Valhallan Defence Forces

The Valhallan Defence Forces (Swedish: Försvarsmakten) are the national military agency of the Federal Commonwealth of Valhalla, established in 2534. Famed for its intense training and bravery of its soldiers, the Valhallan Defence Forces have helped Valhalla become a force to be reckoned with on the Colonial Frontier, capable of standing up to both its neighbors and outside threats.

Roles
The Defence Forces as a whole serve a variety of roles in the interest of Valhalla.

Defence
As stated in its title, the overall primary purpose of the Defence Forces is the defence and protection of the Federal Commonwealth of Valhalla and its territorial holdings. This includes waging offensive campaigns and assaults if the government decides another nation or force is a direct threat to the security of Valhalla and/or its people, and deems it necessary for the military to strike.

Foreign Aid
When needed, the VDF is ready and willing to dispatch forces to Valhalla's allies in need. Whether it be providing engineers to rebuild housing, or peacekeepers to stop a civil war, the Valhallan Defence Forces are prepared to do so. These operations are mostly handled by the Foreign Legion.

Branches
The Defence Forces are made up of four primary branches: the Federal Guard, the Foreign Legion, the Special Operations Task Group, and the Naval Service.

Federal Guard
The largest branch of the Defence Forces, the primary task of the Federal Guard is the defence of Valhalla and its territorial holdings and claims from outside threats. It also acts as a police force when needed and is capable of supporting the Foreign Legion in offensive campaigns.

Foreign Legion
The expeditionary unit of the Defence Forces, the role of the Foreign Legion is to wage offensive campaigns against Valhalla's enemies, as well as provide foreign aid when necessary. In the volatile regions of the Colonial Frontier, it is not uncommon for the Foreign Legion to be tasked with peacekeeping operations on foreign worlds on behalf of the Colonial Council.

Jaeger Regiment
Any and all special operations units fall under the jurisdiction of Jaeger Regiment. These includes counter-terrorist units, reconnaissance units, espionage operations, elite fighter squadrons, and everything in between. The Jaeger Regiment is one of the most feared organizations on the Colonial Frontier.

Naval Service
While not weak, the Naval Service is by far the smallest branch of the Defence Forces, with less than a hundred combat capable vessels. It handles the majority of operations on sea and in space, and is necessary to most all other branches' activities. From defending Valhallan worlds to carrying Foreign Legionnaires to their destination, the Naval Service does a lot of the heavy lifting in the Defence Forces.

Personnel
To qualify to be in the Defence Forces, there are three main requirements. This often appeals to those in the few cities in the Valhallan territories, as well as young adults living in the many rural areas. The lax citizenship requirements also appeal to foreigners with no love for the UEG and UNSC. Around 2.5% of the Defence Forces' active personnel are foreigners, most commonly from planets with insurrectionist and secessionist sympathies, such as and Falkirk. Foreigners and their families can be granted Valhallan citizenship after serving at least one year of clean service in the Defence Forces, another factor that attracts many.
 * To be of at least 17 years of age.
 * To be a Valhallan citizen, or have lived in Valhallan territory for at least three years.
 * To pass a background check and be able to provide an up to date physical and mental health check.

Non-humans are also accepted, albeit with much more scrutiny in their background checks. Around .1% of the Defence Forces are made up of various non-humans, mostly Unggoy, Kig-Yar, and Yohnet. Most of them became lost and disillusioned after the Human-Covenant War, and the Valhallan Defence Forces provide them a new sense of purpose. Others saw an opportunity to join in on a nation with the potential to be a fairly strong power in the galaxy. These non-humans are not exempt from discrimination, although humans that do discriminate against their alien brethren are almost always punished.