Star Army Rikugun

The rikugun (陸軍, りくぐん, Land Army) is the combined planetary forces of the Star Army of Yamatai. These are the units and soldiers that are not part of the fleet, or uchuugun (宇宙軍, Space Army). Although the Rikugun is not considered an independent branch of the Star Army of Yamatai, ever-expanding planetary forces have increasingly asserted their own identity in ways like differences in uniforms.

Profile
Established	YE 32
Chief of Rikugun Staff	Taisho Mizumitsu Benji
Allegiance	Yamatai Star Empire
Subordinate to	Star Army of Yamatai
Headquarters	Kyoto, Yamatai (Planet)
Personnel Strength	12,591,000

Founded in YE 32, the Star Army Rikugun was created as the designated planetary forces of the Star Army of Yamatai. The Rikugun's unique identity did not begin to emerge until YE 37 with the creation of the Star Army Field Uniform, Type 37. The culture has since begun to diverse from their ship bound brethren.

In YE 42 a series of reforms were implemented, based on lessons from the Kuvexian War. It is the first such large scale reforms since their founding 10 years prior. Another set of guidelines were issued in YE 45 to further refine the efforts initiated in YE 42.

The Star Army Rikugun differs from the Fleets as a dedicated headquarter has developed. The Headquarters, Rikugun consists of the Chief of Rikugun General Staff, Deputy Chief of Rikugun General Staff (a Chujo), staff officers, and enlisted personnel/Emma Androids supporting the staff officers. It is currently co-located with Star Army Command at Kyoto, Yamatai.

The Rikugun Chief of Staff is responsible for advising the Commander of the Star Army on all matters related to the Rikugun. It is largely an administrative/strategic position, with operational control in the hands of legion commanders and below.

The basic framework for deploying Rikugun soldiers are the legions. The structure of legions grants them just enough resources to achieve operational independence if required. Unit levels above the legion are largely administrative in nature to help coordinate their actions in accordance with the Commander of the Star Army.

10 permanent Area Armies currently exist as of YE 42. 4 are designated to be forward deployed or share garrison resources. The remaining 6 have ground combatant authority within regions of the empire, jointly working with a fleet area of responsibility. They can of course rotate with forward-deployed Area Armies or on their own should it be required. But during wars, additional Area Armies are fielded using the hundreds of reserve and permanent separate legions.

Current Rikugun Structure

The ten permanent Area Armies are:

• 1st Area Army (Responsible for defense and operations in the Western Half of the Core Worlds)
• 2nd Area Army (Responsible for defense and operations in the Bard Cluster)
• 3rd Area Army (Responsible for defense and operations in the Motoyoshi Colonial Sector)
• 4th Area Army (Responsible for the defense and operations Eastern half of the Core Worlds)
• 5th Area Army (Supplements the 2nd Area Army's Area of Responsibility)
• 6th Area Army (Responsible for the defense and operations in Military Districts and the Saiki Cluster)
• 7th Area Army (Responsible for the defense and operations on Non-incorporated worlds)
• 8th Area Army (Designated as Rikugun first responders to the Elysian Celestial Empire)
• 9th Area Army (Special Tasks such as administration of Reserves, training, etc)
• 1st Expeditionary Army (Area Army strength, but designed for long-range deployments)

Notable seperate formations are:

• Legion 777

In addition to the regular soldiers of the Rikugun, a number of advanced trained soldiers also are used to enhance the Rikugun and the Star Army of Yamatai as a whole.

• Rikugun Scouts
• Rikugun Rangers

The Replacement Army Division (RAD) is the Rikugun component of the Star Army Reserve tasked with training a ready reserve of soldiers to defend the Yamatai Star Empire. Presently 33 Area Armies comprise the division, which rotates active duty status every three months (11 are always training and ready to deploy at any time within the 9th Area Army). They largely consist of Mass Produced Soldiers, but a sizeable portion is civilians that wish to not serve full time.

The following are Star Army Facilities currently operated with the Rikugun or shared with other divisions of the Star Army.

Due to being a division of the Star Army of Yamatai responsible for planetary operations, occupations within the Rikugun are limited to what is needed to accomplish their missions. Occupation specializations such as doctors are provided by the rest of the Star Army of Yamatai.

Below are the occupations one can enlist/commission into for the Rikugun:

• Rikugun Infantry
• Star Army Combat Vehicle Operator (Ground and Aerial)
• Rikugun Pilot (Fighters)

• Rikugun Military Police
• Rikugun Combat Engineer (Combat Engineer)
• Rikugun Intelligence Analyst (non-operatives, operatives are attached as needed)

• Rikugun Field Medic/ RBC Specialist
• Rikugun Ground Electronic Support
• Rikugun Technician (Armorer, Starfighter/Shuttle, Mechanic)
• Rikugun Food Service Specialist
• Rikugun Clerk
• Rikugun Logistics Specialist
• Rikugun Combat Camera
• Rikugun Bandmember

In order to stand out from the rest of the Star Army of Yamatai, the Rikugun has created the following uniforms:

• Star Army Field Uniform, Type 37
• Star Army Field Uniform, Type 31 [Combat Vehicles Operators and Aircraft Pilots]

Since its foundation in YE 32, the Rikugun has gradually adopted a different way of thinking compared to other members of the Star Army of Yamatai. Here are some key differences:

• Rikugun soldiers (especially mass-produced soldiers) prefer the fresh air and solid ground of planets. They can become uneasy within the “comforts” of a starship. Those who cross-train experience this to a lesser degree.
• Rikugun infantry have a rivalry with ship-bound infantry over who is the true inheritor of the occupation.
• Rikugun soldiers can be a superstitious lot in an Empire that really isn't religious. The heavy action they experience creates a belief that a number of items or actions are either good luck or bad luck. For example, not eating the mint in the Star Army Field Rations, Type 38 curses you for the day.
• Rikugun soldiers respect their fellow members in the Star Army of Yamatai, doing what is needed to be done to complete the mission. But they deeply respect other members who are willing to get into the “dirt” with them. These individuals they affectionately call “tenshi”, Yamataigo (邪馬台語) for an angel. The most conscious of soldiers will be careful not to say it around Elysians unless they are the subject of the term.
• Many Rikugun soldiers secretly admire their “cousins” in the Nepleslian Space Marine Corps and are the most likely to accept a Nepleslian's challenge to fisticuffs.
• Due to the massive numbers an individual is expected to lead compared to the fleet, the Rikugun has a vastly more regimented lifestyle. There is a great deal of emphasis on delegation of leadership, discipline, and professionalism. Soldiers that don't have jobs beyond combat are often found doing busywork with a Joto Hei leading them. Busywork can range from cutting grass, painting rocks, to actual details that matter (field testing equipment).

Rikugun Standard Issue is given to every member of the Rikugun upon assignment to a unit (existing soldier) or entering initial training. At the unit level, there are a great number of systems shared between the Rikugun and the Uchuugun. But the following at the most common equipment you will see used by the Rikugun.

• Star Army Rikugun Infantry, Type 42

• Corona Heavy Gunship, Star Army Variant

• Type 30 Akira-class Hoverbike
• Yusou Type 33 Grav-APC

• Tasha M9 Autonomous Tank
• Camie M11 Construction Mecha

• Type 31 "Troll" Tank
• Type 41 "Bulldog" Main Battle Tank

• Origin Hi-Cabs (Star Army Variants)
• Type 30 Cargo Truck
  • Type 30 Shelter Truck
• Type 30 Container Handling Vehicle
• Type 30 Light Utility Truck
• Type 30 Surface Terrain Vehicle
  • Artillery Trailer, STV, Type 31
  • Cargo STV
  • Recovery STV
  • Utility STV
• Type 31 Light Utility Truck
• Star Army Ke-K3 Forklift
• Light Surface Terrain Vehicle, Type 42

• Service Android, Type 36A "Emma"
• EM-J2-1a Geboku Android (SAOY)
• "Mobile Spanner" Drone (repair bot)
• EM-J4 MARI Series Drone (Service repair bot)
• Variable Configuration Mission Adaptive Drones
  • Variable Configuration Mission Adaptive Drone - Aerial
  • Variable Configuration Mission Adaptive Drone - Terrain
  • Variable Configuration Mission Adaptive Drone - Marine
• Reprisal Defense System
• EM-J5-1 Flying Assistant Robot Series (SAOY)

• Star Army Rifle, Type 33 (Being phased out)
• Star Army Rifle, Type 41 (Currently found mostly with Rangers and experienced light infantry units, replacing Type 33)
• GP-12 Phased Pulse Rifle
• Aetheric Heavy Anti-Material Rifle, Type 41
• Type 41 Turbo Aether Plasma Shotgun
• Type 35 Automatic Grenade Launcher
• Machine Gun, 35mm, Type 30
• Shoulder-Fired Launcher, Anti-Armor Missile, Type 30
• Star Army Survival Knife, Type 40
• Star Army Explosives
• Star Army Hand Grenades

Personal Gear

Wes created this article on 2015/01/27 07:58 Demibear updated this article on 2020/10/15 01:39.

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