The Average Joe

Armed Forces of Gondara  ›  Army of Gondara  ›  Infantry  ›  The Average Joe

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The Average Joe

The Average Joe represents the standard Gondaran infantry rifleman and serves as the foundation of the Army's combat power. Whether assigned to Mobile Infantry, Line Infantry, garrison forces, or reserve formations, the majority of Gondaran soldiers ultimately trace their training, equipment, and battlefield expectations to the standard rifleman.

The Average Joe is not a specialist, elite commando, or heavily equipped shock trooper. Instead, he represents the ordinary citizen-soldier upon whom the Army depends to occupy territory, defend positions, conduct patrols, and carry out the countless tasks required to sustain military operations.

Although Gondara employs a wide range of specialized personnel, the standard rifleman remains the backbone of the Army.

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Training

Every Gondaran infantryman receives instruction in rifle marksmanship, fieldcraft, entrenchment, navigation, first aid, and small-unit tactics. Particular emphasis is placed upon defensive operations and the construction of field fortifications, reflecting the Army's expectation that infantry must often establish and improve their own fighting positions.

Training also emphasizes equipment maintenance and personal responsibility. Soldiers are expected to maintain their weapons, ammunition, and field gear without direct supervision, ensuring readiness during prolonged operations.

While mechanized transport is commonly available within Mobile Infantry formations, soldiers are trained to operate independently of vehicles and remain combat effective when forced to move or fight on foot.

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Battlefield Role

The Average Joe serves as the Army's general-purpose combat soldier. His primary responsibilities include securing terrain, conducting patrols, defending positions, supporting offensive operations, and maintaining control of captured territory.

Unlike Assault Infantry, whose mission focuses on rapid objective seizure, or specialized support personnel trained for specific battlefield functions, the rifleman is expected to perform a broad range of tasks under varying combat conditions.

In Gondaran doctrine, victories are often initiated by specialized formations but ultimately secured and maintained by ordinary infantry soldiers.

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Standard Equipment

The following profile represents a typical Gondaran rifleman operating within Mobile or Line Infantry formations.

Category	Item	Qty	Est. Unit Weight	Est. Total Weight	Unit Cost	Total Cost
Primary Weapon	R-20 Service Rifle	1	9 lb	9 lb	$45	$45
Magazines (Loaded)	R-20 magazines (10 rounds each)	10	0.87 lb	8.7 lb	$2	$20
Ammunition (Reserve)	6.25×48mm ammunition (stripper clips, 100 rounds)	1 load	0.037 lb per round	3.7 lb	$5	$5
Explosives	G-25 Fragmentation Grenade	3	1 lb	3 lb	$4	$12
Combat Gear	Steel helmet	1	3 lb	3 lb	$8	$8
Combat Gear	Web gear	1	4 lb	4 lb	$6	$6
Combat Gear	Entrenching tool	1	2.5 lb	2.5 lb	$5	$5
Combat Gear	Knife / bayonet	1	1 lb	1 lb	$4	$4
Sustainment	Canteens, 2-quart (filled)	2	4.5 lb	9 lb	$3	$6
Medical	Bandages	2	0.25 lb	0.5 lb	$1	$2
Field Pack	Rucksack + contents	1	20 lb	20 lb	$20	$20
Clothing	Heavy leather boots	1 pair	4 lb	4 lb	$10	$10
Estimated Total				63.4 lb	$143

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Ammunition Doctrine

The standard rifleman carries two separate ammunition loads.

The immediate combat load consists of ten loaded magazines carried on the soldier's web gear. This ammunition is intended for immediate use during combat and allows the soldier to engage without preparation or reloading from reserve stores.

Additional ammunition is carried in stripper clips within the soldier's field pack. This reserve ammunition is intended to replenish magazines during lulls in combat or while occupying defensive positions.

Total carried ammunition is approximately 200 rounds.

Load Type	Quantity	Purpose
Combat Load	100 rounds	Immediate engagement
Reserve Load	100 rounds	Magazine replenishment
Total	200 rounds	Standard rifleman load

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Load Bearing Philosophy

The standard rifleman carries approximately 63 pounds of equipment during combat operations. This load reflects Gondaran doctrine, which balances individual firepower with the expectation that most infantry will operate with vehicle or unit-level logistical support.

Unlike armies that require infantry to carry extended sustainment loads, Gondaran doctrine assumes that additional ammunition, food, water, and engineering supplies will be delivered through squad, platoon, and company-level transport assets whenever possible.

The Army expects infantry to arrive at battle prepared to fight immediately rather than carry every supply required for prolonged independent operations. This philosophy reduces physical strain on the soldier while preserving combat effectiveness during the opening stages of battle.

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Service Profile

Category	Standard
Rank Range	E-1 to E-3
Primary Weapon	R-20 Service Rifle
Combat Load	~63.4 lb
Ammunition Carried	200 rounds
Primary Assignment	Mobile Infantry or Line Infantry
Battlefield Function	General-purpose rifleman
Estimated Equipment Cost	$143

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