By rule, all Burgunn military, regardless of function, is part of the same overall organization. However, practicality dictates that the military be divided up into separate classifications for specialized tasks.

Constables

Most people ever only encounter one form of military personnel. These are referred to as Constables and are primarily assigned to local peacekeeping and law functions. For all intents and purposes, the Constables are a highly equipped police force under the direct control of the Consulate of the planet from which they work. The vast majority of Constables (over 99%) are residents of the planet in which they are employed to look after. Furthermore, most of these are assigned to sectors where they live if at all possible, and if that is not an option they are assigned as close as possible. It is a commonly held belief by the Burgunn High Council that local personnel are the most effective peacekeepers for their area because they have a very personal interest in keeping the area safe.

In sectors (even whole worlds) where the population has a low percentage (or none at all) of actual Burgunn, the Constables are still Burgunn-trained but are still comprised of local elements. This has been a technique used by the empire for centuries, since locals who would rebel against their Burgunn conquerors are usually more reluctant to rebel against their own people. As a general rule, these types of areas are overseen by a small contingent of Burgunn officers to make sure the "alien" Constables are doing their job properly, but as long as the laws are being enforced correctly the upper officers don't make any attempts to push their weight around. This policy has been hugely effective, and the number of conquered planets who have attempted rebellion is surprisingly small. Even though the people are "conquered", they enjoy the same benefits as "normal" Burgunn society and pay the same (reasonable) levels of taxes. In most cases, once the Burgunn are settled into an area, the area is given a higher educational, military and standard of living than it ever had before the Empire invaded, and for the most part the newly conquered citizens are happy with their new situation. Unlike many other Imperialistic societies, once the Burgunn have assimilated a new world, the world is treated with the same respect as the other worlds in the Empire. Aside from the highest levels of government, the world is left to operate largely the way it has before except that it is expected to assist the Empire with its needs, and in return the Empire assists the world.

The Constables are a constant, visible presence in Burgunn cities but the citizenry rarely if ever feels oppressed. The Burgunn system of law is comparatively fair, and incidents of police brutality are not only rare but also highly publicized and the sentence is usually double what a normal assault case would land. Largely the citizens feel that the extra military presence is there to protect them rather than "keep them in line", which is a truth that the Burgunn want their people to understand. Oppressed citizenry rebels, protected citizenry thrives.

In societies with long records of service to the Empire, there may be little or no Burgunn presence in the Constabulary. Most of these societies are completely happy with their state of affairs and simply have no desire to rebel. The Empire leaves them alone, and in particularly hard times it assists them with things such as food, medical supplies, and more importantly protection from outside invaders. Rebellion would not only bring the might of the Burgunn military system down on them, but would also leave them vulnerable to assaults by other races such as the Orks.

House Armies

The second most common level of military personnel is commonly referred to as the "Burgunn Military" but is more properly referred to as the "House Army" since the branch is almost completely operated by the House that owns the planet involved.

The Burgunn system is fundamentally similar to feudalism in that each planet is expected to contribute a certain amount of resources to the House that controls it, and the House in turn provides for its needs and defense. Typically, the Burgunn military is voluntary to enter although in serious conflicts temporary conscription is allowed for in Imperial Law. Although the Constabulary is considered part of the Burgunn Military, the troops assigned to it are rarely used for anything other than their assigned tasks even in times of war, so the "House Army" is the one most commonly associated with the actual military.

Generally the Burgunn have a policy of allowing a House to keep any planets they manage to bring into the Empire, so individual Houses' military forces are usually used for both defense as well as exploration/conquest of new worlds. Habitable worlds with no sentient life are usually simply colonized (with the colonization overseen by the military); Planets held by sentient beings are usually given the option to become part of the Empire (under the control of the House, of course) or conquered by force. Sometimes (comparatively rare) treaties will be made instead for trade purposes, but that is generally only done if the heads of the House involved feel that conquering the world would require an unacceptable amount of resources to accomplish.

Imperial Guard

The third type of military personnel is that known as the "Imperial Guard". These are taken from amongst the best of the House's military personnel, and during their tour of service they temporarily sacrifice their loyalty to their House in order to directly serve the High Council (and thus the Burgunn Empire as a whole). Requirements to join the Imperial Guard are notoriously high, and thus Houses with members of the Imperial Guard are looked upon with honor. Families with Imperial Guardsmen in them frequently demonstrate pride in the accomplishment with pictures and small "shrines" containing medals and other memorabilia. Some families have long records of service in the Imperial Guard, and some of them have large mausoleums where the dead lines of Guardsmen are buried.

Imperial Guardsmen are amongst the best-trained military specialists in the known universe, and have access to equipment and supplies above and beyond that of even the best-equipped houses. Almost any equipment desired is available upon request as long as it corresponds to the mission assigned.

The populace at large rarely sees imperial Guardsmen, although they may be assigned to any task deemed necessary by the High Command. Civil wars, although generally left to the Houses involved, are broken up if it looks like the war will threaten the Empire in some way. They are also used as advanced tactical troops in cases where the Empire is threatened by some force that the local House is unable to defend against. In rare cases, Imperial Guardsmen may be used to bolster the armies of a particular House in an invasion of a planet. Usually this occurs if the planet has some resource that the Empire wants.

Imperial Guardsmen are also used for internal affairs within the Empire, such as serving as a bodyguard for important Imperial personnel. The definition of important personnel is widely varied, and includes notable teachers, scientists, and artists as well as the standard politicians and military personnel. Guardsmen sometimes serve as investigations into a House, and are trained to go undercover if necessary in order to get extra information or complete their assignment. As a general rule, a rumor that the Imperial Guard might be investigating is enough to get the House to behave properly, and a full-blown investigation generally results in a large number of deaths amongst the upper echelons of the House. Although House Armies typically have a small composition of "aliens", almost none exist inside the Imperial Guard due to the Burgunn innate racism.

Burgunn Intelligence

The fourth type is Burgunn Intelligence, rightly feared as one of the most lethal organizations in the universe. What the Imperial Guard brings forth in strength, Intelligence brings in subtlety and subterfuge. Burgunn Intelligence reports directly to High Command and operates under the radar of normal Burgunn Society. Unlike the Constables, who are usually seen as benevolent protectors of society, Burgunn Intelligence agents are considered above the law and often feared by the general populace. Most Burgunn Intelligence agents are undercover and thus unknown to the rest of society, but many are in research areas where they are known for what they are. Field operatives also exist publicly, but these are assigned to non-secure tasks.

Unlike other branches of the military, Intelligence commonly utilizes members of all races, and the only real requirement of becoming a member is mental aptitude and a history of loyalty to the Empire. Intelligence agents exist in all walks of life in all cities, in all levels of the government and are even implanted into other civilizations and societies.