Death Korps Officer

A Death Korps Officer, is a member of the Death Korps of Krieg Imperial Guard Regiment that hail from the devastated, post-nuclear Death World of Krieg in the Segmentum Tempestus. Death Korps Officers, right up to the level of regimental command, typically lead and fight from the front -- this is not so much a conscious decision as a simple expression of the Death Korps mentality, as every Krieg Guardsman expects to fight and die for his Emperor. To this end, officers commonly equip themselves for the front line with grenades, powerful sidearms and either a Chainsword or Power Sword. Command squads wear their squad insignia (a "C" for command) on their right shoulder. Officer's helmets typically bear an ornate Imperial Aquila.

Unlike many other Imperial Guard regiments that draw their troops from worlds with a long-standing militarised culture (such as the Mordians or Jantines for example), Krieg itself has no standing aristocracy or hereditary officer class. Instead its officers are drawn from the body of the rank and file. This means that the majority of the Death Korps officer cadre has been promoted through the ranks through a mixture of ability, seniority and often, by dint of simple survival. Staff officers and higher ranking officers (above the command of actual regiments in the field) are often seconded from other Imperial Guard regiments or from the noble classes that provide much of the Imperial Guard's upper echelons. Often these positions are retained as hereditary entitlements. Krieg officers, with their narrow doctrine of attritional trench warfare, are not generally considered to be suitable for the more political and diplomatic ranks amongst the staff of an army command.

As veterans of the Death Korps' way of war, they have no regard for high casualties, which has led to morale problems where senior Krieg officers have been placed in charge of non-Krieg regiments in a wider theatre of war. It is also a noticeable feature of Krieg officer battledress that Krieg regiments do not issue medals or decorations as Krieg soldiers view such rewards as insignificant. Bravery is expected and commonplace, therefore Death Korps Guardsmen are not recognised with special rewards.

Uniform
For the most part, Krieg officers wear a standard uniform. The display of individuality of non-standard uniform appearance is not favoured by Krieg regiments, whose indoctrination requires them to sublimate individuality to the greater purposes of the Death Korps and the Emperor. But the Deparmento Munitorum's regulations governing the equipment of Imperial Guard regiments do require that officer's distinguish themselves from the rank and file, as figures of inspiration and authority on the battlefield. Hence, a regimental commander's uniform is usually of superior material and design, individually tailored for him or her. Their greatcoats are made of the finest grade Mukaali hide. A regimental commander will sometimes wear a breastplate that is issued to Death Riders, often polishing it to a gleaming shine for ceremonial duties. In practice it provides little in the way of additional protection. The officer's gorget is actually a small refractor field generator, worn for personal protection by high ranking officers and officials, the generators are often disguised as jewelry or decoration. Krieg officers wear the standard Mk IX helmet, often with additional decoration added as befits an officer's rank, such as a golden eagle crest and the winged skull symbol of the Imperial Guard.

Some officers prefer to wear the tall riding boots issued to Death Riders, which are regarded as being of higher quality and comfort than the low marching boots of the infantry. Often, a regimental commander will retain them after their time serving with a Death Rider unit. A red sash is often worn for battlefield identification, and is also worn by their security detachment. A Krieg Officer's gas mask is often a lightweight unit. Lacking the large regulator unit, it is only used for shorter durations of exposure, and is generally issued to staff officers who would otherwise spend their time inside sealed command bunkers.

Insignia
The Death Korps of Krieg reject the awarding of medals for individual bravery, as this is expected from Death Korps guardsmen, and all indoctrinated are willing to face the direst threats without regard for their own survival. It is not in the Death Korps' ethos to recognise individual achievements and those born into the Korps do not seek such. Their training requires them to become just a faceless small cog in the vast war-making machine of the Imperium's military forces. Service to the Korps and the Emperor are regarded as reward enough for their sacrifices.

Weapons
A Krieg officer's weapons are carried as a matter of ritual and protocol rather than as practical weapons. Only in the direst of circumstances would a regiment's senior commanding officer actually be required to fight, although to have reached the esteemed rank of Colonel, one would have already have a wealth of frontline combat experience. These officers sometimes carry sabres, another relic of their days leading a Death Rider company. A Laspistol is often carried as a weapon for personal defence. It is likely to be a standard issue weapon, no doubt kept in spotless condition by a regimental commander's aides, and well maintained, lacking the wear and tear of frontline service. Many officers will choose to carry other weapons as a matter of personal preference.