u/Ok-Permission-9935

(DISCLAIMER: This post and/or art depiction is NOT meant to promote the ideologies shown, but rather to depict how they would react & function in a civil conflict, & show the evils they can truly be capable of. I myself astoutly disagree with said group being depicted here, however this civil war scenario is supposed to be realistic & highlight aspects of American history, culture, and politics, which includes extreme & fringe ideologies. I deeply apologize if this does not come off in good taste or discomforts people, especially victims to the predjudice of these groups. As for would-be supporters of these groups, you are not welcome to spread hateful ideologies here, and no, you are not the good guys here, this is not meant to make you look cool.)

Throughout the history of America, ever since the end of Reconstruction, the idea of the confederacy and "Dixieland" never truly (or at least fully) died out, persevering through racial violence, regional nationalism, and revisionist narratives, like that of the Lost Cause theory. This concept of sovereign American southern states known by many, would end up becoming inseparable from racial tensions & christian-conservativism in the modern era, almost 200 years after the Confederacy lost the 1st civil war. In the powder keg that was the Crumbling 30's, these beliefs, kept alive by far right movements seen in rising prevalence in the 2010s & 2020s, used the unrest of the Post-Trump era to imbed their beliefs in the populations of the South, with one of them being the League of the South (Alternatively labeled the Southern Nationalist league). Originally founded in Alabama, 1994 as a fringe neo-confederate organization, they went from a declining, rotting bunch to an active political voice of Christian nationalism by preaching on the fears many former MAGA voters. That however, would not be the only way they grew, as they would also target propaganda & recruitment efforts- both in outside rallies/in-person conversing, and in targeted social media posts- to sheriffs & deputies throughout Alabama, as a maans of infiltrating law enforcement. Despite still maintaining their segregationalist & radical secessionist views- things that would be a tad bit unappealing to a mainstream Christian conservative- they were decently successful in increasing their numbers (going from hundreds to thousands) and actually gained more from the county sherif & deputy system then they expected. Many of their members in their militia branch, The Southern Defense Force, had owned quite a few firearms as well, though they often avoided displaying them & being too loud about it to avoid investigation & conflict from law enforcement. When the keg blew open in the 2040s, members of who successfully managed to avoid the military & surveillance technology scrambled to organize as much of the Southern Defense Force as they could, and had their connections from the County Sheriffs offices & Deputies secure ungaurded/ low-activity areas in Alabama. Since chaos had begun erupting throughout much of the nation, and the Militaty & national Gaurd were spread thin or focused on urban areas, the SDF took advantage of this and began taking over rural & low-population counties throughout Alabama. After 11 months, through the use of low cost guerilla fighting & drones, and the mobilization of any members who weren't already involved- they had begun to encompass most of Alabama, had built up a decent sized fighting force, and with the help of the deputies & sheriffs they had, were able to control the people under their territory much easier. The US military & national gaurd still holds out in the state via pockets of military bases & some counties, and the surrounding areas are still under government control, however the Military is still spread thin, and those pockets are either stuck with no means of gaining significant supplies, or are occasionally Airdropped supplies. Regardless, the Leage of the South has begun embarked on its journey of reuniting the southern states under its own banner, and alongside this, seeks to do so with laws written in the name of God, aimed at maintaining ideological dominance & supressing racial minorities through segregation and deportation. though its fight has only just begun, and they are noticeably pinned, & forced into being defensive over the state of Alabama.

Since they lack the technology, significant manpower, and the logistical capabilities of the US military, the League of the South/ Southern Nationalist League equips members of the Southern Defense Force with civilian weaponry & equipment, usually either being previously owned by the soldiers or supplied from law enforcement armouries, gun stores, and army surplus locations. They all generally wear LOS/SNL branded black & white shirts, usually with varied camoflage pants & other cosmetic accessories. They also often wear PASGT ballistic helmets branded with insignia, and also mostly wear variations of branded load-bearing vests in favor of typical plate carriers due to their superior mobility & capacity for holding items. While they are a relatively organized rebel army, they fight asymmetrically & lack standard issue loadouts for their men. Soldiers of the SDL may often be carrying molotov cocktails, modified drones, mechanical tools, radios, flares, IEDs, knives, bandages, snacks, water bottles, flash grenades, smoke bombs, extra ammunition pouches, riot sheilds, cameras, or flashlights. As for their weaponry, they are similarly mostly limited to civilian firearms, with most SDF soldiers using AR-platform rifle configurations, usually chambered in 5.56 NATO. Some also may use shotguns for shooting drones, bolt action rifles & marksman rifle configurations for sniping, and may even carry sidarms as well.

As the fires of unrest slowly spread across the country, anarchy had slowly begun to consume Chicago, leaving Illinois in distress as Washington had begun to impose more and more jarring activity over the country. Past echoes from the previous few MAGA presidencies which were perceived as undermining the autonomy and rights of the states, eroded the trust between the states and the Federal government that had defined the Union, and that they had been pushed past the line of no return. Enough was enough. In the early 2040s, as the actions of D.C. had undermined the autonomy and rights of states, the Illinois state Government & Residents had decided to host a petition, and officially seceded from the United States, as they then dubbed themselves the Democratic State of Illinois. However, they did this without the approval of all 49 other states in the Union. This leaves one key problem: Their secession was illegal. The Federal government soon mobilized its military forces around the state, and the governor of Illinois soon mobilized the Illinois National Gaurd to deter any large offensive. As the civil war sparked in the 2040s, Illinois would be placed in an even worse juxtaposition. In the southern regions of the state, the heavily conservative counties decided to band together under one single ideological front against what they perceived as 'Liberal rule'. They had formed a unified regional belt, and rebelled against the D.S.I. government. This, along with Chicago falling into complete anarchy at this point, as well as the U.S. military's surrounding of the region, have put Illinois in a state of emergency, leaving it up to the National Gaurd to hold the line.

Due to being effectively cut off from the technological production of other states & the federal government, they lack the resources & means of maintaining their high tech uniforms, helmet gear, and optics given to them by the U.S. Army. To cut costs and account for this, the Troops of the Illinois National Gaurd are instead fitted with the classic, baggy OCP uniforms seen in the 2020s, with them having (relatively) far-tapered sleeves, inserted kneepads, and traditional open pockets. They use the same plate carriers as the Army, typically equipped with mid-high level ceramic plating. They also use Integrated Head Protection System helmets just like the Army, but due to their aforementioned circumstances, they use more old fashioned configurations, lacking alternate reality modifications, comms, and wolf war sensors, forcing them to rely primarily on radio communication, coordination with their fellow soldiers, and their own senses for battlefield awareness, as seen in previous decades. However, this leaves them eith the advantage that their infantry gear is not at risk of hacks, malfunctions, power drains, or cyberattacks, like seen with the Army. They still use the standard issue rifle previous given to them by the Army, being the M7, chambered in 6.8×51mm. While it maintains its built in supressor, rather than it being used with its corresponding smart optic, it is instead equipped with the Tango6t rifle scope. They are given 7 total 25-round magazines each, and are allotted basic medkits, and varying other types of utility items.