The Communist Bloc

Welcome to the People's Revolutionary Air Force, NationStates' foremost pan-leftist military organisation!

The world of NationStates is vast. There are many regions and nations, of many different kinds. You may have heard of 'raiding / defending', or 'the invasion game'. This is where 'invaders'/'crashers'/'raiders' face off against 'defenders'/'liberators' in an effort to conquer or defend other regions respectively. Both sides are immensely well-organised, with scripts, command structures, and battle plans dedicated towards overturning the whims of the enemy. This is entirely allowed within game rules, and forms a major crux in inter-regional relations.

But how does one 'take over' a region in the first place?

A lot of regions have governors. These governors are nigh-impossible to topple, with sweeping total authority over every facet of the region. They can resign, allowing one of their successors to take the mantle, but that's their choice and their alone. Truly, a dutifully-governed region isn't going to face any security threats any time soon.

Of course, here comes the catch: not all regions have governors. Some regions voluntarily opt out of having governors by becoming a frontier, or their governor ceased to exist without appointing a successor, leaving the World Assembly Delegate with power over the region. The Delegate of a region is automatically selected twice a day from the nation with the most World Assembly Endorsements, which are exchanged between World Assembly-registered nations -- this means that they can be usurped if they lag behind their fellow nations.

This also means that they could be usurped if a large enough contingent of nations moved into the region just before the delegate selection, all endorsing each other to seize the region for themselves. This single mechanic provides the main context for all of NationStates' "military gameplay".

The People's Revolutionary Air Force (PRAF) is a military organisation, organised in much the same fashion as raiders and defenders. Unlike these groups, however, the People's Revolutionary Air Force does not subscribe to an ideology of blanket destruction or defense. Not all regions deserve to be invaded, and not all regions deserve to be defended.

Therefore, the PRAF considers itself an independent military. It will invade, and help invade, right-wing regions. It will defend, and help defend, left-wing regions. Everything else is negotiable. It may make alliances with raiders and/or defenders in order to secure its goals, but it is not an invader or defender military, and never will be.

In essence, capitalists should be crushed, and comrades should remain secure.

The People's Revolutionary Air Force is composed of two wings: the Active Wing and the Reserve Wing. Both are incredibly important, though represent different roles.

The Active Wing is the tip of the PRAF's spear: it stages daring operations that put them at the forefront of any given PRAF manoeuvres. The job of the Active Wing is to be on call for the beginning of any new operations, at which point they will assemble under a Pilot Officer, Squadron Leader, or Air Marshal, who will lead them into battle.

Generally, the main purpose of the Active Wing is to either implement the first phase of the takeover of a foreign region, or help in liberating one that's under occupation. Due to game mechanics, these operations can only occur at certain times (04:00-05:00 GMT, or 16:00-17:00 GMT). If you can make either of these times, then a career in the Active Wing might be for you. If you join the Active Wing and complete your training, you will also be eligible to receive your own jet design from the Bloc Aviation Design Bureau; more on that later.

If you can't make it to the times listed for Active Wing service, or simply want a more relaxed experience, then the Reserve Wing might be for you. While the Active Wing can capture ground, the Reserve Wing is tasked with holding that ground. It's not as glamorous, but the work is still very important -- much of the PRAF's strength comes from its vast reserves that are capable of occupying multiple regions at once at any given time. You don't need to do much, and simply follow simple orders to move in and hold regions that you take. You're playing a big part with little effort; excellent for those that want to pitch in but not that interested in a full-time PRAF career.

SQHQ is the core leadership of the PRAF. It is composed of the Air Marshall and their Squadron Leaders, and together they hold operational sovereignty over the day-to-day affairs of the People's Revolutionary Air Force, overseen by the First Minister of the Communist Bloc, as well as the Minister of Foreign Affairs & Defense. If you have questions about the PRAF, or want to work with it, the above nations are your best bet as a point of contact.

As for the general rank structure, the consequential command structure for the Active Force is as follows:

Promotions are awarded by SQHQ on a regular basis, and as you climb you earn more responsibilities, recognition, and permissions alike to help participate in the PRAF.