One has to remember the NA Infantry were general made up of basic non-citizens or citizens with fewer right trying to make their way up. Think of the so called Color Regiments of the Civil War era. The few of troops rose above the rank of Platoon Sergeant, First Sergeant, and Sergeant Major. These Regiments were usually commanded by a white officer and his staff. Units below if there were enough able body junior officer willing to commit suicide they sent to these units to command Companies and the Company Staff (back then Platoons weren't used like they were today, they usually had 1 1st Lt and if lucky 2 2nd Lt to command the two platoons that they operated with back then). Otherwise the First Sergeant and his junior Sergeants were left in charge of Company, with maybe a lucky NCO who got promoted to be Lt or even Captain if they were able to run tight Company without any white officer supervision.
Movie Buffalo Soldier is the one example that comes to mind.
The NA put a new twist on this as they used their Infantry, Artillery, and Cavalry units of Thirds and Seconds more or less an cannon fodder as they took their urban respawn outward from their power base. Much like the Roman did back in their Empire heyday they entice people to join them with offers of moving up the ladder in Citizenship. On the down side, if you survive and did raise in standing, you were very lucky and now are Senior Sergeant or unlucky you were mangled up pretty bad and now you are left on your own get by.
Some of the battalions would take care of their own who couldn't take to the field as best as possible by finding jobs people could do within the Battalion back at Base Camp such as cook, armorer, and other misc jobs...
The Senior NCOs and the few Junior Officer from the ranks may have rose into the next bracket above too begrudgingly.
Webster does bring up a good point. There will be a time when getting new recruits will start to drop off. They have stated in the book it is tough to find enough First to send in take Battalion and Company command level positions with these units. Up to then many of these First volunteered to led these troop knowing that it was basically suicide due to how these troops were used. With that said it would be hard press to find limited Battalion Command component and maybe Captain who were First by birth in command at company levels. Many of the Companies though were left to senior NCO who were Seconds and Thirds or maybe a newly minted Lt with their upgrade in citizenship as a First or Second leading them a Company.
As for organization since the leadership of the Defense Force is an ex-paratrooper. I would suspect they would follow the Light/Air Assault/Airborne Battalion organization as close as possible. A unit of Thirds would be luck to have shotguns mostly with some hunting rifle and maybe a military piece of equipment here and there. A unit of Seconds would have more Police and Military hardware, but it will still be dated. A unit of First would have the best of best equipment in hand and would be more recognizable as military force. As threat factors all the units are dangers and don't sell Thirds or Second short, and don't take a unit of First too lightly either (even if they usually the last units committed).
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