The Death Korps of Krieg. I am sure many of you love these true Warriors
(Krieg means "War" In German)
Recruitment & Training
By order of the High Lords of Terra Krieg's sole purpose is to produce new regiments for the meat grinder, and its tithes are the maximum possible for the planet's population, supplying over fifty million men per year. This includes the use of unusual methods such as "Vitae Womb" birthing techniques, a practice seen as dangerous and abhorrent by the Adeptus Mechanicus' Magos Biologis but tolerated by the Departmento Munitorium, while others such as a eugenics program to weed out mutants is simply a continuation of policy from the civil war years.
Recruitment starts almost from birth, and the ability to withstand the hardships of living on an atomic-blasted world is enhanced further with brutal training designed to quickly weed out the weak and unworthy. Mental conditioning is a key part of a Krieg recruit's training, their minds purposefully broken and remade stronger, and absolute faith in the Emperor is installed at an early age, amplifying preexisting cultural norms regarding honour and self-sacrifice to create what the Ecclesiarchy calls a "cult of sacrifice." It also emphasis their role as an element in the greater picture, a pebble in the avalanche which will crush the enemies of the Emperor; as an individual they do not matter, which is why medals and other awards are unheard-of in Krieg regiments, especially since bravery and heroism is to be expected. Rates of injury and fatality during training are high, and as a final test all recruits are forced to endure the surface of Krieg itself, performing maneuvers and fighting mock battles amidst the nuclear-blasted battlefields that cover their world. Only those who survive this final phase of training become members of the Death Korps.
The resulting Guardsman is a highly disciplined and self-sufficient soldier, proficient in all basic Imperial Guard weaponry types, with exemplary hand-to-hand skills and expertise in the construction of trench works. Accuracy is desirable but ultimately secondary to the importance of the fire discipline and the ability to maintain continuous fire en mass as part of a larger formation. In particular the Krieg Guardsman is well-versed in hazardous environment survival and exhibits high levels of endurance both mentally and physically. He is also given a numerical designation, such as 769355-637566-Keled or 566-648-87991-72-Draeta, so that his death can be more easily tallied. His near-fanatical devotion to becoming a martyr for the Emperor does lead to a few issues off the battlefield, with a tendency towards insularity and a high degree of fatalism which expresses itself in ways non-Krieg persons can find unsettling, such as refusing to take off his rebreather even when not in combat.
As opposed to other worlds with an aristocratic military tradition, Krieg officers are drawn from the rank and file, achieving promotion through skill, seniority, and in many cases simple survival. If selected during basic training potential officers must complete an additional training course, with most of those being selected having already been chosen for Death Rider duty. In the field new officers are promoted from the ranks, typically having served as Watchmasters or within Death Rider squadrons. Officers right up to the regimental level typically fight on the front lines and equip themselves as such, an expression of the Krieg mentality that all Guardsmen must fight and die for the Emperor. Also in keeping with this mentality, these officers regard their men in the same way other commanders regard ammunition, something which has caused problems in cases where non-Krieg units are placed under the command of Krieg officers.