[OOC] RP Military Personnel Ratios

[Gallambria]

After having a discussion with @Orioni in regards to the unrealistic numbers that the spreadsheet "calculates" for our military's the ratio of Non-Combat Personnel (NCP) and Combat Personnel (CP).

For example, we take Gallambria. Defence spending as a percentage of GDP is 1.5%, total military compliment is 0.28% of the national population (approx. 161, 084 personnel). However when the spreadsheet
does it's 'magic' it gives me, 3.06% of my total compliment as being Combat Personnel, 4,932 service people, to be exact.

I would like some feedback from the members on some possible alternatives, so we can help make the system more "realistic".

Here are some alternatives, all using the T3R (Tail to Tooth Ratio) methodology.

1. A three-tiered T3R - indicating:
   1. Combat (40%)
   2. Logistics/Support (36%)
   3. Headquarters (24%)
2. A two-tiered T3R - indicating
   1. Combat (33%)
   2. Support/Logistics/Headquarters (67%)

If you have any suggestions, reply below.

[Orioni]

Thanks for bringing this discussion over here, where it will have a more permanent place. I'll include your first comment from last Tuesday to present a more complete frame for this discussion.

Quote

 

@Orioni In the military we use a ratio called the Tooth to Tail ratio (T3R). It refers to how many personnel it takes to supply and support (the 'tail') each combat soldier (the 'teeth'). T3R's can vary from country to country and conflict to conflict.

During WW2, The US Army in the EOT had a T3R of 39:45:16 (39% Combat to 45% Logistics/Support 16% HQ/Support). During GWOT, The US Army's T3R was 40:36:24.

In Australia we use the 2 figure ratio of Combat to Non-Combat/Support. During WWI our T3R was 66:33, currently its 33:66.

I just did a quick calculation of Gallambria's T3R. Mine was somewhere in the vicinity of 3:97.
I've effectively been given a battalion of combat personnel to defend my nation. :\

 

One issue I can see is you reference statistics from both WWI and WWII, which were exceptional situations. We'd have to figure out peace-time ratio as well.