Free Worlds League Military

The Free Worlds League Military (FWLM) is exactly what it says it is: the armed forces of the Free Worlds League. With the dissolution of the League in 3078, the FWLM was similarly dissolved.

Organization

For much of its history, the FWLM operated its units independently, but the Fourth Succession War and Andurien Secession taught them the value of using combined-arms tactics. To that end, different types of units were organized into one unit and ordered to work together. While this did not result in the teamwork of the Defenders of Andurien or the sheer numbers and tactical flexibility of a Regimental Combat Team, it was better than what came before.

Command

Parliament

According to the original charter of the Free Worlds League, command of the FWLM rests with Parliament. In times of war, Parliament was meant to give temporary command to a Captain-General. In practice, the only control Parliament has had over the military since the onset of the Succession Wars was through funding allocation.

Captain-General

Practical command of the FWLM has rested with the Captain-General for centuries. Originally a position that was purely military power, the position of Captain-General has accumulated power since the creation of the League. Originally, a Captain-General was appointed by Parliament to command the military during a war, and power returned to Parliament during peacetime. Disastrous command of the FWLM by individuals who were not of House Marik led to the right of first refusal being bestowed upon the Mariks. With a hereditary claim on the position, House Marik cemented its importance by ensuring that only a Marik Captain-General would be recognized as the legal representative of the Free Worlds League on the Star League Council, giving the position political power for the first time.

The position of Captain-General was later made permanent by Resolution 288. After the fall of the Star League, with the onset of the First Succession War, Resolution 288 was passed, which enabled the Captain-General to stay in power "for the duration of the emergency." With no definition of "the emergency," the position has even outlived the Free Worlds League, with no less than three different successors laying claim to the title.

Militarily, the Captain-General is the titular head of the FWLM. He or she is allowed to direct the military as seen fit, although Parliament has passed legislation to restrict the Captain-General's activities. In fact, the power of the Captain-General has waxed and waned since the onset of the Succession Wars.

League Central Coordination and Command

The League Central Coordination and Command (LCCC) is the military bureaucracy that is responsible for the FWLM. Composed of seven individuals and headquartered on Marik, the LCCC controls logistics, planning, and captured territories. While some of the responsibilities of the members of the LCCC have changed over the years, positions include the Minister of Defense, Director of Military Intelligence, Chief Armorer, and Quartermaster General.

Marshals

Border regions are commanded by Marshals. There are four border regions of varying sizes. Unless otherwise directed by the Captain-General or LCCC (and even then, in some cases), Marshals command the regions with which they have been entrusted.

Units

The various brigades of the FWLM are classified as either federal or provincial. Federal units are beholden only to the Captain-General and are supported directly by the LCCC. Provincial units often report to the leader of their home province, though they must also answer to the Captain-General. Provincial units are generally supported by their home province, though the LCCC provides some support.

Atrean Hussars

Formed as a experiment by Captain-General Samuel Marik to try and get around the restrictions of the Home Defense Act, despite their direct loyalty to the Captain-General, the relatively young age and the poor performance of the Atrean Hussars have led to the unit being close to disbandment for most of its existence.

Atrean Dragoons

Insignia of the Atrean Dragoons

Free Worlds Guards

Long considered the premier units of the FWLM, the Guards jealously guarded that reputation following the creation of the Knights of the Inner Sphere.

Free Worlds Legionnaires

Created from the ashes of the Defenders of Andurien after the Andurien Secession, the Legionnaires were carefully vetted to ensure loyalty to the Free Worlds League as a whole. They also inherited the tradition of combined-arms warfare from the Defenders.

Knights of the Inner Sphere

Main article: Knights of the Inner Sphere

Created by Captain-General Thomas Marik, the Knights of the Inner Sphere were meant to reintroduce chivalry to the Inner Sphere. Both regiments were wiped out during the Jihad.

Marik Militia

Created along with the Free Worlds League, its largest brigade contains regiments that range from green to elite.

Defenders of Andurien

The Defenders of Andurien were the provincial military force of the Duchy of Andurien. They were eliminated following the end of the Andurien Secession, with some of the former members forming the core of the Free Worlds Legionnaires.

Fusiliers of Oriente

Insignia of the Fusiliers of Oriente

The Fusiliers of Oriente are the more prestigious of the Grand Duchy of Oriente forces.

Marik Guard

The provincial force of the Marik Commonwealth, the Marik Guard was destroyed during the Fourth Succession War.

Oriente Hussars

The Hussars are the less prestigious of the Oriente military forces.

Orloff Grenadiers

The provincial regiments of the Duchy of Orloff, the Grenadiers are synonymous with competence. Orloff takes great pride in its troops, with an initiation ritual that binds them together. Ironically, theirs was one of the loudest voices against Thomas Marik's attempts to centralize power and unify the FWLM because it would have meant giving up many of their traditions.

Protectorate Guard

The provincial forces of the Border Protectorate. Not to be mistaken for the Protectorate, loyal to Anton Marik.

Regulan Hussars

The military of the Principality of Regulus often opposed the Captain-General's control.

The Hussars' regiments include the famed Rolling Thunder company.

Silver Hawk Irregulars

The Irregulars were the provincial force of the Silver Hawks Coalition. Much like the coalition itself, the regiment's status depended on the world that was responsible for supporting it, with some worlds providing the dregs of society and others their best and brightest. They benefited the most from Thomas Marik's reforms, as their training and equipment was generally upgraded and evened out. The Irregulars were shattered during the Jihad.

The Irregulars were resurrected in May of 3137 by Captain-General Anson Marik of the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth to oppose the offensive by the Lyran Commonwealth. They have so far lived up to the "Irregular" part of their moniker by employing irregular tactics against their better-equipped enemies.

Sirian Lancers

Insignia of the Sirian Lancers

The Sirian Lancers, provincial force of the Sirian Concordance, has had a disproportionate effect on the history of the Free Worlds League since the end of the Fourth Succession War. Janos Marik's decision to preemptively withdraw left the worlds of the Concordance in the hands of the nascent Federated Commonwealth. When Thomas Marik launched Operation Guerrero in 3057, it stopped short of reclaiming those worlds. When an insane Precentor took control of Sirius and Procyon, the Lancers threatened to invade, with or without support from the LCCC. They decided to aid the three regiments, who liberated the worlds to find "reeducation camps" and other atrocities.

Angry at the Captain-General and the LCCC for not liberating their homeworlds sooner, the Lancers all but went their own way. In 3068, the Lancers attacked Skye, sparking the incident that led to war with Skye Province. Soon afterward, the Lancers defected to the Word of Blake Militia.

Stewart Dragoons

The military force of the Stewart Commonality.

Military Academies

Allison MechWarrior Institute

Located on New Olympia, within the Marik Commonwealth, cadets of AMI nurture a rivalry with those of the neighboring Lloyd Marik-Stanley Aerospace School. Specializing in training MechWarriors, AMI reserves ten percent of each incoming class for scions of Dispossessed MechWarriors.

Lloyd Marik-Stanley Aerospace School

Fewer than two hundred miles away from the Allison MechWarrior Institute, LMS cadets are fiercely competitive with their ground-bound rivals. In addition to training aerospace pilots, LMS has a supplementary curriculum that trains DropShip and JumpShip pilots as well.

Princefield Military Academy

The premier training center for the Duchy of Oriente, Princefield cadets are cutthroat in their competition due to the fact that only the top twenty percent of each class graduates to MechWarrior training after eighteen months of military history, strategy, and tactics. Despite the fact that it is not in their home province, many members of House Marik graduated from Princefield after Janos graduated in 2979.

Hero Training Institute

Logo of the Hero Training Institute

Founded in 2989 on the planet Maxwell, the Hero Training Institute offers those with no legitimate reason to become a MechWarrior the chance to become such a hero. While the quality of the training is poor, HTI offers a real opportunity to those who would otherwise not have one.

Legionary Training Academy

The Legionary Training Academy was originally the principal training centers for those hailing from the Duchy of Andurien. After Andurien lost its bid to secede in the 3030s, its military academy was taken over by the LCCC and federalized. The graduates of LTA then began to fill the ranks of the Free Worlds Legionnaires.