Phantom Regiment
The salient fact about the "Phantom Regiment" is that there actually is no "Phantom Regiment".
The appellation comes from sensationalistic media reports of a hypersecret cross-service unit that has carried out a variety of missions - some spectacular, but mostly deeply hidden and reported only as furtive recounting from friends and foes alike.
The Principality has never admitted to the existence of such a unit; they only grudgingly admit the existence of the Caledonian Special Service. The closest anyone - news media, noble, diplomat or businessman alike - can get to an answer on the existence, even hypothetically, of such a unit is a terse "no comment".
Organization
The unit does exist, of course. It has no name - or rather, retains no formal name for any significant length of time. Actual knowledge of the unit, its existence, and its operations are each held in concentrically-tighter circles within the General Staff and the Caledonian Special Service. The unit's history aren't "lost in history" so much as carefully concealed and obfuscated.
Having no other name, members of the unit refer to themselves, half-jokingly, as "The Phantom Regiment" as well. The name came from a breathless media report during the height of the Dynastic Crisis of 1024, when a shadowy unit of troops wrought havoc deep within Maxwell territory.
The unit consists of the following:
- Four Battalions, each consisting of
- Four "Squadrons", each with a small headquarters and...
- Four "Troops", (each with a specialty - hostile environment operations, re-entry insertion, water operations and urban operations; the specialty actually relates to the troop training the rest of the squadron in the specialty) each consisting of...
- Four "Patrols", each consisting of four men - a leader, a demolitions man, a signaller and a scout.
- Four "Troops", (each with a specialty - hostile environment operations, re-entry insertion, water operations and urban operations; the specialty actually relates to the troop training the rest of the squadron in the specialty) each consisting of...
- Four "Squadrons", each with a small headquarters and...
- A selection and training Squadron, including a number of "talent scouts" who scour the military for the right candidates for selection; see below.
- A technical services battalion, comprising experts in developing "gadgets" needed by the rest of the Regiment.
- A "Delivery Battalion", consisting of an assortment of gravity re-entry vehicles. These stealthy, heavily-armed vehicles deploy from a variety of vessels - from the Navy, the Royal Caledonian Expeditionary Service or mercenary ships hired for the task by the Caledonian Special Service.
However, the unit's troops very rarely operate in fixed units above "Troop" strength, and are almost always found in "task forces" formed from "troops" (very rarely squadrons), support elements, and even individual soldiers needed for specific missions.
Selection and Training
Even attempting the unit's selection process is by invitation only. The "talent scouts" of the Regiment's training squadron invite men to attend the unit's annual selection process. Even from among the hundreds of the best, toughest and brightest from the entire military - Army, Marines and Navy - between 75% and 92% of each class of invitees wash out of the selection process and the three years of exacting training it takes to create a member of the regiment.
"Talent Scouts" do in fact scour the entire military - but key sources of personnel include:
- The Prince's Own Corps of Guards, especially their "Steno Pool", "Selkirk Custodial Detachment" and "Beefeater" detachments.
- The Marines
- Cuillinese infantry, who - by dint of their planet's thin atmosphere - tend to have amazing physical endurance.
- Other leg infantry units.
- Navy Damage Control technicians.