Military of the Culldrome Isles

The Military of the Culldrome Isles consists of four official divisions or branches: the Army, Navy, Air Force and Special Forces. All together, they all serve as the national military of the Culldrome Isles. The military is listed as #9 on the list of Top Militaries of Antarctica and also receives a large amount of government funding.



Background


The exact origins of Culldrome's military are not precise. However, the earliest records of a national defense force date back to 1856, shortly after Culldrome was established. The records, found in an old letter, detail a large army and navy to protect the newly established colony. The letter, now called the Military Founding Document, was discovered in 1983 and now resides in the military headquarters in Culldrome City, displayed in a glass case for everyone to see.

"I have been throwing this idea around for a few weeks, now. I can envision a large military defense force, dedicated to protecting this brand new colony. Consisting of a thousand of the most bravest, strongest and fiercest penguins, the military could be called in to defend us, on the land and on the sea. Currently, the colony is very vulnerable; newly established and easy prey for any enemy. I earnestly suggest that you, on behalf of the colony, establish this military force. Culldrome shall be known far and wide as a force to be dealt with; the envy of other nations in terms of military might and power."

- Extract from the Military Founding Document

The military force mentioned in the letter is said to have been founded a few days later. Instead of being as grand as intended, Culldrome had a small army and navy, consisting of about 200 penguins and a dozen ships. Defending the country was not a big requirement then. However, when the Ninjas of the Skulldrome Isles invaded in 1860, the military had a much larger purpose. The tried to defend the new colony, but were overun and eventually taken over.

In 1890, Mark the Warrior freed Culldrome from the ninja occupation. As the country set out to re-build itself, many thought that an adequate military was increasingly becoming a need. The old military was completed destroyed during the occupation, so the modern military was established in May 1900. The military continued on growing, eventually gaining new kinds of technology. In 1960, the government reorganized the military's funding, which was only a small amount. This reorganization not only increased military funding, but it also saw the founding of two new divisions, the air force and special forces, which consisted of the CSIA and the Mt. Charlamander Army.

Since then, the military has grown massively and has helped to defend Culldrome in many wars and battles. In the 1990s, the military was deployed during the Porcyal War, a large civil war. After the war, suffering heavy losses, the military took on a more defensive approach. In 2001, the military received funding cuts, resulting in the reducing of military sizes and the termination of Project 17. However in 2012, after the Nightmare of Culldrome, Supreme Leader Steven Snowen rapidly directed funding to the military. Enlistment and hardware production rates increased and within a year, the Culldrome military had rapidly grown. In early 2014, after joining the Axle Powers, Culldrome's military strength continued to grow.

Involvement
Over the years, the Culldrome Isles have engaged in a few wars, battles and skirmishes.


 * Ninja Occupation
 * Treshurr Pirate Battles
 * Porcyal War
 * The Great Yowien War
 * Great Snowzerland War VI
 * Culldrome Civil War
 * Frosian War
 * Shadow of Culldrome

Army
The Army of the Culldrome Isles is it's shining jewel; it is the largest military branch in Culldrome's service. Soldiers under go tough training and large amounts of money are poured into the army. The army works in conjunction with all areas of the military to be able to complete their mission. The usual, low ranking soldier would be equipped with a standard issue Snowball Gun and Pistol. Sergeants and Lieutenants carry, in addition, more specialized weaponry, such as Hot Sauce guns, water guns or ice-bullet rifles. Those ranked Captain or higher have access to all the former weapons, in addition to special weapons like Ditto tipped bows and arrows.



Air Force
The Culldrome Air Force is quite large and has invested in a large fleet of aircraft. With a total of several thousand aircraft in 10 divisions, there are many different types of aircraft. These range from fighter jets to extra-long range bombers. Most Air Force personnel are pilots and thus are only equipped with few weapons, mostly pistols and shotguns. As a minimum, everyone in the Air Force (excluding mechanics, support, etc) must at least have basic knowledge on how to fly. Important officials, such as the Supreme Leader, use these planes on diplomatic trips, flying with CSIA agents, armed guards and an ice-bullet-proof car. In addition, the Air Force operates a small collection of Porcyal-ICBMs all around the country.



Navy
As an archipelago nation, the Navy of Culldrome has many ships in its inventory and is the second largest branch of the military. It works closely with the air force by hosting their aircraft on naval aircraft carriers. Unlike the navies of other nations, the navy does not use any aircraft; the air force are entirely responsible for it. The Navy has a wide variety of ships in its fleet which can accomplish many different tasks. The soldiers in the navy, mostly marines, carry around the standard ice bullet rifle and pistol. Higher ranking members can carry much more advanced weaponry, such as underwater-capable weapons.



CSIA


A lot of government funding went into the Culldrome special forces. The Culldrome Secret Intelligence Agency consists of spies and highly trained operatives that ensure the nation has adequate intelligence and is able to respond to difficult situations. The CSIA also run peacekeeping missions. They send random agents into cities and towns dressed up as a normal penguin where they would then help citizens. Due to this, everyone from far and wide known about the great hospitality of the country.

The CSIA spies carry around a Super-Gadget, which is worn on the arm and functions similarly to the standard EPF Phone. It is able to perform many different tasks such as photo recognition, tracking, communications and can house several smaller gadgets including a spy phone holder, cup holder, grappling hook and other things. Agents carry around the standard issue TEW-80 pistol as well as an upgraded TEW-500 Snowball Gun.

The CSIA also functions as a special forces group. This means that when tough skirmishes that local police forces cannot control occur, the CSIA is called in to assist with the situation. Their entry into battle is usually via air drop and a parachute. Agent-soldiers can also be disguised as the enemy and help hinder their advance. The possibilities are endless and often unpredictable. Agent-soldiers carry standard equipment in addition to a TEW-800 Ditto Gun.

Mt. Charlamander Army


The extinct volcano of Mt. Charlamander, located on Culldrome Island's eastern coast, is home to a small army, the Charlamander Army. The army, consisting mostly of arctic terns (some from Ternville), is tasked with defending Culldrome Island. Theses defensive duties include the mainland's coasts, the Mossroam Forest and the Mossy River. The army had grown small over the years, after the development of police forces and the CSIA. However, the army still has some authority and protective powers. In more modern times, the Charlamander Army has acted as a ceremonial guard, often serving in the capital, Culldrome City. They are also partly responsible for coast guard duties, with the Navy handling most of it.

Usually on standby, the Charlamander Army sometimes sends out small scout groups are sent throughout the Culldrome Isles for small peacekeeping missions. The whole army is seldom mobilized for battles. A simple ranking system is used within the army; the higher up you go, the better weapons, armour and respect you get.

Weapons used by the army are primitive compared to the modern Culldrome Army, utilizing bows and crossbows with Deletion Arrows. The army also does not use any official form of transport; they all get around by walking or using a naval boat.

Space Division


The largest of the three Special Force divisions, the Culldrome Isles Space Division (CISD) is responsible for all military, warfare and defense operations in space. This includes space fighter operations and ground battles outside of Earth. The division was formed in late 2012 with the help of the CSRA, in charge of building the A-Wing, Culldrome's first manned spacecraft. Originally designed for shuttle duties, it was re-assigned to the military after The Great Space Race of 2013 broke out. The A-Wings and their pilots, from Culldrome's Air Force, were transferred over to the new Space Division.

The A-Wing fighters are supported by Exclamator-Class Space Cruisers. These gigantic ships act as a carrier and support ship for the fighters, as well as a battleship by-itself. With around 50,000 Space Division personnel, 2 Exclamator cruisers and many more smaller spacecraft, the astronauts in the division are trained to skilfully pilot the spacecraft and use it to the best of their ability. They are also aided by Space and Shadow Marines; soldiers of the Space Division, who are trained for battles outside of Earth.

The Space Marines and lower ranking soldiers carry a deletion pistol and an ice-bullet rifle. Shadow Marines, more experienced in combat, use special weapons, such as Porcyal-energy rifles and plasma rifles. All of the other high ranking soldiers get to carry a wide array of equipment, ranging from plasma energy weapons to Keysabers.

Divisions
Culldrome's Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Division are further divided into smaller divisions.

Trivia

 * The Culldrome Military flag and the national flag are both used on uniforms and vehicles and can be used interchangeably.
 * Culldrome ships have the CNS- prefix, which stands for "Culldrome Naval Ship".
 * Space Division ships, however use the CSV- prefix, standing for "Culldrome Space Vessel".
 * Most, if not all, of the weapons and vehicles used by military are made by either TEWT or the SIA.
 * Unlike other militaries, Culldrome's if primarily defense oriented.
 * The entire military is co-lead by six officials, the Heads of the Army, Air Force and Navy, the Elite Leader of the CSIA, the Great Guardian of Charlamander and the head of the Space Division.
 * The six officials are often named 'Culldrome's Mighty Six'.
 * The Six are under the ultimate control of the 'Head of the Military of the Culldrome Isles' which the is the Supreme Leader.
 * With the formation of The Axle Powers, Culldrome's military massively increased to Porcyal War sizes, after massive imports of vehicles, weapons, steel and oil and the acquisition of Target Enhanced Weapons Technology.
 * All soldiers have two uniforms, the battle uniform and the dress uniform.
 * The battle uniform is used during combat, while the dress uniform is used during formal occasions.
 * Most battle uniforms feature a Utility Belt-Sling combo that is used to hold weapons and small supplies.
 * Conscription is sometimes enforced, however only during times of great crisis and major war.
 * Unlike most militaries, the Culldrome Air Force and Culldrome Navy both operate separately although in conjunction (ie. jets on aircraft carriers are operated by the Air Force not the Navy).