Lamonian Military Dress Uniforms

From Left to Right: Navy, Army, Air Force, Marines
Credit to New Hayesalia

National Agency for Technical Relief

The National Agency for Technical Relief is Lamoni’s Civil Defense agency, placed under the authority of the Interior Ministry with the mandate to protect Lamonian citizens and property from both man-made, and natural disasters, and to assist in the rebuilding process. Ninety percent of the NATR’s staff are trained volunteers, who can been called up for their NATR duties during time of need, with their normal civilian jobs being protected by law in the same way as for the Lamonian Military Reserve Forces.

The main tasks of the NATR include:

1.) technical and logistical support for other (Lamonian) Government Organizations, NGOs, or other authorities like firefighters, or police.

2.) technical or humanitarian relief in foreign countries, as assigned by the government.

3.) technical relief in Lamoni as part of national civil protection measures.

The NATR was founded in 1950, hoping to protect the Lamonian public from nuclear war, which seemed more and more likely at the time, with each new nation that acquired their own nuclear weapons. The main purpose of the NATR was civil defense in the event of war. This has changed during the decades; today the NATR is a helper in a wide spectrum of disasters, such as traffic accidents, war, industrial disasters, earthquakes, or other man-made or natural disasters.

The organization has been active in multiple civil defense missions both inside the Free Republic, as well as abroad, further honing their skills with each call to action. For example, the NATR has been called into action numerous times to assist AHSCA after hurricanes, providing life-saving assistance with each deployment. NATR officers are empowered to take command of all civil defense and disaster relief efforts on Lamonian soil.

NATR members can be singled out by their cobalt blue vehicles and uniforms, and are a relatively common sight across the Free Republic. NATR operations are split into Regional Commands (with each Regional Command approximating each Lamonian State), with each region sporting District Commands. Each District Command sports Local Commands. Each of the Regional Commands report to the National NATR Command Center, who reports to the Director of the NATR, who in turn reports to the Interior Minister.

Each Local Command is in command of multiple NATR Technical Relief teams, who provide actual NATR services to those in the affected areas. For foreign Technical Relief missions, there is a Foreign Technical Relief Command, which maintains Foreign Technical Relief Teams. Each of the personnel in these units is a full-time, paid NATR staff member, and each of the Foreign Technical Relief Teams is required to be ready to go airborne within six hours.

Euthanasia in Lamoni

Euthanasia in Lamoni in its legal voluntary form is called medically assisted dying (colloquially assisted suicide or death with dignity) and became legal as of June 2016 to relieve the suffering of terminally ill adults.

Strict laws govern access to legal assisted suicide in Lamoni. Medical assistance in dying is not available to minors, nor can it be used to relieve the suffering of a mental illness, long-term disability, or any curable condition. To prevent suicide tourism, it is available only to residents eligible for Lamonian healthcare coverage. Advanced directives are not allowed in Lamoni for voluntary euthanasia and patients can not arrange to consent “in advance” to dying later at the hands of a caregiver (as in cases of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease where patients may want to die after they reach an advanced state of mental decline).

Lamoni’s assisted dying law includes rigid legal safeguards to prevent abuse and to ensure informed consent. Neither the legal witnesses, nor the physicians involved, can have any legal or financial interest in the outcomes of the patient. Consent must be repeatedly expressed, not implied, including in the moment right before death. Consent can be revoked at any time, in any manner. There are no consequences for backing out and there are no limits to how often it can be requested.

To receive a medically assisted death, patients experiencing intolerable suffering must sign a written request expressing their wish to end their life in front of two independent witnesses who can both confirm it was done willingly, and free of coercion, 10 clear days before the date of death. Next, two physicians and/or nurse practitioners must independently confirm their written agreement that that the patient has an incurable grievous and irremediable medical condition that is in an advanced state of irreversible decline, that the patient’s natural death is reasonably foreseeable, and that the patient is capable and willing of receiving a medically assisted death. If they are eligible, patients must be informed about their palliative care options to relieve end-of-life suffering before they can die. The patient must again sign a written request before the termination. Once all of the legal requirements have been met, termination is performed by lethal injection.

Abortion in Lamoni

Abortion in Lamoni is legal on request within the first 28 weeks of pregnancy, with a three-day waiting period. If the woman is under the age of 18, parental consent is required.

After twenty-eight weeks, it is legal when any of the following conditions apply:

* The abortion will save the woman’s life or preserve her health
* Domestic Violence has been committed
* The father died during the pregnancy
* The pregnancy is a result of rape
* There is a medically significant risk of disability to the child if the pregnancy continues (in such cases, a medical doctor must sign off on the abortion as well)
* The parents of the fetus have divorced

Abortions are paid for under Lamoni’s national healthcare system, though safeguards are in place to ensure that the system is not abused. The current laws on abortion were established by Constitutional Referendum on 23 November 1987, and have remained in force since 1 January 1988.

Gun Laws in Lamoni

Gun Laws cover the role firearms play as part of society within the borders of the Free Republic of Lamoni. Current legislation sets the legality by which members of the armed forces, law enforcement, and private citizens may acquire, own, possess and carry firearms.

Civilians are permitted to own non-fully automatic rifles and shotguns as long as they are stored properly when not in use. Handguns are illegal except for target shooting, occupations in which carrying a gun is a requirement (primarily private security guards), and those who hold concealed carry permits.

A license is required to own firearms, and for civilians, a citizen may be issued a license if that person:

* is 25 years of age for rifle ownership
* 21 years of age for smoothbore weapon ownership
* 18 years of age for cold or pneumatic weapon ownership
* has no criminal record
* has no history of domestic violence
* has no mental illness or history of mental illness
* has good reason (target shooting, hunting, collection, job requirements)

Gun owners are required to renew licenses on their guns every three years, or when they move (whichever comes first). Failure to comply will result in revocation of license, as well as confiscation of all guns in the civilian’s possession.

Limited categories of citizens like Legislators, judges, journalists, and some others may own trauma pistols that fire rubber bullets.

Concealed carry licenses are available, but are not normally issued unless a threat to life and limb is present and can be proven.

Once a license is issued, all guns must be kept unloaded and in a certified gun safe when not in use. If a person owns more than three firearms, the certified gun safe must have an alarm on it. Civilians also cannot legally own more than 1,000 rounds per weapon.

Gun ownership by members of the military, protective and security services, and police is covered by different legislation than for civilians, and all weapons must be turned in once one’s duties for the day have been performed.

Weapons used as part of a museum collection must be deactivated, so that they can no longer discharge any shot, bullet or any other missile.

National Foundation Day Military Parade

The National Foundation Day Military Parade is a Lamonian military parade that has been held on the morning of 3 July each year in Nephi since 1800, without exception.

The parade passes down Liberty Avenue (itself 2 kilometers long, and 70 meters wide) from the Fountains of Liberty and Democracy, to the Lamonian Presidential Palace, where the Lamonian President, members of the government, invited foreign guests and ambassadors stand. The parade has historically been broadcast by the Lamonian Broadcasting Company, and viewership figures have remained high from year to year. In recent years, invited detachments of foreign troops have taken part in the parade, and foreign statesmen are invited to attend the parade as guests of the Lamonian government.

Smaller military parades are held in other major Lamonian cities, using troops garrisoned in the local area.

As the President of the Free Republic of Lamoni arrives at the start of the parade route, he is greeted by the parade commander, who informs the President that the parade is ready for inspection. The President then rides in the Joint Chief of Staff’s vehicle, escorted by mounted agents of the Special Protection Service on horseback; followed by a marching band selected from among the Upper Secondary Schools of Nephi by random lot. The marching band plays patriotic music as the President inspects the troops involved in the parade, ending near a stage erected in front of the Lamonian Presidential Palace, where the President disembarks the vehicle, and meets with the invited foreign dignitaries present. During the inspection, the President waves at the crowds present for the parade. The Lamonian National Police provide security for the parade, working with all of the Lamonian military and security agencies.

The festivities traditionally open with bands from the various Lamonian military services performing band exhibitions and drill shows, followed by displays of skill from horseback mounted units from the Lamonian military, foreign military services, and the Lamonian National Police (NOTE: the Lusitano is the most common breed of horse in Lamoni, and is typically the horse of choice for Lamonian horseback mounted units). Military and civilian choirs and singers follow the mounted units, singing classic Lamonian patriotic songs. This is followed by a rendition of the Lamonian National Anthem, which is also known as “The Lamonian March.”

After all this, the parade itself begins, selected cadets from the Lamonian Military Academies marching in the order of their academy’s seniority:

* Lamonian Military Academy
* Lamonian Naval Academy
* Lamonian Air Force Academy

Invited foreign units follow the military cadets, while the LAF Blue Devils perform aerobatic maneuvers overhead in their TF-39B Fearless jet trainer aircraft, including the initial aerial flyover of the parade, during which they release red, blue, and yellow colored smoke.

The parade then follows with Lamonian foot soldiers from the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and occasionally the National Police, and local firefighters. The parade finishes with motorized and then armored units from the above military and civilian organizations; occasionally other Lamonian governmental and civilian organizations are invited to participate in the parade as well. Aerial units from the Lamonian Air Force and Navy provide aerobatic and flyover demonstrations at the end of the parade, making life significantly easier for the parade, television, and radio announcers.

While just one of the events traditionally taking place during the day (to include the traditional fireworks show that night), the National Foundation Day Military Parade celebrates Lamonian national unity and pride, with 3 July 1700 traditionally being held as the day when the first refugees arrived on what would become Lamonian shores, leading to the founding of the Free Republic itself in the year 1800.

Nephi Gazette

The Nephi Gazette is the official journal of the Government of the Free Republic of Lamoni, and is published weekly on Fridays (except in the case where the Friday would be a national holiday, in which case publication is done on the preceding day, Thursday). Any new law or changes to existing law made by the Government can only take effect once it has been published in the Nephi Gazette, unless otherwise stipulated. Other legal formalities about which the Lamonian people are legally required to be informed about, are also published in this paper. Classified materials are not published. Publication of the Nephi Gazette is controlled by the Ministry of Justice, and publication therein fulfills the legal definition of “public notice” for the materials published.

The Nephi Gazette is to include such documents (or changes to said documents) as:

* Amendments to the Constitution
* Executive Orders
* New Laws
* Amendments to existing laws
* Acts of ratification of international treaties and agreements
* Decisions of the Constitutional Court
* Decisions of the Supreme Court
* Government Contracts
* Legal acts approved by a referendum
* Laws regarding elections
* Legal acts related to state of war and peace treaties
* Notices on errors in previously published laws and acts
* Other legal acts, as specified by law

Similarly to the Nephi Gazette, each Lamonian state is required to publish their own Official State Gazettes.

Cyber Security Agency of Lamoni

Established on 1 January 2010 as part of the National Radio Establishment, the Cyber Security Agency of Lamoni is the lead agency responsible for monitoring threats and coordinating the national response to any cyber security incident. Its focus is the protection of national critical infrastructure against cyber incidents, while maintaining Lamoni’s offensive and defensive cyber warfare capabilities. The agency also engages with various industries, government agencies, and military services to heighten cyber security awareness as well as to ensure the development of Lamoni’s cyber security as a whole.

The agency builds upon the government’s cyber security capabilities, which include strategy and policy development, cyber security operations, industry development and outreach, detecting and analyzing malware and viruses on the web; as well as public communications and engagement on cyber security related issues. The agency is also responsible for Lamoni’s Computer Emergency Response Teams, who facilitate the detection, resolution, and prevention of security-related incidents on the Internet.

Travel Visa Policy

A foreign national wishing to enter the Free Republic of Lamoni must obtain a visa from a Lamonian (or under certain circumstances, a New Hayesalian) diplomatic mission before arrival, unless he or she is:

• a citizen of one of the visa waiver eligible countries and territories, or
• eligible for visa-free travel under other provisions (visiting force, cruise ship passengers and crew, aircraft crew etc.).

All visa waiver eligible nations have in place a valid formal diplomatic agreement between the Free Republic and their nation, allowing for visa-free travel between the two nations.  In certain cases (such as the Delian League), these agreements are part of alliance treaties which have been signed and ratified by the Lamonian Government.  Lamoni issues electronic travel authorizations (ETAs), which were established to remove the need for citizens of visa waiver eligible countries and territories to apply for full visas, since they can be applied for online.  If a requested period of stay is three months or less, and no further information or checking is required, the ETA may be granted in a matter of minutes. In other cases, the application will be manually processed by a case officer, who is empowered to approve or deny the application after the processing is complete.

All visitors must hold a passport valid for at least 1 month after departure from Lamoni, and are required to hold proof of sufficient funds to cover their stay.  Visitors are also required to hold any documents required for their next destination.

For foreign citizens of non-visa waiver eligible countries and territories, the Government of the Free Republic offers the following types of visas:

• Medical treatment (valid up to 90 days)
• Tourism (valid up to 90 days)
• Refugees (valid up to 90 days, co-operation with Immigration Authorities required for extensions beyond that)
• Working in the entertainment industry (valid up to 730 days, co-operation with Immigration Authorities required for extensions beyond that)
• Attending a conference (valid up to 14 days)
• Treaty conditions compliance (valid up to treaty specified number of days)
• Maritime crew (valid up to 30 days)
• Cultural, economic, and social exchange programs (valid up to 90 days)
• Transit (valid up to 72 hours)
• Permanent Residency (Valid up to 365 days, co-operation with Immigration Authorities required for Permanent Residency Card)
• Diplomatic (valid up to duration of diplomatic assignment to Lamoni)

Temporary residence visas issued by Lamoni include:

• Business visas (valid up to 365 days)
• Work visas (valid up to 365 days normally, up to 730 days with government dispensation)
• Quota work visas (valid up to 365 days)
• General work visas (valid up to 365 days)
• Critical skills work visa (valid up to 365 days)
• Intra-company Transfer Work visa (valid up to 365 days)
• Corporate visas (valid up to 365 days)
• Study visas (valid up to duration of course of study)
• Exchange visas (valid up to 365 days)
• Relatives’ visa (valid up to 90 days)
• Medical Treatment visa (valid up to 90 days)

According to Lamonian Immigration Law, foreign nationals overstaying the expiry of their visas will be determined “undesirable” and, consequently, face being banned from the Free Republic for a period of up to 5 years on the first offense, with the possibility of being declared persona non grata upon subsequent re-offenses.

All visit, business, transit, student, and exchange visitor visa applicants must pay a Ř160 application fee to a Lamonian (or under certain circumstances, a New Hayesalian) Consulate in order to be interviewed by a Consular Officer who will determine if the applicant is qualified to receive a visa to travel to the Free Republic of Lamoni. The application fee is increased to Ř190 for most work visas and can be even higher for certain categories (these fees can be, and often are, reduced in economically disadvantaged nations or territories). If the applicant is rejected, the application fee is not refunded. Amongst the items included in the qualification decision are financial independence, adequate employment, material assets, and a lack of a criminal record in the applicant’s native country.

Foreign Citizens and Nationals are divided into color coded groups, dependent on the current state of relations between the Free Republic and the foreign country and/or territory in question.  These color coded groups determine the restrictions placed upon foreign nationals from these nations/territories when they apply for a visa to enter the
Free Republic.

Green:

Citizens from countries and territories in the Green Group are visa waiver eligible, requiring only a valid passport and an Electronic Travel Authorization in order to enter the country.

Blue:

Citizens from countries and territories in the Blue Group are not visa waiver eligible, and must apply for a visa in order to enter the country.  Given the demonstrated good relations shown toward Lamoni by nations in this group, visa applications are expected to be approved with little to no trouble.

Yellow:

Citizens from countries and territories in the Yellow Group are not visa waiver eligible, and must apply for a visa in order to enter the country.  Nations in this group have no special foreign relations with the Free Republic, and this is the Color Group with the most foreign nations and territories therein.

Red:

Citizens from countries and territories in the Red Group are not visa waiver eligible, and must apply for a visa in order to enter the country.  Additional restrictions are in place upon citizens in this Color Group, and visa requests are more likely to be denied.  Nations in this Color Group either have poor relations with the Free Republic, or are deemed to be potentially unsafe.

Black:

Citizens from countries and territories in the Black Group require special dispensation from the Lamonian Government in order to enter the country, as normal visa requests would be denied to them.  Nations in this Color Group have officially been designated as “enemy nations,” and relations with these nations are frequently non-existent.  Members of foreign extremist groups, and other individuals who are believed to represent a threat to the Free Republic have also been placed in this group.

Lamonian Cuisine

Lamonian Cuisine today is regarded as unique, balanced, and flavorful, but this has not always been the case. Like all such national cuisines, Lamonian Cuisine has evolved from what could be quickly and cheaply cooked by the refugees who would become the Lamonian people, to the unique cuisine consisting of the careful balances of traditional foods mixed with a fascination of the latest world culinary trends.

It is generally agreed by both Lamonian and world culinary historians that there are four distinct evolutionary periods in Lamonian Cuisine, each of which contributed toward making Lamonian Cuisine what it is today.

1.) The early days

The early days of Lamonian Cuisine are characterized by the struggles faced by those far from home who would find themselves shipwrecked on Lamonian shores, eventually banding together into communities attempting to survive on seafood, as well as various attempts to farm the various native fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables native to Lamoni. Given that the vast majority of those shipwrecked on Lamonian shores had no experience as farmers, most of these early attempts at farming failed, with many nutritional deficiencies to be found in the population.

2.) Help comes from an unexpected source

Even before the first recorded shipwrecks on Lamonian shores (1700 AD), a warrior society had already established a civilization in what would eventually become Lamonian national territory. These warriors came from a society which for unknown reasons had called themselves “GC1mak,” and when they first discovered the collection of shipwrecked peoples, their response was to test the fighting strength of these “foreign devils.” This would result in a decade of fighting, until the people of GC1mak, impressed by the survival and fighting abilities of the (now united) shipwrecked peoples (and themselves facing other threats of war on the horizon) decided to negotiate a peace. During this peace, the Tsnndavayr (the people to whom the warriors of GC1mak belonged) taught the future Lamonians their language, as well as traditional “Tsnnie” methods of cooking, animal husbandry, and agriculture. It would be during this period that Lamonian Cuisine would become more Asian in character, resembling traditional Mongol Cuisine, with an emphasis on quick cooking yet healthy meals that could sustain a fighting force on the move. This was balanced by large feasts during festivals and celebrations, and heavily contributed to the long-standing Lamonian love of food, and the diversity of foods available to them.

3.) Population growth and cultural refinement

Eventually, the assistance of the Tsnndavayr people had contributed to the elimination of most nutritional deficiencies in the now entirely Lamonian population (as of 1800). Food preparation and meal structure rules for the Lamonian population had also been well established by this time, promoting the harmony of the various colors, flavors, and textures of foods prepared for meals. A bowl of short white sticky rice was accompanied by a bowl of some form of either soup or stew. The rice and soup/stew were regarded as the backbone of the meal, with the main and side dishes served alongside them. Typical Lamonian Cuisine called for at least three to five main dishes, each of them to be placed on or in their own plate or bowl, so that everyone at the table could partake of them. It was considered polite to leave enough of each main dish so that all at the table could have their share of the food on offer. Dinner was considered to be the most important meal of the day, while breakfast tended to be simpler in preparation, and lunch could be either brought from home to school/work, or purchased at a food stall, open air market, or at a restaurant or cafe. As the Lamonian nation spread across the mainland the amount and number of ingredients increased, leading to more elaborate and playfully decorated meals. Pickling of foods can also be traced to this era.

4.) The modern era

The advent of the Industrial Revolution (and the increase in technology it brought) would bring the Free Republic in contact with more foreign nations, as well as improving the ability to preserve food which could not be dried, brined, or pickled.

Contact with foreign nations would bring in new ingredients, while improved food preservation and shipping measures had the effect of lowering prices of these new ingredients and foods to the point where even the common man on the street could enjoy the wonderful flavors of foods from foreign lands, while allowing foreigners to experience traditional Lamonian foods as well.

While Chai Tea is native to Lamoni (and a Lamonian favorite), other types of tea would reach Lamonian shores during this time as well. The reintroduction of “western” foods to Lamoni during this time allowed recipes from the original shipwrecked peoples to be made again in Lamoni, and foreign foods became popular.

***

Modern Lamonian Cuisine is full of both complex and subtle tastes, where combinations of rice, noodles, vegetables, tofu, meat, and fish can contain distinctive ingredients like oil, soybean and chili pastes, as well as soy, garlic, and ginger, among others. Modern Lamonian Cuisine also borrows heavily from traditional Lamonian cooking, and the concepts on which it was based.

The colors of the food (green, red, yellow, white, and black) tend to be used in equal amounts. This helps to ensure evenness and the five traditional elements of the Tsnndavayr people (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). Dishes also tend to have harmonizing yin and yang values. Hot and Spicy dishes (yang) are thought to stimulate the body, while cool (yin) foods calm and nourish the system. Neutral foods are a balance of yin and yang. Thus, it is thought that the perfect meal will contain both yin and yang dishes to both heat up the body, and cool the brain.

All traditional Lamonian meals are designed to include a harmonious assortment of dishes, and to enjoy the experience of Lamonian dining fully, this is the perfect approach. All dishes are traditionally served as a single course, rather than as separate courses in a meal.

Lamonian Cuisine includes both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and there are many traditional varieties of both available to drink with meals or snacks, or simply as a thirst-quenching brew.

Non-alcoholic drinks:

Lamonians tend to drink either water or Chai Tea with their meals. Green tea is also popular. Tea has become popular in the modern era, as more varieties of it have come to Lamoni. A product of the modern era in Lamoni, soft drinks and fruit juices have become more popular among the younger generations.

Alcoholic drinks:

Lamonians also drink a wide-variety of alcoholic beverages including wine, Akvavit, beer, Amaretto, and Makgoli, a milky-white rice drink.

Fast Food:

While prepared (and dried) ingredients have made Lamonian cooking easier, the idea of a ready made meal would be almost unthinkable to older generations. A single dish or meal that could be microwaved would not constitute a proper meal in the mind of a Lamonian brought up on a beautifully arranged selection of side and main meals, rice, soup and stew, with meat or fish grilled at the table, or cooked as part of other dishes. The idea of cooking, serving, and eating as a social activity is still deeply ingrained in the Lamonian mind, and culture.

Younger generations however, have become more accustomed to foreign ways, and much more accepting of things like “Fast Food.” With all of this said however, Lamoni has a strong tradition of street food, with street food vendors to be found in Lamonian cities and towns of any real size.

Military Rations:

Lamonian military rations tend to be far more austere than meals for civilians, due to the needs of soldiers being taken into account. Soldiers do get sit-down meals when operational conditions allow.

Place Settings:

At a Lamonian dining table, the rice and soup/stew are placed in front of the diner, the rice on the left, and the soup/stew on the right. The side dishes flank the rice and soup/stew, while the main dishes are placed at the center of the dining table, where all can reach them.

For utensils, Lamonians typically use chopsticks with square tips on the food grabbing end. A spoon is used for liquid based dishes (examples being soups or stews). When eating western style foods, the use of a fork and knife is acceptable.

***

Examples of dishes commonly seen in Lamonian Cuisine would include:

Traditional Dishes:

* Byaslag
* Eezgii
* Tarag
* Isgelen Tarag
* Buuz
* Bansh
* Khuushuur
* Tsuivan
* Guriltai Shul
* Budaatai Khuurga
* Chanasan Makh
* Uuz
* Khorkhog
* Boodog
* Borts
* Tasalsan Guril
* Suutei Tsai
* Banshtai Tsai
* Gambir
* Ul Boov
* Boortsog

Modern Era:

* Tofu
* Kongguksu
* Okara
* Kongbap
* Bindaetteok
* Japchae
* Soondae
* Bibimbap
* Patjuk
* Galbi (Beef or Pork)
* Samgyeopsal
* Gomguk
* Jjigae (multiple varieties)
* Jeongol (multiple varieties)
* Kalguksu
* Jajangmyeon
* Ramyeon
* Bulgogi
* Jokbal
* Hangwa
* Budae jjigae
* Yaksik
* Sinseollo
* Andong jjimdak
* Dak galbi
* Manduguk
* Oritang
* Samgyetang
* Maeuntang
* Horsebread
* Grilled Tilapia