Ghost Division

[Markus Wilding]

With the blessing of General of the Army Thomas Garnier, Minister of the Army Mitchell Beauchamps and Minister of the Armored Corps Victorine Chastain, the following units will be integrated under one command named the Ghost Division. This corps-level command would be an elite force, some of the finest Commonwealth soldiers under the best commanders and armed with the best equipment. Their elite training will include mountain warfare (infantry), advanced armor combat maneuvers (armored corps) and marksman training for all forces regardless of rank or specialty.

1st African Armored Cavalry Regiment
4th Armor Division
1st African Half-Fireteam
1st African Motorized Division

Total forces:
297 Leopard 2A9 MBT, 3 "King Tiger" M57A1 MBT, 3 "King Tiger" M57A2D, 150 BMP-2F APCs, 20 Sturmtiger SPRA, 13,390 soldiers

[b]Day 1 - Initiation[/b]
They had assembled at the army base in Kano, wondering what they were assigned to do now. The 1AACR's commander, Lt. General Geoffrey Galarneau, stood at attention with some of the new ministers and a few Overwatch Officers also present. The sun, like in all of the Commonwealth, was oppressive, leaving no man comfortable in his own skin. General Garnier spoke first, one of many in the parade of speeches that inspired the soldiers to prove to be the finest for the Commonwealth.

Hours later, they were on a ten-mile run, no stopping for the newly-nicknamed HOGS, or Hunters Of Gunmen. The instructors drilled them relentlessly, instilling the newly-christened Ghost Division's mantra: No Retreat, On Target, Never Late. Once they survived the run, it was on to a panic-inducing patch of ground called "The Devil's Playhouse". Blanks were loaded into a machine gun, set above a pit that the soldiers were in, chaff explosives set up here and there (with cylinders around it to prevent any damage to the HOGS) and a challenge: bring a 200lb weighted dummy simulating a casualty back through the course n a required amount of time. The time was not given. They were divided into teams and each team needed to fit the timeframe. This would be where leadership shines for the HOGS, the place where an unspoken drill was placed - think two levels of command higher than yourself.

[Markus Wilding]

There were some sand dunes present near Kano - a trait of the region that the instructors were quick to take advantage of. The soldiers were sent down to the bottom of a dune, on their stomach. Once they reached the bottom, they were ordered back up, crab walking, feet first. One in particular had some problems crab walking, and an Overwatch Officer walked next to him up the dune, asking him constantly what he was doing. As he hit the top, the Officer told him he had figured out what he was doing - he was going back down to climb right back up.

Training was kept intense. Cold pools, long runs, obstacle courses, the works. Anything and everything to put these men into as much stress as possible to ensure no man would crack in battle. Basic "conditioning" over, firearms testing was next. Of course, none of the soldiers knew. It was purposeful - keep the men in the dark about the next day so they can prepare for anything and everything.

The men were on march, a five-mile ordeal. An Overwatch Officer ran up behind them, and fired an AKM-74, missing of course. The men dove and generally took evasive action, turning to wonder what the hell the Overwatch Officer was doing. The Officer took a loudspeaker and spoke into it, "This is the AKM-74 rifle, the preferred weapon of your enemy. It makes a distinct sound when fired at you. Remember it." They began the day with the AKM, and soon knew it as well as their regular rifles.