User blog:ArmInAss/Zipangu Mercenary Force

The Zipangu Mercenary Force is a special army established at the decree of the Emperor of Zipangu for protection of Zipangu’s people and interests abroad, after the Order’s massacre of Zipangu-born inhabitants of Quarantia during the First Quarantian War. It is also unique for employing foreigners willing to serve under the Kingdom of the Rising Sun. Notably, since Zipangu is a politically-isolationist nation, joining the ranks of the ZMF is the only way for foreigners to earn Zipangu citizenship. The Mercenary Force is also intended as a way to be able to make use of dishonored samurai; instead of having they commit suicide due to dishonor, they are put to use into fighting all what poses a threat to their homeland in the service of the Emperor.

HISTORY [WIP]

ORGANIZATION AND TACTICS The Zipangu Mercenary Force is a well-trained force consisting of seven army divisions, all having their own respective infantry regiments, engineering, communications and logistics battalions, armored companies and artillery companies, allowing for combined-arms tactics and mobile warfare.

MEMBERSHIP Requirements to be able to enlist in the ZMF are few as to make easier for people to join, but are stressed important. The enlistee must meet the following criteria: • Must be male, single and at least 21 years old • Does not have any heinous criminal background (for example: murder, drug trafficking, treason, etc.) • Is in at least good health and physique However, these criteria alone won’t guarantee entry to the ZMF. The enlistee must also pass medical check-ups, psychological exams, personality tests, logic tests (no education requirement), physical condition tests, motivation and security interviews.

TRAINING Regardless of battle experience, all Mercenary Force recruits are obliged to undertake not only a year of intense military training, but also forced education of Zipangu language and the bushido code. By intense military training, the Zipangu Mercenary Force has one of the harshest and most difficult training programs, since the recruits come from all over the world that a cultivation of strong brotherhood between the recruits and utmost loyalty to the Emperor must be strong, as well as adoption of Zipangu culture regardless of an individual’s life and opinion. As a result, training is not only physically challenging but also psychologically stressing, but in the end, the product of these kinds of training are cold and efficient killing machines that can survive any environment, no matter how rough it may be, and prepared to sacrifice themselves in battle for victory and the Emperor. Mercenary Force recruits are also trained how to defend against mamono in many ways either to intently kill or merely incapacitate the attacker. All Mercenary Force members are trained in martial arts, particularly jiujutsu. Moreover, they are also placed in tests of endurance; recruits are trained to resist being seduced by mamono in extended periods of time. Those who managed not to be seduced without much problem are guaranteed to pass training immediately.

THE INDIVIDUAL MERCENARY A ZMF member’s term of service is for five to seven years. He is also forced to enlist under a pseudonym or declared identity, in order to allow people who want to start their lives over to enlist, and the Mercenary Force deems that it is fairer to make all new recruits use pseudonyms. At the end of their term of service or when applying for Zipangu citizenship, the Mercenary can revert back to his original name or go on with his declared identity. After serving in the ZMF for four years, the Mercenary may apply for Zipangu citizenship. However, in doing so, he must truly abandon the religion of his pre-ZMF life and follow the Shinto, besides that he should no longer have any problems with the authorities and must have served with “honor and fidelity”. However, in an event that the Mercenary becomes injured during a battle for the Emperor, he can immediately apply for citizenship. A foreign-born Mercenary, active or retired, is only allowed to marry a Zipangu-native mamono, and marrying mamono that are not native on Zipangu and human women is not allowed. One of the reasons why the Mercenary Force is created is to attract outsiders for the local mamono to take husbands of, as well as worry among the Diet (Zipangu’s legislative assembly), regarding the fear about the tainting of pureblooded Zipangu society by the interbreeding of locals and foreigners.

ARMANENT (Note: Those with * are weapons of Quarantian origin which Zipangu has domestic production rights of.)
 * P9 Pistol
 * Howa Type 64 Battle Rifle
 * Howa Type 89 Assault Rifle
 * Arctic Warfare Magnum Sniper Rifle
 * VSS Vintorez Sniper Rifle *
 * KSVK Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle *
 * RPD-44 Light Machine Gun *
 * Ultimax 100 Light Machine Gun
 * Sumitomo Type 62 General-Purpose Machine Gun
 * Sumitomo NTK-62 Machine Gun (in-vehicle only)
 * DshK Heavy Machine Gun *
 * M67 Grenade
 * Type 06 Rifle Grenade
 * Howa 84RR Recoilless Rifle
 * Howa Type 96 Automatic Grenade Launcher
 * Type 01 Light Antitank Missile
 * Type 91 Surface-to-Air Missile
 * PMN Antipersonnel Mine *
 * MON-50 Antipersonnel Mine *
 * Type 96 Heavy Mortar
 * 2B14 Podnos Infantry Mortar *
 * 2S12 Sani Heavy Mortar *