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Overview
The 3rd Regiment of the 4th Combat Division, attached to Marine Space Force 3 'Herculis', was established in 2170 following the close of Operation Canton and the establishment of a cease fire between the United Americas and the Union of Progressive Peoples. It was created during the reorganization of USCM forces necessitated by the shifting geopolitical landscape which emerged in the wake of the devastating colonial conflict. In its original state the Regiment consisted of a mishmashed smattering of outdated transport vessels that had seen service as far back as the Sol Campaign, a variety of commanders with misaligned and conflicting ideologies as well as goals, and a severe lack of functional and easily maintained equipment to be used in ongoing conflicts within the Herculis Theater.
Following the ascension of Colonel Michael Calhoun to the position of Regimental Commander, the 3rd Regiment has begun to resemble a fighting force that the United Americas could grow to become proud of. In 2182 the Regiment still experiences issues surrounding corruption, a dwindling budget, and an all-around lack of qualified personnel to hold positions of importance, it is no longer the hopelessly outdated and disorganized organization it was at the outset of its founding.
Organization
Regimental Structure
Rank Structure
| Role | Description | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
 Brigadier General | BGen |
A Flag Officer and member of the High Command for the USCMC's 4th Combat Division. The Chief of Joint Operations is responsible for coordinating actions between the various regiments falling under the division's umbrella. They are chiefly tasked with advising the overall commander of the 4th Combat Division on the strategic direction that the organization should take, and then disseminating that information to regimental commanders as required. | Whitelist Overseer |
 Colonel | Col |
Leads the 3rd Regiment of the USCMC's 4th Combat Division, assigned to Marine Space Force 3 (MSF-3) 'Herculis', operating out of Chinook 91 GSO Station. The Regimental Commander acts as the highest instance of authority to all Marines within their Regiment, with their own superiors usually not being immediately present due to distances of space and time of travel. As such, the Colonel has a large degree of authority. | CO Senator |
 Lieutenant Colonel | LtCol |
Leaders of the Regiment’s different battalions. Different Commanders act as the intermediate authority figure to their subordinate officers (Company Commanders).
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CO Council |
 Major | Maj |
COs within the Regiment at the rank of Major will be in command of usually at least one Company of Marines. This can vary, however, and there are certainly niche scenarios, especially out in the Neroid Sector at the fringes of civilized space.
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CO Whitelist |
Battalions & Operations
The 3rd Regiment employs somewhere in the range of 9,800 active, combat capable personnel spread across its seven battalions. Though the size of each battalion varies depending on several factors (the type of mission it is designed for, the inclusion of specialized support units, current operational environment, and changes in force structure) generally each maintains somewhere in the range of 1000-1400 personnel. While these seven battalions are designed to supplement one another in times of war and conflict, the reality is that the vast distance they are credited with patrolling combined with the difficulties of long-distance communication make each unit significantly more independent than would otherwise be standard. As such, the commanders of each battalion are able to exercise a significant degree of autonomy when it comes to specializing their command towards a certain aim or goal.
While the general autonomy available to commanders within the regiment does offer several benefits - faster decision-making in critical situations, increased situational awareness, and improved adaptability to changing circumstances - it brings alongside it several major difficulties that only serve to cripple the total operational ability of the regiment. Reduced oversight has lead to startling levels of corruption and nepotism among its officers, with many appointments being made on arbitrary or fabricated grounds to serve the political/economic goals of external parties. Lack of a consistent strategy has lead to a disjointed and counterproductive response to attacks by the Colonial Liberation Front and encroachment from the Union of Progressive Peoples. And worst of all are the increasingly common number of human rights violations, a reality that only serves to paint the USCM in a worse light for the people it claims to serve and protect.
| Introduction |
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| The First Battalion, mockingly dubbed the 'Lucky First' - originally under the command of former Regimental Commanders Maverick and Ji-Yeon, has long been subject to scandals due to the disappearances of their Commanders, seemingly at the drop of a hat, leading some to speculate that this battalion is cursed in one way or another. A saying among its commanders being those that are assigned to oversee it will meet an unceremonious end.
Lieutenant Colonel Caroline A.W. Ljungman has continued reforms to combat this stigma. Ljungman has focused on imposing the rigid structure and effective training necessary for the battalion to operate at its maximum potential. This, coupled with the wholesale purge of corrupt elements of the battalion (some of whom were simply Magpies unluckily caught up in the event), has drawn the ire of many. With her own background as a Hawk of the regiment’s Fourth Battalion, Ljungman has instituted a similar culture within the First; this is especially present in the overwhelming force used in raids. Doves are also present in significant numbers, with the battalion’s interdiction role appealing to those of a more restrained approach. The First Battalion specializes in boarding raids (VBSS) of other spaceborne vessels, mimicking that of the ICSC contraband removal parties aimed at disrupting anti-colonial sentimentalism generated by 'boots on the ground' tactics. The battalion has served most notably during Operation Tychon Tackle and has been of great effect in quelling CLF movement in the Neroid Sector. |
| Headquarters |
| First Battalion is headquartered on the USS Ganesha, a Conestoga-class Light Assault Starship. Being the ‘flagship’ for the battalion, the Ganesha is outfitted differently than the rest of the unit. Interior modules that would normally be reserved for a company of marines are instead replaced by offices and bunking for the battalion’s command staff and headquarters unit, an expanded Combat Information Center, and an enhanced communications and intelligence suite.
The Ganesha still carries the requisite modules for the First’s operations, including an auxiliary hangar with specialized craft for her interdiction operations, as well as a somewhat expanded brig. Due to the necessary weaponry and modules for interdiction operations and the battalion headquarters, the ship only carries an (understrength) company of marine infantry, though she does have a slightly larger Military Police detachment. Despite her understrength marine force, the vessel features the standard complement of weaponry for the class, with the addition of smaller weapons designed to disable ships that attempt to flee from the Ganesha during interdiction operations:
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| Command |
| First Battalion and, by extension, the USS Ganesha, are commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Caroline A.W. Ljungman as of 2182. Given the required size of an infantry battalion, the First has several dozen other officers and senior enlisted personnel spread across its patrol zone in other vessels assigned to the battalion. Senior battalion staff, including headquarters staff, remain on the Ganesha, and include Major Isabel Lopits, the Battalion Executive Officer.
Individual company commanders are granted an immense amount of leeway and control over their individual commands, given the vast amount of area the First is expected to cover at any given time. Commanding officers are given a significant amount of trust in executing interdiction operations faithfully and in an above-board manner, though battalion staff periodically check in on operations in person. |
| Factionalism |
| The First is no stranger to the ideological struggles that occur within the Corps, with supporters of all sorts of ideologies present within the battalion. The vast majority of battalion headquarters staff are Hawks. Some whisper, privately, that it is due to the appointment of an AW as the battalion commander; publicly, however, LtCol Ljungman’s Hawk attitude is well-documented. There is also a significant contingent of Doves within the battalion, mainly owing to the interdiction role that the battalion plays, allowing for more ‘hearts and minds’ interactions, as opposed to deployments in the dirt. Magpies were virtually purged from the First after Ljungman took over, mostly in relation to the corruption fight, whether they were involved or not. Some, however, have managed to avoid the ire of the battalion commander. |
| Background |
| Operation Holdfast aimed to maintain a perimeter of the World of New Kingston after a coup against and the death of the Governor-Elect. Ultimately ensuring that no subversive elements fled and that peace was restored to the Colony with minimal loss of Civilian Life.
Operation Candlewick involved a joint action between the Lucky First and a Three World Empire Peacekeeping Battalion monikered 'Hokkaido Lads.' Resulted in the successful elimination of a secessionist force from the Three World Empire lead by guerilla Mark Ishii and secured the destruction of the secessionist Flagship 'Haliday' with only one Battalion Frigate Casualty - The USS 'Secret Agent.' |
| The supporting heart of the regiment, Fourth Battalion’s primary mission is centered around maintaining regimental readiness and ensuring the combat arms elements are supplied and made capable of engaging and destroying the enemies of the United Americas. Secondary to these responsibilities, 4th battalion is frequently called upon to assist with colonial development and civil engineering projects. Working with official government colonization projects or for private organizations such as Weyland Yutani, 4th Battalion’s engineering units are used to clear space for foundations, build roadways, or set up prefabricated structures for arriving settlers.
Organic to the Battalion and ensuring their mission goals are achieved are several transportation, maintenance, sustainment, and supply companies as well as a unit of horizontal and vertical engineers. These units fall directly beneath Battalion Headquarters and fleet structure and are assigned to the many depots, supply ships, and workshops that the Battalion maintains through the sector. Secondary to the organic elements and their objectives, 4th Battalion serves to reconstitute and retrain understrength line units coming from the rest of the regiment. These units are temporarily taken into the Battalion's official TO&E and shifted to posts where close proximity to sustainment units and clear supply lines allow for steady access to recruits, maintenance personnel, and fresh materiel. This of course means that the Battalion roster is extremely eclectic and frequently changing, leading to a variety of unofficial and semi-derisive nicknames from the combat personnel cycling through its ranks including “The Circus” and “FOBbiton.” Currently in the aftermath of Tychon Tackle, the 4th has been working overtime reorganizing and repairing the damage done to the regiment. The entire battalion is subject to long days and short nights and the space around their transports and above their depots are filled with cargo landers and dropships. |
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| Introduction |
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| The Fifth Battalion, AKA the Iron Eagles, bears responsibility for long-range recon following air, sea, ground, and space. The Battalion itself is robustly equipped with various odds and ends, likely tactically acquired from other operations and put to use. Each eagle receives high-end medical and engineering training and additional training on non-standard UA equipment. They are led by Lieutenant Colonel Braden Stephenson.
Their second largest contribution is working with the logistics branch, usually providing early warnings of hostile movement to the supply ships. Membership of the Iron Eagles is usually considered a silent service as members are not known to publicly speak about what each other is doing, keeping information closely linked to the chain of command. Active rumors exist, but the Battalion itself neither confirms nor denies such. |
| Background |
| Exercise Iron Blood was a joint training exercise between 1st Battalion ‘Lucky First’ and the 5th Battalion involving an initial recon mission by 5th Battalion elements who set up a forward base from which other units, including companies of the 1st, would aim to to reinforce. Acceptable performance was noted after joint analysis.
During Operation Pale Horse the Iron Eagles deployed to the jungle-covered LV-889. UAAC-TIS intelligence couriers informed Battalion Command that the planet was infested with four active CLF cells, as well as a guerilla training camp designed to turn out elite fighters for the wider terrorist network. First, Seventh, and Fourth Companies deployed to the planet, and while most details of this operation are redacted after thirty days, the Eagles had reported: "We came, we saw, we removed terrorists from the AO." Operation New Dawn was a large-scale battle between a CLF cell and the UA peackeeping forces on LV-518, with the CLF using the planet's naturally hazardous environment to prevent a USCM armored division from advancing. A small team of Eagles led by one Lieutenant Matthews plotted a safe course despite sustaining multiple losses to the unit. |
| Introduction |
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| The Sixth Battalion, of the Third Regiment, Fourth Marine Division of Marine Space Force Three, ‘Herculis’, also known by the moniker “Silver Sparrows” is led and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Hunter Stanford. Having been created in 21XX as a result of the deactivation of 3rd Battalion, ‘Rattlesnakes’ and merging of Battalions XXX and XXX, the Silver Sparrow’s mission is to conduct and assist with the pacification of the Neroid sector, although officially worded as “Assisting with specialized operations in frontier colonial locales of the UA and TWE.”
Much like its predecessor the 3rd Battalion, ‘Rattlesnakes’, the Silver Sparrows are now highly mobile in nature and assignment, and Company Commanders of the Sixth Battalion often see themselves on their ship more often than not, going from planet to planet, one region of space to another, and taking long haul patrol assignments like those often assigned to the USS Almayer. The Silver Sparrows also have retained, at least comparably to other battalions in the Neroid, a high number of Infantry-focused companies. More infamously, the Sixth Battalion has also seen in recent times a reputation of underhandedness, not much unlike its predecessor, the 3rd Battalion, ‘Rattlesnakes’. It is an open secret in the USCMC that 3rd Battalion, ‘Rattlesnakes’ was deactivated under pressure from various press, humanitarian, Provost, and internal pressures on USCMC High Command for drastic actions to curtail the brutality inflicted on everything from rare planetary fauna to civilian populations. While officially listed as deactivated for combat reorganization purposes, large remnants of the ‘Rattlesnakes’ live on in the Sixth Battalion. The first Sixth Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Gabriela Orchiz was placed in charge of the newly formed Sixth in an effort to appease the aforementioned pressures to ensure a ‘proper’ USCM fighting force. Personally, Gabriela Orchiz possessed a reputation of strict discipline, management, and overall success. Lt. Col. Gabriela Orchiz would lead effectively until 21XX and their own promotion and reassignment elsewhere. During Gabriela Orchiz ’s short leadership, the Sixth saw several new introductions of Company Commanders, new Bougainville ships, Conestoga retrofits, and decommissioning of old Arikaras. Lt. Col. Hunter Stanford, the current and second commander of the Sixth Battalion, has undone much of Gabriela Orchiz’s ‘progress’. Stanford was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and placed in command of the Silver Sparrows in 21XX. Stanford was highly popular within the ranks of the Sixth and outside, possessing large amounts of experience and connections within the Neroid sector, which the Sixth found itself increasingly operating inside. Stanford’s popularity notably excluded Gabriela Orchiz, who had regularly assigned them to especially unwanted duties and disparaged him in private circles with accusations of being a ‘yes-man, crony, and overall brown noser’. Under Stanford’s command, and alleged lack of command to some, the Silver Sparrows have been entirely relegated to the Neroid and placed under command of Colonel Michael Calhoun and the Third Regiment. In the Neroid they gained the aforementioned reputation of underhandedness and brutality in some cases. In the latest example, Operation Roost Rustle, or the joint CMB-USCM seizure of weapons and stolen goods from CLF aligned smugglers along the XXX Route, CMB officials alleged mishandling of precious seized cargo by the Silver Sparrows. This incident is one amongst a history of many similar such cases. While Stanford himself has never been implicated or directly involved and routinely takes part in efforts to root out the recurring problem of mishandling operations, many have alleged accusations of malice, incompetence, and mismanagement against him, and his popularity has dropped sharply in recent times. He personally lists the lack of resources given to him, remoteness of the Neroid, incompetency of the Provost Marshal office, and efforts of subversive elements from inside and out of the USCM as reasons for the poor performance of the Silver Sparrows. Under Stanford, the Sixth Battalion is a loosely organized unit offering commanders great autonomy in conducting their orders. It is a rare sight to see multiple Sixth Battalion Companies working in tandem or even inside the same AO, exceptions being the relatively few bases, camps, and forts in various space stations and planets assigned to the Sixth. This is due to Stanford’s personal preferences on leadership style as he styles it ‘the best tactical approach to handling the Neroid.’ |
| Factionalism |
| Factionalism amongst senior officers in the USCM is widespread, and is no less true in the Silver Sparrows in recent times.
The ‘Doves’ are ever present in the remnants of Gabriela Orchiz’s introduction of new Company Commanders from the more ‘sophisticated’ MSF1 and MSF2 forces where she held sway, and her overall era of disciplined leadership. The ‘Warhawks’ stand strong in the senior most echelons of the Sixth’s officers and senior enlisted, many coming from the ‘Rattlesnakes’. The ‘Magpies’, while less prominent in the Sixth and more covert than the Doves or Warhawks, hold a small but impactful presence from the outside and inside of the Sixth, largely represented by opportunist and self serving officers like Stanford, with company men and women here and there. Finally there are those ‘Unaligned’ with any faction still present. A number of Company Commanders, including Stanford in the now far past, request or arrange transfer to the Silver Sparrows to get away from micromanaging superiors, factionalism, and to get some action in the heating up combat AO’s of the Neroid. After all, who doesn’t want to see exotic, far off planets, and serve their country while doing so? |
| Introduction |
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| The 7th Battalion of the 3rd Regiment, 4th Combat Division of the MSF-3 is led and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Oswald Aalto as of the year 2182. After the restructuring of the regiment under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Gökçen Demir, the recent rise of Lieutenant Colonel Oswald Aalto has led to further attempts to maintain order in the colonies aboard. The regiment employs the use of specialised assault teams armed with both lethal and non lethal means of pacification to establish temporary governments and administrations in pacified regions.
Nicknamed the “Sweeping Seventh” for their effective usage of crowd control to handle colonial uprisings, the regiment has found itself the butt of the joke from enlisted of the First through the 6th for their ‘missing of the action’, assigned to clean up duty. Many have jokingly referred to the Seventh as the ‘Clean up crew’ or ‘Janitors’ with a suggestion that the only sweeping the Seventh takes part in is the sweeping up the dust and ashes of hard earned victories. In the culture of the regiments, Officers of the Seventh have been characterised as often bored and unfulfilled by their work. This boredom is often cited as the reason for the more open nature of political disagreements between members of the Officer corps. |
| Operations |
| Operation Sulking Phoenix was a failed attempt to reorganise the administration of Gilbert’s Gambit after successful recovery of the TWE colony from CLF forces. The colony’s ultimate downfall was caused through political infighting among officers within the Seventh that led to minor skirmishing between marine forces before the colony was ultimately deemed unviable for human habitation and struck from the record.
Operation Wheezing Warrior was an incredibly successful rehabilitation of a colony undergoing a viral outbreak. The Seventh battalion was sent in as an occupying force, having enforced a quarantine of the population at gunpoint. It is noted that only minor breaches of the quarantine occurred, and were not repeated after a strict embargo of supplies to rebelling sectors of the colony. Operation Jumping Joy was one of the more recent operations undertaken by the Seventh, in which a union of mine workers refused to comply with the demands of the Weyland Yutani corporation, who had been reinstalled into the colonial administration of the colony following the advice of several MODI aligned officers. The union was successfully quashed after a two month long guerilla campaign to bring them back under corporate control. |
| Factional Tension |
| As of recent times the HMM have lost favour within the Seventh as a result of a rise in guerrilla activity from the supposed ‘Colonial Liberation Front’, leading to a rise in tensions between officers aligned with either the CPO or MODI often leading to all out arguments between commanding officers regarding the best means of restructuring regained colonies. Supporters of the MODI, often aligning with powerful mega corporations such as Weyland-Yutani have argued in favour of rebuilding the colonies with closer ties to company administration - criticising the ruined state CPO aligned officers have left reconquered colonies in.
Contrastingly, CPO aligned officers have argued in favour of removing the armed capabilities of some particularly rebellious colonies in order to permanently place them under occupation until such a time that the ‘Colonial Liberation Front’ has been put to a stop. This has been heavily criticised by remaining HMM support within the Seventh who argue in favour of self governance and close cooperation with the Colonial Marshal Bureau. While factional tensions are nothing unique to the Seventh, it is notable that the battalion’s officers have been known to organise ‘War Games’ between their men and the men of their political opponents. Officially these games are for the sake of training, however have been known to spill over into violence, leading to harsh reprimanding from their superiors. |
Starship Hulls
As the United States Colonial Marine Corps is an independent arm of the Armed Forces, separate from the United States AeroSpace Force, those officers employed by the USCMC and the Third Regiment of Marine Space Force 3 are not placed in command of vessels primarily designed for space combat. Instead, commissioned officers of sufficient rank and ability are on occasion granted command of troop transport vessels that, in addition to transporting personnel across vast distances of space, act as carriers for rapid deployment of UD-4 "Cheyenne" Dropships as well as other vehicles and equipment commonly employed by marine companies.
Due to the distance between the United America's core colonies and the Neroid sector of the Herculis Theater, the transport vessels of the Third Regiment often travel alone through the vastness of space to respond to distress signals and any other of the numerous situations that may require the attention of the armed forces. If an officer of the Third Regiment is granted command of one of these vessels it will almost always be one of three available hulls.
| Arikara-class Landing Patrol Vessel |
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| The Arikara is the oldest of the three marine transport hulls within the Regiment’s arsenal, originally devised in the 2150s and first produced in the 2160s. Classified as a Patrol Transport capable of self-sustained efforts, the Arikara was a classic, stop-gap production for when the UA required a new vessel for deep space patrols, with at least a few hulls being built or retrofitted in conjunction with WY. Said contributions often came with expanded research and AI systems, yet with the added caveat of a corporate presence onboard.
As expected from this jack-of-all-trades style, an Arikara has basic capabilities for both self-defence and offense, though will handily lose any fight against a more modern counterpart, let alone any larger starship properly built for space combat. |
| Conestoga-class Light Assault Starship |
| The Conestoga Light Assault Starship is the hull class that has largely replaced the earlier Arikara, due primarily to its superior performance in the Arikara's primary role as isolated deep-space patrol vessel capable of ferrying troops to far off locations. The Conestoga is much larger, capable of carrying far more equipment and personnel (dependent on configuration and usage), as well as being better armored and armed overall.
A dedicated Conestoga can hold as many as eight full companies of marines theoretically, yet in practice they usually hold no more than 2, as with the Arikara. Enough to handle nearly any combat situation encountered on a patrol that a single transport is meant to tackle, while providing them with superior support in the form of vehicles, fire support, and logistics. |
| Bougainville-class Light Attack Transport |
| The Bougainville is the newest evolution of the troop transport concept following the Conestoga and Arikara hulls, considered top-of-the-line for its purpose within the USCMC. Building on the lessons learned from the Arikara and taking the improvements in design from the Conestoga-class, the Bougainville is slated to become the new premier hull design employed by the Third Regiment.
This, however, is a completely intentional design choice. Bougainvilles are generally afforded with improved equipment that requires less space for similar effectiveness, reducing the space needed for auxiliary modules like a medbay, and have most of a company's fire support requirements offloaded to multipurpose mounts on the ship itself, rather than individual equipment or vehicles. Thus, the class has much of the multi-role capability of the Arikaras for use on patrols alongside combat effectiveness near that of the Conestogas, at a far smaller size and price. The poor autonomy is a known and expected factor, as fears of the Cold War with the UPP going hot have steadily grown over time. Bougainvilles only need to be 'good enough' for extended and distant patrols, as in the event a full-scale war breaks out, much of the largely-empty territory of present-day patrols would be abandoned. Instead, they would generally remain within the proximity of allied battlegroups, patrolling around a collection of ships that could easily resupply them while still serving in its primary capacity as orbital landing ships. Such a situation would negate every potential downside of the class compared to the Conestoga, further adding onto the benefits of its greatly reduced logistical and economic costs. |
Starship Retrofits & Specializations
In the event an officer is placed in charge of one of the above hulls, they are presented with the option to augment or otherwise retrofit their vessel to serve the desires and needs of their assignment. For a humanitarian assignment or one anticipating high casualty levels, part of a vessel's cryobay may be converted into additional medical facilities and for protracted assignments and logistics oriented vessels this may involve converting large swathes of hangar space into munitions storage or vehicle bays to store MUTT-4M7 Multipurpose Trucks. While augments to a vessel's outer hull are possible they are significantly more expensive, and considering that the Third Regiment already operates with a decreased budget and strained supply lines it is increasingly uncommon to see the addition of new weapons systems - such as railguns, missiles, or countermeasures - to any vessel's hull.
Officers of the Third Regiment are granted relatively free-reign to augment their vessels as they see fit, provided the funding and materials are present, though there are certain functionalities that each vessel are expected and required to maintain. All vessels are expected to maintain the ability to conduct landings and transport marine personnel, as is their primary function, and must be capable of rendering medical aid and treatment to wounded or ailing marines. Any undertaking that would be required to retain a vessel's ability to operate on its own in the void of space for long periods of time cannot and may not be removed the vessel.
This does not exclude vessels from pursuing specializations toward certain types of patrol duties, however. The First Battalion often maintains vessels equipped with weaponry capable of disabling vessels to aid its personnel when conducting boarding operations and the Fourth Battalion maintains vessels with significantly larger vehicle bays to store and conduct maintenance on armored vehicles. Other vessels operating within the Third Regiment contain significantly increased temporary housing for civilians when conducting evacuations and upscaled medical bays for advanced surgeries and treatment protocols.
Mission
The Third Regiment is primarily tasked with search-and-destroy missions within the Herculis Theater - under the purview of the Third Fleet. And the majority of its operations and response programs are conducted within the sector of Neroid due to an influx of colonial rebellions and an increasing number of requests from local marshals for reinforcements to aid in putting down insurrections. However, in recent years the Regiment has begun to face an increasingly large number of issues when completing their duties: strained logistical supply lanes bogged down by distance, guerilla attacks from varying factions, poor maintenance of equipment, and low manpower due to a strained budget. With attrition slowly eating away at the Regiment, it has become clear that any hope of victory lies with new, unexplored methods.
As of 2182 the Third Regiment operates out of Chinook 91 GSO station, a military space station in geosynchronous orbit around the colony world Georgia 525 (70 Ophiuchi A V). Due to to increasing security concerns, Colonel Michael Calhoun has begun detaching the regiment's reserve troops to defend the military space station from any potential threat that may target the heart of the Third Regiment.
Ideology
A well-organized and functional military force does not tend to encourage factionalism within its ranks, but such developments inevitably occur even at the highest levels so long as there are differences in mindsets and approaches. The USCM is no exception to this rule, and has seen three primary schools of thought become prevalent throughout its ranks. The paradoxically peaceable ‘Doves’ avoiding their nature as a fighting force to focus on humanitarian aid, the warmongering ‘Hawks’ seeking to crush all resistance on active fronts and bring back glory through victory, and the loose coalition of self-centered opportunists united under the banner of ‘Magpies’ for the sake of profit or personal opportunity.
These are not the formal titles for their associated political entities, as the bird terminology comes from long before these particular incarnations. Nonetheless, referring to a faction by its respective bird is more likely to spark recognition from the everyday marine than its official organization name.
| Ideology | Symbol | Description |
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| Doves (HMM) | The Hearts and Minds Movement, also known as the "Doves," originated from a UA federal-level political organization following the Tienstein Campaign of 2162-2165 and the ensuing tactical nuclear deployment between UPP and USCM forces on 8 Eta Bootis A III. The organization’s founders were disgusted with the level of civilian casualties in a military front that ultimately resulted in nothing gained. They favored a diplomatic approach, even after the destruction of the USCSS Endeavour by UPP forces, claiming that negotiating with the UPP as well as trying to win the “hearts and minds” of the 8 Eta Bootis A III populace would’ve brought a swift end to the conflict. | |
| Hawks (CPO) | The Colonial Protection Organization, also known as the "Hawks," was founded only a few years after the foundation of the UA itself in 2108. The CPO’s founders were enraged by the handling of the Paraguayan Colony of Torin Prime and the J’Har Rebel Insurgency. The Outer Rim Defense Force’s unwillingness to destroy J’Har headquarters, due to fears of civilian casualties, was widely regarded by the CPO to have allowed such a rebellious insurgency to take much stronger root than they had any right in doing. This result was further argued to actually have led to more civilian casualties than if the J’Har insurgency was dealt with swiftly regardless of collateral damage. The CPO argued, instead, for an end to the ORDF’s push for expansion and a strong boot style to stamp out any seditious embers swiftly before they become infernos. | |
| Magpies (MODI) | Founded amongst officers and officials who were involved with the USCM’s founding in 2101, it was created as an organization that wanted to secure the USCM's future through establishing favorable relationships between the USCM and military innovators. This, invariably, led the organization to become highly supportive of the many corporate entities that supply the USCM with its guns, dropships, ammunition, and technological developments.
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| Unaligned | It is not uncommon for officers both new and old to distance themselves from the politics that surround their careers and missions to serve the USCM. Some often develop their own opinions far different from the main ideologies on how the issues the USCM faces should be dealt with, and thus find themselves often supporting one of the big three if it aligns with their own beliefs. Lobbying by the HMM, CPO, and MODI to gain the support of these officers is not uncommon within the USCM. |
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| REGIMENTAL REPORT (As of 04/18/2182) |
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Doves: 34.8% Hawks: 26.1% Magpies: 26.1% Other/Non-Aligned: 13.0%
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Current Crises
The War on Insurgency
The Colonial Liberation Front (CLF) are the United States Colonial Marine Corps' primary enemy in the Neroid Sector. A status primarily credited to their ideology, one opposing the government of the United Americas which they believe have long since abandoned the colonies. As a result, they wage a fierce guerrilla war on any UA-aligned forces, most readily the USCM. Although under-equipped and undermanned compared to their enemies, they have made up for such with strategic hit-and-run tactics which prove devastating in the war of attrition against under-manned USCM forces in the sector.
The ongoing fight against the CLF in the Neroid Sector and various other small cells appearing in other sectors has been ongoing for over a decade with no end in sight. Having an estimated manpower in the range of 150,000, the Colonial Liberation Front heavily outnumber local USCM forces despite their shoddy equipment. Casualties and losses continue to accumulate by the day with guerilla fighting taking its toll on USCM forces. Bickering between the various tactics and styles of command between those in charge of the 3rd Regiment have rendered any meaningful progress against the CLF impossible, and a decision must be made soon if there is to be any hope of success.
The Cold War
The Union of Progressive People and the United Americas have been locked in a Cold War for decades. Since the end of the Great Space Race and hostilities such as the Core Conflicts and the Tientsin Campaign, movement and amassing of military forces along borders has not been uncommon. As a matter of fact, various skirmishes between the two are growing increasingly common as tensions continue to rise. However, since the Tientsin Campaign these skirmishes have been kept undisclosed to the public, as the result could escalate into a full-scale nuclear war.
Lobbying from various factions within the 3rd Regiment and the wider USCM, most notably those with a hawkish attitude, have resulted in the United Americas adopting an increasingly aggressive stance towards the Union of Progressive Peoples. Hopes of a thawing of relations between the two Superpowers appears a distant dream as each continues their military buildup along the borders of the other.