Every fit citizen between the ages of 20 and 40 is liable for service. Three years are spent in either the Regular Army, Navy or Aerial Service, followed by ten years in reserve. Because of California's universal conscription, women are permitted to serve in the armed forces.
While women are trained to fight just as their male counterparts the Imperial Rules of Engagement forbid the exposure of women to any potential conflicts. Currently there are only four all women regiments: 21st Amazonian, 22nd Boadica, 23rd Zenobia and the 24th Semiramis.
The Californian Imperial Navy operates three battle fleets and six squadrons to protect California's national interests around the world.
Two harbor defense fleets are also maintained: the Columbia Fleet and the small Bay Fleet, which is permanently based in Alameda, Alta California for the defense of San Francisco. This fleet is composed mainly of coast defense monitors, rams and gunboats.
The Imperial Navy currently operates: 4 first-rate ships of the line, 4 coast defense monitors, 8 steam frigates, 3 paddle frigates, 5 sailing frigates, 6 corvettes, 23 steam sloops, 18 gunboats and three rams. With the exception of the monitors and rams, the bulk of the fleet is between ten and thirty years old.
In 1872 the Emperor expressed the interest in building a "New Navy", and requested that the Navy place orders for six steam dreadnoughts with various British shipbuilders and a further six dreadnoughts with Californian companies once they would become capable of fulfilling the orders. The HMS ALTA CALIFORNIA and HMS EMPEROR NORTON have already been delivered from Britain, and the HMS EMPRESS ADELAIDE and HMS CALIFORNIA are nearing completion at the Mare Island and Admiralty Shipyards here in California.
The Admiralty and the Imperial Navy
The Imperial Navy is directed by the Admiralty which is a separate cabinet post from that of Minister of War. The head of the Admiralty is the First Lord. He is assisted by the First Sea Lord (Chief of Staff), the Second Sea Lord (Director of Naval Operations), the Third Sea Lord (Director of Naval Construction), the Fourth Sea Lord (Director of Naval Intelligence) and the Fifth Sea Lord (Director of Naval Support). The highest ranking naval officer is the Admiral of the Fleet, Commander-in-Chief, who leads the fleet into battle. The rank of Admiral of the Navy is a post to which a senior flag officer is appointed to by the Emperor.
Imperial Naval Uniforms & Cuff and Shoulder-Strap Insignia
There are two general uniform colors: navy blue for winter and white for summer and tropics.
The Imperial Navy operates the Alameda Naval Academy. The Naval War College is in Millbrae, Alta California and the Naval Staff College is in Martinez, Alta California.
The Imperial Navy operates the Alameda Naval Academy. The Naval War College is in Millbrae, Alta California and the Naval Staff College is in Martinez, Alta California.
The Royal Marine Corps is under Naval command. The Corps flag is composed of a red field with California grizzly bear atop blue globe surmounting crossed anchor and sword. Above emblem is a white ribbon bearing the Corps' motto "Sans Pareil" (Without Parallel). Below the emblem is another white ribbon bearing: "Royal Marines Corps".
Marine Regiments
The Imperial Army is the first line of defence for the Bear Flag Empire. It is the pride and joy of Emperor Norton. The Californian Army has been patterned most recently after the Prussian Army, since the military observers were impressed with its organization and command structure during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.
The Imperial Army High Command
The Army High Command consists of: the Army General Staff, the Finance Corps, the Medical Corps, Signal Corps, Corps of Engineers, Transportation Corps, Military Police Corps, Women's Army Corps, Educational Corps and Military Intelligence.
The Imperial Army General Staff
The Imperial Army General Staff in headed by the Commander-in-Chief. He is assisted by:
The Army is divided into: the Regular Army, the National Guards and theVolunteer Corps. The Regular Army is the professional full-time body that is always on duty. The National Guards are composed of the Reserve forces of the Army. The Volunteer Corps is formed of militias.
The National Guard is divided into the First, Second, Third, etc. Reserves noting the order of mobilization in the event of war. An individual, following their three required years in the Regular Army, spends two years in the First Reserves, then two years in the Second and so on. They are periodically called up for training throughout the year.
Militias, Guards and the Volunteer Corps
Many municipal regiments, that individual cities or groups raise as paramilitary/social organizations, also fall under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Army. These groups, besides meeting by themselves once or twice a month, participate in war games with the Regular Army at least three times a year.
These Militias and Guards are usually mobilized into companies within the Volunteer Corps. Three well known militia companies are the Yerba Buena Company, the Yreka Company and the Humbug Company.
The highest rank available in the Army is that of Field Marshal. The post of Commander-in-Chief is that of the commanding general of the Army. Civilian authority is vested in the Minister of War and his assistant the Secretary of the Army.
Officers of His Imperial Majesty's Army possess several different uniforms. The typical types would be full dress, undress, undress dining, etc. The two regulation colors for full dress and undress uniforms are hunter green and black.
The shoulder-straps for the Commander-in-Chief does not differ from that of Field Marshal.
The shoulder-straps for each branch of the Army differs in background color from each other. Green for infantry, yellow for cavalry and red for artillery. On the full dress uniforms of officers the cuffs are the same as the shoulder-straps.
Officers wear gold braid or "frogging" upon their sleeves in accordance to their ranks. Lieutenants of both grades one wale (ridge of cloth) in width. Captain and Major two wales wide. Lieutenant colonel and colonel both three wales of braid and all ranks of general four.
Officer ranks Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel wear a red silk sash. Officer ranks Brigadier through General wear a buff silk sash. Field Marshal and above wear a buff silk sash surmounted by the red silk sash. Medical Corps officers wear a green silk sash.
Armies of the California Empire
The Bear Flag Empire maintains several armies. For example: The Army of the Columbia, The Army of the East, The Army of the NorthWest, The Army of Nevada, The Army of the Southwest, The Army of the Sierras, The Army of the West, The Army of the Pueblo, etc.
The Imperial Army has accepted the industrialization of the Army through the use of machines because of man power limitations. The use of landclads and autosteamers has begun.
The manning of coastal forts and defences fall under the jurisdiction of the Army's Branch of the Coastal Artillery.
The Imperial Army operates four army academies: The Presidio, San Francisco; Oakland Military Academy; Madera Military Academy; Stockton Army Academy and the Albany Army Academy. Besides these there is also the privately run: Visalia Military Institute and Phoenix Military College.
The Army War College is in Sacramento; the Army Staff College is in Fresno, Sierra and the Imperial Cavalry College is in Virginia City, Nevada.
In the Army each battle division (corps, division, brigade and regiment) will form a color guard to carry their flags. The color guard will be composed of a seperate man to carry: The Bear Flag, The Emperor's Colors, the commanding officer's standard for brigade level and above, and the battle division's Colors. Each Field Army will have it's own color guard to carry: The Bear Flag, The Emperor's Colors, The Army's Colors and the commanding officer's standard. The Army Flag may be displayed if wished.
Infantry: Companies shall bear a square flag, 48 inches square, company designation above crossed rifles.
Artillery: Companies shall bear a square flag, 35 inches square, company designation above crossed cannons.
Cavalry: Companies shall bear a square flag, 30 inches square, company designation above crossed swords.
Beginning in 1874 Brigadier-General Sir Theodore Chrysler, an instructor at the Army War College, started developing a series of war plans that would coordinate Californian forces against foreign enemy forces. The War Plans are considered top secret and several different versions are developed every year. The code name given to each is reflective of the intended enemy.
| War Plan Blue | United States of America |
| War Plan White | Republic of Texas |
| War Plan Green | Empire of Mexico |
| War Plan Red | Republic of Northern Mexico |
Established in 1870 the California Foreign Regiment is organized and run very similarly to the French Foreign Regiment. California Foreign Corps Flag: Red field with gold saltire, at center is a gold "N" wreathed in laurels and surmounted by crown.
The Army Department of Aerial Services, which was formed in 1867, oversees the Empire's military airpower. The Aerial Services' primary arm is the Aerial Scouting Corps. The Aerial Service maintains a fleet of nearly fifteen avitors and other lighter-than-air ships.
In 1876 the Department was reorganized into its own seperate military arm. The AirAdmiralty was established to oversee it. The position of First Lord of the AirAdmiralty is a cabinet level post. He is aided in the administration of the Aerial Service by the Air Lords. The rank of Admiral of the AirFleet is that of the senior flag officer.
There are two general uniform colors: dark blue for winter and light blue for summer.