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Old 09-24-2012, 10:38 PM   #1
Sindri
 
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Default Creating Military Culture From Scratch

Many SF space militaries aren't directly descended from traditional militaries either because they develop from another organization or because they are created from scratch. Now naturally they do take inspiration from traditional militaries in organization and other matters but they can also differ so how could such a military differ in terms of it's culture from one that is directly descended from modern militaries? What sort of changes might be an improvement if you are going to redesign everything anyway? What sort of changes would people without actual military experience try that actually are bad ideas? What sort of organizations make good candidates for the ancestor of a space military? What happens when you take a survey organization, space police, space customs officials or space postal workers and turn them into a military?
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Old 09-24-2012, 10:45 PM   #2
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Default Re: Creating Military Culture From Scratch

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Originally Posted by Sindri View Post
Many SF space militaries aren't directly descended from traditional militaries either because they develop from another organization or because they are created from scratch. Now naturally they do take inspiration from traditional militaries in organization and other matters but they can also differ so how could such a military differ in terms of it's culture from one that is directly descended from modern militaries? What sort of changes might be an improvement if you are going to redesign everything anyway? What sort of changes would people without actual military experience try that actually are bad ideas? What sort of organizations make good candidates for the ancestor of a space military? What happens when you take a survey organization, space police, space customs officials or space postal workers and turn them into a military?
The biggest change I can think of is it likely wouldn't have the commissioned vs non-commissioned split.
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Old 09-26-2012, 09:58 AM   #3
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Default Re: Creating Military Culture From Scratch

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The biggest change I can think of is it likely wouldn't have the commissioned vs non-commissioned split.
You'd still have a difference between small-unit tactical leaders, battlefield operational commanders, and theater strategic commanders. I have trouble conceiving of a way to do that without an ascending chain of command between them.
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Old 09-26-2012, 10:08 AM   #4
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Default Re: Creating Military Culture From Scratch

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You'd still have a difference between small-unit tactical leaders, battlefield operational commanders, and theater strategic commanders. I have trouble conceiving of a way to do that without an ascending chain of command between them.
One big difference I can see is how war will change when managing an interstellar war. When you get to the level posited by some sci-fis you have to assume numerous "World war II's" going on at once between the same empires on different planets.
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Old 09-24-2012, 10:46 PM   #5
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Default Re: Creating Military Culture From Scratch

One change I would institute is a truly self sufficient military in that they manufacture their own equipment to their needs not a civilian government doing it for them.

William
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Old 09-24-2012, 10:49 PM   #6
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Default Re: Creating Military Culture From Scratch

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The biggest change I can think of is it likely wouldn't have the commissioned vs non-commissioned split.
Yeah the commissioned/non-commissioned thing was one of the main things I was thinking about when making this thread. It's a rather odd feature when viewed outside of it's historical context.

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One change I would institute is a truly self sufficient military in that they manufacture their own equipment to their needs not a civilian government doing it for them.

William
Yeah I can see that having advantages.
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Old 09-24-2012, 11:36 PM   #7
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Default Re: Creating Military Culture From Scratch

They might well be created by merging several existing organizations leading to redundant and confusing ranks and titles.
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Old 09-25-2012, 01:42 AM   #8
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Default Re: Creating Military Culture From Scratch

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Originally Posted by Sindri View Post
Yeah the commissioned/non-commissioned thing was one of the main things I was thinking about when making this thread. It's a rather odd feature when viewed outside of it's historical context.
It has a significant practical advantage, albeit a rather cold-blooded one. Sometimes it is necessary to send men to their deaths, and that's a lot harder if they are personal friends of the commander doing it.
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Yeah I can see that having advantages.
That has a disadvantage. It makes it more possible for the military to rebel against civilian control.
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Old 09-25-2012, 01:55 AM   #9
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Default Re: Creating Military Culture From Scratch

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They might well be created by merging several existing organizations leading to redundant and confusing ranks and titles.
That, and other causes can definitely cause awkward rank systems.

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It has a significant practical advantage, albeit a rather cold-blooded one. Sometimes it is necessary to send men to their deaths, and that's a lot harder if they are personal friends of the commander doing it.
You can achieve that without all the features of the commissioned/non-commissioned split.

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That has a disadvantage. It makes it more possible for the military to rebel against civilian control.
Yep.
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Old 09-25-2012, 02:41 AM   #10
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Default Re: Creating Military Culture From Scratch

In Æthereal Sun's Justicariate, the Zemplari Troops ('military') was formed not out of the standing army meant to protect against external threat, but rather from an internal troops equivalent merging with surveying/scouting organisations. Thus there is no clear line between police and the military, and this 'military' is trained to properly handle conflicts involving civilians, and is generally less ruthless than standing armies. On the other hand, they're more expensive for the state to maintain due to all the extra training and biomods installed.

Another trait would be lack of hazing. I heard that in this sense the Gurkha trainings and in-group relationships are harsh but fair, completely unlike that depicted in, say, FMJ.

Different treatment of mixed-sex units and/or non-mainstream sexuality: civilian people are usually totally okay working in a mixed-sex office or studying at a university; a military formed out of people with such mentality are unlikely to develop the sex-related forms of bigotry that are so common in modern militaries.
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