Get the best armor you can. 1 Helm, 2 Caps, 1 Breastplate, 3 Mail shirts, 1 Gauntlet, 1 Greave, 1 High Boot, 1 shield [Hood/Cloak/ other pieces optional.]
Make sure they have at least 1 rank in a civilian skill or they'll get a bad thought from deactivation. Go pump Op.For melee dwarves:
assign to squads in groups of 3.
2 Active 12 months.
Have them slap wildlife/prisoners around until ranks 5-7ish+.
Then let them spar to legendary. Using training weapons is better but higher risk of death by gore,kick, delimbing
For ranged/Hauler reserves:
Make a metric fuckton of bone bolts and keep em coming. You will NEVER have enough. Assign in squads of ~10
Set 5 minimum
Run around shooting at wildlife/prisoners to desired skill.
Shooting at the assigned archery targets will keep rust off and ambushes/sieges will get you to legendary
Go to
http://df.magmawiki.com/index.php/DF2010:Defense_design#Entrance_designs and read up on the 3-bridge defense its pretty solid. Add an additional L bend on the outermost entrance with another bridge so it locks enemies out as well as making it safe to reload/unstick traps w/o getting shot.
Read up on the other design/security articles to improve your plans. A good source of marksdwarf patrols is drafting haulers, get them some ranks in marksdwarf then have them 1/2 haul 1/2 patrol. You'll chew through ammo so make sure you have a good poultry butchering program/constant cavern patrols.