ADVENT: History

Citizens and War

"No matter what you are doing, no matter where you are, you can't escape the reality that we are in a war."

- Jaylin Merro, ADVENT Citizen

Commander Christiaens,

While you've certainly been busy with putting together the largest global military in Human history, there is a certain reality that we will eventually have to face, namely that there will be a majority of citizens who will not want to take the necessary steps to join the military itself. While we can boost our numbers through recruitment and tapping into the fear and uncertainty of the future, I do not foresee an outcome that will leave us enough soldiers to properly wage our offensives against the alien forces, and adequately defend our own territory.

The amount of space we are talking about here is massive, and while we will obviously have enough soldiers to protect important cities and infrastructure, the fact is that there will be a majority that cannot be justified posting soldiers to. Practically, this is justifiable as there are many places on Earth which will never see combat, no matter the result.

With that said, the importance of perception is also worth pointing out here. If people, even in small and remote towns know they are being protected, they will feel safer, more motivated, and grateful to ADVENT. Take this away, or never provide it in the first place, and there will be a surge in resentment and fear. After all, can ADVENT really say they protect us if they can't spare soldiers to ensure we're safe?

You see where I'm going with this. Not an ideal situation that could spread our forces thin for the sake of keeping the public calm and happy.

There is, however, a possible solution. That is the creation of militias. Civilian-managed defense forces which would operate within their own borders and protect themselves. There would, obviously, need to be an officer in charge, but eventually they would be able to take on an advisory role or not necessarily have to stay at all.

The key will be finding enough people in each city or town to support a militia. Then there will need to be training in both weaponry and ADVENT policy, but that can be done over a period of weeks. There would need to be standards established, and constructing it in the vein of a reserve force would make it easier for citizens to maintain their current jobs as well as holding a position in the local militia.

Militias would have to be paid for their time, and it would be worth further investing by giving families with militia participants bonuses or other perks. With that said, militias should ultimately not be equal to the main military force, but fortunately ADVENT has access to a large stockpile of conventional weaponry. The intent here is not necessarily to produce a force capable of fighting back the aliens, but give the illusion of protection for citizens. That they are protected by their own will only reinforce this, and they may feel more motivated to join since they have a personal stake in the well-being of their home.

It should be stressed that while non-military citizens are allowed, there are standards. We don't want drug addicts, mentally unstable individuals, and people with other issues or disruptive personalities being given weapons. And definitely no people who are completely out of shape, there needs to be some physical standards. If aliens ever attack a militia, they should at least be able to put up something of a fight.

Ultimately, Commander, I feel the implementation of this would be a comfort to many citizens, and maybe put some of those gun hoarders in the States to actual use. Maybe they'd view it as an apology for requisitioning their weapons away the first time. I've attached additional documentation outlining this in more technical detail.

- Major Endo Inäbnit, First Legion of Switzerland

Hello, Commander.

A question that we need to solve as soon as possible is involving the civilians in the war effort. Yes, we can rely on our military and our factories, but if we want to leverage the millions of civilians who are going to benefit from protection, we need to be proactive about it. We can rely on at least some who will take the initiative and try and help, but we need to reach beyond it.

It's difficult enough to rouse an entire nation for one specific cause, so the idea of doing it worldwide is understandably a daunting task. I suspect that getting civilians to participate in the same level as World War II will not be repeated naturally. War is and has been for many, a far-off concern that ultimately won't affect them. Naively or not, there will be enough who believe that we will prevail due to our broadcasted messages, even if reality is more complex.

In truth we don't need people to man factories by hand; automation has solved a significant amount of issues there. What we are facing is that we have thousands of cities all over the world and realistically, we're only going to focus on the ones that are going to matter. This presents pretty obvious weaknesses that the aliens may take advantage of if they look beyond the Busans, New Yorks, and Seouls of the world.

At the same time, we're also going to be limited in the amount of workers we can send to a certain location. Also of note, is that at least some may need to stay on to maintain it, which bleeds us further of personnel which could be put to better use on the front lines. Manpower is the concern here, since making sure towns and cities have some kind of fortifications is not exactly rocket science, especially if working off templates and blueprints.

The solution, then, is to leverage the civilians of their respective homes to participate. I don't think it would be extremely difficult to convince them that contributing to the fortification of their homes is a bad idea. Give them an opportunity to bond with their neighbors over their possible impending doom, and talk about how badly they'll stomp in the xeno's faces when they try to attack.

We know that they'll likely be beaten if the aliens decide to bother with them anyway, but they don't have to know that. They see their perimeters with outposts and barricades, and they'll think they have a chance. They'll have a better chance, but without something like Flak Towers, it isn't going to work well. The point is to make them feel protected, to form some comradery with their neighbors, and have something so in the event that these towns do become warzones, there is already a solid foundation.

What's important is that it can't be too disruptive to their own lives, or at least not make the disruption worse. We don't need every single citizen working every day, but several hundred every day, and double that on weekends? That's enough where things can come together reasonably fast, assuming there is a plan in place. Give them food, drinks (Alcohol after things are done), and payment, get them into a routine and you've got an entire workforce to leverage. Depending on how it goes, it can also eventually get to the point (Especially for larger cities) where you have enough where each citizen only works a few hours and gets well-compensated.

A few hours of work and in return you actively contribute to the defense of your home? I'm positive we can sell that, and ultimately make the aliens' jobs just a little bit harder. We shouldn't expect professional work (Kids can certainly help too), but there isn't especially anything complicated about digging trenches, running water around, using basic power tools, and heavier machinery can definitely be taught to some of the more dedicated.

I suggest incorporating this with the Militia idea I saw being sent around. Maybe call all of this the "ADVENT Civilian Defense Initiative" complete with whatever flashy video Public Relations wants to throw with it?

Just a thought.

- Major Damon McCoy, Third Legion of the United States of America

"It was sort of a change everyone eventually adjusted to. One day we turned on the news and saw Australia was captured. Then ADVENT came out of nowhere and started running things. Then more alien attacks started happening. In all honesty, I think most of us spent the first weeks on autopilot. We just watched in numb disbelief at what was happening and trying to keep some sense of normalcy."

"Yeah, eventually it wore off. Obviously. We talked at work; minor things, stupid conspiracies about where ADVENT had come from, that sort of thing; trying to tell my kids everything was alright. But most of us just kept working on as if everything was normal. I mean, none of us knew if the contract for the work we'd gotten was still good or not."

"Eventually ADVENT did take something of an interest in us, yeah. Peacekeepers came first, the entire police department got a massive upgrade. We saw them everywhere, which we thought was sort of strange because we don't exactly live in a criminal area. We got used to it eventually, and it helped that I knew a few of the guys on the force."

"We follow news of the war, it's basically part of my routine now. Wake up, check the news to see what's happening, go to work, and wonder if this is the day we're attacked, or something else. It was nerve-wracking at first, but by now…I guess we've sort of gotten used to it."

"Well…a few weeks later ADVENT came around to get support for helping to fortify our town and recruiting for the militia. Not a military guy, and don't like weapons, but they were actually paying people to help with building fortifications, digging trenches, and so on. Took a day and did it."

"It was…I don't want to say 'fun', because it wasn't. But it felt good to do something that might be important to the war. Even if it really isn't important, it felt good to do, and pretty much everyone else felt the same way. ADVENT treats their people well, I'll give them that. My wife is also pitching in about half the week, and our company basically said if we want to take a day in the week, we can do that. It's not like there's a large amount of demand for apps at the moment. In fact last I heard ADVENT was negotiating with my boss for helping with the town's automated systems."

"Not all happy, no, we've had to train for drills in the event of an attack. From what they've been telling us about the aliens, it's…disturbing. I think it might be better to die than be captured by them. Which is…yeah…"

"Can't say I would want to end up in a Sectoid lab. Hopefully it never comes to making any kind of decision like that. Big reason why I'm helping ADVENT out when I can."

Audible sniff. "Oh, trust me, they'll never run out of things for us to do. You have any idea how much space any kind of defenses take up? Trust me, it's a lot bigger than you think, even if a lot of us are helping. That said, we're in pretty good shape now. There's talk of possibly installing one of those Flak Towers. I guess to get that there must be a certain percentage of the town fortified. Motivation if I've ever heard it."

"I guess if you're asking if I feel better than I did a few months ago, the answer is yes. Don't know how much of that is real or stuff ADVENT wants us to think, but having a hand in making it safer makes me a lot more confident in it. Plus if we're attacked, I'm sure ADVENT would come and help us. I don't want to say I'm not worried anymore, I am, but I also think we might be able to pull through this."

"I hope, anyway."

- Interview with ADVENT Citizen Charlie Lords, by Journalist Jessica Wong

Memo distributed to personnel of the Division of Public Relations

Concerning the distribution of information, it is important to realize how best to accomplish sharing crucial and stabilizing information to a civilian population which may or may not handle the realities of war with a clear and objective eye. No matter the ultimate result of the incident, the people will often focus on body counts, civilian casualties, and datapoints which are ultimately unimportant to the objective at hand.

Handling this must be done carefully, but with the express goal in mind which is the following: Do not lie.

Lies are easy prey for any enemies and skeptics, they can be shared and attract more neutral defenders of their views. More importantly, legally this will lead to negative coverage of ADVENT as such reporting is perfectly legal. Lies serve no one, and ultimately contribute to the stereotypical fascist image that detractors of ADVENT constantly portray us as.

So make this the first priority. Do not lie.

This does not mean that the flow of information cannot be controlled. In the end, we are the source of what is being shared. We have complete control over what the outcome will be, and any mistakes are fully on us. Not the media, not the citizens of ADVENT, not the soldiers, us. You. There are no excuses for failing to achieve our objectives here.

If we wish to consider statements a weapon, facts are the ammunition which it uses. Raw data, numbers, indisputable and independent proof. These are powerful tools, and like bullets, must be shot with express purpose and precision. We do not fire bullets randomly, so neither will we splatter our statements with a deluge of facts if it ultimately works against us.

Facts must be used to ultimately support the perception we wish to create. Every datapoint is one we can utilize to our advantage. If, for example, our soldiers have finished conducting an operation into enemy territory, we do not include how many soldiers and citizens died in pursuit of this goal. What facts do we use in this instance?

There are many to choose from. The area of operations, resources collected, aliens killed, citizens saved. To further punctuate our point, we include additional commentary from the commander of the operation, or a civilian who was rescued. Each and every one of these is factual and easily verifiable, and we tie this together with positive and complimentary wording.

I must emphasize that this is not a lie. The outcome we wished was achieved, thus we need to convey that the outcome was acceptable. Words written for the sole intent to manipulate are never as convincing as the ones born from truth. Consider this akin to persuasion, rather than manipulation. You are not trying to deceive someone into accepting what you say is truth, but convincing them that what they are reading is ultimately positive and beneficial using common sense and facts.

And this is where restraint comes in. The citizens do not need to know that half of the soldiers were lost in this operation, nor that several hostages were butchered by chryssalids. Sad as this is, does it ultimately matter? The outcome was successful, and focusing on what was lost to achieve this moment is a disservice to those who gave their lives.

We dwell on what is achieved, not what was lost. Reflection can come after the war, not during it.

Those who lost loved ones will be informed privately, without media or ceremony. It serves no one for the public to become concerned on the behalf of those they are more interested in using to push their own agendas, no matter which way they lean. If something must be said about the cost of our operations, simply inform them that the families have been notified, or simply have a supervisor handle it.

The management of public relations is a fine line between telling the truth, and telling what they want to hear. Humans as a species have a tendency to focus on the negative regardless of the overall situation. The fostering of negative emotions such as fear, anger, and despair are powerful, and fosters a cycle of people who gradually lose hope in the world and the people within it, at the exclusion of all else.

This serves no one. The maintenance of morale during this war, where the stakes are our species, is crucial. Give the people hope, let them see what ADVENT is accomplishing every day. Let them see the corpses of aliens and criminals. Let them hear the impassioned speeches of our Chancellor and Commanders condemning the aliens and rallying our species together.

Hope is what we provide to the people, and hope is what we will maintain. To go against this is to weaken our species as a whole. One day our citizens may understand the necessary costs to achieve these goals, but until that day comes we must keep them focused on what is important. This is one of the most important positions in ADVENT, as we are the line between the state and the people.

A responsibility to take seriously for each and every one of you.

Make no mistake. You will be hounded on details of little bearing to the information we release. Do not bend or submit to them. Protocols are in place for a reason. Follow them.

But in many cases, it will come down to your judgement. A gauge on what you believe the public will accept, how they will react, what they may do next. As is said, first impressions are everything. We should not simply rely on retractions or revisions. Get it right the first time, because by the time a second chance comes around, no one will care.

Take your time to do it right. Do not waste time, but do not rush for the sake of the story. As a soldier would not go into battle with a half-filled rifle, do not prepare to share information until you have all of the facts at your disposal.

Use them well.

You are not soldiers, but you are in a battlefield nonetheless. The information sphere is vast, and those opposed to us will attack wherever they can. Their weapons are lies, misinformation, logical fallacies, and fearmongering. Your mandate is to eliminate them before they have a chance to fire.

That is your order. Execute it well.

- Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations