People's Defense Corps Ground Force

The People's Defense Corps Ground Force (PDCGF; Tari: Korsuli Tadvadi i e-Ula Dzali Mitsa, sometimes abbreviated as KTUDM), formed in 2016, is the land force of e-Tarin. The PDCGF is the largest of the four branches of the People's Defense Corps, also constituted by the People's Defense Corps Air Force (PDCAF), People's Defense Corps Logistics Service (PDCLS), and People's Defense Corps Medical Service (PDCMS). The PDCGF is commanded by the chairman of the Ground Force General Staff (GFGS), which in turn is under the command of the People's Defense Corps Command Committee (PDCCC).

Mission
The main missions of the PDCGF are the defense of the People's Administration's independence and integrity, the safeguarding of national territory, the decisive contribution to the achievement of the country's policy objectives, and the liberation of the oppressed peoples of the world.

Organization
The People's Defense Corps Ground Force (PDCGF) operates under the command authority of the People's Defense Corps Command Committee through the PDC's four district commands (DC). The district commands serve as joint operation commands to enable extensive cooperation and provide control over all PDC forces within their DC, including PDCGF. Within each DC, the PDCGF's service component is made up of a "brigade" composed of two to three battlegroups (the 2nd DC has three battlegroups within its brigade and the 3rd has an armored battlegroup assigned to function as a strategic reserve), an aviation regiment, an artillery regiment, a support and service regiment, and a headquarters regiment. Additionally, the commander of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th DCs are all officers from the PDCGF. The 3rd DC is commanded by an Air Force officer.

PDCGF units are designated according to which DC they belong to. The 1st battlegroup of the 2nd DC would be known as "1-2 BG", the 2nd's DC's aviation regiment is the "2nd Aviation Regiment", etc. Battlegroups and regiments, however, may also adopt patron heroes, symbols, and/or mascots as voted upon at their foundation. For instance, 2-1 BG is known as "2-1 Battlegroup 'Rose'" after its adoption of the rose as its battlegroup symbol and nickname. The 3rd Aviation Regiment is known as the "3rd Aviation Regiment 'Commander Orlan'" after Mastrati Orlan, the famous hero-commander of the 311th CDU in the civil war.

Structure
In 2019, a military reform was undertaken which re-organized the PDCGF into the newly created DCs. As of 2023, the structure is as follows:

PDCGF Structure

 * Senior command personnel:
 * Chairman of the Ground Force General Staff
 * Deputy Commander of the Ground Forces
 * Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the Ground Forces
 * Command Liaison for Communal Affairs
 * Chief People's Advocate of the Ground Forces

These officers are assisted by the Ground Force General Staff. There are no PDCGF units directly subordinated to the General Staff. All personnel besides the General Staff are administratively subordinated to three departments:


 * Ground Force Combat Department (COMDEP)
 * Ground Force Materiel Department (MATDEP)
 * Ground Forces Training Department (TRADEP)

The departments do not maintain operational command over any units or commands administratively subordinated to them except the TRADEP which maintains command over two training regiments which are not assigned to any of the district commands. Otherwise, PDCGF forces are organized as follows:


 * 1st District Command
 * 1-1 Battlegroup "Tora"
 * 1-2 Battlegroup "Commander Dorazh"
 * 1st Commando Regiment ""
 * 1st Aviation Regiment "Death from Above"
 * 1st Support and Service Regiment "Hammer"
 * 1st Artillery Regiment "Seventh Hill"
 * 1st Headquarters Regiment "Martyr's Blood"


 * 2nd District Command
 * 2-1 Battlegroup ""
 * 2-2 Battlegroup ""
 * 2-3 Battlegroup ""
 * 2nd Commando Regiment ""
 * 2nd Aviation Regiment ""
 * 2nd Support and Service Regiment ""
 * 2nd Artillery Regiment ""
 * 2nd Headquarters Regiment""


 * 3rd District Command
 * 3-1 Battlegroup ""
 * 3-2 Battlegroup ""
 * 3-3 Battlegroup (Armored) ""
 * 3rd Commando Regiment ""
 * 3rd Aviation Regiment ""
 * 3rd Support and Service Regiment ""
 * 3rd Artillery Regiment ""
 * 3rd Headquarters Regiment""


 * 4th District Command
 * 4-1 Battlegroup ""
 * 4-2 Battlegroup ""
 * 4th Commando Regiment ""
 * 4th Aviation Regiment ""
 * 4th Support and Service Regiment ""
 * 4th Artillery Regiment ""
 * 4th Headquarters Regiment""


 * 5th Commando Regiment ""

Officers
Commissioned officers of the PDCGF are elected by the soldiers under their command. Lieutenants are elected by their platoons from amongst the Senior Enlisted of their platoon, captains are elected by their companies from among its lieutenants, senior captains are elected from among the captains of their regiment, and commanders are elected from among the senior captains of their battlegroup. Above the commanders, there are the brigadiers of the brigades. Brigadiers are not elected solely by their soldiers, as is the case for the ranks below. Instead, they are just nominated by their soldiers. This nomination is then submitted to the People's Assembly for approval.

All officers serve unlimited terms. They only cease to act in their position upon resignation, retirement, the withdrawal of commission by their battle group commander, or being voted out by their soldiers. This can result in lieutenants who have been in that same position for decades of service. In order to be elected to the lieutenancy, a Senior Enlisted must have at least 4 years of service with at least 2 of those years as a Senior Enlisted. In order to be elected to each subsequent higher office, the nominee must have been in the position directly subordinate to the one to which they are being elected for at least 1 year.

Officers wear rank insignia, unlike their enlisted counterparts. They are addressed as "Comrade Lieutenant", "Comrade Captain", "Comrade Senior Captain", "Comrade Commander", or "Comrade Brigadier". They are not required to be saluted as no such custom exists in the PDC's egalitarian and democratic structure. Soldiers are required to obey all lawful and moral orders from elected officers. Failure to do so can result in charges for insubordination or other related offenses under the People's Code of Martial Discipline. Any refusal of an order will be investigated as soon as possible by a tribunal of three officers and three enlisted fighters which will determine the legality and morality of the refused order.

Enlisted personnel
The enlisted personnel of the PDCGF do not have "ranks" as most other nations do. Instead, each is simply appointed to a position by their officer. Those appointed to a leadership position must have at least 1 year of service and are given the title of "Senior" and followed by their role. For instance, a "Senior Infantryman" and "Senior Sapper" are both examples. They are the closest equivalent to an NCO corps that the PDCGF possesses. This can be performed on an ad hoc or structured basis, as needed. Eg. filling the team leader role in a maneuver team vs. appointing a leader for a patrol or scouting mission.

Recruitment and training
Applicants to the PDCGF must have first served for at least one year in their local CDU prior to application or able to provide a "certificate of service" noting that they served in a pro-PFFT militia during the civil war. Upon acceptance of their application, the applicant will report to one of the two training regiments. Here, they will undergo medical, mental, and physical fitness evaluations. If the recruit meets all minimum standards, they are assigned a training company and date to begin their basic training. Lasting 14 weeks, basic training serves to build upon the base established by their CDU experience to turn them into effective fighters (infantrymen) by teaching and evaluating them on marksmanship, tactics, land navigation, ruck marching, wilderness survival, and a litany of other associated skills. In order to graduate and receive their green beret denoting their status as a full fighter, each trainee must be able to run 4 kilometers in 20 minutes, perform 50 push ups in 2 minutes, perform 60 sit-ups in 2 minutes, and complete a 50 kilometer ruck march in 2 days.

Upon graduation from basic training, the fighter will proceed along one of two paths: assignment to a battlegroup or apply to attend the commando selection course. Only the top 10% of each basic training class (determined via their physical fitness score, marksmanship qualification score on rifle and machine gun, and a 1-5 score from their drill instructors) may attempt the commando selection course. All others are assigned to a battlegroup according to the needs of the PDCGF with the fighter's personal preference considered in the assignment when possible.

Specialized training
After 3 months of service in a battlegroup as a fighter, a fighter may apply for specialized training to become qualified in another role. There are dozens of specialties available with some of the largest including: combat medic, armor crewman, scout, artilleryman, mechanic (of various kinds), logistician, and truck driver. The length of these trainings ranges from 6 weeks for truck driver to 16 months for helicopter pilot. Completion of specialized training by a fighter renders a service obligation of twice the length of their training (except helicopter pilots who owe 6 years of service). Like a graduate of basic training, the specialty graduates are then assigned to either their old or a new command according to the need for their specialty in the PDCGF.

Equipment
Main article: List of equipment of the PDCGF