[War] Russia: "Continued Efforts"

[Michael Downey]

"Continued Efforts"
President Leonid Nemerenko
Russian Federation
21 November 2014
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

OOC: Just something quick and simple until I can write a more substantial post.

A strong military was the core of any nation. This was a very old
train of thought, and not simply in Russia. Nemerenko himself had only
briefly served in the Air Force, and without much distinction either,
but he realized the importance of having a military that was well
equipped, well trained, motivated and loyal. The Europeans and
Americans to the West, the Chinese to the East, and now there was
growing concern about the increasingly brazen and reckless Canadians
in the far North. Technically Russia had peaceful, maybe even
friendly, relations with all of these states but all of them were
notorious for being egomaniacal, unpredictable and pathetically short
sighted when it came to deciding when to go to war.

Not that Russia had a better track record by any stretch of the
imagination, but Nemerenko did consider himself one of the more
reasonable world leaders, which said a lot about just how much a
strong military was needed.

"We've invested a great deal of time, money and effort into the armed
forces, Comrades," Nemerenko said to the General Staff as he went over
the latest readyness reports. "New equipment, new uniforms, new
aircraft, guns and boats. Better pay, better benefits, better
training. And a dedicated effort to weed out the corrupt and the
incompetent. This has I hope brought us some results."

"I am personally pleased by our progress, Comrade President," spoke up
General Rezakaev, the Chief of the General Staff. "Especially when it
comes to the moral of the men. The substantial increases in pay,
family benefits, housing, medical care and almost every aspect of the
average soldier's life is perhaps the most beneficial outcome of the
Initiative 18 Program. Of course our reforms are not planned to be
fully completed for another three years, but I can attest that
significant progress has been made."

"The world is as chaotic now as it was twenty years ago," murmured
Nemerenko. Most of it, predictably, was the fault of the Americans.
And of course the Chinese, who had in the eyes of the West come to
replace the defunct Soviet Union as the new menace to the 'free
world.' Of course Nemerenko was one of the first people to declare
that a Second Cold War had already begun. Russia had to remain out of
the petty squabbling occurring between the two superpowers, but the
Motherland also had to be prepared for the worst. "Good, good. We will
continue our military reforms and modernization as per the outlined
plan. For the moment there have been no major alterations to our
timetable."

"If I may make a suggestion," spoke up Defence Minister Yoselev.
"Logistics are a priority of course, but practice is also an important
strength for any armed force. Our wargame with the Americans in
Siberia was extremely beneficial and helped the Army identify a number
of our shortcomings. I think now is a time for another wargame, this
time a soley Rusian Affairs."

"Go on."

"A contest between the Leningrad and Moscow Military districts," said
Yoselev. "Not the entire districts mind you, just a few select
brigades and divisions. One will act as the attacking force, another
as the defensive force. These two commands represent some of our most
elite formations and where the bulk of our reforms have been
implemented. It would be an excellent way to see how far we have
come."

Nemerenko nodded. It seemed like a logical idea. They'd have to send a
statement to NATO as a courtesy, he didn't want the Americans or the
EU getting paranoid and starting accusing Russia of strong arming its
neighboring states with threatening war game exercises. "Very well
Minister, you have my consent. Begin organizing the exercise and
inform all concerned agencies and ministries. I want you and General
Rezakaev to personally oversee the event. If we are doing this to
assess the progress of our military reforms then I want the two of you
to take careful note of any problems so they can be fixed or strengths
so they can be expanded upon."
---

Actions:
1) Russia continues on scheduale with its military reforms.
2) Stage a wargame exercise between the Moscow and Leningrad Military Districts
3) Inform NATO and make sure the EU knows this is a routine exercise,
not a veiled threat in any way
4) Defence Minister Yoselev and General Rezakaev will personally
oversee the exercise and observe all trends of importance