Island Liberation Army

Island Liberation Army
Island Liberation Army
	Emblem of the Island Liberation Army
Motto	Sword and shield of the Party
Founded	5 August 2019
Current form	13 July 2020
Service branches	Island Liberation Army Ground Force; Island Liberation Army Navy; Island Liberation Army Air Force; Island Liberation Army Rocket Force
Headquarters	Dustingrad
Leadership
Supreme Commander	Comrade Dustinov
Manpower
Military age	18+
Conscription	No
Active personnel	7
Expenditures
Percent of GDP	10% (2021)
Industry
Foreign suppliers	Canada

The Island Liberation Army, or ILA, is the unified armed forces of the Vancouver Island Soviet Socialist Republic. Founded by Comrade Dustinov, General Secretary of the VISSR, on August 5, 2019. The ILA is the armed wing of the ruling Communist Party of the VISSR, and consists of 4 professional service branches - Ground Force, Air Force, Navy and Rocket Force. With the VISSR being an island micronation, the Navy is currently the largest of the 4 military branches, followed by the Ground Force, Air Force, and Rocket Force respectively. The VISSR Border Troops is a sub-branch of the Ground Force and tasked with patrolling the border regions of the VISSR.

Mission Statement

Comrade Dustinov has defined the missions of the ILA as:

To consolidate the ruling status of the Communist Party
To ensure the VISSR's territorial integrity
To protect the citizens of the VISSR, and guarantee their safety
To provide emergency response and natural disaster relief
To help maintain micronational peace

History

Foundation

On August 5, 2019, after several days of rising tensions with the Kingdom of Frelands, the VISSR received a declaration of war from the Frelands Monarchy. Following an attempted cyber-attack which Frelands assumed responsibility for, a meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the VISSR was hastily convened to discuss a course of action. The Island Liberation Army was founded, and organized into 3 military service branches in order to protect the nation and its people. The ILA is under the exclusive control of the Communist Party of the VISSR, with Comrade Dustinov serving as it's Supreme Commander.

August War

The following conflict was to become known as the August War, a series of mutual condemnations between the VISSR and Kingdom of Frelands, as well as threats of economic sanctions by both parties. Despite these threats, no actual conflict ever took place. Due to the fact that no armistice or peace treaty was ever signed, the two nations remain in a technical state of war to this day.

Subsequent Development

In the following months, the ILA grew to be an important cornerstone of VISSR society. It played a primary role in gathering and distributing PPE and other essential supplies during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, as well as carrying out several important operations such as removing fallen trees and clearing overgrown brush in the VISSR. The Island Liberation Army experienced a brief period of symbolic changes during the "Republic of Courtica period", with the color red being changed to blue on all military emblems and flags. The personnel of the armed forces has remained unchanged since it's foundation. On September 12, 2020, the VISSR established a secret police force and intelligence agency called the State Security Bureau (SSB). The SSB has been tasked with assisting the ILA with military intelligence operations, and counter-espionage.

On September 19, 2020, Comrade Dustinov announced the planning of a 4th armed forces service branch, the Island Liberation Army Rocket Force. If officially established, the Rocket Force will be responsible for any potential land based missile systems. Dustinov has indicated in recent public statements that research into the viability of Estes Rockets is being conducted.

Overview

Organization and Leadership

The ILA is commanded overall by Comrade Dustinov who holds the military rank of Marshal of the Republic. Dustinov also serves as Admiral of the Fleet for the ILA Naval force.

Ground Force

The Island Liberation Army Ground Force is the mainland warfare service branch of the ILA, and oldest branch of the entire VISSR armed forces. It has a standing troop strength of 7, as every resident of the VISSR is a citizen soldier who wears the uniform of the Ground Force in times of emergency. The VISSR Border Troops were established on September 4, 2020, and are under the direct command of the Ground Force branch, but are a more elite unit comprised of only the top graduates of the ILA's basic training program.

Navy

The Island Liberation Army Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the ILA, as well as the coast guard patrol for our nation. Nicknamed The Red Fleet, the navy is the largest branch of the VISSR armed forces in terms of equipment and cost. The ILA as a whole commits a high priority to the investment into, and maintenance of, our 2 freshwater vessels. Like the Ground Force, the Navy also has an active duty crew of 7. This is due to the fact that all 7 citizens of the VISSR are peacetime sailors when not in a state of emergency. Since the VISSR is an island micronation, this is a day to day activity for its people.

Air Force

The Island Liberation Army Air Force is the aerial service branch of the ILA, and the newest branch of the VISSR armed forces. The Air Force has the smallest active personnel with 2 crew members currently serving and is also limited in terms of equipment which mainly consists of 1 drone. However, the Air Force also manages and directs the activities of the VISSR Space Agency which is quickly becoming a major department within the armed forces, although its role is dedicated purely to research and education.

Rocket Force

The Island Liberation Army Rocket Force is the newly established land-based missile force of the Island Liberation Army. Since the VISSR currently has no active-duty missiles, this new branch of the ILA is currently in early planning stages. Recent statements by Comrade Dustinov indicate that rapid development of the Rocket Force is underway, with research into the viability of Estes Rockets being a priority.