This directive is rather ironic considering the nature of our organization, and we're fully aware of that. The summary of this directive is that we do not allow, or entertain, contracts and contractors within GDS.

As backstory for those who have not spent a majority of their time in a previous military force prior to GDS, a common theme you’ll find is that of contracting out numerous areas of work. A good example here would be that of housing. In some militaries, housing is handled by a third-party contractor who maintains and administers on-base housing. The land is owned by the military, but the structures and their upkeep are outsourced.

Or for example, hiring contractors to handle on-base needs such as infrastructure, or contractors who handle culinary services. In some instances, that military's intelligence and cyber force is contracted out to a third-party company, whose contractors work alongside military personnel.

What you'll find is that within GDS we have no such contractors, as all areas are handled in-house by our legionnaires. As you'd expect, we in the Administrative Legion handle a majority of these tasks, though it's often a joint effort. Base housing for example is handled by the Administrative and Mechanical Legions, as is infrastructure engineering and upkeep. For accounting, HR, legal and other systems, they're handled by the Administrative Legion alongside squadrons of developers and math specialists from the Science Legion. All weapons system designs and armaments are created by the Science and Mechanical Legions rather than being a contract that was bid on.

This ensures a few things, one of which is that our legionnaires are never left to the mercy of some third-party contractor who collected the paycheck and then skates on the effort for ten plus years till it’s renewed. It also ensures that at no point are legionnaires relying on what we all know to be work produced by the lowest bidder. We especially don’t tolerate this kind of nonsense when it comes to legionnaire housing, services, and dining facilities.

Based on what I've seen in my time, the issue with contractors is a frequent circus that aways carries out like so:

• A military force puts out a contract for a software system/vehicle/gun/aircraft to replace its current one.

• Multiple contractors bid on it, and it's almost always awarded to the lowest bidder.

• The contractor agrees to do the work for ¥400,000,000 and states it will take three years.

• Two years go by with only whitepapers, but no tangible results.

• Three years go by, the contractor states it’s taking longer than expected, and requires an additional ¥200,000,000 to get it done. They estimate another year.

• Four years go by, the contractor says that after a practical test, they found the base design was flawed and must start over. They'll need another ¥200,000,000 and five years to complete it.

• At this point, the military has sunk so much into the contract that they can't back out, and getting a new contract will cost even more.

• Repeat this cycle about two more times.

• End result is 1000% over budget, 15 years late, and works as well as a screen door on a submarine.

One of our goals with the complete ban of contractor work is to ensure this never happens within GDS. Projects are all performed in-house, are held accountable to budgetary and time constraints, and result in no less than the absolute best our legionnaires are capable of. Should we need a new gun, we will create it. Should we require improved base housing, we will upgrade it. Should we require a new application or system, we will program it.

Nothing that happens within GDS is outside our control nor outside our correction should it be detrimental to our legionnaires' career or lives.

-FrW Hansuke Ito