ORGANIZATION

ORGANIZATION

All right, sweethearts, you're a team and there's nothin' to worry about. We come here, and we gonna conquer, and we gonna kick some, is that understood? That's what we gonna do, sweethearts, we are going to go and get some. All right, people, on the ready line!”

—MASTER SGT. AL APONE, 2ND BATTALION BRAVO TEAM

Ok, Marine—time to learn your ABCs, USMCs, UAACs, and all the other sets of initials that come with that uniform. You've got to know who’s who, who’s in charge, and who is just some milktoast CO who’s throwing weight around he doesn't have. Oh, and that’s right—you better pay attention, because there’s gonna be a test later—it’s called throwing you into the thick of it on the ready line.

UNITED STATES COLONIAL MARINE CORPS

EXPEDITIONARY WARFARE, FORCE PROJECTION, RECOINNASSANCE, INTERPLANETARY STRIKE

The elite fighting force of the United Americas, the United States Colonial Marine Corps is the primary UA force on the Outer Rim and Frontier. The colonial marines maintain an advanced state of readiness at all times in order to provide rapid deployment to any and all commitments within their theaters of operation and beyond.

While the USCMC works in sync with the United States Aerospace Force (USASF) and sometimes in tandem with the Latin American Colonial Navy (LACN) and the Outer Rim Defense Fleet (ORDF), they are the only US military branch capable of deploying an independent dedicated task force without support from another branch. Unfortunately, the USCMC suffered severe losses at the onset of the Border Bombings—several Battalions and their accompanying starships.

OPERATIONAL THEATERS

The United States Colonial Marine Corps is divided into three main Marine Space Forces (MSF) composed of calculated combat, support, and service elements that, when combined, are capable of executing both decisive orbital assault missions and sustained surface operations. Each MSF provides security for a designated operating theater, but in truth these areas often overlap—marines don’t care whose backyard the fight is in, they’re ready to hop fences as needed. In 2180 the divisions were restructured to account for the rapid expansion of the Frontier, deviating from their traditional operational territories.

► MARINE SPACE FORCE, SOL: Core Systems. Equipped with a second division that specifically protects the Sol system itself, MSF SOL has a major base at Rigel Kentaurus and is responsible for operations throughout the core systems, including maintaining the blockade of the ICSC border.

► MARINE SPACE FORCE, ERIDANI: Outer Veil, Rimward Frontier. This division operates along the Anglo-Japanese arm, the Tartarus Sector, and as deep into the Far Reach of the American Arm as Alpha Caeli. MSF ERIDANI also operates the only USCMC base within UPP space at 52 Tau Ceti.

► MARINE SPACE FORCE, HERCULIS: Outer Rim, Coreward Frontier. Under siege from both the UPP and the perpetrators of the enigmatic Border Bombings, MSF Herculis protects the American Corridor, Advance, and the hotly contented Borderline Region—as well as the Coreward American Arm. Recently, reserves have been activated and sent to Herculis to augment their forces.

COMMAND BREAKDOWN

PLATOON

A USCMC platoon is made up of 24 Colonial Marines (two sections of twelve each), plus its commander and adjutant.

COMMAND TEAM: A Colonial Marine platoon is run by a platoon commander that controls two sections. Usually a Lieutenant or Captain, the platoon commander is assisted by either an officer of lesser rank or a service synthetic with a non-combatant rank equivalent to Warrant Officer. Sometimes the platoon commander will accompany a Section into combat, taking the Sergeant’s place in the APC and bumping them to squad commander.

SECTION

A platoon is divided into two sections. Each section typically has a dropship, an APC, two squads, plus a support team and a tactical team.

SUPPORT TEAM: The support team drops your ass in the frying pan and then pulls you out before you fall into the fire. They keep the dropship hot and ready for dust off.

TACTICAL TEAM: The tactical team supports the section by providing coordination, cover fire and extraction. A sergeant or senior officer coordinates their team from the APC’s TAC center with their driver ready to assist the squads as needed. If the section sergeant intends to accompany their squads, a gunner will sometimes be assigned to the tactical team. In special circumstances, the command team may enter the field of operations and command the section from the APC.

SQUADS

Each section has two squads, and there are two fireteams to a squad—usually a rifle team and a gun team.

FIRETEAMS

A two-Marine team is called a fireteam and works on the buddy system—your fireteam member has your back and you’ve got theirs. Fireteams can be designated rifle teams, gun teams, recon teams, assault teams, and more.

RIFLE TEAM: The rifle team is responsible for fire power, medical support, and coordinating objectives with command. Typically, someone other than the automatic rifleman will be squad leader with the rank Lance Corporal or above. The remainder of the squad are of subordinate rank.

GUN TEAM: Here comes the big guns to keep the enemy’s head down while the squad moves in.

Alternatively, a squad can be composed of Recon, Assault, or CBRN specialist fireteams.

RIFLE TEAM:	► Rifleman ► Hospital Corspman
GUN TEAM:	► Automatic Rifleman (Smartgun Operator) ► Combat Technician

SPECIALTY FIRETEAMS

RECON TEAM: Obscured by camouflage ghillie suits, this fireteam takes the high ground and gets the lay of the terrain before the unit enters the field—identifying and targeting potential threats before the others rush in where angels fear to tread. The Forward Observer will utilize enhanced vision gear, a silenced motion tracker—and sometimes even passive Pups—to locate targets for the dedicated marksman to eliminate.

ASSAULT TEAM: Designed for urban pacification, the assault team breaches doors, takes out security systems, and neutralizes enemy encampments with heavy ordnance. Combat technicians assigned to an assault team bypass doors, tripwires, and security systems. Assault Marines utilize RPGs, rubber U1 rounds, plastisteel shields, electroshock grenades, and shaped charges to achieve their objectives.

CBRN TEAM: The Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear defense fireteam can be called in to clean up a spill, deactivate a dirty bomb, contain an outbreak, or to establish and enforce ICC quarantine procedures. A CBRN team is equipped with HAZMAT anti-contamination suits, detection and analysis equipment, incinerators, and firebomb U4 rounds. CBRN combat technicians are trained to diffuse bombs and safely shut down fusion reactors/drives as well as bypass electronic defenses.

RECON TEAM:	► Forward Observer ► Dedicated Marksman (rank of Lance Corporal or above)
ASSAULT TEAM:	► Assault Marine Breacher (M5 RPG Operator) ► Combat Technician
CBRN TEAM:	► CBRN Defense Specialist ► Combat Technician