Kalistani Major History

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Militia Stands Up
Institutionalist Militia of Kalistan conducts first drills in Northern Kalistan
Dulnerstaad, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 6, 5516


Militia Members practice Sea rescue in Conjunction with 2nd Regular Navy

The Institutionalist Party's Militia, officially known as the Institutionalist Partisans, is nearly fully stood up, and has launched into a full multi-base exercise rotation called "Northern Watch." The training exercise, which features training exercises pitting Militia forces against Kalistani Regulars is taking place in the Green Mountains of Ananto, including on the Bozo River Combined Arms Training Center, along the Northern Limit off Dulnerstaad, and in the Mountain Warfare Training Center near Lhasa. Militia Artillery, infantry and LAFA units are practicing coordinated fires, irregular tactics like ambush, deep infiltration and sabotage, and long range reconnaissance.

"Kalistan has a long tradition of highly trained militias," said Militia Staff Sergeant Allison Kreuger. "The SP's militia is also our model, though we tend to be a little more dependent on infantry than they were and a little less tied to field howitzers. This makes us somewhat more agile than the old Socialist militia, but less able to pack heavy punches at modern armor." The change in structure and mission in the new Institutionalist Militia reflects a growing need for irregular forces in Kalistan. "Keeping Partisans mobile and able to adapt to a changing environment is more in line with the defensive needs of the Empire in coming battles: If Kalistan is ever invaded, there is a chance that stationary artillery firebases will be quickly over run and we need to have the experience and ability to fight well behind the lines, on limited supplies and communications for long periods of time, and our training needs to reflect this."

During this training exercise, which is meant to stress militia members to the breaking point, units live and operate in highly secure, very remote locations that serve as mobile bases of operation. Nothing is meant to be secure, with each location only being occupied for up to 8 hours at a maximum. Food is also scarce during the operations, and militia members are expected to learn to forage and scavenge for food and water. Various survival skills are practices, including finding and distilling water, edible and medicinal flora, orienteering and field cartography, surveying, community relations, demolitions and sabotage of communications and logistics infrastructure and climbing, rappelling and rope work.

"In the Marine units," said Staff Sergeant Kreuger, "we work with the Regular Navy to do water training, including free diving, snorkeling, and scuba operations, as well as underwater demolitions, mine placement and defusing, explosive ordinance disposal, and rescues and recovery at sea. The Marine Militia spends the majority of every day in the water, and must be exceptionally strong swimmers or they cannot stay in the program."

During the "Northern Watch" exercises, Militia are trained to operate behind enemy lines and harass the enemy, aiming to deny them sleep, communication and any form of security. "We train the militia to demoralize enemy units before they can wipe out the militia units," explained SSgt Krueger. "An enemy without rest is less effective fighting, and the best way to accomplish this is through hit and run tactics where the militia unit engages and then evaporates before the response can be made. This might involve a fire team shooting a sentry out of a tower on a base, or ambushing an advancing unit, or launching mortars into a camp in the middle of the night. Anything to prevent the enemy from resting in Kalistan. A tired army is a softened army, and a softened army is a demoralized army. And those are types we wish to prepare the regular forces to fight."

With the Institutionalist Partisans stood up in Kalistan and coordinating with the Regular Forces as Doctrine requires, they are well on their way to restoring the Nation's reputation for irregular warfare. Kalistan continues to build defenses against any threat whether it be on the distant horizon, or in our back yard.