1st Sherwood Foresters

==Unit Description==
Formed by Early of Sherwood, 1st Sherwood Foresters, is a combined arms combat unit of the Federated Suns.
Light Combat Team sized unit formed in early 3070s, the Foresters were basis what would become a small brigade troops raised from the world of Sherwood in serve House Davion. 
This unit was featured in the fan story, The Federated Suns Reborn.
====History====
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=====Formation=====
Born from the patriotism of the Earl of Sherwood, Leftenant General Jonathan Tyler, the 1st Sherwood Foresters are drawn largely from the population of that rare thing: a long standing prosperous Outback world. While under the First Prince's investments within the Federated Suns' Outback region other worlds have been growing in economic prosperity, the world of Sherwood has stood out for centuries as one of the most economically developed worlds within the region. The Earls of Sherwood have since their initial embodiment just after the Periphery Uprising, that would lead to the Amaris Civil War and then the Succession Wars, been strong supporters of not only House Davion but also the AFFS. Leftenant General Tyler is no exception to this family tradition. 
Returning from service with the Davion Light Guards he made an impassioned speech before the Court of Elders for that body to support him in raising a new Regular Army formation from Sherwood for the AFFS. The initial support for the motion within the Court was a close run thing, but given the huge upsurge in pro-Davion and pro-FedSuns feeling within the wider Outback and on Sherwood. In particular, many of the Barons found their constituents lobbying them hard to support the Earl's initiative. In the face of such widespread support within the general population a large majority of the initially skeptical Barons threw their support behind the Earl's proposal. In many cases with even greater fervor than longstanding supporters of the project.Earl of Sherwood Jonathan Tyle initial bid to have the 1st Sherwood Foresters formed with aid of the planetary Barons of Sherwood
====Build Up / Development====
After forming up, the would end up leaving off world for training, as a sister unit, the 2nd Sherwood Foresters LCT was forming and taking up garrisoning duties for Sheraton in their place.
The new LCT would be deployed to the world of Defiance, the Federated Suns' training world. The 1st Foresters engaged in a series of training exercises to build up to their first active deployment. They faced of against the 9th Avalon Hussars. While at a disadvantage to the Regimental Combat Team considerable size, the unit had embarrassed the seasoned Hussars considerably, winning the praise of their commanding officer.[226, 1st Sherwood Foresters vs 9th Avalon Hussars]
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====Tactics====
Mobile Warfare
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====Officers====
As of 3070, the commanding officer was Leftenant General Jonathan Tyler.
The heart and soul of the new formation was undoubtedly the newly promoted Leftenant General Jonathan Tyler. An experienced MechWarrior and accomplished tactician he had risen through the ranks of the AFFS until finally assigned to the Davion Light Guards battlemech regiment. Serving in the Swift Foxes he had finally been promoted to Lt. Colonel and second in command of their Battlemech regiment before he had returned home the following year to raise the 1st Sherwood Foresters. A longstanding Davion-patriot he had championed the cause of House Davion and the Federated Suns within the often forgotten Outback for years. First Prince Victor's investments within the region and the huge economic turn around these had resulted in had in his mind clearly vindicated his strong loyalty to not only House Davion but to the First Prince in particular. Many of those who had been called to the colors from within the Sherwood Planetary Guard and even from within the Davion Light Guards had done so largely based on his charismatic speeches during the raising of the unit. However any amongst the enemies of the Federated Suns who assumed he was nothing more than a noble who could give a good speech to the crowds would soon come to learn that he had risen to his rank within the Light Guards on a notable talent for mobile warfare. Lt. Colonel Hanse Zibler was one of the five MechWarriors who had followed his former commander from the Light Guards to the Foresters. While lacking his superior's gift for politics and speeches, he was a consummate professional soldier and Tyler was confident enough in his abilities to give him total control of the training and integration of the LCT's Battlemech forces. Zibler swiftly merged the elite professional soldiers of the Light Guards with the more relaxed MechWarriors of Tyler's Terrors into a cohesive whole that excelled light cavalry tactics.
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====Composition====
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The core of the new unit was formed around a company of MechWarriors drawn from the Davion Light Guards. Including the Earl seven of these MechWarriors were originally from the world of Sherwood and had served alongside their feudal overlord through his rise through the ranks. The remaining five MechWarriors were also longstanding friends and comrades of Jonathan Tyler and all had agreed at his request to formally emigrate to the world of Sherwood following the formation of the unit - in many cases bringing their extended families with them. Around these twelve elite warriors the Earl built up a full reinforced battalion of battlemech pilots drawn from volunteers from the local Planetary Guard - Tyler's Terrors along with a strong selection of conventional forces. Indeed many of these militia soldiers were retired AFFS personnel who had returned home to Sherwood after honorably completing their tours of service and who upon hearing Tyler's call for volunteers answered the call. Sufficient volunteers were swiftly assembled over the three months after the call for the raising of the unit to fully form the battlemech elements of the unit. The two cavalry battalions and the VTOL battalion of the armor contingent of the were also likewise easily obtained from transfers from the militia, however Sherwood had few heavy and assault tanks or artillery. Similarly Sherwood lacked any battle armor formations which could be relied upon to fill out the rolls or sufficient aerospace assets to form the attached fighter wing. At least initially the infantry contingent of the Sherwood Foresters was the 132nd Sherwood Jump Infantry Regiment - which would begin training in battle armor tactics in order to upgrade to the new standard. The aerospace fighter wing was a more difficult matter and eventually the 1st Sherwood Fighter Wing was formed from volunteers who agreed like the five MechWarriors from the Light Guards to emigrate. 
Initially the plan had been for the 1st Sherwood Foresters to be raised and to garrison the world of Sherwood while integrating themselves into a fully functional Light Combat Team, however the initial call for volunteers was so successful that enough recruits were found not only to form the 1st Sherwood Foresters LCT but a cadre for a 2nd Sherwood Foresters LCT. As such the garrisoning of Sherwood was left to the 2nd Sherwood Foresters LCT while the senior formation moved to the world of Defiance to begin training there at the Combat Training Centre located on that world. This resulted in the 1st Sherwood Foresters LCT being one of the few units mustered into the AFFS to initially be given a rating of regular rather than green - no doubt helped by the elite troops of the Davion Light Guards who made up the core of the unit. 
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Unit Data (3070) 3070: 1st Sherwood Foresters 
- CO: Leftenant General Jonathan TylerAide: Lt Colonel Hanse Tyler
;1st Sherwood Foresters: The reinforced battalion of the Sherwood Foresters consists of three light companies (with a full company of Javelin-O Light OmniMech split amongst them) and a single company of fast medium designs - built largely around a mix of Phoenix Hawks and Legionnaire class BattleMechs. Unusually for a new unit, particularly one drawn from the Outback, the unit is almost entirely consisting of new BattleMechs. 
;1st Sherwood Fighter Wing - Aerospace Wing Commander: Major Felicia Lusignan : The 1st Sherwood Fighter Wing is the only unit within the LCT that is entirely non-Sherwood born, although all members have officially emigrated to the world. It's aerospace fighter's are a single flight of Dagger-O's and the rest are all either Sabres or Sparrowhawks.The 1st Sherwood Fighter Wing is the only unit within the LCT that is entirely non-Sherwood born, although all members have officially emigrated to the world. It's aerospace fighter's are a single flight of Dagger-O's and the rest are all either Sabres or Sparrowhawks.
;1st Sherwood Armoured Regiment</U> - Reinforced Regiment/Green/Reliable - Commanding Officer, Colonel John Little : The unfortunate name of the CO of the armored contingent of the Sherwood Foresters has led to a number of jokes at the unit's expense. Perhaps as a result of these the various armored battalions that make up the unit are working hard to improve their skill level. Their driving still leaves something to be desired - with the exception of the VTOL contingent - but their gunnery levels are already improving rapidly. Much of the light armor of the unit consists of the Musketeer Hover Tank, while Yellow Jacket gunships are the preferred VTOL of the battalion of air cavalry. One deviation from the standard LCT format is the inclusion within the unit of a company of Jabberwocky Engineering industrial mechs, forming a small engineering contingent. While administratively these are a part of the Armored Regiment they often act more as a 5th company for the Battlemech Battalion. 
;132nd Sherwood Jump Infantry - Regiment/Green/Reliable ' - Commanding Officer, Colonel Robert Tyler : The 132nd Jump Infantry despite it's name and initial equipment is in the process of converting over to a standard AFFS Battle Armor regiment. Under the command of one of the Earl's many distant cousins the unit is already developing a preference for the Infiltrator II battle armor and is experimenting with HALO drops as well as warfare within forest or jungle settings.
==References==
*The Federated Suns Reborn
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Category:Works by Billy Boy Mark II