Hello,
I was sort of going in this direction on the last thread about brigade numbering, but I figured that these questions warranted a new start.
First off, I'm trying to better understand the division between Regular Army and Reserve units in the SLDF. The text for Reserve Command talks about the large number of regiments, brigades and divisions assigned to it, and that the vast majority of one-term enlistees serve in the Reserve. Additionally the blurb on armor assets talks about the "unassigned defensive Regular Army". I'm assuming both of these organizations are tied into the Army-level combat assets that do not show up on the normal order of battle.
So this question is three-fold:
1) Is the Reserve divided into several sections? I get the impression that it is divided into two parts. The first is composed of full-time army units that are second-line in organization and training but are otherwise active and contribute to regular military operations, up to and including the infantry and armor divisions mentioned in the Reserve Command blurb. The second part is made up of reservists in the more traditional sense, demobilized soldiers who train for a small part of the year and only fully mobilize to make up for losses in wartime.
2) While I know it is supposed to be deliberately vague in description, what are these Reserve commands like? Do they include Reserve Battlemech and Aerospace units that serve in a garrison role? How are the second-line armored and infantry divisions organized? Two brigades of tanks and one of infantry for armor divisions and the opposite for infantry?
3) Where does the line for the Reserve units end and the "unassigned defensive Regular Army" begin? Are the 50 front-line divisions not described in the FM tie into that? Sort of the tip of the spear for the garrison forces?
With that out of the way, my other questions are a lot briefer.
1) The Inspector General office, under which command does it fall? I'd say Regular Army, but they seem to be responsible for keeping an eye on the Navy as well.
2) From Liberation of Terra, Vol. I we have a mention of a "SLDF Chief of Staff" on pg. 74. No mention of that in the Field Manual. Where does that position fall within the SLDF hierarchy?
3) Lastly, the maps at the end of the field manual list 450 divisions, just like the old Star League sourcebook. However, both the Star League SB and Liberation of Terra, Vol. 1 mention 22 divisions in 20th Army (7 Battlemech, 15 Infantry). If you added that up you get 451 divisions. A simple typo or something more?
As always, your answers are very much appreciated. Thanks guys!