The Du’hadrin are an elite basitin-only infantry unit in service to the British army. After their arrival on Earth in the 1950s, the basitins spent years in an internment camp before slowly being integrated into the general population, a process that took many years and a great deal of heartache on both sides to achieve. But, nevertheless, it was done and now the last remnants of the basitin people call Earth their home. One of the last areas of society for integration to occur for was also that which the basitins desired almost above all else: the military. For a warrior people, the decades spent unable to flex their martial muscles was interminable and so the announcement by the Ministry of Defence that basitins would in the next few years be allowed to start serving was like mana from heaven. At first it was just to the normal units of the military that they were attached to, however after noting their success in theatres like Iraq and Afghanistan, the top brass decided that a basitin-only unit was to be created, as a recognition of racial pride in a similar way to the Scottish, Welsh and Irish regiments were. This unit was the Du’hadrin and in the few years since its creation, it has served as a beacon of hope for the basitin people that one day their honour and pride might be restored.

Allowing the basitins to serve was not simply a matter of politics, it was a matter of logistics as well. While basitins are physiologically similar to humans in many ways, there are also important differences that means that extra consideration must be taken when equipping and deploying them for battle. Two of the most obvious difference are in the shape of their head and their paws, each of which required some creative thinking on the part of equipment designers to overcome. At first, quartermasters simply stocked a small amount of basitin-specific materials in addition to their normal stock of human gear, however in a bid to streamline the logistics necessary for supplying an army, the most recent equipment overhauls have attempted to integrate the differing accoutrements together in a modular fashion. For example, as shown for the Du’hadrin officer here in full Combat Equipment Fighting Order, the helmet has panels on the side held in by screws. These panels remain in place when worn by a human but if a basitin is issued the helmet, they can unscrew them to allow room for their ears. Another example can be found in the radio headsets issued to all combat troops. While humans have an over-the-ear design, clearly this would not work for the basitins and so now these headsets have a detachable insert in the ear cup (the part that actually produces the sound) which fits perfectly into a basitins inner ear. As a final example, trousers now feature an extra row of stitching at the back which comes closed, however a basitin soldier can cut along this stitching to open up a hole for their tail to go through. In this way, the MoD has managed to save both cost and space by integrating the different sets of equipment as much as possible.

One area however where this has not been possible is in boots. On the surface this seems like an unnecessary item for a basitin as the tough soles on their paws are more than a match for rough ground and stones. However a modern battle field is a much more dangerous place then the battlefields of the basitin’s past with extra hazards like sheared metal, glass and other sharp/hot hazards which would make short work of their paws and render them combat ineffective. Thus boots were a requirement, however no amount of clever designing would allow a boot that fit both a human’s foot and a basitin’s paw to be produced so this is one of a few areas where the supply chains diverge.

In addition to normal equipment, Du’hadrin soldiers go into battle with three weapons. Two are the standard L85A2 bullpup rifle with ELCAN scope and foregrip attached as well as the Glock 17 pistol which are standard issue across the whole army. However the third is a weapon that may seem impractical on a modern battlefield and is mostly carried as a symbol of racial pride: the Burrick, or short sword, that was wielded by their ancestors on the battlefield in days gone by. Seen here over the officer’s right shoulder, the weapon is largely symbolic, however it can serve a practical purpose similar to a machete if there is tough undergrowth in need of cutting or, if things get really desperate, as a substitute for a bayonet when the ammunition is gone and it’s do or die. Du’hadrin personnel are specifically told that they are not to use the weapon as anything but an implement of last resort, however that has not stopped several recorded instances of Du’hadrin soldiers charging en masse at the enemy with swords drawn, seemingly as a way of reliving their species’ glory days of yore.

The basitins continue to prove themselves in battle again and again and so it is no surprise that the Du’hadrin’s ranks keep expanding and more and more normal military jobs are being opened up to them. They are just too valuable of a resource to ignore. There is even talk of other militaries in countries with a significant basitin population such as the United States, Australia and Canada opening themselves up to basitin recruits, after having witnessed what they are capable of by the side of the British over the last decade or so of desert warfare and beyond. They may not be in their true home but there is little doubt that the basitins are thriving in their new environment. It only remains to be seen what new challenges and opportunities are destined for them in their future, where there is no telling how high they will rise.

More detail about the basitin's arrival on Earth can be found in the description under this image: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/27680815/
Basitins are the creation of Tom Fischbach over at http://twokinds.keenspot.com/