Ground Force Command

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Ground Force Command (GFC) is the land force component of the Imperial Army.

The Imperial Army is composed of the following Branches and associated Auxiliary Forces:


Description (Specifications)

The Ground Force Command has a larger rank structure than its sister branches in the Imperial Army because it is usually the largest force component. Colloquially, GFC personnel are sometimes called 'ground pounders' or (either derogatorily or affectionately) 'grunts'.

Mission (Goals)

No information yet available.

Doctrine & Strategy (Operations)

No information yet available.

Symbology

Since the proclamation of Empress Porfiria in 244, the Imperial Army has used a Black Imperial Sunburst as its principal symbol.

Branch Colors

Each service branch of the Imperial Army has a distinctive color that comprises the backing and trim of emblems and uniforms, as well as various forms of signage.

Branch Color
Branch Color Remarks
Lift Infantry Dark Green
Jump Infantry Light Green
Cavalry Yellow
Artillery Blue
Support & Service Dark Gray
Administrative Light Gray
Medical White
Engineers Burnt Orange
Military Police Orange/White
Sylean Rangers Black/Gold
Imperial Army
Ground Forces Command
Rank Grades
Traveller Imperial Army Sunburst logo.svg
Commissioned Officers
O11a » Field Marshal
O10 » General (Colonel-General)
O9 » Lieutenant General
O8 » Major General
O7 » Brigadier General
O6 » Colonel
O5 » Lieutenant Colonel
O4 » Major
O3 » Captain
O2 » First Lieutenant
O1 » Second Lieutenant
O0 » Officer Cadet
Enlisted Ranks
E9 » Chief Master Sergeant (Sergeant Major)
E8 » Senior Master Sergeant (First Sergeant)
E7 » Master Sergeant (Leading Sergeant)
E6 » Staff Sergeant
E5 » Sergeant
E4 » Lance Sergeant
E3 » Corporal
E2 » Lance Corporal
E1 » Private (Private 1st Class)
E0 » Recruit (Private Recruit)


Uniforms

The colors and device used by the Imperial Army Ground Forces are a Black Imperial Sunburst on a field of the color of the respective Army Service Branch. Uniforms of the Imperial Army use motifs of black and grey for service dress or otherwise use appropriate environmentally appropriate colors for utility wear.

Imperial Army Uniforms can be broadly divided into four general categories, as noted below.

Utility Uniform

The uniform worn for most duties is the "Utility Uniform", referred to by most soldiers as "slops". All utilities share some common characteristics, though they vary with job detail. Utilities are tough, long-lasting suits designed for very rough treatment. The most commonly seen suit is a two-piece set comprising shirt and trousers in gray and black. The uniform has numerous pockets for the items that soldierss need to carry. Decorations are not normally worn on this uniform, just relevant skill badges. Boots are normally worn with this style of uniform, usually of the sealed tactical style. [2]

Low Dress Uniform: "Service Dress"

"Low Dress" is the common day-to-day Service Dress uniform worn by soldiers in informal settings any time they are not doing physical labor requiring the sturdier utilities. Low Dress is constructed of better materials than Utilities, typical of "office wear" and includes all skill badges. It consists of a set of slate-grey trousers and a high-collared black jacket. [2]

Army Dress

"Army Dress" is the generic dress uniform for the Imperial Army and is worn by soldiers in units outside the regimental structure, such as support, headquarters, and the high command. It is similar to thew Low Dress uniform, but made of better material and with more attention paid to decorations and awards. All medals and skill badges are worn with Army dress, and officers are required to wear their dress swords. [2] Like Low Dress, Army Dress is comprised of a high-collared black jacket with slate-grey trousers, but trimmed with the soldier’s branch color, with officers' branch color bordered by silver threads.
Troops in the regiments usually are authorized Regimental Dress instead.

Regimental Dress

The regiments comprising the Unified Armies of the Imperium derive from many different regions, backgrounds and traditions, all of which are displayed in the styles of the traditional dress uniforms of the regiments themselves. Most regiments maintain a distinctive uniform for their members, which can be of any design as long as they display the wearer’s rank and unit clearly. "Regimental Dress" is not a standard item of issue, and are rather expensive; officers of the unit are expected to maintain a set out of their own funds, whereas enlisted troops typically do not bother with the outfit until they reach senior NCO levels such as staff sergeant or above. Some troops will be issued a set for a formal special duty of some sort, such as a funeral or other ceremonial procession.

Rank & Grade (Hierarchy)

Some of the organizational ranks and grades used by this force are included in the table to the right.

History & Background (Dossier)

No information yet available.

TO&E (Organization)

Corps

Infantry

This, in short, refers to the foot soldiers.

Irregular Infantry A mob or band of fighters. At lower tech levels they are usually equipped with rocks, clubs, knives and other makeshift melee weapons. Any actual weapons are either personal property or were scrounged or looted from a previous battle. At higher technology levels they are equipped with personal firearms. They are usually used as security forces or guides when deployed locally but can be made into raiders or "forlorn hope" units. Unorganized mercenary units and local militias are usually in this class.
Scout Infantry Troops trained in reconnaissance and surveillance. They are either drawn from native or local populations that live in a certain climate type or are special troops trained or acclimated to operate and survive in it. They are usually deployed in small units as scouts and snipers.
Light Infantry Highly mobile units wearing little or no armor designed as screening or reconnaissance troops. At lower tech levels they are usually armed with light missile weapons like slings or bows. At high tech levels they have smaller or lighter fire support, have larger transport assets than normal units, and are designed to bypass or outmaneuver enemy forces.
Medium Infantry The mainstay of the army, these are troops designed to operate in large formations. At lower tech levels they are usually armed with a melee weapon and a shield. At higher tech levels they are armed with firearms.
Heavy Infantry Troops who are used to spearhead an advance or break through an enemy's lines. At lower tech levels they are heavily armed and armored. At higher tech levels they have larger fire support and combat engineering assets than normal troops and are designed to defend or assault strongholds or fortifications.
Airborne Infantry: Troops parachuted out of transport aircraft.
Jump Infantry: Troops parachuted, or using grav-belts to land after being dropped from low orbit.
Airmoble Infantry: Troops carried by transport aircraft capable of Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) like helicopters and jump-jets.
Amphibious Infantry: Troops carried by transport seacraft or hovercraft.
Lift Infantry Troops that are carried in grav vehicles. 65% of all Infantry battalions in the Unified Armies are Lift Infantry.

Cavalry

At lower TLs (1-6), the term "cavalry" is applied to soldiers riding trained animals (for example, horses on Terra). At higher TLs, such as most of the Imperial Army, this generally refers to soldiers riding in motor vehicles, otherwise known as Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFVs).

Irregular Cavalry ("Hussars", "Pandours") Mount-mobile irregular troops or light cavalry that fight from horseback that are used for security, reconnaissance, and raiding. They are commonly militia or mercenary units who are usually from or near the area of operations they are stationed in.
Mounted Infantry ("Dragoons") Mount-mobile infantry with increased mobility that dismount to fight. This style of combat becomes more common as firearms technology improves.
Mounted Archers Mount-mobile archers who fire from the saddle.
Light Cavalry Cavalry on light mounts designed for speed. Troops are either unarmored or wear light armor and are equipped with sabers and/or overarm lances.
Heavy Cavalry Cavalry on large mounts designed to carry the rider and their equipment. Troops wear heavy armor and are equipped with melee weapons and braced lances.
Cavalry Scouts Reconnaissance unit.
Motorized Cavalry Unarmored or lightly-armored wheeled vehicles (cars and trucks).
Mechanized Cavalry Lightly-armored tracked vehicles.
Armor Heavily armored tracked vehicles.
Lift Cavalry / Grav Cavalry Lightly-armored grav vehicles and gunships.
Grav Armor Heavily armored grav vehicles and gunships.

Artillery

This refers to heavy support weapons such as masers and plasma guns. This can also be used to refer to low-tech weapons like catapults or cannon.

Field Artillery
Forward Observation

Support

Administration
Engineers
Medical
Technical Services
Transport

Commando

Special Operations forces.

Sylean Rangers: Army units trained in reconnaissance and raiding. They are also used to train indigenous forces on Low-Tech worlds in vital military skills. They can be deployed in or out of battledress, depending on the needs of the operation or campaign.
Protected Forces (ProtFors) or (ProFors): Army elite units trained to wear Vacc Suits and operate in exotic or toxic environments and Low-Gravity, High-Gravity, or Zero-Gravity conditions. They usually use Gauss weapons rather than energy weapons as standard arms because the projectiles can tear or rip through enemy protective clothing, rendering them vulnerable.
Rapid Interface Forces (RIF): Army commando units trained to wear Battledress. They are dropped in capsules from high atmosphere or orbit to planetside.

Force Composition

No information yet available.

Selected Vehicle & Ship Classes

Some vehicle & ship classes widely used within the systems and worlds of the Imperium include:

Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)

This force primarily operates in the following areas: Charted Space

World Listing

This force is known to regularly operate within the following systems and worlds:

No world articles for Ground Force Command


Additional Information

Please see the following articles for related information:

Imperial Forces

§ == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

Imperial Forces:
Unified Forces of the Imperium

  • Space Forces:
  • Ground Forces:
  • Paramilitary & Auxiliary Forces
  • Mashkim (System or Planetary Police)
  • Irregular "For Hire" Mercenaries
  • Regular Contractual Mercenaries

Militaries of Charted Space (War in Charted Space)

References & Contributors (Sources)

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