6th Territorial Guard Brigade (Haixiao)

The 6th Territorial Guard Brigade (Hainese: 第六國土防禦旅; Romanization: Dì Liù Guótǔ Fángyù Lǚ), also known as the 6th Guards Brigade, is a military formation of the National Guard of the Federal Democratic Republic of Haixiao, stationed in West Uihung. It derived its official nickname, the "Snowmen Brigade," from its role in the 1940 Hainese-Surovian Border Conflict. It is part of the Eastern Territorial Defense Command of the Territorial Guard.

History
The 6th Territorial Guard Brigade was constituted 8 January 1940 and organized 15 February 1940 by Brigadier General Dong Yicheng, headquartered in the capital of the state of Nanhai, Gudou, as part of the Twelve Brigade Plan during the formation of the Haixiao National Guard. The table of organization and equipment included four infantry battalions, although only three could be mustered as the National Guard was an all-volunteer force, one artillery battalion, a logistics battalion, engineer battalion, and a reconnaissance company. The total strength of the brigade totaled around 5,500 men. 100 men from the Nanhai State Army were assigned to assist with training of the brigade.

The brigade promptly shipped out to the northern border 9 August 1940 as one of two National Guard units to join the Northern States Army in preparation for a planned border war with Surovia. Much of the transporting of the brigade had been done through the single rail line running through the desert, so the brigade arrived piecemeal and experienced moderate equipment losses due to general logistical incompetence. It fully arrived in Shanjian 21 August 1940 and assembled for battle afterward. The brigade would experience heavy desert fighting in freezing conditions for two weeks. Many of the men were poorly equipped for the climate on top of being unacclimated to the cold as most of the brigade was drawn from the warm and humid Hainese Heartland, and would subsequently die of hypothermia, earning the brigade the nickname of the "Snowmen Sixth," less commonly referred to as the "Snowmen Brigade." The name was taken as a badge of honor for the tough conditions endured during the battle. The brigade took 40% casualties over the course of the 1940 Hainese-Surovian Border Conflict, much of it due to the cold, and withdrew from the battle 27 September 1940.

It took two years for the brigade to be replenished back to its previous strength. An additional infantry battalion was finally organized in 1943, allowing the brigade to reach full strength. In 1945, the brigade was one of the first National Guard units to become motorized, though most of its heavy ordinance remained towed rather than self-propelled. The brigade was scheduled to participate in joint exercises with the Nanhai State Army in late 1946 but was re-tasked to participate in the Hainese Annexation of Western Uihung in November 1946. The 6th Guards Brigade was the first into the city, racing through the southwestern business district with cheers. It surrounded a barracks and took around one-hundred prisoners, who were later released after the Concord of Nations brokered a peace agreement between Haixiao and Ke-Atsung. The brigade also participated in the three-week long standoff between Hainese and Atsun forces across the banks of the Fujin River following the takeover of the city.

The brigade was then re-tasked with the garrisoning of Western Uihung in late January 1947, following the ratification of the Uihung Treaty. Its headquarters was subsequently moved and it now serves as the permanent Hainese standing garrison in Western Uihung. In 1948, the brigade was attached an air defense battalion from the Eastern Territorial Air Defense Brigade. Beginning in 1954, the brigade was mechanized with armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles.

Insignia
The brigade's modern insignia was adopted in 1941, following the 1940 Hainese-Surovian Border Conflict. It consists of an eight-pointed snowflake, resembling the national flower, overlayed on the federal tricolor roundel with the number six in the middle. Due to its insignia, the brigade has commonly been misidentified as an arctic warfare unit by other units. The insignia is commonly seen worn as a patch and painted on vehicles and helmets. Following its reassignment to the garrison Uihung, the brigade has also adopted bright blue armbands with the insignia on it for easy identification, in accordance with the Uihung Treaty.

Current structure
The 6th Territorial Guard Brigade consists of the following elements:


 * Brigade Headquarters & HQ Company
 * 1st Battalion, 12th Tongnan Guards Regiment
 * 1st Battalion, 16th Nanhai Guards Regiment
 * 2nd Battalion, 16th Nanhai Guards Regiment
 * 3rd Battalion, 17th Sumei Guards Regiment
 * 2nd Battalion, Eastern Territorial Artillery Brigade
 * 4th Battalion, Eastern Territorial Air Defense Brigade
 * 10th Territorial Engineers Battalion
 * 6th Territorial Scouts Company
 * 6th Territorial Logistics Battalion
 * Uihung Company, Sumei State Army Military Police (Liaison)