War Academy of Mars
Sarna News
- HEXTECH Review - Wave 3 Brings More Urban Options To Your Battlefield
- Your BattleTech News Round-Up For March, 2024
- Crashing 'Mechs With Jennifer Brozek, Author Of The Rogue Academy Trilogy
- Getting The Word Out With Rem Alternis, Catalyst Community & Marketing Director
- Bad 'Mechs - Yeoman
- Read more →
The War Academy of Mars was one of the premier military academies of the Star League Defense Force, part of the famous "War Triad" which included the Sandhurst Royal Military College and the Military Academy of Aphros. Besides training cadets, the War Academy or WAM also served as a major think-tank and the operational headquarters of the SLDF, focusing on conducting strategy while the facilities on Terra handled bureaucratic matters. Naturally, WAM specialized in strategic training, and while it only accepted officer cadets, graduates of WAM were guaranteed a posting with plenty of action and responsibility.[1][2] Located southwest of the Olympus Mons, the War Academy included ten thousand square kilometers of land to be used to conduct battlefield simulations.[3]
When Republican forces launched their surprise attack that began the Star League Civil War, WAM was the focus of resistance to their attempted conquest of Mars, holding out for six weeks until it was finally reduced to rubble through nuclear weapons.[3] The site lay dormant during the Succession Wars, until following the Clan Invasion when ComStar planned to rebuild the site as a training school for their Com Guards. However when it was reactivated in 3059, the Word of Blake had captured Mars along with the rest of the Terran system during Operation Odysseus and proceeded to use WAM to train their own military forces.[4]
Under Blakist control, WAM served as a training facility for both ROM personnel and military cadets who could not get into Sandhurst due to spacing. This led to a friendly rivalry between the two schools, as many WAM militia cadets worked even harder to prove they were better than those at Sandhurst, which also served to create a comradely atmosphere among the students (excepting ROM cadets, who were kept separate from the rest). Training included low-gravity courses to acclimate cadets to Mars' environment, combined-arms, and indoctrination. Initially the Blakist WAM only training MechWarriors and vehicle crews, though they eventually added an infantry course. Most who graduated were promoted to the rank of Acolyte and posted to a Militia unit, though the best of this group might be given second-in-command of a Level II. The best cadets however were given officer training, where they were promoted to Adept after three years of training.[4]
As part of Operation SCOUR to end the Blakist Jihad, Mars was attacked by Stone's Coalition, during which WAM was heavily damaged by Clan forces and forced to closed. As of 3085, the Republic of the Sphere's armed forces had expressed no interest in reopening WAM, though the Department of Military Intelligence was interested in assuming responsibility for the facility.[5]