regiments are not tied to a specific area of deployment, but travel the realm to assist where needed. Their 'Mech paint scheme is usually flat red, with the Kurita crest on the left shoulder. Originally numbering twelve, by the Third Succession War the Sword of Light were reduced five, with each regiment represents one of the five Pillars of Kurita society:

Draconis Elite Strike Teams

The Draconis Combine's premier special forces unit, members of the Draconis Elite Strike Teams frequently work closely with the Internal Security Force to eliminate threats to the Combine.

Military Academies

Aerospace and Interstellar Institute


An Ting University

Logo of the An Ting University


Dover Institute of Higher Learning

Located on Benjamin, the Dover Institute grew out of the destroyed People's Reconstruction Effort (PRE). The Institute trains MechWarriors to think before they act, and can spend days dissecting a single simulator battle. Since the military academy is part of a larger, civilian institute; MechWarriors often have a more liberal background in literature and the sciences than graduates of other military training centers.

Dieron District Gymnasium

One of the least prestigious academies in the Draconis Combine, DDG is essentially what its name implies. Cadets have the freedom to take what what courses they desire, which are often hastily assembled and meet in a corner of the massive gym. Once a cadet has accumulated enough class time, he or she can earn a sort of "pass" for simulator time. Once enough sim hours have been logged, they qualify for a live-fire session. Some cadets take their time graduating, while others hurry out as quickly as possible; but all are battle-ready. DDG, which is located on Shionoha, only graduates around fifteen MechWarriors a year, but they are generally the most well-prepared graduates.

Minoru Kurita University

Coordinator Minoru Kurita established this "university" around the fall of the Star League in preparation for the fighting that he believed was to come (and did, in the form of the Succession Wars). MKU is known for churning out infantrymen as fast as possible, with their first battle often serving as their final exam. Due to the exceptionally high rate of failure of this final, MKU boasts few alumni.

Pagoda for Luthien Officers

Located on the capital of Luthien, PLO trains MechWarriors and aerospace fighter pilots. The pagoda mostly caters to nobles who will not see actual combat. It focuses on social niceties rather than military training, though such classes are available for students who wish to pursue them. It is the rare student who avails him- or herself of all of the resources at the academy to earn a real education. The highest ranking of the pagoda's alumni is Isoroku Kurita, who was one such cadet.

Sun Zhang MechWarrior Academy

Located on the original capital of New Samarkand, SZMA is especially notable in that it graduates the most MechWarriors per year of any training facility in the Inner Sphere, over 400. SZMA also has an aerospace fighter pilot program. It is often considered the most prestigious military academy in the Draconis Combine and all of its graduates receive a daisho. SZMA boasts Theodore and Hohiro Kurita among its alumni.

Sun-Tzu School of Combat

The school of combat instructs all of its cadets in combined-arms warfare, no matter their specialty. STSC is notable in that it is the only school to award a daisho to graduates in all modes of study. Hohiro Kurita attended STSC before completing his training at SZMA, as his father Theodore believes in STSC's approach to warfare.

University of Proserpina

Logo of the University of Proserpina

Located on the border world of Proserpina, UP is one of the centers of advanced technology in the Draconis Combine. Infantry crews, MechWarriors, and pilots are all trained at UP, which was one of the first military training facilities to offer a battle armor program.

Wisdom of the Dragon

Wisdom is more akin to a finishing school or an officer school than a traditional military academy. In fact, only officers and officer candidates may take part in the program. It is not uncommon for seasoned officers to attend the school for refreshers. Regardless of whether an individual received one elsewhere or not, all graduates are given a daisho.

Military Ranks

The DCMS has used the same basic rank system for nearly four hundred years, with Theodore Kurita making two minor modifications, assigning the rank of Tai-shu to all Warlords and adjusting the other high-level ranks in response as well as assigning Japanese names to all enlisted ranks as a gesture of respect for their increasing worth to the Combine military.

All DCMS ranks use stylized katakana numerals as insignia, worn on the left collar of their uniform on small colored rectangle designating their service branch.

Those colors are:

  • Cherry Red - MechWarrior
  • Yellow - AeroSpace Pilot
  • Dark Green - DropShip/JumpShip Crew
  • Light Green - Support Personnel
  • Dark Brown - Infantry
  • Light Blue - Combat Vehicle Crew
  • Purple - Artillery Crew
DCMS Rank DCA Rank Support Rank
Commissioned Officers
Tai-shu (Warlord)
Tai-sho (General) Tai-sho (Admiral)
Sho-sho (Brigadier General) Sho-sho (Commodore)
Tai-sa (Colonel) Captain
Chu-sa (Lieutenant Colonel) Sho-sa (Commander)
Sho-sa (Major) Dai-i (Lieutenant Commander)
Tai-i (Captain) Chu-i (Lieutenant) Senior Master Chief Petty Officer
Chu-i (Lieutenant) Sho-i (Ensign) Master Chief Petty Officer
Enlisted Ranks
Sho-ko (Sergeant Major) Sho-ko (Sergeant Major) Chief Petty Officer
Kashira (Talon Sergeant) Kashira (Talon Sergeant) Petty Officer
Shujin (Master Sergeant) Shujin (Master Sergeant)
Gunsho (Sergeant) Gunsho (Sergeant)
Go-cho (Corporal) Go-cho (Corporal)
Gunjin (Lance Corporal) Gunjin (Lance Corporal)
Heishi (Private) Heishi (Private)
Hojuhei (Recuit) Hojuhei (Recuit)
DCMS Rank insignia by branch of service
DCMS Ranks Draconis Combine Admiralty Ranks Support Ranks
Rank MechWarrior AeroSpace
Fighter		 Infantry Armor Artillery Rank Naval Crew Technical
Service
Heishi
(Private) 		Pink katakana 1 on red background Pink katakana 1 on yellow background Pink katakana 1 on dark brown background Pink katakana 1 on light blue background Pink katakana 1 on purple background Heishi
(Private) 		Pink katakana 1 on dark green background Pink katakana 1 on light green background
Gunjin
(Lance Corporal) 		Pink katakana 2 on red background Pink katakana 2 on yellow background Pink katakana 2 on dark brown background Pink katakana 2 on light blue background Pink katakana 2 on purple background Gunjin
(Lance Corporal) 		Pink katakana 2 on dark green background Pink katakana 2 on light green background
Go-cho
(Corporal) 		Pink katakana 3 on red background Pink katakana 3 on yellow background Pink katakana 3 on dark brown background Pink katakana 3 on light blue background Pink katakana 3 on purple background Go-cho
(Corporal) 		Pink katakana 3 on dark green background Pink katakana 3 on light green background
Gunsho
(Sergeant) 		Pink katakana 4 on red background Pink katakana 4 on yellow background Pink katakana 4 on dark brown background Pink katakana 4 on light blue background Pink katakana 4 on purple background Gunsho
(Sergeant) 		Pink katakana 4 on dark green background Pink katakana 4 on light green background
Shujin
(Master Sergeant) 		Pink katakana 5 on red background Pink katakana 5 on yellow background Pink katakana 5 on dark brown background Pink katakana 5 on light blue background Pink katakana 5 on purple background Shujin
(Master Sergeant) 		Pink katakana 5 on dark green background Pink katakana 5 on light green background
Kashira
(Talon Sergeant) 		Blue katakana 1 on red background Blue katakana 1 on yellow background Blue katakana 1 on dark brown background Blue katakana 1 on light blue background Blue katakana 1 on purple background Kashira
(Talon Sergeant) 		Blue katakana 1 on dark green background Blue katakana 1 on light green background
Sho-ko
(Sergeant Major) 		Blue katakana 2 on red background Blue katakana 2 on yellow background Blue katakana 2 on dark brown background Blue katakana 2 on light blue background Blue katakana 2 on purple background Sho-ko
(Sergeant Major) 		Blue katakana 2 on dark green background Blue katakana 2 on light green background
Chu-i
(Lieutenant) 		Blue katakana 3 on red background Blue katakana 3 on yellow background Blue katakana 3 on dark brown background Blue katakana 3 on light blue background Blue katakana 3 on purple background Sho-i
(Ensign) 		Blue katakana 3 on dark green background Blue katakana 3 on light green background
Senior Master Petty Officer Blue katakana 4 on red background Blue katakana 4 on yellow background Blue katakana 4 on dark brown background Blue katakana 4 on light blue background Blue katakana 4 on purple background Senior Master Petty Officer Blue katakana 4 on dark green background Blue katakana 4 on light green background
Tai-i
(Captain)
 Blue katakana 5 on red background Blue katakana 5 on yellow background Blue katakana 5 on dark brown background Blue katakana 5 on light blue background Blue katakana 5 on purple background Chu-i
(Lieutenant) 		Blue katakana 5 on dark green background Blue katakana 5 on light green background
Sho-sa
(Major) 		Green katakana 1 on red background Green katakana 1 on yellow background Green katakana 1 on dark brown background Green katakana 1 on light blue background Green katakana 1 on purple background Dai-i
(Lieutenant Commander) 		Green katakana 1 on dark green background Green katakana 1 on light green background
Chu-sa
(Lieutenant Colonel) 		Green katakana 2 on red background Green katakana 2 on yellow background Green katakana 2 on dark brown background Green katakana 2 on light blue background Green katakana 2 on purple background Sho-sa
(Commander) 		Green katakana 2 on dark green background Green katakana 2 on light green background
Tai-sa
(Colonel) 		Green katakana 3 on red background Green katakana 3 on yellow background Green katakana 3 on dark brown background Green katakana 3 on light blue background Green katakana 3 on purple background Captain Green katakana 3 on dark green background Green katakana 3 on light green background
Sho-sho
(Brigadier General) 		Green katakana 4 on red background Green katakana 4 on yellow background Green katakana 4 on dark brown background Green katakana 4 on light blue background Green katakana 4 on purple background Cho-sho
(Commodore) 		Green katakana 4 on dark green background Green katakana 4 on light green background
Tai-sho
(General) 		Green katakana 5 on red background Green katakana 5 on yellow background Green katakana 5 on dark brown background Green katakana 5 on light blue background Green katakana 5 on purple background Tai-sho
(Admiral) 		Green katakana 5 on dark green background Green katakana 5 on light green background
Tai-shu
(Military District Commander) 		Green katakana 5 on red background with green bar underneath Green katakana 5 on yellow background with green bar underneath Green katakana 5 on dark brown background with green bar underneath Green katakana 5 on light blue background with green bar underneath Green katakana 5 on purple background with green bar underneath Tai-shu
(Military District Commander) 		Green katakana 5 on dark green background with green bar underneath Green katakana 5 on light green background with green bar underneath

References

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