The Western IslesBoard

This is a rough idea on how an Army is broken down, I hope this helps anyone who needs it in developing your military. Every nation has certain military differences, so none of this is written in stone. Military is divided into what is know as Tooth and Tail. The Tooth part is the combat arms, the Tail part is all the rest of the military that makes the Tooth effective. The breakdown of an army should be between 27% and 40% Combat troops, 33% to 42% Logistical troops, and 24% to 38% Administration and Life Support.

Starting at the smallest unit:
Fire Team is the smallest unit and can consist of 3 or 4 men under the command of a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) with the NATO rank of OR-3 or OR-4.
Squad consists of two or more fire teams, the squad commander (OR-4, OR-5, OR-6) can either be part of one of the fire teams or not. The Squad can have between 7 and 15 men. The Fire Teams can either be uniformed in weapons or the Teams can be equipped to perform different functions. If not part of the Fire Teams, there can be a small command unit of one to three men. [British Army has 8 men divided into two Fire Teams with a Corporal commanding the first, and a Lance-Corporal the second; US Army has 9 men divided between two Fire Teams with the Squad Leader separate; the largest squad is the US Marines with three fire teams and a command unit of Commander, Radio operator and a micro-drone recon tech; finally the French have a 7 man squad with one Fire Team of three being the maneuver element and the other being the Fire Support element.] If the unit is Mechanized or Motorized then the vehicle crew of 2 or 3 must be added to the numbers.
The term Section can either be interchangeable with Squad or can be a unit of two Squads. It is commanded by an OR-5 or OR-6.
In Tank or Recon units a single vehicle equals a Squad.
Platoon is the smallest unit that is commanded by an officer. It is normally commanded by either a 1st Lieutenant (OF-1a) or a 2nd Lieutenant (OF-1b). In some armies an officer commands only some of the Platoons, with the others commanded by a senior NCO (OR-7 or OR-8). Each platoon has a platoon sergeant (OR-6 or OR-7). The platoon will have between 30 and 54 men normally divided into three or four Squads. The platoon command will consist of from two (officer and sergeant) to 6 (Officer, Sergeant, Radio operator, Medic and either scouts, snipers or a weapon team. Once again Mechanized and Motorized Infantry will have vehicle crew added. The squads can all be rifle units or one of them can be a weapons squad.
A mechanized/motorized squad will have three to five vehicles with the command team either in its own vehicle or spread out among the other vehicles.
Tank and Recon Platoons will have three or four vehicles.
Cavalry and Armored units can be known as a Troop instead.
Company is the smallest unit where not everyone fights (medics not included). It is under the command of a Major (OF-3) or a Captain (OF-2) with an executive officer (XO) with the rank of Captain (OF-2) or First Lieutenant (OF-1a). The company is normally divided into a Headquarters Unit, 3 or 4 maneuver Platoons and a heavy weapons platoon with mortars, machine guns and/or anti-tank weapons. The Headquarters unit which also includes Logistic and Medical personnel numbers between 9 and 20 soldiers of which at least half will be non-combatants.
Tank and Recon units will consist of a HQ unit (1 or 2 vehicles) and three platoons giving a force of 10 to 14 vehicles.
Cavalry and Armored Units can either be known as a Troop or Squadron, based on national cavalry traditions.
Battalion is the basic building block of all larger units and can have between 300 and 1000 men and is divided into a HQ and Service Company, three or four maneuver Companies and a heavy weapons company. The battalion is commanded by either a Major (OF-3) or a Lieutenant Colonel (OF-4) The Headquarters and Service company will have between 60 and 100 officers and men including medical, logistical, communications and recon units. The weapons company will be similar in size to the maneuver companies and will be equipped wit machine gun, mortar, anti-tank, anti aircraft units. There will often be an engineer/pioneer section either in the HQ and Service Company or the Weapons Company.
Infantry units equipped with IFV will normally not have a weapons company, since the vehicles provide that service.
Tank and Recon companies will have a command unit of one to four tanks and three platoons giving a force of 31 to 46 tanks. Some militaries use the term Squadron for Cavalry or Armored.
Regiment has three different meanings, based on your military. The Regimental System has a number of battalions which normally operate independent with the Regiment being administrative connecting the battalions by history and traditions.
Next is the battalion size regiment which is the same as the battalion above divided into companies or maybe small battalions, the only difference being that a regiment is commanded by a Colonel (OF-5). Many Cavalry, Armored, Recon units skip the battalion level and go straight to the regiment level.
Finally there is the large regiment which is similar to a brigade, it will number between 2,500 and 4,000 men and will have two or three battalions under its command. Other units attached will be the Headquarter and Service Company of between 180 and 320 soldiers, one or two heavy weapons companies to provide fire support.
Mechanized Regiments can be formed into Regimental Combat Teams (RCT) with attached Armored, recon, and artillery.
Brigade is the smallest unit command by a General Officer, most commonly by a Brigadier (General) (OF-6) but in some militaries by a Major General (OF-7), in wartime it may be commanded by a Colonel (OF-5). The brigade most commonly will be made up of three battalions or two or three regiments. It is rare that an army which uses the larger size of Regiment or RCTs will use the Brigade level.
The Brigade has a Headquarters and Service company of 180 to 250 soldiers with all other units under its command being independent organizations. Other then the battalions/regiments the brigade may have artillery, recon, anti-tank, anti-aircraft, engineer companies attached. The brigade can either be of one type or a mixed brigade with armor, artillery and motorized/mechanized infantry attached. On the average a Brigade will be made up of 44% combat troops, 23% command and life service troops and 33% logistic troops.
Many countries now use the Brigade Combat Group (BCG) as the largest maneuver unit skipping the division level and going straight to Corps or Field Army.
Division is a large military formation having thousands of soldiers. Most Divisions use a triangular formation with three brigades or three Regiments, but a Division can have two Brigades/Regiments or more then three.
The Division is normally commanded by a Major-General (OF-7), but can be commanded by either a Lieutenant General (OF-8) or a Brigadier (General) (OF-6). Divisions are mixed formations with a variety of types of troops attached. Besides the main maneuver elements, the division will have an Artillery Regiment/Brigade with between 36 and 84 guns and/or Multiple Rocket Launchers (MRL). The division, besides a HQ battalion will also include company/battalion size forces of signal, intelligence, logistic, medical, recon, anti-tank and anti-aircraft.
The different types of divisions are: Infantry, Motorized Infantry, Mechanized Infantry, Mountain, Airborne, Airmobile, Armored (Tank) and Cavalry. The typical breakdown of a modern division is 25% to 39% combat troops, 16% to 38% Headquarters and Administrative, 32% to 43% Logistics, and 6% to 14% Life Support (Medical).
In peace time 36% to 57% of the Logistic and Life Support can be handled by civilian contractors.
Corps is the largest true tactical formation commanding a number of divisions and/or BCG, with attached battalions of logistics, engineers/pioneers, medical hospitals, area air defense batteries. A Corps is commanded by a Lieutenant General (OF-8), but under circumstances can be commanded by a General (OF-9) or a Major-General (OF-7)
There are also Administrative Corps that make up a portion of the Nation's Army, these include the Quartermasters Corps, Ordnance Corps, Corps of Engineers, Medical Corps, Transportation Corps, etc. Each of these is normally commanded by a Lieutenant General (OF-8).
Field Army is usually the largest combat force of a country. It is commanded by a Field Marshal (OF-10) or General (OF-9), and if necessary by a Lieutenant General (OF-8). It will have the same basic units as found in a Corps, just in greater numbers.

Originally Authored by Dormill and Stiura and Vancouvia

The International District (I.D.) is a Unitary Directorial Republic island nation in the Argean, Gatadpatigan, and Mechi Seas. The population of the International District primarily resides in "the City," a massive urban sprawl in the center of the largest of the three islands. The island is dominated by the headquarters of international organizations, namely the League of the Western Isles, but for centuries has been known for its general lawlessness and corruption, which lead two international coalitions to invade it in its history, the most recent in 2015.

The I.D. has historically been an quasi-anarchic state since its first populations arrived on its shores from Gael and Argus in the Bronze Age. Commonly known as Middides for its central location, the islands grew as an important trading hub during the Medieval Ages, as its location between the two sub-continents enabled a sort of quasi-independent status where traders could sell their goods without being taxed by kingdoms on either side of the straits. These kingdoms were generally reluctant to invade, realizing the value of a large, profitable locale to purchase and sell exotic goods from all corners of the Western Isles, and thus a de facto neutrality existed for centuries. During the late Medieval Ages, a handful of half-hearted invasions from various powers (many directly or indirectly prompted by Athara magarat were repelled by the merchants on the island, who were almost always assisted by volunteers and mercenaries from opposing empires in an effort to keep the Middides free.

During the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, a series of pirate captains made the Middides (now commonly referred to as Free Haven) their base of operations, taking advantage of the neutral status and easy access to sell their plunder. Although existing in relative harmony with the neighboring nations for decades, the actions of the pirates, who increasingly scavenged and hunted close to Free Haven's shores, eventually brought a force to repel them from the island. This alliance, known as the 1840 Coalition, consisting of armies and navies from a variety of countries including the TBD, and Vaenland mercenaries eventually blockaded, starved, and massacred the pirate outlaws in one of the bloodiest wars of the century, thus significantly contributing to the end of the Golden Age of Piracy. The Coalition attempted to restore order with an agreement of rotating occupation, and renamed Free Haven to the International Island (and later, officially, the International District), but as the years passed and casualties mounted from a major guerilla effort by the remaining pirates, traders, and prisoners, nations began to pull out of the agreement.

The I.D. gradually returned to its previous state, but now grew even more nefarious than before, becoming infamous as one of the few locations in the Western Isles where slavery was still legal. Slavery was its dominant "industry" for almost a century until demand decreased, and the I.D. grew a reputation as a morally corrupt backwater, where only criminals and missionaries braved to visit.

This changed in the early 20th century, when the rise of organized crime brought at least some semblance of order, with each syndicate establishing relatively steady control of blocks of the City in the middle of the largest island. This incentivized many companies and industries to expand on the I.D., preferring the lesser protection money to the higher taxes they would have paid in their home countries. The I.D. remained relatively anarchic, but the gangs had gone so far as to create separate police and firemen brigades to establish a degree of stability. In this wake, many international organizations chose to establish their headquarters in the I.D., being promised security and neutrality by the ruling oligarchical mafia leaders, which was almost always upheld. Foremost amongst them, The League of the Western Isles was founded in the 21st century in order to provide a forum for all nations to resolve international disputes.

In 2015, a new Coalition formed, somewhat mirroring the one from almost 300 years prior, with the goal of finally stamping out the rampant corruption and lawlessness that had continued to thrive, determined to have a safe and secure area for the League and other international organizations to operate. This group, which included forces from Vancouvia, Miklania, Ostehaar, and Athara magarat, and Razzgriz, fought against an ad-hoc alliance of organized criminals, mercenaries, anarchists, and black market dealers who conducted vicious guerilla attacks on the Coalition forces in both the urban environment and the forests at both ends of the island. By the start of 2016, thanks to widespread and somewhat nondiscriminatory anti-terrorism strikes and assassinations, order was restored enough for an official government to be created. With heavy Vancouvian influence and pressure, a five-person elected Council was formed, an Island Guard was erected and began to be trained, and taxation was enforced upon the populace for the first time in history.

Gradually, Coalition forces withdrew from the island as the Island Guard took over for security operations. Significant Vancouvian forces remained, helping to train the Guard and assisting in anti-terrorism operations, operating out of Camp Plymouth in the southeast corner of the island. In 2017, Noronnican and Ainslie forces constructed neighboring sister bases on the island to assist in the reconstruction and anti-terrorism operations. Although nowhere near their previous influence, organized crime has continued to have a significant hold on the City, and a black market continues to thrive.

In late 2018, the I.D. Council and the Vancouvian Congress signed a VACES agreement, signaling continued Vancouvian influence on the island's affairs.

The principal island of the International District, known by its twin names of Purvalok (Magarati for "Eastern Realm) and Bezrus Oda (Agadarian for "Other Side"), is characterized by its hilly and densely forested areas north and south of "The City," mostly made up of coniferous trees. Its highest peak is Mt. Hellmore among the Black Mountains in the north.

The ethnic makeup of the International District is very diverse, with the majority of the population having moved to the island in recent decades. There are sizable population of European-descent, Gaeltic and Argean natives, and Ipachi. The International District has no official language, but recognizes Ahnslen, Dutch, English, French, Nyssic, and Spanish as "diplomatic languages." The majority of street signs and official government documents are in English.

In terms of religion, the International District is equally as diverse, with laws protecting the practice of any faith within its borders. However, Christianity is the largest faith in the International District with about half of the religious population belonging to some kind of Christian church or sect. There is also a significant minority of non-religious (agnostic/atheist) citizens.

As a collective society, Islanders can be generally divided based on their cultural roots, and this is most often reflected in the divisions in the City. In the Legation Quarter and the League Quarter, both of which are generally cosmopolitan, there exists the most diversity, but the remainder of the City divides itself according to culture, ethnicity, or religion. These divisions, stoked by the crime lords of old, have been the source of the near rampant crime that plagues the city and the Island Guard. Ever since the Coalition invaded in mid-2015, crime has fallen significantly, but tensions between citizens of the International District, fueled by the remains of the criminal element, remains notable. Significant sections of the city remain de facto in the hands of gangs, cartels, and the criminal element.

The I.D. is ruled by a five-person elected Council invested with executive, legislative, and judicial powers, which has actively exercised their power since being established in 2016. There is no one particular leader of the Council as all five members serve co-equal roles throughout and each serves a five year term, with the first re-election to begin in 2021 and one every year thereafter. Under Coalition protection, the Council has focused on developing the islands and solidifying their power, culminating in a 2018 signing of a VACES agreement with Vancouvia, further tying the two states together.

The economy of the International District is fueled mostly by the service industry, relying on the presence of the League of the Western Isles and other international organizations to function, while other industries, such as fishing, logging, and tourism. The black market remains sizable and is one of the largest in the Western Isles.

The International District's energy needs are met mostly by wind power, with notable offshore wind farms in Lake Sausset and the west coast. There are also other power generation sites in Camp Plymouth and the northern woodlands.

The defense of the International District ever since the beginning of the Occupation has been handled by the Armed Forces of Vancouvia, principally the Vancouvian National Army and the Vancouvian Special Forces; the remaining members of the Coalition also have provided for the District's defense over the course of the Occupation, with Noronican and Ainsliean soldiers still actively operating out of the I.D. Aside from Vancouvian protection, the District has employed the paramilitary Island Guard for defense and policing, which has gradually taken over from Coalition forces since the establishment of the Council. The International District at present also has no significant navy or air force to speak of, relying on the Coalition for defense from external threats.