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Description
The Commonwealth Homeguard is the Last Line of defense of the Commonwealth of Democratic Worlds. While the Commonwealth Joint Army is a respectable fighting force, well equipped and trained and capable of going on the offensive, its numbers are limited against a foe which has a considerable advantage in terms of population and scale of its ground forces (particularly Attrition Robots). The Homeguard stands as a defense force and is noted and respected for its efficiency as a combat force. Homeguard Personnel on duty are known as Guardians.

At age 20, every fit Commonwealth Citizen (with a few exceptions) are required to engage in nine months of national service, typically military although non combat service is available to those with religions which abstain from it. Typically this includes three months of basic training and Six months of Homeguard Service unless they take a tour in the Joint Army, System Guard or Star Force. Officers and NCOs in the homeguard are often hardened veterans that have been honorably discharged.

Homeguard forces are mostly light infantry with some vehicles for logistical support, as well as a few artillery forces. Homeguard equipment is generally fairly cheap, but reliable. The standard Guardian is armed with a commonwealth QBZ-258 Assault rifle and is clad in Guardian Armor. This armor is classified as light power armor, having modular servo systems on the legs to make it easier to run in and allow the soldier to carry more material, although these can easily be removed (along with usually some of the additional armor). Since private ownership of Power Armor is legal in the Commonwealth (with some registration), this is occasional supplemented with more sophisticated suits but this is fairly rare. By tradition, Guardians have transparent face-coverings to show off to their fellow citizens that they are, despite being under arms, their friends, neighbors and so forth. The Homeguard is generally depicted as Heroic in Media and has aquired the Romatic Image of the Common Citizen serving as a Guardian, fighting against impossible odds so that he/she may live in freedom.

Homeguard forces are usually mobilized when an enemy fleet enters a system. Quickly the commonwealth can muster large formations of infantry to defend their worlds. Most major cities have armories and their have been periods of time in which billions of Homeguard forces were activated. While many nations make use of defensive reserve militias, the Commonwealth's Homeguard is notable for not only brave defense, but competence as a fighting force up to the Battalion. They are typically subordinated to Army Command and have proven invaluable to commonwealth forces in numerous campaigns against Novan invaders. That said, their effectiveness at co-ordination above the battalion level runs short and its still true that a Novan Imperial infantry division is generally worth about four times its number in Commonwealth Guardians on the battlefield.

Description
The Commonwealth Homeguard is the Last Line of defense of the Commonwealth of Democratic Worlds. While the Commonwealth Joint Army is a respectable fighting force, well equipped and trained and capable of going on the offensive, its numbers are limited against a foe which has a considerable advantage in terms of population and scale of its ground forces (particularly Attrition Robots). The Homeguard stands as a defense force and is noted and respected for its efficiency as a combat force. Homeguard Personnel on duty are known as Guardians.

At age 20, every fit Commonwealth Citizen (with a few exceptions) are required to engage in nine months of national service, typically military although non combat service is available to those with religions which abstain from it. Typically this includes three months of basic training and Six months of Homeguard Service unless they take a tour in the Joint Army, System Guard or Star Force. Officers and NCOs in the homeguard are often hardened veterans that have been honorably discharged.

Homeguard forces are mostly light infantry with some vehicles for logistical support, as well as a few artillery forces. Homeguard equipment is generally fairly cheap, but reliable. The standard Guardian is armed with a commonwealth QBZ-258 Assault rifle and is clad in Guardian Armor. This armor is classified as light power armor, having modular servo systems on the legs to make it easier to run in and allow the soldier to carry more material, although these can easily be removed (along with usually some of the additional armor). Since private ownership of Power Armor is legal in the Commonwealth (with some registration), this is occasional supplemented with more sophisticated suits but this is fairly rare. By tradition, Guardians have transparent face-coverings to show off to their fellow citizens that they are, despite being under arms, their friends, neighbors and so forth. The Homeguard is generally depicted as Heroic in Media and has aquired the Romatic Image of the Common Citizen serving as a Guardian, fighting against impossible odds so that he/she may live in freedom.

Homeguard forces are usually mobilized when an enemy fleet enters a system. Quickly the commonwealth can muster large formations of infantry to defend their worlds. Most major cities have armories and their have been periods of time in which billions of Homeguard forces were activated. While many nations make use of defensive reserve militias, the Commonwealth's Homeguard is notable for not only brave defense, but competence as a fighting force up to the Battalion. They are typically subordinated to Army Command and have proven invaluable to commonwealth forces in numerous campaigns against Novan invaders. That said, their effectiveness at co-ordination above the battalion level runs short and its still true that a Novan Imperial infantry division is generally worth about four times its number in Commonwealth Guardians on the battlefield.