Commonwealth of Susquehanna Defense Force (1983: Doomsday)

The Commonwealth of Susquehanna maintains a small armed forces. Most of the military units were formed post-Doomsday, with a few pre-Doomsday units training troops after the apocalypse. Military service is mandatory unless the draftee can prove religious objections before a military board. If found reasonable, they will be assigned to the medical corps or a non-combat role.

Much of the equipment operated by the Commonwealth are pre-1960's equipment that is being replaced with newer models as funding becomes available.

The total military strength as of 2014 stands at 369 active members; 1100 reserve; and 800 county militia members.

Commonwealth of Susquehanna Army National Guard
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna Army National Guard is the largest branch of the armed forces, with 1634 active soldiers; 400 reserve, and each county maintains a citizens militia, with a national total of 300 militia members.

It is the oldest branch of the Armed Forces, being in existence in some form since the foundation of the nation.

Units
There are two active battalions in the Commonwealth. They are each divided into five companies of 100 troops each, as well as a supply company, an artillery battery, and a motorized infantry regiment.

Each infantry company has twelve infantry squads, four machine gun squads, two automatic grenade squads, and two bazooka squads.

Infantry Units
 * 2nd Infantry Battalion
 * Company A
 * Company B
 * Company C
 * Company D
 * Company E


 * 55th Infantry Battalion
 * Company A
 * Company B
 * Company C
 * Company D
 * Company E

Unit Composition
 * Infantry Company
 * Four 25-man Platoons
 * Three six-man Infantry squads
 * One Squad Leader (M14 Assault Rifle, M1917 Revolver)
 * One Scout (M14 semiautomatic with scope, M1917 Revolver)
 * Two Infantrymen (M14 Assault Rifle, M1917 Revolver)
 * One Grenader (M16 Assault Rifle, M203 Grenade Launcher, M1917 Revolver)
 * One Automatic Rifleman (M1918 BAR, M1917 Revolver)
 * One 4 man machine gun squad
 * One Platoon Leader (M14 Assault Rifle, M1911 Pistol)
 * One Machine Gunner (M1919 Machine Gun, M1917 Revolver)
 * One Ammunition Bearer (Model 870 Shotgun)
 * One Scout (M14 Assault Rifle, M1917 Revolver)
 * One three-man grenade launcher squad
 * One Grenadier (Mk. 19 grenade launcher, M1917 Revolver)
 * One Ammunition Bearer (M3 Submachine Gun)
 * One Scout (M14 Assault Rifle, M1917 Revolver)
 * Or
 * One three-man Super Bazooka squad
 * One Bazooka Gunner (M20 Super Bazooka, M3 Submachine Gun)
 * One Ammunition Bearer (Model 870 Shotgun)
 * One Scout (M14 Assault Rifle, M1917 Revolver)

Motorized Units
 * 28th Motorized Infantry Company

Unit Composition
 * Motorized Infantry Company
 * Twelve five-man truck squads
 * One Driver (M3 Submachine Gun, M1917 Revolver)
 * One Gunner (Truck Mounted M2 Browning, M3 Submachine Gun, M1911 Pistol)
 * One Loader (M14 Assault Rifle, M1917 Revolver)
 * One Spotter (M14 Assault Rifle, M1917 Revolver)
 * One Rear Guard (M14 Assault Rifle, M1917 Revolver)
 * Ten five-man Jeep squads
 * One Driver (M3 Submachine Gun, M1917 Revolver)
 * One Gunner (Truck Mounted M2 Browning, M3 Submachine Gun, M1911 Pistol)
 * One Loader (M14 Assault Rifle, M1917 Revolver)
 * One Side Gunner (Truck Mounted M60 machine gun, M1917 Revolver)
 * One Infantryman (M14 Assault Rifle, M1917 Revolver)

Artillery Units
 * 109th Field Artillery Battery
 * Four

Support Units
 * 213th Area Support Battalion
 * 109th Financial and Support Company
 * 328th Engineering Company
 * 728th Medical Company
 * 1067th Transportation Company
 * 1902nd Supply and Logistics Company

Military Police
There are 76 members of the Military Police. They are the former personnel of the Hazleton Security forces. Most are assigned to military bases and facilities to guard them, although they are trained in support of police and National Guard forces.

All are trained in counterinsurgency, hand to hand combat, firearms, and nonlethal tactics.

They are equipped with 15 motorcycles, and each officer is issued an M-16, an M1911, handcuffs, and pepper spray.

Susquehanna Guard
The Susquehanna Guard has duties as both the bodyguard to the Governor and dignitaries, as well as the Special Forces of Susquehanna. It is made up of one platoon of men. Eleven are assigned as bodyguards, and the other twenty one are assigned to field operations. The platoon is oversized with 32 men.
 * Susquehanna Guard Platoon
 * Gubernatorial Protection Section
 * Two five-man fireteams
 * Four Bodyguards (C7 A1 Assault Rifle, M1911 Pistol)
 * One Sniper (M40 Sniper Rifle, M1911 Pistol)
 * Special Operations Section
 * One five-man Hostage Rescue Fireteam
 * One Sniper (M40 Sniper Rifle, M1911 Pistol)
 * One Negotiator (M1911 Pistol, usually unarmed)
 * Three Breaching Personnel (C7 A1 Assault Rifle, M1911 Pistol)
 * One five-man Wilderness Combat Fireteam
 * One Sniper (M40 Sniper Rifle, M1911 Pistol)
 * One Reconnaissance (M3 Submachine Gun, M1911 Pistol)
 * One five-man Urban Combat Fireteam
 * Two Close Quarters Specialists (Model 870 Shotgun, M1911 Pistol)
 * Three Assault Personnel (C7 A1 Assault Rifle, M1911 Pistol)
 * One five-man Counterterrorism Fireteam
 * One Sniper (M40 Sniper Rifle, M1911 Pistol)
 * One Bomb Disposal Specialist (M1911 Pistol)
 * Three Assault Personnel (C7 A1 Assault Rifle, M1911 Pistol)

Commonwealth of Susquehanna Air National Guard
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna Air National Guard operates several aircraft from pre-Doomsday. Several light aircraft were salvaged from the Bloomsburg Area Airport, and Riverside Airport.

The mission of the Air National Guard is to monitor the nation for foreign incursion, provide reconnaissance and air support for the army, and logistics and anti aircraft support.

There are 60 personnel, 20 pilots that operate eight aircraft, and three 40mm anti-aircraft guns.

One Cessna 172 was lost in former Schuykill County on February 3rd, 2014 due to insurgent fire during a scouting mission. They have recently finished refurbishing another Cessna 172 to replace the lost one.

To compensate for the loss of one aircraft, the Air National Guard finalized a deal with the Superior Air Force, trading some old train manufacturing equipment for two older model FS-1 Lighting attack aircraft (OTL: P-38 Lightning), as well as the right to purchase train cars in the future as needed.

They also have recently completed refurbishing a new Cessna 172 Skyhawk. It will operate as a Forward Air Controller, and as a trainer aircraft.

The Air National Guard has received three Douglas C-47 Skytrain cargo planes to increase operational efficiency, from Canada. They are armed with a M60 machine gun on the hatch, and a nose turret with a M2 Browning machine gun.

There is a hope that eventually the Commonwealth will be able to reactive TRW and build jet engines to power their own combat aircraft, but this will be far into the future, as the Commonwealth does not have the funds, or means, to repair said facility back to operational status.

Aircraft Armament
Most of the aircraft have the ability to be armed with light weapons, and fly unarmed. The only two aircraft always armed are the two SF.1 Lighting fighters.

The SF.1 Lightings each carry an assortment of bombs and unguided rockets in a bomb bay an under the wings. It is unknown what guns are onboard.

The five Cessna 172 Skyhawks are occasionally armed with either an M2 Browning under the propeller nose, or rocket pods on each wing, carrying an assortment of smoke, illumination, or explosive rockets. Mainly, they mark targets for artillery or airstrikes to destroy.

Normally the Chotia Weedhopper is unarmed as a trainer glider. It has a forward bracket, giving it the ability to mount a M14 for light ground attack roles.

Units
91st Training Flight
 * Section 1:
 * Chotia Weedhopper JC-24B
 * Chotia Weedhopper JC-24B
 * Chotia Weedhopper JC-24B
 * Section 2:
 * Chotia Weedhopper JC-24B
 * Chotia Weedhopper JC-24B
 * Chotia Weedhopper JC-24B

112th Tactical Airlift Flight
 * Section 3:
 * Douglas C-47 Skytrain
 * Douglas C-47 Skytrain
 * Douglas C-47 Skytrain

114th Interception Flight
 * Section 4:
 * Superior FS-1L Lightning (Call sign- Fireye Alpha)
 * Superior FS-1L Lightning (Call sign- Fireye Bravo)
 * Section 5:
 * Bofors 40 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun
 * Bofors 40 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun
 * Bofors 40 mm Anti-Aircraft Gun

205th Special Operations Flight-
 * Section 6:
 * Cessna 172 Skyhawk G (Call sign- Hawktrot Alpha)
 * Cessna 172 Skyhawk G (Call sign- Hawktrot Bravo)
 * Section 7:
 * Piper PA-28 Cherokee (Call sign- Bloomsburg One)

553rd Forward Reconnaissance Flight
 * Section 8:
 * Cessna 172 Skyhawk E (Call sign- Hawktrot Charlie)
 * Cessna 172 Skyhawk E (Call sign- Hawktrot Delta)
 * Cessna 172 Skyhawk E (Call sign- Hawktrot Echo)

Airbases

 * Berwick Airbase
 * 91st Training Flight
 * Section One
 * 114th Interception Flight
 * Section Five
 * Danville Airfield
 * 91st Training Flight
 * Section Two
 * 205th Special Operations Flight
 * Section Six
 * Thornburgh Regional Airport
 * 112th Tactical Airlift Flight
 * Section Three
 * 114th Interception Flight
 * Section Four
 * 205th Special Operations Flight
 * Section Seven
 * Hazleton Regional Airport
 * 553rd Forward Reconnaissance Flight
 * Section Eight

Commonwealth of Susquehanna Waterways Patrol
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna Waterways Patrol is the smallest of the branches, having only 40 active personnel, although there are about 100 volunteers rotating around the year.

Recently, the Commonwealth commissioned two Susquehanna-class patrol boats. Each is similar to the Vietnam era PBR boats. Both were former pleasure craft that were recommissioned as patrol boats.

Defense Industry
The Commonwealth of Susquehanna does not have a large defense industry. The two major domestic suppliers to the armed forces are the Danville Steel Mills, and Appalachian Firearms Corporation.

Danville Steel Mills provides stamped armor for the military, knives, and bayonets for the military. Currently they manufacture the M4 and the M5 bayonet for the M1 Garand and the M14 assault rifle.

Appalachian Firearms Corporation mainly manufactures ammunition for the armed forces. In early 2014, the company began production of the M3 Submachine Gun to supplement the M14. They also manufacture the M26 hand grenade, the M67 hand grenade, and both the M7 and the M76 rifle grenade launcher.

They are currently working on prototypes for the XM-20 assault rifle. Experts plan on mass production of the new service rifle in 2018 to 2020.

The company also modified and refurbishes used and damaged weapons.

The newly formed Columbia Ordinance Facility opened in February of 2014. It manufactures unguided bombs and rockets, as well as incendiary bombs.

Modernization Plans
The Commonwealth government realized in 2012 after a few years of combating raiders that the military needed to be modernized. Since then there have been several proposed acquisitions proposed, with several completed.

Army

 * Acquire 20 M20 Super Bazookas (2014, purchased from Canada through North Pennsylvania on February 12, 2014).
 * Acquire four M101 towed artillery pieces (2014, purchased from Canada through North Pennsylvania)
 * Modernize the military service rifle to the XM-20 prototype (OTL: AR-10) (2017)

The army has decided to restructure with two battalions of five companies of 100 soldiers each, and one company of 22 trucks and Jeep Raiders with 110 troops. There will also be one artillery battery with four M101 howitzers and 24 soldiers, and one support battalion with 500 men.

Active personnel will total 1634 on duty.

Reserves will be composed of four infantry regiments, and each county and territory will have two infantry platoons as a part time militia. There will be a total of 400 reserves and 300 militia.

Air National Guard

 * Acquire two attack/fighter/bomber aircraft (Recently purchased from Superior)
 * Acquire three older Bofors 40 mm anti-aircraft guns (Recently purchased from Canada )
 * Acquire, or construct, two propeller cargo plane (2014, Negotiating price with Canada)
 * Purchase two cargo helicopters (2015)
 * Refurbish the old TRW building to construct aircraft engines and light attack and transport aircraft (2015 - Unknown)

Waterways Patrol

 * Acquire four lightly armed patrol boats (2016).

Current Missions

 * Operation: Retribution