The Threshold Armed Services are the military forces of the Meritocracy of Threshold. The combined services consist of roughly 5.363 Billion Active Duty members and 13.2 Billion Reservists, as well as 275 Million Allied Mercenary forces. Always active, the Threshold Military utilizes a partial-Compulsory service, though a large portion is All-Volunteer, especially the Federal Navy. The Threshold Military comprises of both spaceborne, air, land, and waterborne naval forces.

The First Scholar is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and is advised on military matters by those members of the Directorate with military experience and always the Director of Humanity and Director of Kinship in a military council. During times of war, the First Scholar or Directorate may by 4/9ths majority add a Director of Justice without military experience to the military council. Heads of each branch of the armed forces are also included in the

The Threshold Armed Services originated with the rebels who first stood up against the Intersystem Alliance Military during the Never War. The founders of the Threshold established these rebels and former Alliance military members as the Threshold Defense Force.  This united was renamed the Threshold Armed Services following the War of the First Dominion, as leaders felt it dishonest to call the military a Defense Force if it was openly used to conduct warfare on behalf of other nations. Threshold had entered the war on behalf of Shin-Kansai, and following this, there was an unsuccessful movement to rename the Threshold Armed Services to the Defense Force once more.

The military has been long celebrated in Threshold as an honorable career option, with great pride in that the forces were able to resolve their very first war without considerable bloodshed, and as such also share a similar respect for the Alliance Military who are viewed as wise for their equal lack of violence in the incident. It is also viewed widely as a Humanitarian and Peacekeeping Force, which is viewed by other nations with disdain as being too interventionist.

The Threshold Military played critical roles in the Never War, the War of the First Dominion, and the Threshold Civil War, as well as numerous border incidents with the People's Coalition and various pirate and terror organizations such as the Second Dominion.

Separating itself from other more uniform armed forces, the Threshold military will often reward service members by allowing them to make aesthetic changes to their equipment, adorn their uniform with patches, or make other personalizations. These vary widely based on person and unit. Each command must approve the changes. Some allow a wide variety of tasteful - and sometimes less-than-tasteful changes, while some require alterations from approved lists. The occasional command may require specific changes only, which can often have mixed reactions from their service members - some successfully pull off the changes as a matter of pride in the unit specifically, while others are simply restrictive.

Table of Contents

• Structure
• Participants
• Objectives
• Funding
• Criticisms

Structure

The Threshold Military is organized into five branches; the Navy, Marine Corps, Expeditionary Corps, Sentinel, Commonwealth Guard, and additional Independent Special Warfare groups. They all answer to the First Scholar who acts as the Commander-in-Chief.

Participants

NAVY

FEDERAL NAVY

The Navy is the primary space-warfare service branch of the Threshold. The service is currently comprised of roughly 1.65 Billion servicemembers and roughly 924,000 combat-capable vessels, of which 65,572 are classified as "ships of the line" and another 317,020 are considered "ships-of-the-lance." The Federal Navy is tasked with safeguarding Threshold forces, interests, and allies. While most patrols are typically isolated to Threshold space, some fleets are utilized as "friendship fleets," to travel to other starnations to help maintain good standing.

Its origins trace back to that of the Intersystem Alliance Navy from which it was birthed, and many traditions, practices, and ranks are still quite similar to those held by its parent. The Navy was one of the first established branches of the Threshold Military.

The Navy badge is an eight-pointed compass-rose star over a winged diamond.

VIPER CORPS

Viper Corps Main Page

CORSAIRS

Corsairs are units that operate under naval cognizance though are not necessarily controlled by the Navy. Most are not officially federally employed full-time. Corsair pilots are often eccentric patriots, wealthy, or inheritors of their ships. Some companies may choose to donate security forces ships to the Corsair cause during times of war. It is not uncommon to see Corsair units comprised of old Threshold Navy ships fighting alongside new ships of no recognizable class or make.

MERCHANT CORSAIRS

Merchant-Corsairs are merchant vessels and their crew who have shown enough loyalty to Threshold to be authorized to mount military-grade weaponry and defenses aboard their vessels, and may even be given loan or purchase of older military vessels. As such, they are more capable to operate in sections of space more frequented by pirates and hazards not normally tenable to regular merchantmen. This often means that Merchant Corsairs can make considerably more out of these more dangerous regions, mining and trading high-value goods. They also operate as paid envoys for other merchants and government organizations. Some mega-corporations also operate their own Merchant Corsair fleets. Notable of these are the Halcyon Industries "Shrike Fleet."

BATTLECORSAIRS

The Battlecorsair program is a true "mercenary" one; few under the employ of the government consider themselves "Battlecorsairs," as they generally hold no such strict tie to the government, only insofar as the organization or private military company is allied with Threshold, and usually based within it. While typical contracts are carried out with equipment owned by the PMC. As such, there is no standard level of competency or capability specific to Battlecorsairs, as their level of technology may be modern for some, or they may have little more than civilian-grade weaponry and ships. During wartime the government may authorize the release of weaponry and ships - typically decommissioned ones - to Battlecorsair units as needed, and takes more strict control and responsibility for such units, often incorporating them into their own fleets.

PRIVATEERS

The Navy's relation with privateers is a loose one; privateers are not normally encouraged, but during times of war the Navy does pay private crews for kill confirmations of enemy warships or assets that the Navy would consider holding strategic or tactical value. Unlike other Corsair programs, privateers are not given equipment, supplies, or ships by the federal government.

MARINE CORPS

The Threshold Marine Corps is responsible for the conduct of planetary assault missions and boarding action. They operate as an independent branch of the Threshold Military but often rely on the Navy for transport as they operate no large ships of their own.  However, in order to smooth combat operations, the Threshold Marines do operate their own atmospheric and transatmospheric fighters, bombers, and gunships in order to ensure constant Combat Air Support presence. Marines are used as the primary planetary assault force for the Threshold Military, with some units specializing in variable-gravity scenarios for assaults on stations, ships, small moons, or within the atmospheres of gas-giants or Super-Earths. Marines can also supplement Sentinel for Planetary Defense, in which case they are more suited to recapturing any lost territory.

Unlike Sentinel, the Marines are specialized in fighting from a deployment-scenario; i.e. drop pods, dropships, naval vessels, et cetera, where Sentinel prefer to fight from a readied stance, already entrenched or implanted in their starting position, whereas Marines are trained to start combat with no ground to call their own. As such, they see more combat than Sentinel and are widely considered to be "better combatants."

The Marine Corps badge is a three-pronged starburst with superimposed crossed M1 Garand, M1 MASIR, sword, and two spears.

EXPEDITIONARY CORPS

Expeditionary Forces are those who must often operate entirely independently of normal Threshold control due to the longevity and range of their missions. Due to this isolation, commanders of these units are given total control, and forces that would normally be classified as Marines or Navy are given their own entirely separate branch. The majority of Expeditionary Forces Servicemembers are unmarried individuals, though it is not uncommon for members to intermarry, especially on multi-year missions. For the sake of crew morale, this is allowed.

The Expeditionary Forces badge is an eight-pointed compass-rose star.

EXPLORATORY FORCES

Exploratory Forces, though technically military, do not typically perform military missions and are usually sent to the far reaches of Threshold Space and outside of Threshold Space in search of mine-able worlds, asteroids, researching planets, and searching for native life. Exploratory Forces are only lightly armed -albeit with military-grade weaponry-, primarily to deal with pirates, and to maintain security forces for internal security, though they are trained for full combat roles.

These forces are often very ambassadorial, and only the most professional, mature of sailors may be admitted to ensure the best face of Threshold is shown when traveling to other worlds, new or old alike, as they may be the only impression of Threshold that any of the foreigners may see.

COMBAT SCOUTS

Combat Scouts, in opposition to Exploratory Forces, are entirely designed to operate under combat. Many of their ships are designed to be either as stealthy or fast as possible if not both and may go so far as to insert Special Forces units on planetary bodies. In Peacetime they operate as long-range patrols, criminal infiltration, or conduct espionage, and it is not uncommon for a Combat Scout to deploy alongside an Exploratory vessel for protection.

INDEPENDENT SPECIAL WARFARE UNITS

RAPID INSERTION FORCES TROOPERS

RIFT Main Article

TSALMAVETH

Tsalmaveth Main Page

SENTINEL

The branch known as Sentinel is comprised of both air, ground, and space forces for the purpose of primary planetary defense, stabilization, and support of Marine forces in a planetary assault. Some planets, chief among them Selene, also operate waterborne Naval forces in support of Oceanic trade. While there is federal governance over Sentinel to ensure proper distribution of forces, most planetary commanders have relatively independent control. Sentinel is the closest to a "standing army," type of organization left within the Threshold. Unlike the Commonwealth Guard, Sentinel units are often comprised of groups across the nation.

The Sentinel badge is a pair of crossed spears displayed on a shield, with a sword in the background.

COMMONWEALTH GUARD

BATTLEGUARD

The Battleguard is a combat-capable reserve military unit capable of in-atmosphere planetary defense. Each planet organizes its own Battleguard, which is meant to be the second set of defensive forces, following the federal Marines and Sentinel forces. Battleguard members are not considered Active Duty military and may not be deployed outside of their home-planet except in times of war, planetary crisis, or natural disaster. Battleguard units are usually comprised of volunteers with minimal training, who need not have done military service during their Compulsory Service Period.  Many reserve units exist for the primary goal of being able to train and arm Field Partisans in times of war. Members must serve in a military capacity a minimum of 20 days per year, including at least five days of training and one day for an annual fitness exam.

The Battleguard is responsible for minor planetary defense and operates small starships to augment Sentinel.

FEDERAL CHARTER

Agents of the Federal Charter are a national police force designed to operate on a regional basis within a planet or subsections of a planet, similar to state troopers. During peacetime and times with little civil unrest, they will often operate out of local and large-city offices, assisting local police forces at their request. During times of great unrest, they may be called upon to quell massive riots; the goal of this is to prevent military intervention while still enabling large-scale response in force.

The FC is also equipped to be able to act as urban resistance fighters and combat-instructors in the event of large-scale invasion as Reserve Military forces. Most heavier weaponry attributed to the FC are kept at local Battleguard unit bases, but the largest contribution given by the FC is airborne presence.

FIELD PARTISANS

The Field Partisan program is comprised of the local citizenry, similarly to a Reserve Program, but controlled the township level. Each chapter of Partisans is encouraged to undergo drilling on a regular basis, monthly preferred, though few strict limits are set on a prefecture-level, and none are mandated on a federal level other than that the military facilitates the forming of Partisan chapters and assist in their training when requested, and that no individual may be made a Partisan until they are of eighteen years of age. Partisans have loose ranks, and being a Partisan is often considered a "hobby." Partisans are often armed with nothing more than personal weaponry, though Battleguard units are specifically equipped with stores designed to facilitate "able-bodied" Partisans, in numbers submitted by local Chapters, stocked with small arms and ammunition. This includes some heavy munitions, as a few citizens do have such weapons registered, giving the Field Partisan limited Anti-Materiel and Anti-Air capabilities. Most chapters do not have uniforms, though many of those near cities have donned more traditional uniforms from previous warfare periods, with many being authentic.

The Field Partisan Program is designed to make the continued occupation of the Threshold entirely untenable, especially in the hilly and mountainous regions where the local populace would be able to maintain more defensible footholds against large military forces. In periods of extended warfare on home-soil, it is the goal that the Field Partisans would be the makings of replacement combatant forces to shore up gaps in the initial fighting, following reserve units.

It is highly stressed upon Field Partisans that they may be called upon, in times of war, to help facilitate evacuation and coordination, though they are unlikely to be used as law enforcement in this case.

RANKS

Ranks in the Threshold of Hadrian Military typically follow Alliance-rank style, yet also incorporate Japanese titles to help differentiate or shorten titles.

OFFICER RANKS

*Cadets are not authorized to take command, nor fall into the standard ranking, and therefore are not to be rendered honors by enlisted personnel.

**Commodore is a brevet rank meant to distinguish a battlegroup commander when multiple Captains exist in command of multiple ships and no Admiral is present to assume command over the unit.

ENLISTED RANKS

*Supplementing "Master" are additional ranks, in order, "Command," "Fleet (or) Unit", and "Sector" for equal paygrade but denoting authority over all enlisted in his respective unit. Additionally, one E-9 position per branch exists, adding the suffix of "of the [branch]"  following the rank title."

Objectives

While each branch holds specific objectives, the root objectives of the military as a whole are:

• Defense of the Threshold, its allies, and interests

• Force projection and deterrence

• Domestic Spacelane Policing

• Expeditions into uncharted space

Funding

The organization is funded through tax payments from the citizens of the Threshold. Corsair groups may obtain additional funding, which is taxed by the Navy proper corollary to their federally-backed equipage, through independent jobs.

Criticisms

Apart from the name being melodramatic, the use of the Tsalmaveth, or "Tsale," - particularly their manner of conscription - is widely cited as being inhumane. Many oppose the recruiting of children and adolescents for martial purposes, though the Threshold military maintains that it is an all-volunteer force and that the recipients, should they wish to leave, are free to do so at any time and receive luxurious compensation. That many do not have given rise to claims of brainwashing and Stockholm syndrome. While the Tsale are on record for having higher rates of PTSD post-service, each member is required to pass psychiatric evaluations.