LSB

Resolved by the Senate of the Second Republic of Doria, that the following article is proposed as a federal law under the jurisdiction of the Second Republic of Doria, enforceable by Executive action.

Be it enacted by the Senate of the Second Republic of Doria assembled, that:

Section 1: By “Defence Force” is meant the military forces of the Second Republic of Doria established and maintained under the authority of this Act. By “Ministry of Defence” is meant the federal government department charged with the direction, administration, organization, and support of the Defence Force. By “Minister of Defence” is meant the civilian head of the Ministry of Defence and the principal officer responsible for the execution of national defence policy. By “Military Service” is meant an organized branch of the Defence Force established for the conduct, preparation, and administration of military forces. By “High Command” is meant a military command composed of forces belonging to more than one Military Service and established for the execution of a military mission requiring unified command. By “Inspector of Service” is meant the senior military officers responsible for the administration and preparedness of their respective Military Services.

Section 2: There shall be established a Ministry of Defence of the Second Republic of Doria. The Ministry of Defence shall constitute the principal federal authority for the organization, administration, equipment, training, supply, and preparation of the Defence Force. All Military Services and the High Command established under this Act shall be subject to the direction, authority, and control of the Minister of Defence, subject to the Constitution and laws of the Republic. The Ministry of Defence shall be responsible for ensuring that the Defence Force is maintained as an integrated national force capable of defending the sovereignty, territory, independence, and constitutional order of the Republic.

Section 3: The Minister of Defence shall be a civilian officer appointed according to the Constitution and laws of the Republic. The Minister shall exercise direction, authority, and control over the Ministry of Defence and, subject to the authority of the President and the Constitution, over the Defence Force. The Minister shall: establish general policies for the organization and administration of the Defence Force; supervise the Military Services; determine, subject to law, the distribution and employment of military resources; coordinate the preparation and training of the Defence Force; ensure the efficient and economical administration of military affairs; establish such offices, commands, and supporting institutions as may be necessary for the execution of this Act; advise the President and the Senate upon matters concerning the defence of the Republic.

Section 4: The Defence Force shall initially consist of the following Military Services: Land Defence Service, responsible principally for land warfare and the defence of the territory of the Republic; Water Defence Service, responsible principally for naval warfare, maritime defence, and the protection of the Republic's territorial waters and maritime interests; Air Defence Service, responsible principally for aerial warfare, air defence, and the military employment of aircraft. Each Military Service shall remain separately organized and shall possess its own personnel, administration, equipment, training establishments, and command institutions.

Section 5: Each Military Service shall be headed by an Inspector of Service appointed in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the Republic. The Inspector of each Service shall be responsible, under the authority of the Minister of Defence, for: the administration of his respective Service; the recruitment, training, and professional development of its personnel; the maintenance and preparation of its forces; the provision and maintenance of equipment; the organization of units and formations belonging to that Service; the execution of such other duties as may be prescribed by the Minister of Defence.

Section 6: There shall be established a General Staff of the Defence Force to provide professional military advice to the Minister of Defence and the President. The General Staff shall consist of Inspectors of the Military Services and presided by General Inspector of the Defence Force. The General Staff shall: advise the civilian authorities upon military strategy and national defence; prepare joint military plans; coordinate the requirements of the Military Services; study the organization and readiness of the Defence Force as a whole; perform such other advisory and planning functions as may be assigned by the Minister of Defence.

Section 7: For the conduct of military operations requiring the cooperation of two or more Military Services, the President, acting through the Minister of Defence, may establish a High Command. A High Command may contain forces belonging to any number of the Military Services. The Minister of Defence shall determine: the mission of each High Command; the forces assigned to it; its geographical or functional area of responsibility; the powers of its commander, to be addressed as Legate; the administrative arrangements necessary for its operation. Forces assigned to a High Command shall, for the purposes of the military mission for which they are assigned, be subject to the authority of the commander of that High Command.

Section 8: The supreme command of the Defence Force shall be exercised in accordance with the Constitution. Except where otherwise provided by the Constitution or by law, the operational chain of command shall proceed: President, Minister of Defence, Commander of the High Command. The General Staff may transmit orders or communications between the President, Minister of Defence, and commanders when directed to do so, but shall not thereby acquire independent command authority. No Inspector of Service shall exercise operational command over a High Command merely by virtue of his position as Inspector of Service.

Section 9: The Minister of Defence shall determine which forces of the Military Services shall be assigned to High Commands. A force assigned to a High Command shall not be removed from that command except by authority of the Minister of Defence or by such procedure as may be established by law. The Minister may transfer forces between High Commands when necessary for the defence of the Republic. Forces not assigned to a High Command shall remain under their respective Military Services for purposes of administration, training, preparation, and such military duties as may be prescribed.

Section 10: The Defence Force shall remain subject to civilian authority at all times. No military officer shall exercise political authority by virtue of his military rank. The Minister of Defence shall be responsible for ensuring that the Defence Force operates in accordance with the Constitution and laws of the Republic. Nothing in this Act shall be interpreted as diminishing the constitutional authority of the President, the Senate, or any other lawful institution of the Republic.

Section 11: The Minister of Defence shall organize the Ministry and the Defence Force so as to prevent unnecessary duplication of functions and expenditure. Where a function may be performed jointly by two or more Military Services with greater efficiency, the Minister may establish a common organization for that purpose. The Minister shall seek, where practicable, the integration of common logistical, technical, medical, communications, research, procurement, and administrative functions. The purpose of such integration shall be to strengthen the Defence Force as a whole without abolishing the separate identity of the Military Services.

Section 12: The Minister of Defence may establish such subordinate commands, bureaus, directorates, academies, depots, arsenals, establishments, and other organizations as are necessary for the execution of this Act, subject to appropriations and other laws of the Republic. The Minister may prescribe the duties and internal organization of such institutions. No organization established under this Section shall possess authority inconsistent with the Constitution or laws of the Republic.

Section 13: The Defence Force shall be organized principally for the defence of: the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Second Republic of Doria; the constitutional government of the Republic; the population and lawful institutions of the Republic; such other national interests as may be entrusted to the Defence Force by the Constitution or by law. The Defence Force shall be maintained as a unified national instrument of defence and shall not be treated as independent armies belonging separately to the Military Services.

Section 14: The Minister of Defence shall issue such regulations as may be necessary to carry this Act into effect. Such regulations may provide for the detailed organization of the Military Services, High Commands, Ministry of Defence, and General Staff. All regulations issued under this Act shall remain subordinate to the Constitution and laws of the Republic.

Section 15: Upon the entry into force of this Act, all military forces then existing under the authority of the Second Republic of Doria shall be incorporated into the Defence Force established by this Act. The President and Minister of Defence shall, within such period as may be prescribed, establish the Military Services and High Commands required by this Act. Until such organizations have been fully established, existing military formations shall continue to perform their duties under the temporary authority of the Minister of Defence.

Section 16: Any existing regulation, order, or administrative arrangement concerning the organization of the Defence Force which is inconsistent with this Act shall, upon its entry into force, be suspended to the extent of such inconsistency. Nothing in this Section shall invalidate an act lawfully performed by a member of the Defence Force before the entry into force of this Act.

Section 17: This Act shall enter into effect upon approval of the bill by a majority of the Senate and promulgation according to the Constitution of the Second Republic of Doria. Upon its entry into force, the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Force established herein shall constitute the basic federal organization for the military defence of the Second Republic of Doria.