Since the invention of the BattleMech nearly six hundred years ago, there have been countless experiments directed at finding an "ideal" method of training MechWarriors for combat. On poor worlds where there are no real training facilities and even practice with a 'Mech must be limited to conserve scanty supplies and avoid costly damage, training may be ignored entirely. A BattleMech lance deploys, a 31st Century melding of mind and machine. Warlords and Bandit Kings often choose their recruits by a simple press-gang approach, shove them into a 'Mech cockpit, and expect them to fight or die. Generally they do both. At the other end of the scale are the elaborate training facilities available to the Great Houses, exemplified by Hanse Davion's bold concept of the New Avalon Institute of Science. Here a prospective MechWarrior receives years of intensive training in simulators and real 'Mechs; only the best soldiers--the ones "in tune"--graduate to become officers granted command of House-owned 'Mechs. In between these two extremes are any number of alternatives, each of them aimed at solving the basic problem of finding and training men and women who can take a 'Mech into combat, survive, and, along the way, overcome the opposition. There are some schools of thought that maintain that the BattleMech is no different from any other weapon of war, that any soldier can learn to handle one effectively. But most MechWarriors feel otherwise. They know that they require more than just ordinary training to get the most out of their 'Mechs, and that the winner in any clash on the field of battle will always be the Warrior who does just that-melding man and machine into a single fighting unit that can out-think, out-maneuver, and out-fight an opponent. BattleTechnology sought out Colonel Kuan Li-Po (Ret.), formerly an instructor at the NAIS and still a private consultant on MechWarrior training, for his views on what it takes to link mind and machine on the modern battlefield. What follows was based on our correspondent's discussions with the Colonel. Today's MechWarriors are the heirs of six hundred years of experience in the Art of War; this is one of the longest periods in Mankind's history in which innovations in hardware have not forced a complete rethinking of strategic and tactical principles. Probably the only comparable period of stability is the era of Terra's Roman Empire, and even there several notable reforms were required to keep pace with the shifting nature of the Empire's enemies. From the invention of gunpowder in the Middle Ages, militechnics, and hence strategic and tactical thought, began changing at an ever-increasing rate. By the 201h Century this change was so rapid that the lessons of one war couldn't even be applied to the battlefields of the next, and the training of soldiers could be rendered obsolete over a matter of months because of new breakthroughs that made the old style of combat completely useless. After the Second Russian Revolution and the Western Alliance's defeat of the Soviets in the early 21st Century, the pace of military development slowed to more reasonable levels. Although "the search for global peace" trumpeted as the goal of the Western Alliance was not really achieved, the post-Superpower era was a time of small-scale wars and limited military research, so there was little change in the way war was waged. Once Mankind reached the stars, the Alliance Colonial Marines became policemen rather than soldiers, their duties focused on security, riot control, and the occasional peace-keeping mission when some local power wanted to use violence to achieve an end. Forovertwo hundred years warfare remained static. The last major innovations in war as we know it came about between 2300 and 2500 A.D., when the dawning of the "Age of War" made interstellar conflicts common and the development of myomar and neuro-link technologies made possible the creation of the BattleMech. Although the tools of combat improved steadily thereafter, new developments were almost invariably refinements of existing systems rather than major breakthroughs. The BattleMech was and is the ultimate fighting machine, capable of translating an individual soldier's abilities into a force more than equal to an entire company of pre- 'Mech troops. With the coming of the BattleMech, warfare had finally "come of age" and military science could begin to concentrate on understanding the established principles of combat rather than searching for new ones. TRAINING FOR BATTLE Almost from the start, there has been controversy over the mystique that surrounds the MechWarrior and his trade. WorkMechs for mining, agriculture, construction, and other heavy labor have been around even longer than the BattleMech, and these have never taken any particular degree of skill to operate. Indeed, the original principle that made the 'Mech so attractive in a//of its forms was the notion that the 'Mech was more an extension of the operator's body than it was a machine that had to be driven. Thanks to neurolinkages, the motions of the machine were largely instinctual; controls were needed to avoid extraneous motion that would have accompanied purely thou g ht-co ntrol led systems, but the actual operating controls of a 'Mech were (and still are) simpler to understand than those in afamily aircar. Almost anyone can sit down in a 'Mech cockpit, tune in to a neurohelmet, and handle the machine competently after a minimum of training. The onboard computers even handle a lot of the training by being available to answer the pilot's questions on the spot. But experts in the field of battletechnology have long maintained that it takes more, much more, to turn the average soldier into a true MechWarrior. And they are right. The essentially unskilled operator can make a 'Mech move, even fight, in rough mimicry of his own capabilities. Against ordinary troops unsupported by better-prepared MechWarriors, that soldier will still be a force to be reckoned with. But it takes skill and practice to make the BattleMech respond efficiently to the operator's desires, especially in combat. The kind of training a MechWarrior goes through is not so much in how to operate his 'Mech, but rather in how to work with it. The more intensive the preparations, the more effective the ultimate union of man and machine. Any program of MechWarrior training will have to focus on three important areas. Physical training toughens the body, improves the reflexes, and enables the Warrior to hone his personal fighting skills--and, in turn, the instinctual talents that will emerge when he handles his machine in battle. Operational training teaches him to understand and use his 'Mech, and in- cludes the basics of Tech skills as well as the piloting and gunnery practice needed for controlling the BattleMech under almost any conditions. Finally, and perhaps most important, there is mental training; conditioning that helps the Warrior become a part of his 'Mech and focus all of his other abilities on the single task of fighting ... and winning. PHYSICAL TRAINING The ideal MechWarrior should be in excellent physical shape, with reflexes and coordination in peak condition at all times. Because the neurohelmet draws upon the pilot's brain for the feedback that maintains balance and coordinates actions and reactions, the machine's responses will mirror the operator's. A slow or clumsy pilot will be hard-pressed to keep his 'Mech upright, much less fight. The physical training given to prospective MechWarriors is very often in the form of some martial arts discipline, stressing speed, timing, and coordination over sheer strength or power. MechWarriors who have gone through this sort of training are easily spotted by their grace and agility; they tend to move quickly but with an economy of effort that comes from being trained to use exactly the right amount of force on an opponent--never more than they actually need. This kind of training makes the typical MechWarrior as lethal in hand-to-hand fighting as he is controlling a 'Mech, though of course on a much different scale. One reason why Dispossessed MechWarriors make such good scouts is this martial education. Nor is it wise to tackle a MechWarrior in a barroom brawl. Their training makes them tough opponents ... and they are almost invariably taught to kill quickly, silently, efficiently, and above all instinctively. MechWarrior training given at the NAIS and other combat academies goes on to address a variety of other related areas. The use of a number of different personal weapons is often a part of these curricula, as is extensive training and practice in the areas of survival, evasion, and escape. These programs prepare the Warrior in case he or she is ever forced to abandon a 'Mech and function behind enemy lines. With highly skilled Warriors in nearly as short a supply as the machines themselves, most House and Mercenary units are as much concerned with getting pilots back in one piece as they are with salvaging damaged equipment, and courses like these are an important part of this concern. OPERATIONAL TRAINING We have already noted the overall ease of driving most 'Mechs. Nonetheless, it is important for the MechWarrior to become thoroughly familiar with the operation of these machines. To be an effective MechWarrior, the pilot must understand the BattleMech so thoroughly as to be able to run it entirely on instinct, leaving his mind free to concentrate on the needs of the battle. The soldier who has to think before he remembers which button to press or how many times he has operated the foot controls won't last long under fire. Ideally, a Warrior should be able to strap into any 'Mech cockpit and handle it with equal skill. In fact, this isn't always the case; though most 'Mechs handle very much alike, some-notably four-legged vehicles like the Goliath and the Scorpion, armless 'Mechs along the lines of the Locust, the Cicada, or the Jenner, and specialty craft such as LAMs-are significantly different in the way controls are set up and in the feel of the machine in motion. This means that the Warrior must either practice on a number of different machines to become an all-around pilot, or concentrate on a more narrow program to become proficient in a few and merely adequate in the rest. Piloting is only the most basic of 'Mech operating skills. The Warrior must become familiar with gunnery and be able to choose in an instant the best weapons system to handle a given situation. He needsto understand communications systems, the computer and its capabilities, detection and tracking mechanisms: paraphernalia vital to 'Mech operation on the battlefield. The ability to interpret sensory data from radar blips to thermal prints to output scans is another aspect of this training. A MechWarrior who expects to survive will learn not only how to operate these controls, but how to use them even in pitch darkness, one-handed, and without computer assistance. There are even some schools that teach students to handle a 'Mech without the aid of a neurohelmet. Though without the neurolinkage the BattleMech is clumsy, still it mightjust be able to get in the battle-winning shot even after neurolinks are gone and the machine/pilot combination has been completely severed. Finally, many Warrior training courses provide at least a grounding in the technical side of battletechnology. An old saying, dating back at least to Kerensky's time, maintains that "only a fool or a dirtfoot depends on somebody else to keep the gear in shape." It is a saying that is still valid today-no matter how good your Techs may be, you should never be completely ignorant when it comes to making repairs or modifications in the machine you'll be depending on to keep you alive when the laser pulses start to fly. MENTAL TRAINING Of all the areas of a Warrior's training, it is mental discipline which is both most important and least understood outside professional MechWarrior circles. Attitudes among the uninitiated vary from scorn to ignorance to misplaced awe, and even MechWarriors disagree among themselves as to the extent and exact nature of mental training required to ply their trade. But most agree that some form of training is necessary before a Warrior can learn to get the most out of his BattleMech in action. The most basic of mental disciplines is simple training aimed at helping the MechWarrior channel and control his thoughts. The neurohelmet picks up and processes a variety of impulses directly from the brain and sometimes becomes overloaded by extraneous material that it cannot interpret as a specific command. The operator must learn to think clearly and precisely when issuing mental orders, or risk the consequences of a feedback loop. Men have been known to die from the effects of an uncontrolled neurohelmet feedback loop that started with an inability to direct the flow of thoughts and commands to the 'Mech computer system. It was the introduction of martial arts into the physical training of MechWarriors that led to the expansion of mental and philosophical instruction in the curricula of many major Warrior academies. Mental discipline--a whole way of looking at life and the universe--was and is inseparable from the fighting techniques of many of the martial arts, particularly those derived from the mystic Eastern cultures of Old Earth. The application of these methods to MechWarrior training was obvious almost from the start. They have been carried even further through subsequent refinements in outlook and teaching techniques. Even comparatively new martial arts schools, like the Quick-Kill taught at the NAIS and other Federated Suns academies, place at least as much effort on preparation of the mind as they do on mastery of the body. The aim of these areas of teaching is to help the MechWarrior fight more effectively by giving him total self-control. In the vast majority of these systems, the adept is able to suppress emotions like fear and hatred, control all of the voluntary and even some involuntary muscle functions, ignore the effects of extreme heat, cold, or pain, and allow his instinct, which generally cannot be mastered consciously, to flow freely in perfect interplay with the mind. Although few MechWarriors reach the status of true adept, all students trained under these methods are far superior to ordinary soldiers in almost every aspect of combat. Mental control also brings together the other two aspects of training. The Warrior who can master his own mind can focus his physical responses more tightly and execute his operational training more efficiently than a 'Mech pilot who lacks this kind of self-discipline. And emotional control allows a Warrior to put aside anger or fear in a crisis and continue to function rationally when other soldiers would panic or give in to unreasoning hate. On the other hand, the MechWarrior adept can deliberately unleash the emotions and the chemical triggers that will turn an ordinary fighter into a modern-day berserker, although this often takes a terrible toll on the body after the moment has passed. TECHNIQUES OF THE GREAT HOUSES The quality and effectiveness of training techniques in the modern era vary widely. Even within the bounds of a given Successor State there may be vast differences in the way House units are taught, according to the availability of training facilities, manpower and supply needs, and unit traditions. Some general notes, however, can be applied in an overall survey of the military units of the five Great Houses. House Liao: The Capellan Confederation probably has the least effective MechWarrior training programs. Pressed by manpower shortages and a strategic doctrine emphasizing a perimeter defense supported by a few elite mobile reserves, the bulk of the Capellan military is given only the bare minimum of training. A few core units, particularly the Red Lancers and elements of the Northwind Highlanders, do make use of fairly sophisticated MechWarrior training procedures. These units are often found employed as a strategic reserve, blunting threats to the Confederation after less efficient forces have bought time against an invader. Regular units are generally trained according to the age-old precepts of military service: 3-4 months of general instruction which concentrates almost entirely, on basics, followed (sometimes) by specialty schools that may hone particular skills to a finer edge. Training of this kind is often drastically shortened when a unit needs reinforcements in tune quickly. A leavening of mercenaries looking for the comparatively stable life of House service are often enticed into joining these forces as well. Some individual MechWarriors will enter Liao service with much more sophisticated training--if they happen to come from old 'Mech families with a particularly strong belief in the benefits of long and intense instruction in the Arts of War. Elite units have higher standards. There are five established military academies within the boundaries of Liao space, including the renowned Tikonov Military Institute. Given the Capellan Confederation's tightly-ordered and highly militaristic system, it was inevitable that standards of training among these five should be more or less the same. Most elite Liao MechWarriors are graduates of one of these academies, all of which stress accepted tactical doctrine at the expense of individual initiative in combat. The Tikonov Institute remains a model of superb MechWarrior training. The curriculum at TMI includes training in the martial arts fields of ju-jitsu and karate (or at least modern equivalents of these ancient disciplines) together with an intensive course in "The Golden Way," a collection of 26th Century philosophical precepts originally established by the Institute's founder, Colonel Kenji Matsumoto. House Marik: The Free Worlds League, like the Capellan Confederation, lacks a centralized military training system, but for different reasons. Although the League is strong in terms of size and scope, it is fragmented politically by a long-standing tradition of provincialism among its member-worlds. This means that the military, though controlled by House Marik through the office of Captain-General, varies in quality and in the techniques used in training its soldiery. Forces raised and maintained within the Duchy of Oriente receive the best training, but Duke Christopher's mistrust of education over experience has led to a curtailment of formal academic instruction even here. It is largely left to individual unit commanders to provide what they consider to be appropriate training to newcomers in their outfits. As in Liao space, there are a number of privately-owned military academies that provide various types of training to prospective MechWarriors (and others). House Steiner: Within the Lyran Commonwealth there are several state-sponsored establishments for the training of MechWarriors. For the most part the official curriculum stresses the teaching of tactics and strategy to prospective officers, but they do include a study of the Neo-Zen philosophies of the late 28 th Century, especially those which promise "the union of flesh and thought" through meditation and rigorous physical conditioning. The Commonwealth's military strength relies heavily on mercenary forces, however, and these units-along with local or militia troops which do not participate in the Lyran training program-are not given this sort of Warrior instruction. Moreover, roughly 80% of the graduates of these academies are officers; ordinary enlisted MechWarriors are given less sophisticated training that sticks more to the basics. Since 3022, when Katrina Steiner completed her negotiations with the Federated Suns, a few picked Steiner MechWarriors have been eligible to enter competitions for placement in the New Avalon Institute of Science, which provides highly sophisticated training in the military arts. The NAIS program is described in detail with other Davion institutions. House Kurita: Adhering to the Japanese traditions of House Kurita and other noble families, the military of the Draconis Combine receive, on the whole, some of the most effective Warrior training of any in the Successor States. A heavily modified version of the ancient Bushido code is central to the overall military training programs sponsored by the state; though not universal, such training is much more common here than in states such as the Capellan Confederation or the Free Worlds League. The code of the Warrior in Kurita society urges excellence in the military sciences, but also a mastery of peaceful arts as well. Inner harmony is as important to the typical Kurita soldier as are accomplishments on the field of battle. Quite contrary to their common image as ruthless, blood-thirsty barbarians, Kurita soldiers are often encouraged to take up hobbies such as painting, calligraphy, or horticulture to put them "in touch with the inner self." A large percentage of Kurita MechWarriors do attend academies which inculcate the Bushido and Neo-Zen philosophies and provide training in any of several martial arts disciplines. House Davion Although the Federated Suns does not draw on the same Terro-Japanese heritage as the Draconis Combine, a martial tradition has long been fostered by the ruling Davion family which mirrors some features of the Kurita approach to military training while preserving many unique aspects of its own. State military academies are present on many of the major planets of the Federated Suns, each teaching the same basic Warrior's curriculum. Quick-Kill, a synthesis of karate, judo, aikido, and savate, is the central part of a Warrior's physical training; mental and philosophical disciplines form a part of the Quick-Kill course as well. Davion policy places heavy stress on actual operational instruction as well. The most recent innovation in training in the Federated Suns was the foundation of the New Avalon Institute of Science (NAIS) in 3015. NAIS military training is an expanded form of the usual Davion academy courses, with the addition of extensive instruction in tactics, operations, strategy, and other leadership skills. Graduates of the NAIS are commissioned into the army of the Federated Suns; even failed NAIS students enter the ranks as NCOs. The Institute also has courses in non-military arts and sciences, and a combat curriculum for non-BattleMech officers as well. Since 3022, a few select students from the Lyran Commonwealth have also been permitted to attend the NAIS; these are given commissions in the armed forces of their native realm and honorary Federated Suns ranks as well. PLANS, TRENDS, AND INNOVATIONS: THE FUTURE OF MECHWARRIOR TRAINING The future of 'Mech warfare viewed on the basis of recent developments is uncertain. It seems that after several hundred years of deadlock the chance for a decisive victory by one or another of the Great Houses may finally be at hand. The seeds for such a victory are contained within many of the contemporary developments in the Art of Warwhich could, given proper exploitation, snowball into another rush of innovation that might rival the changes of the 19th and 20th Centuries. If this should happen, changes in the training of MechWarriors would inevitably be required; indeed, it could be trends in training techniques that will trigger the other changes and revolutionize military science as a whole. Among the developments some experts see as heralding change are many factors. The deterioration of technology and industry on many of the war-ravaged worlds of the Successor State frontiers could lead to a major challenge in the balance of power; victory would then go to the realm which has established the best pool of salvaged resources and the best training to exploit their superiority on the battlefield. On the other hand a continued decline could lead to a gradual devolution in modern theories of warfare and, eventually, to barbarism. This situation is one to be closely watched in the years ahead. More immediate trends could have a decisive effect long before the worst comes to pass, however. Recently, a new crop of young officers has appeared on the galactic stage, and these leaders of a new age are showing a tendency to break away from the tradition methods of waging war. Tactics of maneuver and static defense are slowly giving way to the unleashing of a new phi- losophy of total annihilation on the battlefield. To draw a comparison with Terra's early history, the Successor States may be on the verge of seeing a Napoleon bursting on the scene to transform warfare from the stately dance of the old ways of warfare to the crushing blows of the new. Leaders like Natasha Kerensky and Grayson Death Carlyle have already begun to demonstrate what aggressive tactics can do on the battlefield; it may be that MechWarriors everywhere will soon have to relearn their craft entirely or perish under the weight of the new. Other military theorists see a chance for revolution in the creation of the NAIS by House Davion. They, too, point to parallels in Earth's early history to suggest that the rise of a unified professional officer class could change the Successor States much as it did the Roman Empire, Renaissance Europe, or mid-19th Century America. When leadership on the field of battle becomes the prerogative of talent rather than the right of feudal privilege, the breakdown of old class barriers won't be far behind. Then the tactical innovators and the social reformers will alike be free to come forward, changing the face of modern society forever. Even the experts cannot agree on a scenario for change, though most predict that it will come. But there are even some highly regarded pundits who reject the entire concept of future turnings in war and society. There is no sure way of predicting the truth; what 20th Century social historian would have advanced the notion of a centuries-long freeze in development? The only sure prognostication we can make is this: until change does arrive, 'Mechs and MechWarriors will continue to stand guard over our present civilization, and their training and prowess in battle will be the one certain gauge of victory or defeat. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Colonel Kuan Li-Po served as a MechWarrior in the Avalon Hussars for over thirty years, rising to the rank of Colonel and command of that unit in the year 3012. When the New Avalon Institute of Science was opened in 3015, Colonel Kuan was appointed one of the Institute's first instructors at the personal direction of Hanse Davion. In 3018, the Colonel served briefly as the Institute's Director of MechWarrior Training before retiring to private life at his estate on Chien in the Draconis March. The Colonel is the author of Inner Fire, a treatment of the use of mental control as a means of achieving physical perfection. MechWarrior Keith Douglass was formerly a soldier of the New Syrtis Fusiliers. Now a Griffin pilot in Cockburn's Crusaders, a mercenary unit, Douglass is also a free-lance writer and part-time correspondent for BattleTechnology. He has two kill assists to his credit. Apprentices at Arms: Squires of the Modern Age Back to BattleTechnology Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1987 by Pacific Rim Publishing. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com