Martial Tradition of Usamlijan

The history of the armed forces of Usamlijan are storied, stretching back to the foundation of the city. The earliest records indicate that the first organized armed forces of Usamlijan were founded to defend the then fledgling settlement against the predations of bandits that lived in the rocky hills around Usamlijan. Unsurprisingly that early formation focused its skills and equipment around striking at a distance, while the terms and equipment from that period have been lost to the sands of time, it is clear from the fragmentary records that do exist that the men of Usamlijan relied on the tactics of hunters still employed by the nomadic peoples of Jornath's northern regions.

The next major development that is supported by extensive documentation occurred at the time that Jornath was welcomed into the Imperial Fold during Reunification. At this time all the fighting forces of Jornath seemed to adopt the practices and weapons of the Great Crusade. A shining period for all humanity and Jornath was no exception. Of particular note was the Formation of the Cohorts and the investment of the planet by the Adeptus Mechanicus. This is the period in which the first "modern" Usamlijan Cohort was raised, the Usamlijan Crusade Cohort. Details of this particular formation are vague, as many records are from the heady period of the Great Crusade, but it is clear that it consisted of thousands of men and was equipped with hundreds of vehicles and an abundance of support equipment. Historians argue whether or not this Cohort was indigenous to Jornath or simply a detached force from the Great Crusade tasked with garrison responsibilities.

The millennia between that ancient times and the present are littered with official documentation, anecdotal accounts and even information that borders on myth, but for the last millennia the forces raised in Usamlijan have followed three distinct formats for a Cohort.

The first and most numerous is the Bastion Garrison Cohort. These fighting men are organized to provide for civil defense and static warfare. Drawn from the urban citizens of Usamlijan and equipped at the expense of the populous, Bastion Garrison Cohorts are trained to a rigorous standard. Taught to shoot, operate heavy crew-served weapons and conduct militant police actions they are ideal defensive forces for the northern city. More than one uprising by the nomads of the north have met a bloody conclusion at the front of a Bastion Garrison gun line.

Less common but perhaps more potent and certainly more decorated in the history of Jornath are the Fusilier Cohorts. Originally an evolution of the very early fighting forces of Jornath, Fusiliers rely on massed ranks of able shooters to win the day. Those Cohorts raised by Usamlijan are recruited exclusively from the nomadic peoples of the north as well as the more isolated settlements within the mountains. This practice has led to a core of men who excel at field-craft and marksmanship, after all what are the hardships of camp life after a man has endured the harsh conditions of the inhospitable northern mountains of Jornath? Off-worlders wrongly assume that these men might be unruly given their crude origins but they are bound by codes of honor and family that permeate a culture of military service dating back generations. No Uamlijan Fusilier would quit the field of battle before doing all he could to win the day, for as the saying goes in the rugged towns of the north "A coward's only welcome is an open grave."

The Grenadier Cohorts are the least numerous variety of fighting man on Jornath, although this title is perhaps not inclusive enough to cover all the elite Cohorts of Jornath it is very fitting for those drawn from Usamlijan as they specialize in close fighting and assaults preceded by volleys of grenades. Unique to the Grenadier Cohorts of Usamlijan is the inclusion of both urban and rural citizens. The criteria for serving in the Grenadiers are stringent, but the primary contingent being service in either a Bastion Garrison Cohort or Fusilier Cohort prior to volunteering to be a Grenadier. This varied background and experience makes the Grenadiers a formidable force which is only multiplied by the high quality of arms and armor that they are equipped with. These able and experienced fighters can be distinguished by their bronze helms, a tradition dating back to antiquity on Jornath linked to the Aeneisque Leonibus.

Like fighting forces from across the Imperium, the Usamlijan Cohorts are made all the more effective when used in coordinated actions, their strengths augmenting one another and compensating for the unpredictable nature of battle. In recent years all varieties of Cohorts have modified their arms and tactics slightly to help deal with the Ork menace that besets the people of Jornath on multiple fronts. One major change has been the inclusion of off-world Auxillia. While not always welcomed at first, some elements have found a place within the fighting forces of Jornath. The brute strength and robust nature of Ogryns have been a welcome addition as a counter attack force by the Fusilier Cohorts for example.

While the future is unclear for the people of Usamlijan, it is certain that the pressures of the Ork's war against its population will continue to forge it into new generations of brave Imperial warriors.