Bastian Crucis March Militia

Crucis March Militia -Brigade logo.png
Bastian Crucis March Militia
Formed 2754[1]
Affiliation Federated Suns
Parent Command Crucis March Militia

The Bastian Crucis March Militia was responsible for defending the worlds of the Bastian Combat Region.

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

In common with the other March Militias found across the Federated Suns, the Bastian Crucis March Militia or Bastian CrMM was formed in 2754 as a result of the Preparedness Act enacted by First Prince Richard Davion in 2735.[2] Richard established a formal training program aimed at increasing the general readiness level of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns reserve forces and formalized the structure of the March Militias, bringing the planetary militias into a common structure.[1]

Richard established a system whereby each of the Marches within the Federated Suns conducted internal wargames every two years, with those wargames being inspired by the Martial Olympiad conducted by the Star League Defense Force every four years. Each March Militia was formed as an ad hoc brigade drawing on the winners from each planetary militia across each Combat Region. These ad hoc brigades then competed against each other at a March level to earn the title of "Best Prepared" March Militia within each of the three Marches.[1]

The wargames proved to be very popular and by 2750 the prestige that was associated with the "Best Prepared" title inspired troops in every combat region to give their best effort, with some commands making plans years in advance to try and ensure that they were ready. After the close of the 2754 games First Prince John Davion activated all of the combat region commands as federal troops and formed them into the March Militias; while this move was controversial and provoked a flurry of judicial cases opposing the creation of the commands, it also added twenty BattleMech-equipped combat commands to the AFFS in a single stroke. Many of the planets that provided troops for the games were resentful of having their best militia troops pressed into federal service, and it would be 2763 before the last of the cases worked its way through the courts. With the final ruling going in favor of Prince John, he then moved to allay many of the fears expressed by the planets involved by laying down specific instructions that the March Militias wouldn't be deployed outside their home combat regions except under a small number of very rare and clearly-defined exceptions.[1]

Like the other Crucis March Militias the Bastian CrMM was well-equipped, much more so than the average Capellan March Militia or Draconis March Militia, and soon established a constant training regimen. The Bastian CrMM was highly active, leading to a readiness level greater than might have been expected of a militia formation, and acted as a mobile reserve for the Bastian Combat Region and a staging ground through which planetary militia soldiers could move on into the AFFS, while retiring AFFS personnel moved into the March Militia to pass on their knowledge and experience.[1] The Bastian CrMM was one of ten March Militia brigades founded within the Crucis March in 2754, with the other nine being the Anjin Muerto, Broken Wheel, Islamabad, Kestrel, Malagrotta, Marlette, New Avalon, Point Barrow and Tsamma Crucis March Militias.[3]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Bastian Crucis March Militia

Tactics[edit]

Unknown.

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

Bastian Crucis March Militia (Regiment/Green/Questionable)[3]

- One BattleMech regiment[1]
- Two armor regiments[1]
- Three infantry regiments[1]
- One mobile artillery battalion[1]
- Two aerospace wings, each of eighteen aerospace fighters[1]
- The Bastian CrMM was stationed on Susulatna at this point in time.[3][4]

2786–2821[edit]

Bastian Crucis March Militia (Regiment/Green/Questionable)[5]

- At this point in time the Militia was a light-weight unit operating at full regimental strength, and was based on Susulatna.[5] In 2821 the unit was operating at just over one-fifth of full strength.[5]

2830[edit]

Bastian CrMM (Regiment/Regular/Questionable)[6]

Note: At this point in time the light-weight unit was stationed on Bastian with an operational readiness of 52 percent.[6]

2864[edit]

Bastian CrMM (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[6]

Note: At this point in time the light-weight unit was stationed on Bastian with an operational readiness of 22 percent.[6]

Notes[edit]

  • Field Report 2765: AFFS attributes the Preparedness Act of 2735 to both Richard Davion[2] and Roger Davion.[1] Because other sources indicate that Richard Davion was First Prince in 2735, and that Roger Davion died in 2703, the latter attribution is probably an error.
  • The Bastian CrMM was no longer in existence by 3025,[7] and the Bastian Combat Region had become the Remagen Combat Region,[8] guarded by the Remagen Crucis March Militia[7]—although Remagen itself was a part of the New Avalon Combat Region.[8] It is therefore likely, but not certain, that the Bastian CrMM was either re-roled as the Remagen CrMM, or was destroyed or disbanded during the Succession Wars.

References[edit]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 21: "Federated Suns March Militias"
  2. 2.0 2.1 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 3: "Strategic Update"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 22: "Regimental Status"
  4. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 29: "Armed Forces Federated Suns Deployment Map 2765"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 First Succession War, p. 134: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Second Succession War, p. 95
  7. 7.0 7.1 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 138: "'Mech Unit Deployment Table (digital edition)"
  8. 8.0 8.1 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 207: "Federated Suns Map (digital edition)"

Bibliography[edit]