Interstellar Coalition Terrestrial Army

"'There's some who've forgotten why we have a military. It is not when the forces of freedom are strong, but it is when they are weak that tyrants are tempted. The mission of the Coalition will always be the preservation of lasting and enduring stellar peace. But to have peace we must first have strength.' —SECGEN George Mildred Faulkner, Quincentenary Address, 26 June 2677" The Interstellar Coalition Terrestrial Army (ICTA) is the combined terrestrial service branch of the Coalition Forces Authority. Founded on 30 November 2077, it is the largest of the three uniformed services of the CFA, itself divided into three equal and coordinated Corps: the Aerospace Corps, the Army Corps and the Maritime Corps. Following the formation of the Coalition of Congressional Republics, the vast military reorganizations undertaken in 2077 culminated in the merger of all preexisting ground forces in the Solar System into the Interstellar Coalition Terrestrial Army. The ICTA considers itself descended from the combined heritage of all terrestrial military forces in human history, and possesses a rich and storied culture.

As a uniformed service, the ICTA operates under the civilian oversight of the Department of the Army, which is among the military departments of the Department of Security Authority. The Secretary of the Army (SECARMY) acts as the civilian senior liaison and overseer of the ICTA. He cooperates closely with the Chief of Staff of the Terrestrial Army (CSTA), whom acts as chief military officer of the ICTA and acts as a sitting member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Both officials are directly appointed by the Secretary-General of the Coalition, albeit with the advice of the General Congress.

The ICTA's active personnel numbered 2.152 billion troops in 2698, with an additional 1.32 billion pertaining to the Terrestrial Army Reserve. The combined-component strength of the ICTA rests at a total of 3.472 billion personnel, consistently dwarfing the power and scale of any past military in human history. The declared mission of the ICTA is to "Guarantee the stability of the Coalition through expeditionary and defensive means, fight and win the Coalition's wars, be they internal or external in nature, and to provide prompt land, air and sea dominance capacity across the full spectrum of military operations".

Mission
The Code of Laws of the Coalition of Congressional Republics (often abbreviated to Coalition Code) defines the mission of the ICTA in 14 Coalition Code § 8612 as follows:


 * It is the intent of the Coalition's Congress to establish a unified Terrestrial Army that is capable, in tandem with the other armed services of the Coalition, of:
 * (1) Guaranteeing peace through strength within the Coalition and providing for the defense, both internal and external, for the Coalition, its constituent republics, and any areas being settled by the Coalition;
 * (2) Supporting, fulfilling and implementing Coalition policy and objectives;
 * (3) Overcoming any entities, persons, polities and organizations responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the Coalition
 * The Terrestrial Army, organized under the Department of the Army, shall include land, air and sea service components organized as Corps of the Terrestrial Army. It shall be organized, trained, and equipped with prompt and sustained combat pertaining to operations on terrestrial combat theatres in mind. The Terrestrial Army is to be responsible for the preparation of combined terrestrial forces forces necessary for the effective and extended prosecution of war.

Organization
The Interstellar Coalition Terrestrial Army is organized into three distinct Corps, each bearing unique responsibilities over air, land and sea components respectively. The Army Corps is the largest branch of the three branches, and carries the brunt of terrestrial peer combat, power projection and peacekeeping roles. The role of the Aerospace and Maritime Corps are to complement and support the operations and roles of the Army Corps through maritime and aerospace dominance.

Army Corps
The ICTA-ARC is divided into multiple branches and careers, affording an expansive and broad variety of diverse professions, tasks and career choices for personnel. This is especially important given the ICTA's broad and multipurpose role as a terrestrial fighting force.

Aerospace Corps
The ICTA-AC is integrated in its deployments, operating alongside the Army Corps and the Maritime Corps. Aiming to provide aerial dominance, logistical support and general combat support to the other branches, the Aerospace Corps is responsible for all fixed-wing air assets of the Terrestrial Army.

The classification of any Aerospace Corps personnel is defined by their Aerospace Corps Specialty Code (ACSC). ACSC officer classifications range from pilots, weapons systems officers, special tactical officers, nuclear and ballistic missile management, intelligence officers, cyberspace and signals operations, JAGs, medical doctors, to nurses and other medical personnel. Enlisted specialties may range from flight-related combat support operations such as loadmaster, to working in DFACs to maintain proper sustainment for Aerospace Corps personnel.

Aerospace Corps aircraft are bound to the Aerospace Corps Designation System (ACDS), allowing aircraft of the Terrestrial Army to be identified competently and cohesively. Examples exist under this system:


 * HA = Hathor
 * ME = Mera
 * SO = Sol

Through this system, adequate details about an aircraft can be provided. For example:

HA 83 8562, ME FF

The ACSN indicates that the aircraft was produced in the Hathor System in the year 2683, and was the 8,562th aircraft of its kind built that year. The following ACTC code, ME FF, indicates it is currently assigned to the Mera System, with 'FF' standing for Fort Phoenix Aeroforce Base, situated on the planet Djehuty.

Due to the sheer size of the Coalition, two-letter airbase codes are often recycled, and thus 'HA FF' would refer to an entirely different facility, as it is an entirely different star system.

Aerospace Corps Aircraft Designation System (ACADS)
ACADS is a comprehensive and unified system of designating Aerospace Corps aircraft, largely inheriting its methodology from the Estrian Air Force. Listed below is the nomenclature.

Status Prefixes

Status prefixes are allocated to aircraft not currently undertaking normal operations, typically for research, testing and development.


 * G = Permanently grounded
 * J = Special test, temporary
 * N = Special test, permanent
 * X = Experimental
 * Y = Prototype
 * Z = Planning

Primary Identification

Each aircraft has a purpose-built mission. It is the prefix to the aircraft's designation.


 * A = Attack aircraft (for tactical air-to-surface mission)
 * B = Bomber (for strategic air-to-surface mission)
 * C = Transport (Cargo)
 * D = Airborne Destroyer
 * E = Electronic warfare, Special Electronic installation,
 * F = Fighter
 * K = Tanker
 * L = Laser-equipped
 * M = Multi-mission
 * O = Observation (Forward Air Control)
 * P = Maritime patrol
 * Q = Unmanned aerial vehicle
 * R = Reconnaissance
 * S = Anti-submarine warfare
 * T = Trainer
 * U = Utility
 * X = Special research

Secondary Identification


 * A = Attack


 * C = Cargo (i.e., transport)


 * D = Drone (i.e., drone control)


 * E = Electronic warfare


 * F = Fighter
 * G = Guided Missile Combatant (Aerial Warships)
 * H = Search and rescue, MEDEVAC
 * L = Equipped for cold weather operations
 * M = Multi-mission (i.e., Special Operations)
 * O = Observation
 * P = Maritime patrol
 * Q = Unmanned aerial vehicle
 * R = Reconnaissance
 * S = Surface warfare
 * T = Trainer
 * U = Utility
 * V = VIP transport
 * W = Weather reconnaissance

Tertiary Identification

Tertiary missions are typically allocated to aerial warships, denoting their source of power.


 * A = Conventional Fuel
 * F = Fusion Reactor

Maritime Corps
Tracing its roots to the combined wet naval forces of Mankind, the ICTA-MC's designated role is to support and provide assistance to combined terrestrial operations through exacting maritime dominance and anti-space roles. The Maritime Corps presides over surface combatant vessels, surface logistics vessels, submarines and ASAT/ABM sea platforms. A variety of branches operate under the Maritime Corps, purposed towards ensuring improved specialization and sustainment for the operations of the Maritime Corps and its assets.

Ranks and Insignia
The Terrestrial Army utilizes a unified enlisted and officer rank system.

Terrestrial Army Careers
The Terrestrial Army utilizes a system for easy identification and categorization of its careers and specialties, where upon they receive formal specialized training after completion of BCT. Army personnel adhere to the Terrestrial Army Occupational Specialty (TAOS) system, which utilizes an E/O prefix to differentiate enlisted and officer, followed by a two-digit alphanumeric code known as a Specialty Code, followed by a further identifying alphabetical letter, which may be followed by another letter. For example,

TAOS E11B (Infantry, Enlisted)

Related TAOS codes are grouped under Career Management Fields (CMF), which determine the Specialty Code. Listed below are several common CMFs and their TAOS codes.

Army Infantry (11)
11B Infantryman

11C Indirect Fire Infantryman (Mortarman)

11X Undetermined Infantry (Open Enlistment Option, B/C determined during training.)

11Z Infantry Senior Sergeant

Army Engineer (12)
12A Engineer Senior Sergeant

12B Combat Engineer

12C Bridge Crewmember

12D Diver

12G Quarrying Specialist (RC)

12H Construction Engineering Supervisor

12K Plumber

12M Firefighter

12N Horizontal Construction Engineer

12P Prime Power Production Specialist

12Q Space Engineer

12R Interior Electrician

12T Technical Engineer

12V Synthetic & Robotics Maintenance

12W Carpentry and Masonry Specialist

12X General Engineering Supervisor

12Y Geospatial Engineer

12Z Combat Engineering Senior Sergeant

Field Artillery (13)
13B Cannon Crewmember

13C Targeting Technician

13F Fire Support Specialist

13J Fire Control Specialist (Formerly 13P and 13D)

13M Multiple Launch Rocket System/High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Crewmember

13R Field Artillery Firefinder Radar Operator

13Z Field Artillery Senior Sergeant/Sergeant Major

Anti-Air/Anti-Space Defense Artillery (14)
14A Command and Control Systems Integrator

14E POLEMARCH Fire Control Enhanced Operator/Maintainer

14G Air Defense Battle Management System Operator

14H Air Defense Enhanced Early Warning System Operator

14K Air And Missile Defense (AMD) Tactician

14L Air and Missile Defense (AMD) Technician (Polemarch Systems Technician)

14P Air and Missile Defense Crewmember

14S Avenger Crew Member

14T POLEMARCH Launching Station Enhanced Operator/Maintainer

14Z Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Senior Sergeant

Army Corps Aviation (15)
15A Air Traffic and Aerospace Management Technician

15B Aviation Combined Arms Operations

15C Aviation All-Source Intelligence

15D Aviation Maintenance Technician

15E Attack/Gunship Hovercraft Pilot

15F Attack/Gunship Hovercraft Crew

15G Utility Hovercraft Pilot

15H Utility Hovercraft Crew

15I Attack/Gunship Rotorcraft Pilot

15J Attack/Gunship Rotorcraft Crew

15K Fixed Wing Aviator, Prop

15L Fixed Wing Aviator, Jet

15M Aircraft Powerplant Repairer

15N Aircraft Powertrain Repairer

15O Unmanned Aircraft Systems Repairer

15P Aircraft Electrician

15Q Aircraft Structural Repairer

15R Aircraft Pneudraulics Repairer

15S Aircraft Components Repair Supervisor

15T Aircraft Antigrav Repairer

15U Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations Technician

15V Avionics Mechanic

15W Aviation Operations Specialist

15X Air Traffic Control Operator

15Y Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator

15Z Aircraft Maintenance Senior Sergeant

Cyber Warfare (16)
17A Cyber Operations Specialist

17B Cyber Operations Technician

17C Electronic Warfare Specialist

Aerospace Operations (17)
17A Operations Commander

17B Bomber Pilot

17C Aerial Warship Commander

17D Aerial Warship Crew

17E Experimental Test Pilot

17F Fighter Pilot

17G Bomber Combat Systems Officer

17H Combat Rescue Pilot

17I Experimental Test Combat Systems Officer

17J Fighter Weapon Systems Officer (WSO)

17K Trainer Pilot

17L Generalist Pilot

17M Mobility Pilot

17N Generalist Combat Systems Officer

17O Transatmospheric Pilot

17P Transatmospheric Combat Systems Officer

17Q Combat Rescue Combat Systems Officer

17R Recce/Surv/Elect Warfare Pilot

17S Special Operations Pilot

17T Trainer Combat Systems Officer

17U Unmanned Operator

17V Mobility Combat Systems Officer

17W Recce/Surv/Elect Warfare Combat Systems Officer

17X Special Operations Combat Systems Officer

17Y Air Battle Manager

17Z Special Tactics Officer

17AA Combat Rescue Officer

17AB Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Officer

17AC Airfield Operations

17AD Nuclear and Missile Operations

17AE Multi-Domain Warfare Officer

17AF Space Operations

17AG Information Operations

17AH Intelligence

17AI Operations Research Analyst

17AJ Weather and Environmental Sciences Officer

17AK Regional Affairs Officer

17AL Aerospace Corps Operations Staff Officer

17AM Political-Military Affairs Strategist

17AN Planning & Programming

17AO Cyberspace Operations Commander

17AP Cyberspace Operations

17AQ Cyberspace Warfare Operations Officer

Special Forces (18)
18A Special Forces Officer

18B Special Forces Combat Operator

18D Special Forces Medical Operator

18E Special Forces Communications Operator

18F Special Forces Intelligence Operator

18X Special Forces Candidate

18Z Special Forces Senior Operator

Armored Force (19)
19A Armor Officer

19B Armor Crewman