Plausible Deniability
According to the armistice agreements that followed the War of 1813, the Domain of Euphemia was forced to scale back the size of its military to not exceed 1% of its population. This, in combination with the Basalt Wall surrounding the Domain, reduced the once formidable force to a well-equipped city guard. As the decades marched on, those who witnessed the fresh hell of war began to die off, and so too did the close continent-wide scrutiny that oversaw Euphemia's military developments. In 1887, Euphemia XIV established the REEF as, ostensibly, a research team to catalogue the Waste's true borders and study the effects of radiation on flora and fauna.
Expeditionary Uniform
Expeditionary force members wear a splotched camoflauge pattern consisting of a light gray base with hand-dyed spots of sage and dark gray. Finally, the pattern is overlayed with small brown flecks resembling rain, lending the pattern the affectionate nickname "Wetsuit". In garrison, Expeditionaries wear a "Ushanka" type hat, made of a soft brown leather. The ear-flaps are normally clipped together on top of the head, but they may also act as a chinstrap or face covering. Tinted goggles complete their headgear, mounted securely to the forehead during low-light conditions, where snowblindness is not a concern.
In addition to serving as a fashionable and warm head-covering, the Expeditionary Cap can be worn under a Grabenhelm to promote a more snug fit, as Euphemian helmets are known to run large. Although the individual expeditionary's primary weapon system will vary, they always carry a "Spitfire" shotgun on their thigh in a distinct drop-leg holster, worn as a badge of belonging and pride.
Expeditionary uniforms bear no rank or national insignia. Additionally, Expeditionaries paint their faces in stark shades of black and white while in the field, lending to their often ghastly appearance. A new Expeditionary is only permitted to paint their face completely white. As they prove themselves in the Wastes, their comrades choose a design for them.
Weaponry
Expeditionaries are often equipped with cutting-edge small arms and tactical gear. A standard rifleman is equipped with a "Grabagavaar", a bolt-action repeating rifle chambered in .30 Reich. This new round uses smokeless powder to increase the projectile's velocity and reduce the visual report of firing. It also boasts a three-round clip system to facilitate quick reloads. This rifle is equipped with a belt-and-suspender rig that retains twelve additional clips, or 36 rounds, allowing an expeditionary plenty of close-at-hand ammunition for prolonged engagements. Typically, there are two to four standard rifleman in an expeditionary squad. Oftentimes, these riflemen are the squad's newest additions. The senior Rifleman of the squad carries additional parts and ammunition for the Machine Gunner and assists them in keeping the gun running smoothly during engagements. If the Machine Gunner is killed, it is the senior Rifleman's job to quickly take their place.
Machine Gunners operate the "Matsgavaar", a heavy auto-rifle chambered in the same .30 Reich round used by riflemen. It feeds through long, wobbly 30-round clips and must be maintained impeccibly to ensure reliable operation. In addition to their thirty-five pound weapon, a Machine Gunner must carry 150 rounds of reserve ammunition, a heavy tripod, a spare barrel, and a set of small wrenches for adjusting the tripod and timing of the weapon's fine mechanisms. Every third round on a Machine Gunner's clip is a tracer in order to allow them to direct the fire of their subordinate riflemen.
Snipers in the Expeditionary Force are armed with refurbished "Kindercatch" precision rifles. Despite these rifles nearing a century in age, their handmade construction and tight tolerances allow them to stand the test of time as a deadly weapon for long-ranged work. Expeditionaries chosen to be snipers are often the most senior members of the squad, but are not fit for leadership. They are only occasionally seen with their squadmates, often scouting far ahead and providing overwatch alone or with a rifleman of their choice who will eventually take their place. Due to their tendency to be out of sight, it's often joked that Snipers simply turn around and return to the Domain at the start of an expedition, only meeting the squad when they return to engage in the subsequent revelry. They carry a sparse amount of gear, with only a powder horn and a small pouch of lead bullets on their belt. Because of this, they're often referred to as "Slicksides" by those jealous of their light carrying loads. A squad has a hard limit of one sniper.
Rarely, an expeditionary unit will be assigned a civilian Wavemaster to accompany them on a mission, should Euphemia XIV deem it suitable for their objective. While this is commonplace in the 1st Mondhunde due to the area in which they operate, it's considered a bad omen amongst the other two companies. It is rumored to mean that they are expected to engage with things which should not be.
Doctrine
Euphemia XIV realized quickly that the era of rank-and-file warfare was burned away with thousands of her countrymen, and so decided to train the REEF extensively in small-unit guerilla tactics, emphasizing their mobility and capacity for rapid assaults followed by a disorienting repositioning. Despite all of this training, Expeditionaries are seldom able to put these skills into practice. Primarily, they function as monster hunters, killing the Waste's malformed creatures in an attempt to clear the land for eventual Euphemian colonization. Despite this, they often engage Wujin bandits, K'yah, Bonegnawers, and Dalmalaki hunting parties with worrying levels of enthusiasm, seemingly itching for a fight where they may hope to put their rehearsed tactics to use.
Operations
The Royal Euphemian Expeditionary Force consists of only three companies with around two-hundred expeditionaries each. Directly commanding these three companies is Euphemia XIV. Under her, each company has a commander who must have gone on no less than twenty expeditions. An expedition lasts from one to three months and consists of a single company setting off from the Domain at dawn and establishing a command post in the Wastes. Several 8 to 10 man squads from the company then begin to patrol, making sure to carefully catalogue their route and make detailed notes describing any interesting findings. After a five to seven day patrol, they return to the command post and another patrol takes their place.
As a general rule, the 1st Mundhunde are sent West, towards the Zigurrat due to their integration of Wavemasters. The 2nd Kopfjagers, consisting of mostly newer troops, head South, where it is more likely to encounter armed brigands looking to terrorize the trade routes coming out of Al'Afea. Finally, the 3rd Lungenkriegers, a veteran unit, venture East. Their objectives often send them far into Bonegnawer territory.
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