4. A Simex is a simulation exercise. This particular simex is an intervention in Cuba, where the 56th Battalion of the Capital District Militia will be responsible for guarding Logistical Supply Area Carlos from guerrillas and hostile civilians.
Despite the name, the C.D. Militia is part of the federal Army reserves. While state governors have a tightly-circumscribed authority to activate certain reserve units, all funding for the reserves comes from the federal War Department. (This is rather different from the U.S. National Guard IOW, although, like the ARNG, Mexico's reserves are tightly integrated into the nation's war-fighting plans.)
Not every state's reserve component is called the "militia." According to Sobel, California's reserve component is called the "California Guard." México del Norte's reserve units are called "Rangers."
Mexican Army units are rarely all-Regular or all-Reserve. (Thanks to Henrik Kiertzner for the following, which he will hopefully flesh out in the future in an essay on the various FANTL militaries.) There is a small cadre of all-Regular units, primarily high-tech intervention forces, extreme readiness Marine Corps landing units, specialist troops (EW, engineers, radar, that kind of thing) and special forces, but the bulk of the Army is mixed.
Mexican Army units above the size of a battalion are divided into Group One, Group Two, and Group Three readiness levels. A Group One motorized rifle battalion, for example, has a mixed Regular-draftee HQ Company, a mixed Regular-draftee rifle company with Regular officers and senior NCOs, a draftee rifle company with a Regular commander and Serjeant Major and draftee junior officers and NCOs, and two reserve rifle companies, manned by predesignated former draftees who had completed their terms in the previous two years. A Group Two battalion has three reserve companies and one draftee company, with a scattering of Regulars or reservists with less than 5 years since their separation from active duty. Regular formations are mixed Group One and Group Two. Group One units would be fully deployable within 72 hours, Group Two units within two weeks. All-reserve formations make up Group Three, with troops and officers more than 5 years from their active service. Combat support and combat service support units in Group Three are deployable within 30-to-45 days. Group Three combat units are expected to be deployable within 30 days, but their military value is questionable for at least six months after mobilization.
Quezadas's unit is in Group Three. Quezadas completed his active duty eight years previously, before going to college and graduate school. He is 28 years old.
(Return to Black September.)
(Return to footnote 2.)