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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 In its original state the Regiment consisted of a mishmashed smattering of outdated transport vessels that had seen service as far back as the Sol Campaign, a variety of commanders with misaligned and conflicting ideologies as well as goals,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 Samantha Maverick 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budget, and an all-around lack of qualified personnel to hold positions of importance, it is no longer the hopelessly outdated and disorganized organization it was at the outset of its founding.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 |
|---|---|---|
 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 |
Individual Battalions
| Introduction |
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| The First Battalion, mockingly dubbed the 'Lucky First' - originally under the command of Regimental Commander Maverick herself, 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.
The First Battalion specializes in boarding raids 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. |
| 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.' |
| Introduction |
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| The 4th Battalion of the 3rd Regiment, 4th Combat Division of the MSF-3 (alternatively known as the “Steel Phantoms”) is led and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Calhoun as of the year 2182. At present they function as the Regiment’s premier spearhead force due to their high concentration of heavy equipment: tanks, self-propelled artillery, and armored recon. It is currently headquartered out of its flagship vessel, a Conestoga-Class ship known as the USS Renascent. The USS Renascent is subordinate to 3rd Regiment Command and Colonel Samantha Maverick. |
| Operations |
| The 4th Battalion operates as the 3rd Regiment’s breakthrough force, being tasked with the destruction of heavily fortified enemy positions across the entirety of the Neroid Sector. As such, it finds itself out of active use during times of peace - most readily operating as a supplementary force during small-scale operations within the region.
In the absence of large-scale conflicts, the ships of the 4th Battalion operate as patrol vessels in the more tumultuous portions of the sector. This is primarily due to the need for quick responses of a heavier ordinance in these regions, owing to both the frequency of and nature of most beacons sent out into the dead of space. Where the 4th Battalion goes it is not uncommon to see abject devastation follow, owing to the tendency of many of its commanders to pursue victory at the detriment of other, secondary objectives. This directly translates to a near-total disregard for collateral as commanders complete their duties. |
| Headquarters |
| The 4th Battalion is based out of the Conestoga Class Light Assault Starship, the USS Renascent. As the functional command-nexus for the 4th Battalion, the Renascent is compartmentalized towards bureaucracy and intelligence gathering more than it is towards the transport of troops or vessel-to-vessel combat.
The Renascent additionally carries a fully armored company of marines on board in order to provide supplementary combat services to its allies and to complete its standard patrol duties within the Neroid Sector. Said company is equipped with 2 M40 Ridgeway Heavy Tanks, 4 M22A3 Jackson Medium Tanks, 6 M43A2 Longstreet Light Tanks, and 2 M292 Self-Propelled Artillery Guns, and is usually only deployed to assist in medium to large-scale operations rather than standard emergency responses. The Command Center on board the USS Renascent contains the offices of Battalion Commander Calhoun and his immediate support staff, as well as spare offices for high-ranking battalion staff when receiving assignments or conducting necessary paperwork away from individual vessels. |
| Command |
| The 4th Battalion and USS Renascent are both commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Calhoun as of the year 2182. Battalion staff is generally split across several vessels on active patrol within the 3rd Regiment’s operating theater, but consists of a few dozen officers and enlisted personnel, including: Major Caroline A.W. Ljungman, Battalion Executive Officer; and Sergeant Major Ryan Goodman, Chief Enlisted Advisor.
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| Factionalism |
| As with every military organization, the 4th Battalion does see its fair share of conflicting ideologies and methods of conducting business. However, the command structure of the battalion has seen the vast majority of its senior positions staffed by members of the Colonial Protection Organisation (CPO), more commonly known as ’Hawks’. Many allege this state of affairs to have come about due to Lt. Col. Calhoun’s status as a stalwart ’Hawk’, though complaints are often shut down as the battalion is not entirely devoid of ’Doves’ and ‘Magpies’. |
| Background |
| The 4th was originally under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Karl Philip Walz, for whom the Battalion’s long-standing reputation as an astoundingly capable cohort is entirely owed. However, after a series of events surrounding [REDACTED], involving [REDACTED], and ultimately resulting in [REDACTED], Commander Walz would be transferred from his position as Chief Officer of the 4th Battalion to a position in the core systems where it was believed he could be of more use.
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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 Maverick 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 Seventh Battalion, the Blazing Orchids, is an Infantry Battalion with Crowd & Riot Control Capability with a special intelligence network, a large number of specially trained Military Police & Infantry personnel and equipment to suppress the rebellions and riots encouraged and funded by the Colonial Liberation Front, which increased its activities in the sector especially as a result of the Canton Operation. In addition to its Crowd & Riot Control responsibility, the Battalion is recorded as occasionally conducting joint investigations with the Provost Office on the colonies. Known for her closeness to the Doves and her experience and success in anti-CLF operations, Lieutenant Colonel Gökçen Demir was appointed as the commander of the Seventh Battalion. |
| Background |
| The objective of Operation Scarlet Wall was to secure LV-331 after a coordinated CLF assault aimed to seize control of vital hydroponic facilities critical to the colony's survival. The CLF infiltrated LV-331, using a civilian worker strike as a cover to initiate an armed rebellion. The Blazing Orchids established a defensive perimeter around the hydroponics complex, deploying barricades and tear gas to prevent protesters from breaching critical zones. Simultaneously, a strike team led by Major Lorraine neutralized key insurgent leaders holed up in the colony, severing their ability to coordinate. |
Mission
The Third Regiment is tasked with search-and-destroy within the Herculis Theater under the Third Fleet, primarily the sector of Neroid due to the sudden influx of colonial rebellions occurring and requests from local marshals for reinforcements in putting down insurrections. The Regiment however, faces various issues including strained logistical supply lanes bogged down by distance, guerilla attacks from varying factions, poor weaponry maintenance, and low manpower due to a strained budget. Any hope of victory can only be achieved with new methods as attrition continues to tear away at the Regiment.
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 Maverick 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
| Ideology | Symbol | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hawks | The Hawks are a far-right leaning faction that emerged following the end of the Sol Campaign, holding the belief that colonist uprisings can only be halted with iron and blood. Their main support dwindled following the ending of the Tientsin Campaign which led to the outlawing of nuclear weapons being used against colonies due to the humanitarian disaster that had emerged in the wake of the conflict. However, with the War on Insurgency dragging on and casualties mounting, the upper-brass of the USCM has once again begun to reconsider the option of more forceful measures. This would potentially include once again permitting the use of nuclear weaponry on colonial worlds, the suspension of colonial governments, and enactment of martial law through the sector. | |
| Doves | The Doves are a left-leaning faction that rose to prominence following the humanitarian crisis on Mars after the Sol Campaign had been waged and won. Their firm belief is that the only way to unite colonies with the Earth Government is by fighting and winning the ‘War of Hearts’ through negotiation, humanitarian aid, and less usage of military assets. Following the Tientsin Campaign the Doves saw a major increase in popularity among the officer corps and successfully pressed the government to outlaw the use of nuclear weapons against colonial worlds. However, the War on Insurgency has wounded the belief that the ‘War of Hearts’ can still be won. Many now pointing to the relentless years of war crimes, casualties, and growing distrust of the USCM by CLF-aligned colonies. Yet there is still hope that the colonies and Sol can be reunified through compassion and unity. | |
| Magpies | The Magpies are military industrial complex supporters who lean heavily towards policies pushed for and supported by major corporations such as Weyland-Yutani. Officers who align themselves as Magpies echo that the corporations are strong allies and that it would be harmful to push or restrict purchasing and contracts with them. It’s rumored that Magpies are among the wealthiest of officers in the USCM primarily due to bribes likely received to ‘overlook’ certain incidents that might be damaging to Weyland-Yutani or other corporations possessing active contracts with the USCM. Their interest aligns with the Hawks or Doves on specific issues and falls most readily on the cost and benefits. To them, money is power and a path to greater standing. | |
| 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 both the Doves, Hawks, and Magpies to gain the support of these officers is not uncommon within the USCM. |
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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.