Welcome to the PaxLair Ministry of Defense.
This Ministry specializes in organizing defense of PaxLair locations, which include places in Felucca, Trammel, Malas, and Tokuno. The Ministry is led by a Minister of Defense who recruits and works with multiple guilds as combat units. There are elements of defense that serve special roles as assassins, thieves, fighters, and spies. At times, the guilds and elements may take on offensive operations outside of PaxLair locations in order to provide a better defense of PaxLair areas and its people (Citizens and Citizen-Guilds).
The overall mission statement for the Ministry of Defense is:
Plan and perform operations inside and outside PaxLair locations to ensure the safety and stability of the PaxLair community and its role in the larger community of the Realm.
[OUT OF CHARACTER NOTE] The Defense of PaxLair is a role-played venture involving combat between many people. That is, the PaxLair Defense Forces members work together as a team with defined strategies in mind. This is not an avenue to "take over the Realm" or PK just anyone on-sight. People involved as part of these Defense Forces must maintain a sense of order and purpose within the construct of PaxLair as a role-playing community. Most combat operations are NOT scripted, however some dealings with enemies of PaxLair may have an underlying storyline. One must also understand that there are assassins, thieves, and PKs (many in some large guilds) whose primary purpose is to attack people willing and unwilling to fight. Encounters with these people are likely and Defense Forces will react accordingly to such threats. There is a strong goal to maintain respect between "people" in combat situations. For simple clarity, this means the PaxLair Defense Forces will engage appropriately against random violence within the Realm while maintaining the essence of roleplaying a PaxLair Defense Force.
Strategic functions of the Ministry of Defense are to organize, train, and equip.
Operational functions of the Ministry of Defense are to generate Concepts of Operations and Operational Plans. These form a framework of how multiple PaxLair forces plan to engage an enemy or threat.
Tactical functions of the Ministry of Defense are conducted by combatant units in three areas. All three areas are typically used in any specific Operational Plan.
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Defense
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Offense
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Intelligence
ORGANIZING PAXLAIR DEFENSE FORCES
PaxLair Defense Forces are formed from multiple guilds. The Minister of Defense, who is a member of the PaxLair guild [Pax], is generally non-combatant and has the leadership role to organize, train, and equip. Defense Forces report to the Minister of Defense, and the Minister of Defense reports to the Mayor of PaxLair.
The Minister of Defense determines what guilds or forces become part of the PaxLair Defense Forces. Recruiting into any specific guild is of course generally up to the guildmaster of that guild, unless the Minister has a problem with an individual. The Minister of Defense must be diplomatic in working with Defense Force unit leaders and cooperatively serve their needs along with achieving overall goals and objectives set by the Mayor of PaxLair.
Therefore, the Minister of Defense may outline simple structures for combat units, intelligence units, and supply units.
TRAINING PAXLAIR DEFENSE FORCES
PaxLair Defense Forces are trained within their units and on joint exercises and operations with other units. The Minister of Defense outlines exercise opportunities and objectives through great consultation with Defense unit leaders.
EQUIPPING PAXLAIR DEFENSE FORCES
PaxLair Defense Forces are equipped through their individual units, while the Minister of Defense works with other parts of the PaxLair Government (caretakers, mayor, housing officials, etc.) to try to provide proper storage and headquarters locations within and outside PaxLair. The Minister of Defense should have good working knowledge of when units have major resource shortfalls or even manpower shortfalls. The Minister also tries to have units share equipment as needed for the greater common goal of defense of PaxLair.
CONCEPTS OF OPERATIONS FOR PAXLAIR DEFENSE FORCES
Concepts of Operations (CONOPs) are overall strategies for campaigns to defend PaxLair locations against enemies. These are simple, top-level concepts for how different Defense units will work together against a particular enemy or groups of enemies. The planners of such CONOPs consist of Defense unit leaders getting together and creating ideas. Those ideas can be described to the Minister of Defense who then approves such CONOPs.
The CONOPs can be very simple, but should be documented in some way on a private system. The goal is to have some organization of tactical plans and strategies so the Defense unit members will have an overall idea of how to operate together.
OPERATIONAL PLANS FOR PAXLAIR DEFENSE FORCES
Operational Plans (OPLANs) are more specific strategies, guidance, objectives, and plans for operations against a specific threat or enemy. These are more detailed and have mid-level concepts and strategies for the Defense units. An OPLAN might be generated for a specific operation or one that has a "trigger", like a certain enemy attacks a PaxLair location.
Again, the OPLANs should be simple and easy to understand. They do not need to be lengthy, but should give the unit members an idea of operations and sequence of operations. OPLANs can cover one day of combat, or even months of combat.
TACTICAL COMBAT FOR PAXLAIR DEFENSE FORCES
PaxLair Defense Force unit leaders develop their tactical plans with their units. These may be defensive, offensive, and/or intelligence operations. The tactical plans need to fit into the overall OPLAN so multiple units will operate in a synchronized manner.
ACTUAL COMBAT BY PAXLAIR DEFENSE FORCES
Combat is defined as defensive, offensive, and intelligence operations.
Defensive Operations
The goal of defensive operations is to defend PaxLair locations or locations being used by PaxLair citizens or even friends on the Shard for an event, adventure, quest, or other activity. PaxLair Defense Forces are not obligated to defend all Shard events, but may offer support. PaxLair Defense Forces will attempt to be available to PaxLair locations when attacks upon them occur. Defensive operations need not be conducted 24/7 unless there is a very strong reason to do so (protect a special item, etc.).
Citizens and visitors entering potential combat areas, like Felucca, should always be prepared for defense, flight, or death. PaxLair Defense Forces will do their best to defend people in PaxLair locations, but there may be times when defense is not possible. People should not "assume" they will always be protected when visiting PaxLair locations.
For good defense, one must have knowledge of the enemy. The Defense units need to know the tactics of known enemies, be able to identify new enemies quickly, and also understand who friends are. Rules of engagement will be determined by the Defense unit leaders and the Defense unit leaders are accountable for their unit members' actions.
Offensive Operations
The goal of offensive operations is to operate outside PaxLair locations in manners that will either reduce threats to PaxLair locations or offer some type of advantage to PaxLair Defense Forces, citizens, or citizen-guilds. Sometimes, certain equipments must be obtained throughout the Realm in order to provide a better defense. Therefore, offensive operations may go out to seek such equipments. However, all must be done with respect so the PaxLair Defense Forces don't become known as a "bunch of PKs".
Offensive operations may be conducted in dungeons or at an enemy camp. Like for defensive operations, the Defense unit leaders develop rules of engagement consistent with an Operational Plan and are accountable for their unit members' actions.
Intelligence Operations
Intelligence operations are crucial to know where, who, what, when, and why about an enemy or potential enemy. Intelligence operations may be conducted by spies, ghosts, and even by interviewing people of the Realm for information.
Certain Intelligence operations WILL NOT be tolerated by the PaxLair Government. These are:
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PaxLair Intelligence operatives will not join an enemy guild to spy on their guild. If for some reason, the same "player" is also in an enemy guild, care must be taken to refrain from exposing such information to the PaxLair Defense Forces. OUT OF CHARACTER NOTE: It is not our intent to use anonymity of the Internet or UO characters to spy on the enemy by infiltrating another guild. Anonymity may be used for secondary characters at events or combat situations, but never to actually join an enemy guild.
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OUT OF CHARACTER NOTE: PaxLair Intelligence operatives will NEVER try do anything to crack into someone's web site or messageboard. Such activity is illegal.