Kalistani Major History

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Kalistani Regular Force Announces formation of Nordic Corps at Lhasa MWTC, Neveras
Regiment of Regular Special Forces to be drawn from Infantry, focus on deep reconnaissance
Lhasa, Neveras
October 19, 5356


Elements of The Central Regulars conducting Cold Weather Training at Lhasa MWTC

The Minister of Defense, Col Heather Y. Bradley, stated today that the Republic has settled on finalized plans to create a special forces unit for the Kalistani Regular Force. The unit, known as the Nordic Corps, will primarily operate in mountainous terrain around the Republic and will be invitation only, drawn exclusively from the enlisted Ranks. The Nordic Corps will be based at Lhasa Mountain Warfare Training Center, in Lhasa Neveras, which is an expeditionary base currently, and not permanently staffed or occupied. This unit will replace the now defunct Airborne reconnaissance units which the Republic demobilized at the start of the Imperial Period.

"The National Security of Kalistan dictates that the Regular Forces have an all terrain reconnaissance unit capable of operating proficiently throughout the entire Republic," said Col. Bradley. "To this end, The National Assembly has authorized the Defense Ministry to found a new Unit under the Command Structure of Army Central, permanently based in Lhasa at the MWTC, who will not only utilize the training area around the Center, including Nevaras Peak, the highest Mountain in the Kalistan's Suldanor Mountains along the border with Baltusia, but also the entire Glacier Creek as it flows through the Center, as its rear area. HQ Nordic Corps will be stationed on Mainside and a new permanent personnel BEQ and BOQ as well as new permanent facilities will be built on base to house two battalion's worth of Regular Soldiers. The Nordic Corps will form the nucleus of a new Special Forces Program in Kalistan, replacing the defunct Airborne units which Kalistan has not mobilized in several hundred years, and will primarily be responsible for deep reconnaissance, observation, and vanguard actions in support of Regular Maneuver."

The newly formed Nordic Corps will consist of a light regiment strength (about 1800 soldiers) and will carry out missions involving all manner of reconnaissance, including serving as boarding forces attached to the Regular Navy. "Our efforts will focus on deep reconnaissance to serve as eyes well forward of any main body troop maneuver," said Bradley. "To perform these multi-facetted and demanding roles for the Regular Force, the Nordic Corps must be able to operate in all weather, over all terrain. They must be capable and competent to operate in small units, and they must be skilled in Operational Security to the highest level. They must be fearless fighters who will not hesitate to do all that is necessary to accomplish their mission.

"The Nordic Corps must also be highly trained elite soldiers capable of enduring grueling forced marches on little food or water deep into hostile territory and must show a high degree of inventiveness and skill in living off the land, so to speak, well away from any population centers for long periods of time. They must be expert swimmers, and preferable top scorers in the biennial physical fitness tests that all Regulars undergo. In addition, they must be careerists: No Regular below the rank of E4 will be invited to join, and all field officers will be commissioned from within the ranks. The rear Regiment HQ will be staffed by Officers and NCOs who would otherwise be qualified for the program. Nordic Corps will be considered a hardship assignment--family men and women will not be invited to join."

The re-creation of an elite Special Forces Unit was done to allow the Regular Force to rely less on the Militia for Reconnaissance service. "The dependency that the Regular Force had on the Militia was tested during the period where the Militia didn't exist," admitted Bradley. "A lot of our units had to learn quickly how to do recon, and luckily, we did not have any major conflicts that required any sort of special operations. The formation of the Nordic Corps will allow the Regulars to do our own recon, as well as support the Regular Navy in their interdiction operations at Sea, and free up the Militia to lean further into to its traditional role as an irregular auxiliary force."

Bradley added that she expects the Corps to be fully stood up within 6 months. "We have been preliminarily invited to Lourenne to participate in their Altitude Exercises, and the General Staff is excited to participate," said Bradley. "As a matter of fact, the first elements we invite, and begin training should be ready to participate within two months: Since every unit cycles through Lhasa eventually, we will first invite those who have been here recently. The process will involve a formal recommendation, a trial two week period of intensive training, followed by a formal invitation of the top performers, and reassignment and rebilletting. We currently have Quonset huts on Mainside which serve as expeditionary barracks, as well as field bivouac areas. While we are standing up the Nordic Corps, and building new permanent barracks, a larger commissary, a more complete medical facility, and other amenities on Mainside, new joins will billet in existing facilities."

The Colonel said she expects the unit to split once it is fully formed, with one battalion remaining in Lhasa as a cold weather force, while the other battalion relocating to Ananto to be stationed at Fort Henry Allen in Dahriel, Bozo River Combined Air Ground Training Center at Bozo River, or some other base to be constructed in the Green Mountains. "To be determined," said Bradley. "We are still in the planning stages for a possible deployment, but we know we want to have a warmer weather center as well as the more often than not cold climate at Lhasa. Ananto is the likely spot for that, where ever the base happens to be."

For now, the monitors are reviewing officer records, and will be selecting an expeditionary company to relocate to Lhasa within two weeks. By Late December, the first enlisted men should be arriving at the base to begin selection.