The Juneau Self-Defense Force
One step at a time...
The City-State of Juneau created its self-defense force soon after it grew out of its status as a lone oasis tower in the foothills of the Pacifica Mountain Range. Overlooking the Western Desert, Juneau found itself the only large scale military force in the region to rival that of the local power, Timmins. Uncharacteristically of most Badlands defense forces, the government of Juneau pursued a combined-arms military structure more like that of the larger polar leagues, rather than a simple citizen militia backed by versatile Heavy Gears. Truth be told, the JSDF is much like Timmins' Red Guard in that it relies more on the power of infantry than the more expensive operation of Heavy Gears. Currently, the JSDF consists four brigades under the control of Land Force Command, and a strong force of various jet aircraft under the control of Air Force Command. Employing approximately 18,000 people, the JSDF is the single largest employer in the city-state (though all power companies combined employ close to 40,000 people). Of those people, Land Force Command employs 12,000 people and Air Force Command employs the remaining 6,000.
Land Force Command is separated into four brigades, three of which are fighting brigades and the fourth is a 'logistics brigade' responsible for the creation, transport and maintenance of various types of supplies before it is delivered to the brigade quartermasters. The Fourth Brigade is always stationed inside the city of Juneau itself where its central position makes it more efficient at moving supplies. The Fourth also has special units trained in anti-terrorism and hostage-rescue -- making its metropolitan location a blessing for the overworked and understaffed Juneau Metro Security. The Third Brigade is currently stationed south-west of the city-state and patrols the borders of the newly created Juneau Jurisdiction for Southern reconnaissance groups and smugglers looking for an in-road to the richest city-state in the region. Second Brigade is stationed directly south of Juneau, and is responsible for much the same as the Third but it's also responsible for the protection of the trade routes between Juneau and Peace River through the Pacifica Mountain Range and thus has a higher concentration of Heavy Gears for mobility reasons. The First Brigade is currently station just north of the city, and is responsible for the larger neighbouring communities of Sound Gorge, Bridgeview, and the Toynbee Oasis and patrolling the northern border of the Jurisdiction. Due to the wide-open nature of its mission statement, First Brigade has the most diverse set of equipment and training in order to deal with the myriad of problems that are bound to spring up in the various locations it's meant to defend: rover gangs and smugglers in Bridgeview, former Red Guard mercenaries in the Toynbee Oasis, and even the 'destined' invasion of Sound Gorge and the annihilation of the newly operational JSDF Sound Gorge Installation -- First Brigade's home away from home -- by the SEC's Red Guard.
Relative to other Badlands communities, the JSDF is a quite strong and capable force. While patriots or optimists would name it second Peace River in sheer fighting strength, the reality is that Juneau is still a small city-state and that any major conflict inflicting heavy casualties would severely incapacitate the JSDF in such a way that it might take generations to recover (barring a flood-gate immigration policy). At its heart, the JSDF is still a defense force with dreams of becoming a full-scale military rivalling the capabilities of not only Peace River, but also Port Arthur and its New Coalition. That dream is far away, and will take skilled planning on not only the part of JSDF High Command, but also the civic government in terms of realistic population and economic growth. In order for these goals to be achieved, the JSDF must do its part and limit itself to things that are only in the interest of the city-state of Juneau.
Part of the problem, of course, is that city interests are not always determined realistically and ideology can sometimes get in the way of rational government. The Juneau Jurisdiction, for instance, has been called by retired military officers as "an overextension of the JSDF at best and the exclusion of core city interests at worst." Despite public support, Mayor Walker's Juneau Jurisdiction is very much a political play for the upcoming election. Should the Jurisdiction be successful, it will herald a new era for the city-state and its military as a whole -- and will cement a re-election for Walker and his liberals. Should it fail, the very city state's coherence may fall apart and its dreams of independence will go with it. Military and political experts alike have called the Jurisdiction a huge gamble on the part of Mayor Walker "with the possibility of a great pay-off, but also the threat of a great loss." Though it's somewhat silly to describe the fate of entire city-states in terms of mere probability, dice cast in the hopes of high reward, the analogy stands. Should the JSDF or City Hall lack the wherewithal to make good on promises of regional security and stability, the results will show in not only the political and economic arenas, but also the fragile social fabric of the city-state itself. If the Jurisdiction is a success, however, the city of Juneau will reap rewards unparalleled. The economy will surge, immigration and population will rise, and Juneau will emerge as one of the three pre-eminent Badlands powers.