Special Tactics and Rescue Service

Special Tactics and Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.; 1996 - 24/7/1998) was an elite special forces division under the jurisdiction of the Raccoon City Police Department (R.P.D.), which employed ex-military personnel and academic civilians for appropriate positions within the police department. The overall idea was to form a team combining tactically-sound soldiers with scientists, allowing the team to operate in both anti-terrorism and increasingly-potent urban crime.
==History==
A unit of hand-picked specialists working with the Raccoon City Police Department, S.T.A.R.S. was founded in 1996 in order to combat the increasing rate of terrorism and other violent crimes. The special tactics team was formed as part of Mayor Michael Warren's redevelopment campaign, "Bright Raccoon 21", funded generously and heavily by the , most notably the Umbrella Corporation. By July 1998, it was comprised of twelve members split into two teams; an "Alpha" team led by Albert Wesker, and a "Bravo" team led by Enrico Marini.
Two years after its formation, S.T.A.R.S. was deployed by the police to investigate a series of brutal cannibalistic homicides, which had taken place in the Arklay Mountains on the outskirts of the city. Bravo team was sent in on July 23, 1998 to investigate these incidents.
However, contact with Bravo team was lost and on the following day, Alpha team was dispatched to follow-up on Bravo team's mission and investigate their disappearance. Their probe of the area led to an isolated mansion (the base of Umbrella's Arklay Laboratory), where various mutated creatures run amok and the mansion's very research staff transformed into undead creatures as a result of a viral outbreak. Moreover, the members of Alpha team also found the remains of some of their Bravo team compatriots, while finding others on the brink of death (with the exception of Rebecca Chambers, who managed to escape with the Alpha team).
It was revealed that the experiments in the mansion were conducted by the international Umbrella Corporation and that the S.T.A.R.S. team's leader, Albert Wesker, was a double agent working for Umbrella, who had orchestrated the deaths of his subordinates in order to collect test battle data for Umbrella's B.O.W. research.
The team managed to thwart Wesker's plot by killing the T-002 Tyrant prototype. Only Alpha team members Jill Valentine; Chris Redfield; Barry Burton; Brad Vickers (Alpha team's helicopter pilot, who initially left the team stranded in the first place, but later regained his composure and airlifted the survivors), and Bravo team survivor Rebecca Chambers survived the mansion incident officially. Albert Wesker proved to have survived the attack from the Tyrant and escaped the mansion on his own.
The S.T.A.R.S. office had to go through a major clean out as over half of the officers were murdered (by-products of Umbrella). Their desks were cleaned out and, as such, most every member had their own desk to work at, save Rebecca who was on Bravo team so was usually on a different shift anyway.
After their return to civilization, S.T.A.R.S. requested a full-scale investigation of Umbrella's activities. However, many found their outlandish story too unbelievable to be possible and the Chief of Police, Brian Irons (who was secretly on Umbrella's payroll) disbanded the team officially, replacing the unit with the R.P.D.'s newly established S.W.A.T. unit to serve as the city's armed response unit. Chris, Jill, and Barry banded together and participated in anti-Umbrella operations around the globe.
==Organisation==
S.T.A.R.S. was comprised of two different teams: Alpha and Bravo, totaling twelve members. A five-man cell structure on foot, with the standard formation consisting of three rows of two columns in case the pilot needed to assemble with the rest of the group (the pilot could join the unit as a second Rear Security member if needed). Each team was organised based on the tactical squad formation, with five field operatives and a helicopter pilot. The teams would remain on duty for 24-hour shifts before switching to the other team, allowing S.T.A.R.S. to remain active of the event in an emergency. The operatives were assigned to the following positions.
At the front stood the Pointman on the right, responsible for field-scouting and reconnaissance, with the Backup Man - or B.U.M. - on the left, providing any assistance for the Pointman if needed. In the middle-row stood the Mission Leader, with the police rank of Captain, who would provide orders for the team. On the Mission Leader's right stood the Omni-Man, responsible for vehicle and weapon maintenance. In the rear stood Rear Security, in charge of establishing contact between HQ and helicopter, and treating injured teammates. While neither team was superior to the other, Albert Wesker held superiority over Enrico Marini.
Due to the specialist requirements of S.T.A.R.S., the organisation was expected to handle a wide variety of missions and investigations, ranging from disposal of bombs and chemical weapons, to obtaining digital evidence. Prospective S.T.A.R.S. members were typically recruited through the use of talent scouts, due to the need for specialists. These specialist skills ranged from sharpshooting, to computer hacking, to chemical disposal, and field medicine. For those not scouted, applications could be filed requiring tests to assess a candidate's skills. It is known that R.P.D. officer Kevin Ryman took and failed this test on two occasions.
==Uniform==
In the two years of its existence, S.T.A.R.S. never established an official uniform, instead going through a series of prototype designs which were customised by team members. Clothing worn as part of their uniforms included: a white undershirt with the S.T.A.R.S. emblem over the left sleeve, a similar undershirt with the R.P.D. emblem on the front and sleeve, an , an L2B , an N3-B , an , an , , , sheaths, leg holsters, , , s, LC1 suspenders, and LC2 belts.
==Weaponry==
The standard issue sidearm for S.T.A.R.S. was a modified . Officially dubbed the "Beretta 92F S.T.A.R.S. Special" (or "FS" for short), it went on to be known by the nickname "Samurai Edge". Constructed by Joe Kendo, one of the Kendo Gun Shop partners, it was another example of Raccoon City's private sector funding S.T.A.R.S - further customisation tailored to the individual officer was also provided to Barry, Chris, Jill, and Wesker. In Barry's case, it was modified to fire rounds. Combat knives were custom-made for the team, who were expected to learn close-quarters combat with knives. These knives sported the S.T.A.R.S. emblem on the blade. Aside from these standard-issue weapons, members were also provided with several s, with Enrico known to carry a . Joseph is known to have carried an on missions, while Forest may have brought the grenade launcher he was found with with him.
==Equipment==
Due to the specialist and privately-funded nature of S.T.A.R.S., equipment used by the organisation was diverse, including special equipment used at S.T.A.R.S. HQ, which was located on the second floor of the police station. Other equipment provided includes a shoulder-cam for recording mission progress on tapes. Both Ken and Joseph had such cameras; in both cases, they recorded their violent deaths. Rebecca, the medic, was provided with a mixing set full of chemicals. Members were each issued a , though not all Alpha Team members appear to have been provided. Their equipment may have been left on Brad's helicopter. Wesker and Richard are known to have used tactical headsets, which would have connected to these walkie-talkies to allow for hands-free operation if required. After its formation, S.T.A.R.S. was provided with an . By 1998, however, they had exchanged it for two / model helicopters. One of these was crashed in the Arklay Mountains, and it is uncertain if it was recovered.
==Members==
Name 	Birth	Death 	Team 	Position 	Role
Albert Wesker 	1960 	7/3/09 	Alpha	Team Leader 	Division Leader
Enrico Marini 	1957 	24/7/98	Bravo	Team Leader 	Bravo Leader
Joseph Frost 	1971 	24/7/98	Alpha	Omni-Man 	Maintenance Supervisor
Forest Speyer 	1969 	23/7/98	Bravo	Omni-Man 	Maintenance; Sharpshooter
Chris Redfield 	1973 	N/A 	Alpha	Pointman 	Sharpshooter; Co-Pilot
Kenneth J. Sullivan	1953 	24/7/98	Bravo	Pointman 	Chemist
Barry Burton 	1960 	N/A 	Alpha	Backup Man 	Weapons Supervisor
Richard Aiken 	1975 	24/7/98	Bravo	Backup Man 	Communications Expert
Brad Vickers 	1963 	28/9/98	Alpha	Rear Security	Pilot; Computer Expert
Edward Dewey 	1972 	23/7/98	Bravo	Rear Security	Pilot
Jill Valentine 	1974 	N/A 	Alpha	Rear Security	B&E Specialist
Rebecca Chambers 	1980 	N/A 	Bravo	Rear Security	Chemicals Expert; Medic
==Gallery==
STARS_GROUP_PIC.png|Top: Unknown, Forest, Ken, Richard, Al, Barry, Brad.Bottom: Edward, Enrico, Chris, Jill, Joseph.
==Trivia==
*Edward was the largest member, being 6ft 4in and weighing 247 lbs.
*Barry and Wesker are the only members who were born during the same year (1960).
*After the credits of , it mentions S.T.A.R.S. when naming the copyrights.
*Before Rebecca replaced the unnamed member, Joseph was the newest member, while Richard was the youngest.
*Ken was the oldest member (at age 44-45 as of 24/7/1998), followed by Enrico (40-41), Barry (38), Wesker (38), Brad (34-35), Forest (28-29), Joseph (26-27), Edward (25-26), Chris (25), Jill (24), Richard (22-23), and Rebecca (18).
*The mobile phone game BIOHAZARD i SURVIVOR introduced five new S.T.A.R.S. members who were never seen or mentioned again after said game was discontinued. It was the only video game to introduce non-canon S.T.A.R.S. members.
*The multiplayer mode for the port of Resident Evil () allows players to play as various members each with unique strengths: Chris is good with handguns, Jill has a large item capacity, Barry is a skilled magnum user, Rebecca is great at first aid, Wesker is a master of firearms, Ken is a masterful knife expert, Forest is good with heavy weapons, Richard is a crack shot with a shotgun, and Enrico has above-average overall stats. Brad, Joseph, and Edward are not playable, and so do not appear in-game.
*Their deaths vary, though it is unclear who or what killed Enrico. Edward and Joseph were killed separately by Cerberus dogs (zombie s), with a zombie Edward later being put down by Rebecca. Forest was pecked to death by zombie crows, later reanimating. Ken's throat was torn out by a zombie, so he did not reanimate. Richard was either killed by Yawn's venom (original game), eaten by Yawn (REmake; Jill's canon), or eaten by Neptune (REmake; Chris' canon).
*Only eleven of the unit's twelve members appeared in the original game. Edward Dewey, Bravo Team's pilot, was only mentioned in the game's instruction manual, but not actually featured in the game. For a long time, fans assumed that the disembodied hand found by Joseph was Edward's (and Edward was originally shown with a missing right hand in the N64 version of ), but a few retroactive changes were made in order to include the character for a small role in the prequel Zero. In , the dead pilot is Bravo Team co-pilot Kevin Dooley.
*In , a group photograph can be found in the S.T.A.R.S. office which consists of twelve officers, with Rebecca Chambers not among the group. The identity of this additional figure was never disclosed by the developers, being either Rebecca's predecessor or an accident by the art team. While it has been offered by fans that Kevin Dooley is the figure, the character was not created until several years later. The same picture can also be found in but a special key is needed to gain access to the room. The same picture can be also found in in the dark-room.
*Some merchandise was made.
**, a popular airsoft manufacturer in Japan, created a replica of the Samurai Edge pistol based on its original design model.
**King Arms, another popular airsoft manufacturer sells -themed / metal receivers, one of these receivers bears the S.T.A.R.S. emblem on it.
**Much of the equipment (tac vests, shirts, etc.) was replicated or customised for real-life use, all having the seal to show that they're official game merchandise.
**GSX, a Japanese watch manufacturer, was responsible for making individual S.T.A.R.S. watches. A special collection of these watches were sold to commemorate the 5th birthday of Resident Evil. Like Tokyo Marui's selection of Samurai Edges, these were only available in limited numbers and are considered a rarity among fans. UBCS watches were also available.
==Licensing==
This article contains content derived from the "S.T.A.R.S." article on the Resident Evil Wiki, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
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