Tsamma Crucis March Militia

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

History[edit]

Formation[edit]

In common with the other March Militias found across the Federated Suns, the Tsamma Crucis March Militia or Tsamma 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 Tsamma CrMM was well-equipped, much more so than the average Capellan March Militia or Draconis March Militia — to the extent that the Tsamma CrMM earned the unofficial nickname "Sixth Davion Guard" - and soon established a constant training regimen. The Tsamma 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 Tsamma 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 Tsamma CrMM was one of ten March Militia brigades founded within the Crucis March in 2754, with the other nine being the Anjin Muerto, Bastian, Broken Wheel, Islamabad, Kestrel, Malagrotta, Marlette, New Avalon and Point Barrow.[3]

Succession Wars[edit]

The Tsamma CrMM fought to restore the planetary Duke on St. Robert between 3034 and 3037 following a coup by religious extremists. A Battalion of the Tsamma CMM remained on-planet until 3042. In the next decades the unit was taken to hunt pirates.[4]

FedCom Civil War[edit]

The Tsamma Crucis March Militia was heavily involved in the Civil War fighting on Tsamma. The Tsamma CrMM, along with the 1st Royal Cavaliers, faced the task force commanded by Tancred Sandoval. The fighting began in the third wave and continued to wave five.[5] They were effectively destroyed over two years of constant combat. The unit was reconstituted from new militia recruits and veterans retiring from active duty.[6]

After the FedCom Civil War the Tsamma Crucis March Militia possessed a great deal of salvage. Rather than rebuild the damaged unit, General Wagner chose to repair the equipment and send it on to units that were fighting on the Jihad's front lines.[7]

The Dark Age[edit]

The reorganization into a Light Combat Team came just in time for the Tsamma Crucis March Militia. Nearly two thirds of the troops that formed the Militia unit, including their commanding officer, retired shortly after 3080. This reduced the size of the unit to LCT levels, while still allowing some experienced troops to remain in the unit. This massive loss of experience, however, affected the unit's skills. Like all post-Jihad Crucis March Militia units, the Tsamma CrMM was equipped with a company of engineers who used IndustrialMechs and engineering vehicles to repair the damage on worlds the unit visited.[8]

Officers[edit]

Rank Name Command
Commanding Officers of the Tsamma Crucis March Militia
Major General Saffer Mantas 3025[9]
Leftenant General Ann-Marie Cassidy 30503054[10][11]
Leftenant General Michael Buckley 3062[4]
Major General Trent Wagner 3067 - 3080[12][13]
Leftenant General Alba Bole 3085[14]

Tactics[edit]

Specialized in nonlethal combat.[4]

Composition History[edit]

2765[edit]

Tsamma Crucis March Militia (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[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 Tsamma CrMM was stationed on Ulysses at this point in time.[3][15]

2786 - 2821[edit]

Tsamma Crucis March Militia (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[16]

- At this point in time the Militia was a light-weight unit operating at full regimental strength, and was based on Ulysses.[16]In 2821 the unit was operating at just below half-strength.[16]

2830[edit]

Tsamma CrMM (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[17]

Note: At this point in time the light-weight unit was stationed on Tsamma with an operational readiness of 96 percent.[17]

2864[edit]

Tsamma CrMM (Regiment/Regular/Fanatical)[17]

Note: At this point in time the light-weight unit was stationed on Tsamma with an operational readiness of 39 percent.[17]

3025[edit]

Tsamma Crucis March Militia (Regiment/Green/Reliable)[9]

  • CO: Major General Saffer Mantas[9]
Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Tsamma.[9]

3040[edit]

Tsamma Crucis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[18]

Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Tsamma.[18]

3050[edit]

Tsamma Crucis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[19]

  • CO: Leftenant Genera! Ann-Marie Cassidy[19]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Tsamma.[19]

3054[edit]

Tsamma Crucis March Militia (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[20]

  • CO: Leftenant General Ann-Marie Cassidy[20]
Note: At this point in time the command was stationed on Tsamma.[20]

3062[edit]

Tsamma Crucis March Militia (1 Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[4]

Tsamma CMM Aerospace Wing (1 Wing/Green/Reliable)[4]

Tsamma CMM Armor Brigade (2 Regiments/Regular/Reliable)[4]

Tsamma CMM Infantry Brigade (5 Regiments/Regular/Reliable)[4]

3067[edit]

Tsamma CrMM (Regular/Reliable)[12]

Tsamma CrMM Aerospace Wing (Veteran/Reliable)[12]

Tsamma CrMM Armor Brigade (Veteran/Reliable)[12]

Tsamma CrMM Infantry Brigade (Regular/Questionable)[12]

- The 'Mech unit was reduced to approximately a battalion, the Aerospace wing had lost twenty percent of its forces, the infantry brigade was down to two-thirds of its pre–Civil War strength, and the armor brigade was operating at forty-five percent of nominal strength.[12]

3079[edit]

Tsamma Crucis March Militia RCT (Regiment/Regular/Reliable)[21]

Note: At this point in time the unit was stationed on Tsamma.[21] The unit was rated at 2/3 of its pre-Jihad strength. The Tsamma CrMM also possessed a 95% upgrade rating.[7]

3085[edit]

Tsamma CrMM LCT (Regular/Reliable)[14]

Tsamma CrMM Aerospace Wing (Regular/Reliable)[14]

Tsamma CrMM Armor Brigade (Regular/Reliable)[14]

Tsamma CrMM Infantry Brigade (Veteran/Reliable)[14]

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.

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. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Field Manual: Federated Suns, p. 118: "Tsamma CrMM Profile"
  5. FedCom Civil War, p. 97
  6. Field Manual: Updates, p. 134: "Tsamma CrMM"
  7. 7.0 7.1 Field Report: AFFS, p. 17
  8. Field Manual: 3085, p. 65
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 House Davion (The Federated Suns), p. 138 (PDF version): "Tsamma Combat Region"
  10. 20 Year Update, p. 23: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3050"
  11. Objective Raids, p. 16: "AFFC Deployment Table - 3054"
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 Field Manual: Updates, p. 140: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3067"
  13. Field Manual: 3085, p. 65: "Tsamma Crucis March Militia LCT"
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Field Manual: 3085, p. 71: "AFFS Deployment Table - 3085"
  15. Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 29: "Armed Forces Federated Suns Deployment Map 2765"
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 First Succession War, p. 134: "Armed Forces of the Federated Suns (AFFS)"
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Second Succession War, p. 95
  18. 18.0 18.1 Historical: War of 3039, p. 136
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 20 Year Update, p. 23
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 Objective Raids, p. 16
  21. 21.0 21.1 Field Report: AFFS, p. 16

Bibliography[edit]