Armed Forces of the Genji Empire

The Armed Forces of the Genji Empire is the military service of the Genji Empire, it’s modern form established in the Genji Restoration. During the restoration, feudalism was abolished in place for centralized rule, and levies were replaced with a central army that answer only to the central government. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is the Tenno of the Genji Empire.

Services
The Armed Forces are divided into the Genji Imperial Army, and the Genji Imperial Navy. There are also the Border Fleets and the Planetary Guards.

The Defence Ministry is the administrative body that binds both the Army and Navy. The Ministry administers military recruitment pools, military budgets, review and approves strategic plans.

Military districts
Both the Genji Imperial Army and Navy are distributed among 7 military districts. 5 of those in the Genji home systems are the North, North-East, East, Central, and West. 1 is the tithe to the Astra Militarum, and remaining is the Expeditionary Forces to Earth.

Naval fleets
The Genji Imperial Navy is divided into the Combined Fleet, and the Terran Expeditionary Fleet.

Manpower
The end of the Bakufu was also the end of feudal levies and warrior castes, as backbone of the military became conscripted and uniformly trained commoners.

Compared with armed forces of individual countries in the Cosmic Defence Coalition, it is the largest in manpower.

Conscription
The Armed Forces owes it's high manpower to short-term conscription, followed by a longer term in reserves. Focus goes on quality training for regulars, and high number of experienced senior officers. Volunteers make the skeleton of the forces that the conscripts are expect to follow and support.

Conscription requirements
All able-bodied male aged 18 and above must serve a year. Avoiding the draft is a criminal offence, and may lead to minimum 2 years imprisonment. Few exceptions are given, such as university graduates with military education.

Foreign volunteers
The Armed Forces accept volunteers from Second Terra Treaty signatory countries.

Clergy
The Genji Cult add it's presence to the Armed Forces. Priests accompany companies to the frontlines. They are important as spiritual advisors to soldiers and officers alike, give blessings to the faithful and even enact last rites for the fallen that may never see their home again.

Songs
Main article: Gunka

The "gunka" are military songs sung by the members of the armed forces.

Recent songs from the reign of Tenno Sugihito have started to borrow themes and melodies from Earth. "Adara" was inspired by the South-Eastern European "Jovano Jovanke". "Odessa Skies" takes it's melody from "Moscow Nights".

Women in the Armed Forces
Although they have a legal right to serve, women in the Armed Forces are very rare. Women often work in information and communications support, staff, psychological and medical services if present. Unless in serious wartime conditions, they are not assigned to close-combat roles. Men and women are prohibited to stay in the same sleeping quarters in peacetime.

Women that serve at two years are offered maternal subsidies that will partially cover expenses in raising a family. Half of them are volunteers, while others join out of family service.

Nadeshiko
Main article: Nadeshiko

There are auxiliary units established for women to take support roles in the armed forces, but the Nadeshiko appear to be taking active combat roles. First such units were spotted in the Golan Heights, as tank crews. Their placement in the DMZ caused confusion, with some calling propaganda tactics at use as Tenno Sugihito voiced disapproval of placing women in combat roles.