| abstract | - The Barrayaran Imperial Military Service, also known as the Imperial Service or colloquially as The Service is the national military force of the planet of Barrayar. The Imperial Service is the unified military of Barrayar, since the large reforms carried out by Lord Regent Aral Vorkosigan. The Barrayaran military doctrine states that the Imperial Service consists of one single service, which in turn consists of five main branches and several non-frontline departments: Space Forces (SPAFOR), and Ground Force (GROFOR), the Air Forces (AIRFOR), the Orbital Defence Forces (ORDEFOR), and the Landing Forces (LANFOR), which are together overseen by the High Command, headed by the Chief of the General Staff. At the pinnacle of the command structure is the Commander-in-Chief, who is the reigning Barrayaran Emperor. The service originates from the feudal armies of Time of Isolation of Barrayar, until their dissolution and their inclusion within Imperial ranks and files by the reforming Emperor Dorca Vorbarra. All officers swear allegiance directly to the Emperor of Barrayar. Originally, the Service's officer corps was dominated by the Vor aristocracy. However, the Emperor Gregor Vorbarra, and Lord Regent Admiral Vorkosigan, reformed the admissions process, allowing competitive admission from all classes. The Imperial Military Service in its modern form (the "New Service") dates from the early years of Vorkosigan's regency, partly reformed by the reigning Emperor, Gregor's son, Serg Vorbarra. While there are female auxiliary forces, the Barrayaran Imperial Service Women's Auxiliary, the regular Barrayaran Imperial Service is exclusively male. Honourably retired personnel get the title of "Imperial Knight", becoming Imperial Liegemen. If regularly retired, most of them are twenty-year men, retired with a military pension, and preference from employers. Preference granted to retired personnel is due to the high consideration for the military: on Barrayar, everyone respects a soldier, even an enemy. Conversely, a fit man is liable to attract curiosity and disdain if he is not in the Service. It is understood that the economy needs scientists, farmers, professionals, clerks, and other tradesmen, but real men on Barrayar are soldiers: they are called upon to make personal sacrifices, including the ultimate sacrifice, in the service of the Emperor, of the Empire and of the Imperium. In putting the needs of the Emperor and of the Empire and of the Imperial Service before their own, they can forego tranquillity and personal safety. In return, Barrayaran soldiers must always be able to expect fair treatment, to be valued and respected as individuals, and that they and their families will be sustained and rewarded by commensurate terms and conditions of service. This mutual obligation forms the intimate bond between the Imperium, the Imperial Service and each individual soldier; a common bond of identity, loyalty and responsibility. Every District keeps an eye on their own retired and honourably discharged soldiers: they are often employed as post servicemen, police force, emergency services operators, specialized public workers, office clerks, court personnel. Often, at least a quota within public non-military District agencies is kept for ex-servicemen. Privately, they can easily find an occupation: vehicle maintenance, household equipment repair, plumbers, HVAC, restaurant equipment repair and other occupations and jobs, since they have learned these careers while on duty. On Komarr, troop levels are quite down from the early years, consisting mainly of ImpSec operatives, agencies and detachments. However keeping secure and safe Komarran space system is still a central strategic goal for the Imperium, and around the planet are garrisoned about two thirds quarters of Imperial Service, plus the several military jumpstations located in the system; the mandatory military duty was extended to Komarrans in 2989 and to Sergyarans in 2999. Sergyaran planetary defence is an odd issue: while it is for the most part as dull as dishwater (big planet, tiny population, nothing to do), but sometimes is nerve-wrecking, on the occasion when Escobaran-Barrayaran diplomatic relations go south. The force deployed there is part of the Imperial Service and is is proportional to the interest of Barrayar. The Imperial Service has some core values which are kept and enforced: Honour, Courage and Loyalty have gained increasing prominence since the decline of the "Progressive Empire" in 2960s. As an emphasis on performing morally on and off duty, the concept of core values has been infiltrated into many aspects of military life, beginning in recruit training and continuing into combat. These "warrior ethos" provide guidance to soldiers in difficult ethics situations and as a reminder to provide good order and discipline: the introduction of these ethics was originally envisaged by Lord Regent Aral Vorkosigan and revived by then-Crown Prince Serg Vorbarra. The Barrayaran military traditionally functions as a "state within the state" with a very large margin of institutional autonomy in return for serving the Government. No soldier of the Imperial Service is allowed to be a member of a political party nor to vote in an election. The practice of having active duty generals or admirals run the Ministry of War in turn further obstacles the civilian control of the military, and also allows a commitment into military and strategic policies of the higher levels of the Imperial Service; through their representative in the Council of Ministers, the military become involved in issues that had nothing to do with military matters (through that the fact that Cabinet virtually stopped meeting after 1934 did weaken this venue of excising power). Reflecting this position as a "state within the state", the General Staff has an Office of the Ministerial Affairs to lobby politicians and Counts who are, for their part, almost always former high ranking officers, and therefore are inclined to sympathize for military demands.
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