Filtvelt Citizen's Militia

Filtvelt Flag.jpg
Filtvelt Citizen's Militia
Formed 3072
Affiliation Filtvelt Coalition
Parent Command Filtvelt Defensive Army
Sub-Command(s) 1st Filtvelt Citizen's Militia,
2nd Filtvelt Citizen's Militia,
3rd Filtvelt Citizen's Militia,
4th Filtvelt Citizen's Militia


History[edit]

Formation[edit]

The Filtvelt Citizen's Militia was established on the 20th of February 3072 when the Filtvelt Coalition seceded from the Federated Suns[1] and was a major formation in the newborn Filtvelt Defensive Army.[2]

Initially, the FCM was a volunteer organization, but in early March 3072 word leaked out that the Coalition was considering instituting a draft to boost the strength of the FCM. The draft proposal called for an enlistment quota to be applied to each world and was widely supported, both because it ensured that the defense burden would be shared across the worlds of the coalition whilst also providing employment and the means to repel pirate attacks.[2]

The implementation of the draft was launched publicly on the 23rd of March, with the rulers of the Coalition announcing a state of emergency due to the Jihad and that the enlistment quota would help jump-start the formation of the Coalition military. The actual draft wasn't accepted without resistance - a number of worlds raised objections - but the draft itself contained a large number of categories under which those who were considered essential to the future prosperity of the Coalition were excluded, and the draft was only applicable to a narrow range of people based on age.[2]

While the draft did provide an increase in the number of personnel available, the supply of recruits noticeably outstripped the supply of available matériel with which to equip them, which critics of the scheme seized on as proof that mandatory enlistment was an unneeded strain on the already stressed economy of the coalition.[2]

The basis around which the FCM was constructed was the training battalion of the Filtvelt Academy, a unit that was poorly equipped to begin with. This core was augmented with the planetary garrisons of the twenty-one worlds that initially seceded from the Federated Suns, but initially the FCM could only muster two battalions of BattleMechs, and those were mostly older 'Mechs discarded by other, better-equipped formations. The Coalition had little by way of military manufacturing to make up the shortfall, being reliant on the products produced by a subsidiary of the Quikscell Company and a small Cal-Boeing production line.[3]

The Jihad[edit]

The FCM was in a relatively poor state for much of the Jihad, a key factor in the decision made by the Coalition to augment its military with privateer bands through letters of marque[3] - a tactic that proved to be a disaster for the neighboring Malagrotta Cooperative.[4] Despite the problems with obtaining supplies the FCM was able to expand, with the first brigade growing through the addition of a sizeable infantry detachment and armor forces. In 3073 the FCM expanded further following the Coalition using mercenary cut-outs to acquire two battalions' worth of Inner Sphere Standard battle armor.[3]

The FCM expanded sharply when, following a coup by the pirate band known as the Death's Consorts,[4] General Garman Doucette defected to the Filtvelt Coalition, bringing with him almost a third of the Malagrotta Crucis March Militia. The Malagrotta CrMM was incorporated into the FCM, giving a substantial boost to the BattleMech strength of the FCM, although not enough to make the FCM a creditable threat to an invading force, and the FCM was still outnumbered by the privateer contingent operating under Coalition letters of marque.[3] Unfortunately for the FCM, the Malagrotta CrMM personnel quickly demonstrated how it was the Cooperative had come to fall to the pirates so easily - the CrMM was chronically undertrained.[5]

The coup in the Malagrotta Cooperative also led to the Coalition closing its borders to traffic from the Cooperative as well as the rapid creation of the Third Filtvelt Defenders, the third of the FCM's combined arms brigade, with the Third Defenders being rushed into service and deployed to the border.[6]

By 3079 the various Filtvelt Defenders brigades - Filtvelt Defender being another name for Filtvelt Citizen's Militia brigades - had expanded substantially, although the primary expansion was through large contingents of homegrown infantry forces, rather than BattleMechs, but the various units all lacked experience. Criticisms of the lack of experience and training within FCM were valid, but the Militia didn't lack for determination; with so many local troops in its ranks, the Militia was literally fighting to defend the homes of its soldiers.[7]

The Dark Age[edit]

The Coalition was still desperate to expand its military after the Jihad, but the FCM and the planetary militias - along with the Thumpers Assault Battalion - remained the core of the nation's defenses. The FCM continued to lack for modern military equipment, but the three primary brigades were still organized as Regimental Combat Teams, and two of the three brigades had been assigned combat specializations to train for and hopefully improve their performance.[5]

One of the other steps taken by the FCM to improve the performance of the Second and Third brigades was to divert graduates from the Filtvelt Academy directly into the two brigades, rather than simply directing them all into the First. While the FCM was still no match for a serious invader, it was effective in driving off pirate raids. The Coalition had been attempting to attract mercenary units willing to sign on as regular forces for years, but with the exception of the Thumpers Assault Battalion no units had proved willing to sign on by 3085.[5]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Filtvelt Citizen's Militia
Marquess Helen Trempeleau 3085[8]

Other Officers[edit]

In 3085 Field Marshal Eric LeBeau was Helen Trempeleau's aide.[8]

Tactics[edit]

3085[edit]

The Third had trained intensively in combined-arms tactics and combat drops; as a result of the focused training the Third could board DropShips faster than most units.[5]

Composition History[edit]

3072[edit]

3075[edit]

3079[edit]

  • First Filtvelt Citizen's Militia (Regular/Reliable)[7]
  • Second Filtvelt Citizen's Militia (Green/Reliable)[7]
  • Third Filtvelt Citizen's Militia (Green/Reliable)[7]

3085[edit]

  • First Filtvelt Citizen's Militia (Regular/Reliable)[8]
  • Second Filtvelt Citizen's Militia (Green/Reliable)[8]
  • Third Filtvelt Citizen's Militia (Green/Reliable)[8]
  • Thumpers Assault Battalion[8]

3145[edit]

  • First Filtvelt Citizen's Militia (Regular/Reliable)[9]
  • Second Filtvelt Citizen's Militia (Green/Reliable)[9]
  • Third Filtvelt Citizen's Militia (Green/Reliable)[9]
  • Fourth Citizen's Militia (Regular/Questionable)[9]
  • Thumpers Assault Battalion[9]

References[edit]

  1. Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 78: "Declaration of Principles"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Jihad Hot Spots: 3072, p. 79: "Filtvelt Announces Formation of Citizens' Militia"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers, p. 47: "Filtvelt Citizen's Militia"
  4. 4.0 4.1 Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 51: "Under New Management"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Field Manual: 3085, p. 146: "Filtvelt Coalition"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Jihad Hot Spots: 3076, p. 52: "Filtvelt Forces Redeploy"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Field Report: Periphery, p. 14: "Filtvelt Coalition"
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Field Manual: 3085, p. 151: "Filtvelt Coalition"
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Field Manual: 3145, p. 203: "Filtvelt Coalition"

Bibliography[edit]