Overview
Strategic Ground Command (SCG) is the largest branch of the GTU (Greater Terran Union), with several billion personnel active at any time, even during peace, its generals and Marshall responsible for a far greater percentage of the national defense budget and human lives then the more prestigious Terran Navy. When Deployed the SCG uses a combined arms doctrine in which the enemy's forward defenses are broken by overwhelming force, at which point fresh, uncommitted mobile operational reserves are sent to exploit the strategic depth of an enemy front.
They are responsible for all the victories the GTU has obtained, their ranks are respected and is the occupation many poor people choose, as it gives them a chance to rise in the social ranks and see the galaxy.
Training, Organization and Structure
Unlike pre-Tyrum armies, the Terran Army does not function under principles of individual personnel assignment, a short term volunteer contracts, adopting instead a structure and training regime more akin to that of the Roman Empire, a necessity as the GTU found itself having to control territory over vast distances using massive numbers of soldiers. 20th century military structure was not just unfeasible, it was quite literally impossible. As such, a term of enlistment in the Army lasted for 12 years, with the first two years serving for basic training, either as an officer or enlisted. All recruits enlist as basic entrants to the service and are then directed onto an officer or enlisted track following evaluation of their skills. The initial 2 years are spent to ruthlessly weed out those incapable of being Terran Soldiers, while simultaneously exposing the recruits to a myriad of different combat conditions from close quarters combat on space stations, arctic warfare, combat in an entirely toxic atmosphere, and the training regimes capstone exercise, a full combat drop from orbit. Fatalities were expected and frequently occurred during this training period, with as much as 10% of the class dying or being injured beyond repair (either physically or psychologically). A recruit may at any time be permitted to leave training during their first 2 years, as the service has no desire for those who themselves think they are incapable, though "washouts" carry with them severe social stigma, inability to achieve high citizenship tiers and also are barred from reentry. During times of national emergency, a Draft may also be instituted and citizens forced into the training program. Even then however standards are not relaxed and a recruit may still opt to abandon the program, though in this case they will be relegated into forced labor positions to support the war effort and markedly lower tiers of citizenship.
Those recruits who make it through training will graduate as a unit at the Company level (approximately 1,000 soldiers) Each of the Companies in turn will be combined to form a battalion (10,000 soldiers), which in turn form brigades (100,000 soldiers) and finally a full division, made up of 10 brigades for around 1 million soldiers. Each company of the Terran Army is specialized, so there may be an entire company of Armored soldiers, another light infantry, another of Atmospheric Aircraft pilots and so on. The companies are then organized into various battalions to serve that battalions over all purpose (be it support, armored, artillery, atmospheric etc) and then slotted into Brigades. While a Brigade is nominally intended to be able to deploy on its own initiative and fight under any condition, it is the Division that is the principle unit organization of the Terran Army, and Fleet Command designs its massive troop transports with this in mind.
The Divisions are formed brand new from the massive pools of recruits who graduate, with most recruits rising in authority based on ability. The Division will then spend anywhere from 2 to 5 years training as a cohesive unit before it is approved for combat operations. It rare, but not unheard of for a division to never be approved for combat at all, though in the few instances where this happens results in the general his staff being thrown in prison for squandering resources, and punishments of varying severity for the entire division ranging from prison to tier reduction. For even the lowliest of privates. The most skilled of the new recruits will be either Company commanders at the Captain rank or the companies Squad NCO, a Staff Sergeant. Higher ranking soldiers, Major for the officers and Platoon/Company Senior NCO's Sergeant First Class and above, are granted to soldiers who sign another 10 year term of service at the end of their previous term of enlistment. In the case of the NCO's this is done to insure the newly minted Captains and Lieutenants have a steadying experienced hand to teach things that cannot be taught in training. Promotion for officers during their first 10 years is rare and only comes upon their approval of a second term, which can be denied if the service decides it has no use for such soldiers in higher ranks. Enlisted soldiers have better luck, with the Ranks of Staff Sergeant, Sergeant and Corporal often frequently being given and lost based on need, or happenstance.
The Divisions themselves are often frequently organized into Army groups that can range in size from a 3 divisions to in the case of the invasion of the Xani homeworld of Core during the War in Heaven, 90 divisions. The size of an Army Group itself is based solely on the needs of the moment and not any set standard. Regardless of size however they are all commanded by a 4 star general, with General Ranks below that being given to a division commander as a reflection of that particular commanders ability. The Terran Army has no sub organization between Division and Army group such as Corps or Regiments. Such ad hoc formations are created on the fly as combat dictates, where multiple divisions within an Army group are required to coordinate with each other. In which case the senior ranking division commander would command the overall operation.
At the end of a Divisions 10 years of service the unit flags and standards are retired and presented to a new graduating class of recruits to carry on the legacy should Land Force Command determine a units legacy is worth continuing. It again rare for such a dishonor be given to a unit, but over the centuries many divisions have been permanently retired, their failures deemed too great to overlook and thus be foisted onto a new graduating class. Those soldiers in the retiring division deemed suitable for higher rank are permitted to serve another term of service, this time as the divisions senior cadre of officers and NCO's, thus allowing a continuity of tradition between the soldiers of the prior term and the new.
History (Heavy WIP)
Strategic Ground Command can trace its earliest existence back in the Tryum-Invasion of Earth - when it was made up of various loose-tied paramilitary organisations called the Joint-Defense-Committee. It was when the Battle of Titan was over, that Strategic Ground Command was officially formed by the provisional government at the time (Although it has no real power as former nations retained their armed forces. SCG was simply a symbolic entity). Once Humanity was able to reach the stars - Strategic Ground Command was fully funded and was given the authority to maintain and control a fully fledged army to represent Humanity.
.png){kind=link}