Dante Recruitment and Training
A Profile Of The SLA Military

The training and initial duties of all new personnel on Dante follows a number of preset stages, the first of which begins off planet. Operatives and Militia personnel tend to follow different paths for the first couple of months their stationed on Dante. With the Militia being put through an initial test period as infantry at the front lines before the company will give them further training. This serves two purposes for SLA, that of keeping training expenses down and of having enough warm bodies to keep the major battle fronts manned. After this period both types of recruits will go into mixed units and be given identical duties. Alien Operatives are also welcome to sign up for military service with the company although species with certain physical drawbacks such as the Wraith Raiders susceptibility to high temperatures may mean they have restrictions on types of duty and available postings.

Recruitment

The majority of Dante personnel are recruited from the general population of the Worlds of Progress and begin their careers in the military as Militia members. New Operatives are also given the opportunity to be assigned to Dante if they should so wish and any existing Operative has the right to ask for posting to the military. Many Operatives see this as a way to prove themselves or build themselves a media image as a veteran. Dante is also a way to quickly gain SCL especially if the Operative can get a posting in the Dante Marine Corps or one of the other elite military units. The company is quite happy to allow them to sign up for military service as it helps to have experienced personnel as well as raw recruits. The third group to be assigned to Dante are existing Militia members serving on other planets, this is only usually done in times of crisis, but it is not uncommon for troops to be drawn off more low level duties and sent to the War Worlds when needed. Since these personnel are already trained to some degree they are treated in much the same way as Operatives are in terms of training and initial assignments.

Most who join the Militia though don't see it as a way to glory, they just see it as a way to get away from the poverty and squalor of places like Downtown Mort. For those without the skills, intelligence or knowledge to become SLA employees or train as Operatives, joining the Militia is the only way they can get into the company. SLA aggressively promotes the honor and riches that can be gained by fighting for the them on the War World's and these shallow promises alone are enough to result in hundreds of thousands of applicants a day. The use of such figures as Supreme Commander Van Braun and Commander Amity Takaya, head of air forces on Dante, in these media campaigns is also common, as both rose from being Militia recruits to positions of extreme power. SLA will recruit almost anyone for company Militia, as long as their physically fit, reasonably mentally sound, not an obvious threat to security and have enough skill to be trained use a weapon.
When you sign up for the Militia you sign your life away for a minimum of four years and once a recruit has been inducted they instantly become subject to military law and are immediately sent to the nearest SLA Military Forwarding Facility or MFF. From now on they will be allowed no contact with friends and family till they reach their posting. While at the Forwarding Facility they will be operated on to fit their new Karma implants and issued with uniforms, armour and equipment prior to shipment to one of the War World's. There are several of these centers throughout the Worlds Of Progress mainly based on major worlds such as Mort. New personnel stay at these centers for three to four days while their implants have time to heal and they are fitted for their powered armour, they will also be given a complete course of immunization and booster jabs to help counter the many biological hazards that have developed on Dante and the other War World's over the years.

"Dante needs you !! You've seen it on TV, now it's your chance to experience it for real.! Are you fit, strong and ready to fight ? Then sign up for the Dante Militia today, it's an experience we promise you won't forget....."

SLA Promotional Advert For The Dante Militia

" AAAAAAARGH, where are my legs, what happened to my legs man..? They never said anything about getting my legs blown off in the recruiting adverts. They promised we'd get rich and we'd be hero's, but nothing about getting HESHed by a Thresher Strike Squad......AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH hurry up with that pain blocker can't ya........!"

Militia Recruit 'Hammond Grant' SCL 11M
Recorded at Front-Line Command Post 00/702/Baker, Dante, by CMG
Deemed unsuitable for transmission.

Training

When this initial induction period at the MFF is complete, the new recruits will be placed on military Foldships and transported to 'New Hope' SLA's orbital clearing house for everything that is shipped into the Dante system. These ships are often referred to as 'Vomit Comets' by the old hands, as for many onboard it's their first experience of space travel and at this point the majority are also still suffering side effects from their Bio-Hazard shots and other immunizations. From New Hope they are then flown by dropship to Archangel for the start of their six week training course. These last two stages of the journey to Dante can be particularly hazardous as although Thresher and the other companies are unable to field anything in the way of a major space fleet in the Dante system, they do have enough ships to make attack runs on anything traveling to and from SLA's satellite base. For this reason most Foldships are given a fighter escort once they come in system, but due to the limited number of interceptors stationed on New Hope and Black Dawn this cover is not extended to the large number of outgoing flights bound for the planets surface, which unless they are carrying important cargo's or key personnel are left to rely on luck and the skill of the pilot.

SLA Industries current policy concerning Militia recruits to Dante is that they will only go to the time and expense of giving them specialized training after they have proved themselves with two months on one of the companies many front lines. For this reason their initial training at Archangel will only be forty two days long and is a crash course in everything from operation of weapons and tactics, to first aid and equipment maintenance. In the past this training period was much longer, but after extensive analysis of hours in training compared to KIC figures, SLA concluded that six weeks was the, optimum, most cost effective duration for the induction of new personnel. Some Dante vets liken this intensive training period to being worse than going into the line itself due to the harsh punishments metered out by the instructors and the grueling physical tests newbies have to endure. Operatives who sign up for the Military will also undergo a similar rigorous course to ready them for their assignments on the War World, although they will tend to undertake their training separately as most will already have skills that Militia recruits do not. Operatives also have a tendency to need a certain amount of re-orientation for life in the military and the radical changing in lifestyle it represents.

" If I hear another one of you lowlife, scum sucking, newbies whine about how 'it aint like this on Mort' one more time, I'm gonna instigate a live fire exercise with you pukes as the targets.....got that, now shut up and get with it"

Training Sergeant Karl 'Lung Ripper' McBanner
Archangel Base - 879

"Come on, move, move, move, you've only run ten miles so far, so keep going. Look, only 3% of recruits die in training so you aint got nothing to worry about...."

Unknown Militia Training Instructor
Dante Infantry Training School

Initial Duties

Initial duty for virtually all new Company Militia personnel on Dante is a tour on one of the main battle fronts. To say this is dropping new recruits in at the deep end is an understatement. The numerous static front lines that criss-cross Dante are at the center of many of the fiercest battles of the war as SLA attempts to keep its rivals bottled up and prevent them from extending the territory they hold. Here the troops are forced live constantly in their trenches and bunkers and thousands die everyday in the intensive shelling, air attacks and enemy assaults. Artillery batteries on both sides of the line pound the opposing forces night and day, churning the ground into an unrecognizable mass of mud, wreckage and bodies. Driving rain and flash floods are a constant threat in the forward trench positions, while on the occasions the sun does come out, it only serves to speed the rotting of the huge number corpses that litter the two kilometer wide free fire zone between the opposing forces and fill the air with a charnel house stink that invades even helmet filters and remains in the recruits memory forever. It is quite common after a heavy assault for the rain water that pours into the trenches to be red with blood. On some days when the wind is blowing in from the sea the stench from the main battle fronts is carried as far as the walls of Archangel Base several hundred miles to the south. The few animal species left on Dante such as jackal like 'Skaggs', thrive on the decaying corpses and at night hundreds come out to gorge themselves on the remains. They serve as a constant nuisance to the troops on the front-lines, scavenging in the trenches, tripping automated defense systems and often attacking personnel who try to drive them off.

Every few days the High Command will issue orders for an assault on the opposing enemy positions and so under the cover of the forward batteries and with air support, if they're lucky and the weather permits, men and vehicles will be expected to make a headlong dash through the mud and wreckage to try and breach the enemy fortifications. Mines, razor wire, auto cannons and the enemy gun positions all stand in their way and commonly losses can run at anything up to 30% before the assault teams can cover half the distance. Not surprisingly these assaults never manage to hold any part of the enemy front lines for very long and usually have to settle with destroying what they can before pulling back to their own lines. Generally within 24 hours of such an attack, the opposing forces will return the favor and mount their own offensive. This type of tit for tat fighting continues month in month out, with not respite and little advantage being gained by either side. It is also these assaults that gave rise to the infamous average survival in combat figure of just 28 hours. With the constant fighting in these areas many speculate that the free fire zones between the oldest trench networks now consist of nothing but a layer of compacted bodies, vehicles and equipment. several meters thick.

Only the exceptionally tough, psychotic or both survive this two month nightmare on the lines and some are even crazy enough to try and sign up for further duty there when it ends. Operative recruits are exempt from the ordeal of this first tour, as their initial training on Mort is deemed to be too expensive to waste by getting them killed after 28 hours. Instead they are posted straight to more specialist units, their assignments usually reflecting the training they have already received.

"Break. Break. Break. This Charlie 07 company to command, we cannot, repeat cannot hold our position. We've lost most of our heavy weapons and the 88mm Mortars are low on ammo. If we don't get reinforcements or air support, we cannot hold our position......Break. Brea.. OH HELL here they come again..."
"BRRRRRRRTT......!"
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Com Net Message From Forward
Assault Company Charlie 07
Dante Front-lines Slayers Fist Sector.
No Survivors - 03/11/986

"Hey man anyone know if you can die from olfactory overload?? Cos I think my helmet filters bust"

Unknown Militia Member
Front-Line Trenches

Duty Reassignment

The lucky few Militia who make it through their first tours will now receive a raise in their SCL ratings and rank and be returned to Archangel or one of the other bases offering training facilities for reassignment. In the eyes of the Company those who can survive their time on the front lines are worthy of the expense of further training and better assignments. Those who show particular promise will be given an intensive four month long course in a specialist field such as piloting, artillery, defense grid operation, naval duty or if they demonstrate exceptional talent, special forces or D.S.O. Some are not deemed suitable or skilled enough for training in these areas and will instead be given a further short course in infantry tactics instead and assigned to one of the many and varied combat units. Dropouts from the various specialist courses will also end up back in infantry school.

After this period of further training most Militia will have the same ranks and privileges as Operatives and will be eligible for a range of company perks and SCL increase. These privileges also include access to Life Extension treatment to prevent aging, a highly prized procedure unobtainable outside of the employ of SLA. Although all these advantages are only valid while the Militia member remains in the military.

For most when they go back into combat it will be either posted at one of the many bases around the planet or to SLA's numerous mobile units, including crew on the Dreadnoughts or desert Leviathans. Some will be sent back to the front lines, although this is usually in command positions or on specialist duties such as vehicle crew, engineers and medics.
These higher level duties are still by no means easy and some postings such as the Deep Deserts, Polar Regions and Wastelands, rival or surpass the front lines in terms of misery and danger. The KIC figures still run extremely high for all types of combat posting, and even if they managed to survive the front lines, average life expectancy for Militia members in an active unit is still only a matter of months. Operatives will also be assigned to these types of postings as their first active duty, although if they show promise they are more likely to be given transfers to higher profile units. Departments such as S.I.D and the D.S.O are constantly looking for highly skilled personnel from both Militia and Operative origins to headhunt and a fair amount of interdepartmental wrangling goes on when they both want the same people.

Many infantry, vehicle and special forces units are constantly being reassigned to different postings around Dante as the demands for reinforcements and new personnel are continually changing. The SLA High Command perpetually has to shuffle its forces in response to the ever changing war situation and troops grow to expect frequent shifts between bases. Quite often units will be pulled off their regular duties and transferred to specialist assignments if an emergency arises. These can include high priority search and destroy missions, retrieval and loan to various sub companies for R&D testing.

Unit Designations

Once they have finished their secondary training both Militia and Operatives will be assigned to one of Dante's main combat units. Each of unit these has its own designation, such as the '32nd Hammers' and in a similar way to the old 'Nitro Legions' can encompasses troops from various specialized areas such as powered armour, air support, infantry, medevac and sappers. It is not uncommon for the larger of these units to have several hundred thousand personnel and many of the older, well established ones will also have divisions on other War World's such as Cross or Charlie's Point. Over the years the names and numbers of units on Dante has been vast with many having been reformed numerous times as all members are lost and the High Command simply recycles their identification.

Common Types Of Postings

Base Defense Units

Troops assigned to this duty are in a similar, although usually less dangerous, position to those serving on the front lines. Base defense units are responsible for manning the fortifications and gun emplacement that surround the majority of SLA's complexes on Dante and preventing both air and ground assaults by rival company forces. Some will serve on the static emplacements and in the trenches, while others will form part of the security parties that most bases operate. These consist of mobile armoured units and infantry squads who's job it is to plug holes in the defense grids as they appear, as well as pursuing attacking forces beyond the bases perimeters. Security personnel will also commonly be charged with mounting routine patrols within the immediate area of the base and dealing with any local threats such as stray robotics, looters and Zone Stalker incursions. On smaller bases, where there are limited numbers of personnel, these defenders will often be supplemented by the use of minefields, automatic systems and drones.

"Hey Sarge we've got a blip in sector four, looks like five warm bodies in low level powered armour, probably DarkNight commandos from the scan. They're moving, inbound for the vehicle sheds near the perimeter wall, range about thirty meters and closing"
BKOOOM
BKOOOM
"Scratch one assault team, thermals show nothing but meat, guess their mine detection skills weren't up to much huh"

Watchtower - 0345 Command Center
Dante Wastelands

Assault Units

These units can vary in size from a single squad to several Leviathans with air and MBT support. The Assault units role in combat it to go out and destroy or capture a specific target, usually in 'no mans land'. The number and type of personnel in a particular Assault Force are usually tailored to the target they are going up against and these can vary from a single Zone Stalker, crazy or band of deserters to a major rival company base. Assault teams are usually stationed on a specific base for a period of months waiting for assignments, then be transferred to patrol or convoy duties, although they can find themselves rapidly moved around in response to particular threats or the need for manpower in other areas.

Although where possible an assault unit will fight together, the chaos of Dante often prevents this and these forces can rapidly find themselves split up and fighting on a variety of fronts. This means that the small squad sized elements that makeup the majority of their complement can often find themselves constantly being shuffled around between battles and can receiving a vast number of differing assignments. It is also not uncommon for members of a particular unit to end up spread all over the War World after a period of years, although Commanders will usually try and retrieve these when tasked with mounting a major assault.

In some cases the High Command find it impractical to send replacement personnel and regroup scattered forces so instead will let the fragmented elements of a unit be totally destroyed or absorbed into others and reform it from fresh. Since they are often stationed at a base for a period of time Assault Units frequently get tasked with any odd jobs that come up such as retrieval missions, rescuing convoys etc. They will also be expected to earn their keep as additional base security if the complex comes under attack.

"Damn I wished we'd get a proper assignment, this shooting stray Skaggs is really getting on my nerves, how the stupid animals get through perimeter defenses is beyond me."

Lieutenant Kia Forsyth
12th Hawk Legion Assault Unit
On Stop over at Blue 12 Outpost

Patrol Units

Patrol units are normally armoured columns of varying size who's job it is to scour the vast areas of 'no mans land' hunting for enemy units, concealed bases and other minor threats such as looters. Patrols will generally stay in the field for two or more months or till they're vehicles and equipment are too damaged or they're too short of personnel to continue, at which point they will return to one of SLA's many repair and re-supply facilities.

Most patrols will usually operate to a fixed route plan to allow High Command to have a good ideas which sectors they will be in and when. Although such things as the unpredictable environment and loss of equipment in combat can often mean that these units remain out of touch for long periods of time or are forced to make route changes. This necessitates that units must often survive on their own without backup or re-supply for months at a time, although if situations allow communications to be opened then air drops can usually be arranged. If possible patrols in an area where assault units have a target will be brought in to increased numbers and add extra firepower. Units will usually alternate between this type of duty and assignment to assault teams every few months.

Convoy Duty

This duty simply consists of acting as protection for one of the numerous cargo convoys that keep SLA's bases supplied all over the planet. Convoy sizes can vary from between five armoured trucks to vast numbers of vehicles carrying supplies and replacement equipment. Level of protection and number of personnel assigned depends on the destination of the cargo and the hazardous nature of the areas it must pass through. Again convoy assignments are interspersed with periods of Assault or Patrol duties and units can find themselves rapidly reassigned if an emergency occurs. Convoy duty can be particularly dangerous since all vehicles have to move at the same speed as the transports and protect them, meaning they often can't use speed to outrun a concerted attack. The High Command is also very strict when dealing with AFV crews who desert the trucks in their care.

"This is the Section Leader to Land Trains three and four. You'd better move it or loose it cos we've got incoming bogies in all sectors and I don't care what the High Command are gonna do to me when I get back, if I loose another MBT, I'm gonna leave your sorry asses in the desert to rot"

Convoy Commander Francis Clark
54 Vulcans
Route 66 Dante

R&D Testing

This type of duty is usually given to Assault or Patrol units and commonly involves the field testing of various vehicles, weapons or other pieces of equipment being developed by Dante's numerous labs. Most troops dislike these assignments, as they usually require them to be relieved of their issue weapons or armour and given something that is possibly unreliable or occasionally downright dangerous instead. This practice of taking the equivalent of whatever being tested off the group is now common, as researchers found they weren't getting accurate data when troops simply ditched the malfunctioning item and went back to their old ones. Items that need long term testing usually go to patrols, while those needing more specific combat tests tend to be assigned to Assault Units where results can be rapidly obtained. The R&D lab involved in the testing will normally assign several expendable junior personnel to the unit, to record data and observe the equipment in action. Their job is to ensure that all aspects of the prototypes being used in combat are carefully logged and documented, usually with vid footage, to be returned to their superiors. Needless to say this type of assignment can be extremely hazardous and it's not uncommon for these techs to get caught in the crossfire. Units who loose these techs in combat and also fail to return the test data to the Company usually suffer from rank reductions or other disciplinary measures, another reason for many troops detest these types of assignments as they see it as baby sitting. To counter this somewhat a bonus system has now been introduced in recent years, this is paid to the troops taking part in testing by the sub-company and is designed to encourage their cooperation.

Since head office approves and encourages this type of testing, few military units are able to resist a request from a Company lab to take part in trials and a squad or unit has little choice if it's assigned to an R&D department.

BRRRRRRTTTTT
CRUNCH.....!!!
Click Click Click
" If I ever get out of here, I'm gonna kill who ever designed this piece of crap. Where's my Power Claymore..?"

Private Janet Turner -
Patrol Unit 00654 Deep Deserts
During Research Testing for General Armaments
Copyright CMG - Unsuitable for Transmission

"Come on Sergeant just hand it over, look here's our authorization from the High Command, it says you've got to give us your Warmonger and take this nice new prototype instead. It's no good growling like that, if you don't hand it over right now we'll just get the MPs in and they'll sedate you and ship you off to psyche..."

Field Research Team Head - Charles French
FEN Infantry Weapons Division - Dante

Militray Careers & Retirement

When the standard military contract with SLA Industries for Operatives or Militia expires, the recruit is then given the choice to either re-enlist for another four years or return to civilian life. If they're an Operative they will also have the additional option to take up another position within the company. This usually meaning a return to the streets of Mort or if they're lucky a desk job, although some will end up assigned to other worlds such as Artery. Certain highly skilled Militia members are also able to gain Operative status when they finish their contracts and in this way remain in the employment of SLA.

The other option, open to all types of personnel, after completing a tour on Dante is re-assignment to another position within the Military, usually on one of the minor War Worlds or any of the thousands of Militia garrisons. Dante trained troops are always in high demand due to their skill and toughness and commanders on other worlds are often keen to recruit them.
Some do choose to leave the militray all together, but as with Operative retirement, total retirement from the military results in the loss of the majority of a troopers privileges. Most importantly this includes the withdrawal of their life extension treatments, something many are not willing to turn down lightly. As a result very few actually quit the Militia after fulfilling their initial contracts and the re-enlistment rate after the first four years on Dante runs at around 97%. Many, by the end of their first tour, have also become addicted to the adrenaline rush of combat, the danger and as often as not company drugs and find they can't live without the constant high of fighting on Dante. These troops are generally known as 'lifers' and will commonly stay on in the military either till their luck eventually runs out or their forcibly retired for other reasons.

"Sign on for another four years on Dante ???? Are you Crazy ?? Oh course I'm going to sign on for another four years,
where else can you have this much fun..?"

Lieutenant Ryann 'Mad Dog' McMillan
Third Dante 'Desert Reapers'
Copyright CMG