Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces

It is difficult, at first observation, to understand why the Lyran Commonwealth is not the preeminent military power among the Successor States. In this era when wars are fought for every available shred of technology as well as territory, the side holding the most powerful equipment should, it seems, easily vanquish the opposition.

Victory in war is not simply a question of who has the greater firepower, however, but of which side is best able to exploit its assets, and has the best planning and leadership. An historian viewing the parade of bungling, inexperienced, unqualified Steiner military commanders would have to conclude that only its economic strength has kept the Commonwealth alive through the depths of the Succession Wars.

The troubles of the Lyran Military can be summed up by two ancient sayings: 'Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians' and 'War is not a tea party'. Early in its history, the Lyran Commonwealth created the title 'Social General' for the many important personages who had no other official title. Soon these powerful Social Generals had decided that, as 'generals', they should wear military regalia and mingle with the real military. Having no military experience beyond possibly a few years of service in a local militia, these 'generals' had no concept either of tactics or of planning. Instead, they 'played soldier' (while the experienced officers grumbled) planning parades and designing elaborate and impractical uniforms. Soon, several crack units were reduced to formation marching for special occasions, their 'Mechs polished and brightly painted for show. Genuine military men were forced to compete in the social arena, in order to curry favor and maintain their positions.

The influx of Social Generals and the bestowal of promotions as if they were so many party favors quickly resulted in a top-heavy military structure. Too many officers were seeking commands, and assignment was a matter of who, not what, one knew. Good officers who were not recognized for their achievements lost heart and, their loyalty shaken, many officers left the Lyran forces to pursue mercenary careers, often taking their best soldiers with them. The body of regular soldiers saw the disarray about them. If an infantryman who has been serving just six months thinks he knows more about tactics and strategy than the dandy commanding him, morale sinks to unbearable lows. If the trooper is correct in this assumption, the armed forces are in grave trouble.

Katrina Steiner and several of her predecessors have been taking steps to improve the training and caliber of the Lyran Armed Forces, but it could take years to clear out the worthless brass and solve the bickering in the upper echelons. The alliance of the Commonwealth and Federated Suns forces may provide the kick in the pants the Lyran forces need to straighten out.

The term 'top heavy' also covers the major problem in Lyran equipment. It is not that the 'Mechs themselves are faulty, but that the Lyran forces have a disproportionate number of heavy 'Mechs. Because of that, they cannot compete well in situations calling for speed and maneuverability.

This problem is partly a result of geography and partly of economics. In the days of Star League, Lyran factories excelled at turning out large 'Mechs, and so most of their contracts were for heavy fighting machines. When the Star League dissolved, the Lyran Commonwealth still had the capability to turn out great numbers of 'Mechs, almost exclusively large ones. Lyran military strategy was designed around this lopsided force for years, until newer officers, not remembering why the forces were so shaped, began to think large 'Mechs were simply the only ones worth having. Even when the Commonwealth developed the capability of manufacturing smaller 'Mechs, the top officers did not order them, and had those factories convert to making heavy 'Mechs. This predominance of heavy 'Mechs meant that Steiner units often had only one thing in their favor—brute force. The current high command recognizes the usefulness of mixed 'Mech forces, but lacking enough smaller 'Mechs, they must still often plan around this unfortunate handicap.

Despite these drawbacks, the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces still stand out among the armies of the Succession Wars. With 75 'Mech regiments, House Steiner ranks third in numbers, with the Federated Suns first and the Draconis Combine second. The Commonwealth's powerful economy makes its armies the best-equipped overall. Reforms in the command structure are producing a noticeable improvement in leadership, and the armed forces will undoubtedly benefit from the infusion of new ideas and equipment brought by the alliance between House Steiner and House Davion. The LCAF is on the brink of shaking off its historic burdens, and asserting its full might.

UNIFORMS IN THE LCAF

The purpose of military uniforms is threefold. The first is to distinguish members of the armed services from civilians. The second is to foster pride of service and esprit de corps. The final purpose is to provide a means of readily identifying units during combat and for distinguishing superiors from subordinates and friends from foes. Uniforms in most militaries are further divided into two separate classes: those designed to be worn into battle and those designed for special occasions.

The duty uniforms of the many services in the LCAF often reflect function before form. The garb of a MechWarrior, for example, is completely different from that of an infantryman because the former job is different from any other in the military. This tendency to tailor what a soldier wears to his role in combat diminishes the casual observer's ability to tell to which Successor State army a soldier belongs. The following notes apply to House Steiner forces and should be helpful in distinguishing its soldiers from one another.

SENIOR OFFICER

When a senior officer intends to take an active, fighting role in battle, he wears the battle dress appropriate to his expertise, along with red markings that identify him as a senior officer. If the officer will not be taking an active role in a battle, he wears the Senior Officer Field Uniform. This consists of a Grey shirt with cuffs edged in a red stripe. The shirt is made of heavy but comfortable wool from the fleece of Tharkan gazelles or sheep. The pants are a light gray material and are striped in red down the outer sides of the trouser legs. To prevent wear and tear on the uniform, black pads are sewn to the knees of the pants and similar pads are sewn on the shirt elbows. Almost every field uniform in the Commonwealth military has these pads. The standard-issue boots stop just below the kneepads.

Over the shirt, senior officers usually wear a chest plate and back plate joined by an epaulet and collar arrangement, which is known as an Armored Jack. The Jack is made from a light; supple leather dyed the same gray green of the trousers. Thin sheets of Battlemech armor are sewn onto the back of the leather to help protect the wearer.

On the epaulets of the Jack is the Steiner Fist in black metal. The rank insignia is sewn onto a rectangle of red fabric on both sides of the stiff, upright collar. The rank of the officer also shows on the front of the cap that most officers wear (with some exception among the females, many of whom prefer to wear a red headband). Down the front of the Jack, many of the more vain senior officers wear their campaign bars. Each metal bar represents either the successful defense of a Commonwealth world or participation in a major offensive. Though senior officers are entitled to carry a riding crop, in deference to an ancient military tradition, most forego the honor.

If the officer is commander of a fighting unit, he wears a looping braid from the epaulet on his right shoulder. The color of the braid tells at which front the officer is currently stationed. Yellow denotes the Periphery front; red means the officer is from the Kurita front; purple refers to the Marik front; and white indicates the Lyran interior. For semi-formal occasions, a second braid is worn from the left shoulder. This braid, made from a metallic, shiny rope, identifies the wearer's branch of service. The broad sash worn around the officer's waist and beneath the pistol belt also yields valuable clues. The sashes started out the same color as the Jack, but about 300 years ago; officers began wearing sashes dyed in the colors of their military academy. The sash became known as the School Rag and is now a tradition that has transferred over to the formal dress uniforms. Though some officers refuse to I wear the school rag because it is still unauthorized by | the dress code, most Commonwealth officers do. A blue sash means that the wearer graduated from the Nagelring on Tharkad. A dark green sash means the officer is a graduate from Sanglamore on Skye. A black sash means a graduate from the War College on Tamar. These are the colors of the three largest academies.

MECHWARRIORS

The battle dress of MechWarriors from House Steiner is fairly typical of that used throughout the Inner Sphere. The only noticeable difference is the neurohelmet. Constructed using superior Commonwealth technology, the LCAF version is smaller and fits more snugly to the head than those used by other States.

To reduce the helmet's size, the Steiner version uses balance feedback transmitters instead of the low-frequency alpha transmitters of other House neurohelmets. Balance feedback transmitters are set in the rear of the helmet, and communicate the balance and position of the 'Mech directly into the warrior's brain. To ensure proper contact of the transmitters against the MechWarriors scalp, he must shave part of his head. While some balk at this and insist on wearing the old-style helmets, most comply. When off-duty, some Steiner MechWarriors wear hairpieces, while others simply leave the bald spot exposed. Some MechWarriors even enlarge the shaved area as a symbol of their profession.

As most MechWarriors wear as little clothing as possible when piloting a 'Mech in combat, rank insignia means little to them. Instead, MechWarriors of House Steiner wear certain colors of T-shirt and shorts to show rank. Blue shirt and shorts means that the pilot is a junior officer, while a red shirt and shorts mean he is a senior officer. House Steiner MechWarriors are issued a laser pistol and a throwing knife, which are usually worn in an ankle holster that straps to the outside of one of their boots.

ARMORED VEHICLE CREWS

In the narrow confines of an armored vehicle, the crews often experience even more discomfort than a MechWarrior in his tiny cockpit. For this reason, House Steiner has developed a uniform considerably thicker than that of any other service to protect its armored vehicle personnel.

Each one wears a padded, motorman's suit over the standard gray-green combat fatigues. Nicknamed the 'Red hot rock-and-roll suit' for its color and use, the padding protects the wearer somewhat from flying shrapnel and against the tossing about that usually accompanies a ride in a tank. Also incorporated into the suit is a coolant system similar to that used by MechWarriors, which gives relief from the heat and some protection from fire. The plug-in for this is on the right side of waist front, and connects to the vehicle's coolant system to drain off heat. Once unplugged, the suit has 15 minutes of cooling ability before it shuts down.

Vehicle crews wear long gloves and boots made of the same red, heat-resistant material. Their helmets enclose the head completely and provide cooled air to the wearer when the visor is lowered and locked. Unit insignia is usually worn the sides of the helmet.

FIGHTER PILOTS

Steiner Aerospace Pilots wear a flight suit considerably more complex than those of their counterparts do in other realms. Unfortunately for the LCAF, this flight suit is prone to breakdowns that have resulted in several aborted missions and deaths.

The most unusual feature of the suit are me large, almost 'Mech-like boots. Inside each boot is the mechanism that keeps the pilot from passing out during high-g maneuvers. It does this by squeezing portions of the pilot's body and forcing blood into his brain. Each boot is supposed to be capable of doing the whole job, giving the pilot a margin of safety, but the boots have a nasty history of simultaneous failure during combat. Also in the boots are the computer interface systems. On the heel of each one are five computer hook-ups, which the pilot connects to the fighter's computer via the fighter's rudder controls. Most Steiner pilots do not appreciate this time-consuming task. Some prefer to use the emergency hook-up system on the left thigh of the flight suits, even though it does not give me pilot total command of the fighter’s computer abilities. The computer LCD notebook is usually carried on the pilot's right thigh.

Commonwealth pilots also wear an automatic medication dispenser on their right arms. Pressing one of the three buttons injects a predetermined dose of a stimulant, an anesthetic, or a blood coagulant.

The rank insignia is worn over the suit's chest. The colored striping across me chest also aids in determining rank. Unit patches are usually worn on the left chest and on the sides of the pilot's helmet.

INFANTRY

The LCAF infantry wear a standard field uniform, combat vest, and a helmet. The standard field uniform comes in six colors: white, black, Skye green, camouflage-vegetation, camouflage-urban, and the standard gray-green. In addition to helping the soldiers blend into their surroundings, the colors have a symbolic use. Any of the three Royal Guards units in the Triad on Tharkad wear a ceremonial white uniform. Guards at the Honor of Skye are from a Skye Rangers regiment and wear uniforms in the dark emerald green of Skye. In the Duke of Tamar's palace, the guards are from an Arcturan Guards unit and wear black uniforms.

The infantryman wears a combat vest over his uniform. The vest provides some protection to the wearer's chest as well as providing pockets for storing various items. The vest's main function is to provide a simple frame to which large and bulky objects, such as a standard field pack or the battery of a laser rifle, can be attached. With its ample supply of Velcro strips, hookbars, eyes, and straps, just about anything can be secured to the vest. Worn around the waist is a belt with pouches for carrying food, water, and spare ammo as well as any other objects the soldier needs. The belt also supports a holster for the trooper's sidearm, which is usually a slug-throwing pistol.

The design of the infantryman's helmet is effective. It has no flat edges to catch laser beam fire and is covered with a layer of shiny ablative material. An enemy's laser bolt will usually either ricochet off the helmet to be safely absorbed. Beneath the shiny exterior is a thin layer of plastisteel, a synthetic material of great strength and absorbency. Inside the helmet, there is plenty of room for communication equipment, as well as a passive IR device to provide night-sight for the soldier. For all the protection it provides, the helmet is quite light.

Unit insignias have traditionally been riveted onto the sides of the soldier's helmet. Recent studies indicate that placing the insignias there compromises the effectiveness of the helmet, and so soldiers have begun placing their unit patches on the sides of their backpack instead. The center panels of the helmets are color-coded to the various units, which constitutes an insignia. White is for members of the Royal Guards. Blue means the soldier is from either a Lyran Guards or Lyran Regular unit. Green is the color for soldiers attached to a Skye Rangers regiment. Pale gray means the soldier is from an Arcturan Guards unit. Yellow is reserved for infantry units attached to Winfield's Brigade. Mercenary units usually wear unpainted, dull brown helmets.

SUPPORT PERSONNEL

Members of field artillery units and combat engineers wear much the same uniform as infantrymen when in the field. Most soldiers who do not normally see combat wear only the standard gray-green field uniforms.

Warrant Officers, in keeping with their midway status between noncommissioned officers and enlisted officers, wear the accoutrements of both on their uniforms. Their rank insignia appears on the collars of their black-ribbed sweaters. Their caps have the purple-red piping of a senior officer, but their trouser legs have blue striping down the sides.

Because their technical expertise often involves danger from hot pieces of metal or electricity, Warrant Officers wear a jacket made from heat and electricity-resistant material. On the jacket's led chest is a symbol depicting the wearer's field of expertise. Warrant Officers assigned to Jumpship or DropShips have their jackets altered to allow a helmet to be attached. This helmet is used in emergencies and provides the wearer with oxygen until the danger passes.

All Warrant Officers are trained in the use of sophisticated computers and often carry portable computers attached by Velcro strips to their shoulders or their belts. The assistant technicians wear the same ribbed shirt, but in a purple color to identify them as assistants. Assistant technicians also wear an armless version of the warrant officer's heat and electricity-resistant jacket. Their rank insignia are worn on the jacket sleeve. Both the assistants and Warrant Officers wear a belt, to which many tools of their trade are attached.

DRESS UNIFORMS

For occasions of ceremonial importance, military personnel are required to wear dress uniforms Standard dress in the Commonwealth military is a dress jacket, white stirrup trousers, and black dress shoes.

The high-collared jacket has hidden Velcro fasteners down the front for an elegant and uncluttered look. The jacket's color depends on the wearer's rank. Senior officers wear a light blue jacket, while all other ranks wear the darker Steiner-blue jacket. Rank is shown on the dress jacket with small silver insignia on the collar. Senior officers wear a single set of pips and Steiner Crosses in the center of the collar just below the chin; all other soldiers wear two sets of insignia slightly to either side of the collar's center. On the jacket cuff, there is a single red stripe for senior officers and a blue stripe for other ranks.

Metal epaulets with the Steiner Fist in bright silver are worn on both shoulders The appropriate command and service braids attach to the epaulets. In accordance with tradition, senior officers wear a school rag about their waist, with one end hanging down the left leg. The soldiers of lesser rank do not wear school rags.

All ranks wear white stirrup dress pants, so named because of the band of fabric that loops around the wearer's foot to keep the leg of the pants straight and neat. The trousers of all LCAF uniforms are stirrup-style, but the loop of the dress pants is worn outside of the shoe, partially obscuring them. A red stripe down the pants leg denotes a senior officer; all others wear trousers with a blue stripe.

Medals are worn on the left chest and arranged so that the more important ones are closest to the center. Special awards, commendations, and badges of military orders are placed either on the right chest, the lower left chest, or on ribbons around the neck.

Senior officers in the Commonwealth military are notorious for personalizing their dress uniforms, though many outside the court believe this is but a sign of the corruption that riddles the military's upper ranks. Some of the more common variations are extravagant white or black cuffs on which the wearer's rank insignia are embroidered in gold or silver. Some officers may place their most prized medal or award on the school rag. Another common practice among senior officers is to have the school race edged with stripes for any awards or distinctions the wearer gathered while at the military academy. Recently, senior officers from the Federation of Skye have taken to wearing an emerald green dress jacket.

Though she has not forbidden this passion for customizing dress uniforms, it does not sit well with Katrina Steiner. Every time she meets a preening Leutnant Colonel in his latest attempt at military fashion, her urge to clear away all the dead wood among her senior officers grows stronger. So far, though, her only response has been to wear a dress uniform of her own that is completely devoid of epaulets, braids medals, school rag, or any other accoutrement. Nor are there any stripes about the cuff or on her dress pants. She does not even wear the insignia of her rank.

The Archon's regal beauty combines with the severity of her dress uniform to make these senior officers look foolish in their finery. Pompous idiots that they are, most of these officers are completely unaware of either the Archon's implied disapproval or how their vanity betrays them.

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