Solar Spaceborne Marines

See also Solar Republic Navy

## Overview

The Republic of Sol Marines, also called the Solar Spaceborne Marines, are the naval infantry arm of the Solar Navy, tasked with the responsibility of guarding and staffing naval installations and ships, and conducting military operations required by the USN. Borrowing heavily from the organization and ideals of the former States Marine Corps, the former Britannic Royal Marines, and the former Netherlands Korps Mariniers, the modern-day Solar Spaceborne Marines relies heavily on the ideals of self-sufficiency, even at the company and squad level.

## History

The USF Marines was officially founded in 2306, after the reconstruction of the Solar government following the end of the Terra-Martian war, however the Marines changed very little in terms of organization and personnel from its previous iteration, the Earth Marine Corps. The UEMC's history in turn stretches back nearly 150 years prior, to the relinquishing and centralization of governmental assets and power by the Nations following the Treaty of Bern in 2154. The origins of this Marine Corps came into being as a merger of all of the major maritime infantry forces, resulting in a uncoordinated institution that was drawn from sources with training and operations with different strategies and goals. As such, the Nations Military Council dissolved the newly created Nations Marine Infantry Battalion, and rebuilt it from the ground up, resulting in the Earth Marine Corps.

The UEMC saw its first action at the Battle of Kathmandu Station, where extremists backed by the newly declared Commonwealth of Outer Sol took control of the Kathmandu Station, a lucrative mining colony at Sol Lagrange Point 3 owned by the Equinox Gold Corporation, and declared the station independent from Earth. In response, the UEG sent a task force of five ships and a marine regiment to retake the station, however was ambushed by a superior COS fleet while conducting the raid. The resulting battle began the Terran-Martian War, and was a resounding defeat for the Earth Government.

The Earth Marine Corps would see more action in the following five years against the COS until the declaration of a cease-fire in 2273. For the next 25 years during the Terran-Martian Cold War, the UEMC would see little action other than the occasional skirmish against COS forces and local pirates. However that all changed after the Grace Hopper Mutiny in 2298, where the elements of the crew of the UESFS *Grace Hopper* successfully mutinied in response to the massacre on Vanaheim, and tried to defect to the COS. A company from the 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment, UEMC was deployed in response to the mutiny, however COS maritime infantry had arrived first to guard the defection, and the Marines engaged the COS forces without a means of diplomatic communication. The *Grace Hopper* was successfully retaken, however it marked the renewal of hostilities between Earth and the COS.

After the peaceful overturn of the Earth Federal Republic in 2306, the military structure and forces of the old UEFR were audited and reorganised to better fit the strategies of the era. As such, the Earth Army, a force long since fallen into disuse due to the overwhelming trend toward non-ground based combat, was merged into the old UEMC to form the Solar Spaceborne Marines. Though adopting the name "Marine", the new force borrowed greatly from the old UEA in terms of Battalion-plus organization, removing the old UEMC's sole reliance on Expeditionary Unit-type formation. This new USM saw little action for the next twenty-nine years, until the collapse of the Ciesura-Manaun Development Corporation, a mega-corporation invested in colonies and terraformation. It, and a host of other Corporations, had built their own personal empires during the Terran-Martian war, as little thought had been given to the Core-most colonies by Earth during that time. As such, there was no governmental oversight, and these corporations had been using these colonials as slave-labor and turning the colonies into personal profit. After the collapse of the Ciesura-Manaun Development Corporation, the Republic of Sol reclaimed all of the territory overseen by these companies. Unfortunately, the UFS government was too preoccupied by rebuilding the Solar System to effectively stabilize the Coreward colonies, and the Colonies became disaffected by the Solar Government.

## Organization

See also List of Current Marine Regiments, Marine Light Infantry Regiment Organization, Marine Armored Regiment Organization

### General Organization

The Solar Spaceborne Marines is a Department in the Ministry of the Navy, commanded by a Commandant. The Department of the Marines is divided into several different divisions: Marine Fleet Command (MARFLEETCOM), Marine Combat Command (MARCBTCOM), and Marine Special Operations Command (MARSPECOPCOM). Each division is responsible a different field of responsibility, with the Marine Fleet Command operating the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Expeditionary Fleets in conjunction with the Navy, Marine Combat Command responsible for all Marine Operations, and the Marine Special Operations Command overseeing all Marine special operations forces.

### Ranks

The SSM divides personnel into three categories: enlisted, officers, and specialists, also called warrant officers.

#### Officers

Opposed to enlisted personnel, promotions even in wartime in the Solar Spaceborne Marines are slow and require a minimum of 3 years of experience to rise to the next rank below Major, and 5 years for all ranks from Lt. Colonel to General (There are exceptions, however brevet ranks are relatively rare).  The Commandant of the Solar Spaceborne Marines is elected by the Solar Senate from a collection of candidates of Generals put forth by the Marines

#### Warrant Officers

* Combat Medic 3rd Class
* Network Technician 3rd Class
* Combat Controller 3rd Class
* Battlesuit Operator 3rd Class
* Artillery Specialist 3rd Class
* NT1
* CC1
* HW1
 W2
* Combat Medic 2nd Class
* Network Technician 2nd Class
* Combat Controller 2nd Class
* Battlesuit Operator 2nd Class
* Artillery Specialist 2nd Class
* NT2
* CC2
* HW2
 W3
* Combat Medic 1st Class
* Network Technician 1st Class
* Combat Controller 1st Class
* Battlesuit Operator 1st Class
* Artillery Specialist 1st Class
* NT3
* CC3
* HW3
 W4
* Chief Warrant Medic
* Chief Warrant Technician
* Chief Combat Controller
* Chief Battlesuit Operator
* Chief Artillery Specialist
* NT4
* CC4
* HW4
 W5
* Master Chief Warrant Medic
* Master Chief Warrant Technician
* Master Chief Combat Controller
* Master Chief Battlesuit Operator
* Master Chief Artillery Specialist
* NT5
* CC5
* HW5
* AT5

Warrant Officers, or Specialists, is a rating ranking above an E7 and below an O1. These Marines are specialists in their fields, with a limited track profession. Examples include medical personnel and battlesuit operators. However, not all WO's are Marine Auxiliaries. Any WO role dealing with combat, such as Battlesuit Operators and Artillery Specialists are considered combat Marines.

### Marine Auxiliary Support Staff

#### Career

Marine Auxiliaries are the logistical non-combatant arm of the UFS Marines.

##### OSF

When a Marine chooses their OSF (Occupational Specialty and Field), a marine can choose to become a MASS. They will then be assigned to a specialty school of their chosen field, and upon graduation be commissioned as either an enlisted or warrant officer, depending on their field

### Marine Fleet Command

See also Nicholas-class Marine Orbital Support Frigate

#### Overview

The Marine Fleet Command is the Naval Fleet Arm of the Solar Spaceborne Marines. Operating in conjunction with the Solar Navy Fleet, it provides transportation and combat/logistical support for the greater Marine Expeditionary Force.

#### Fleets

* 1st Joint Task Force
	+ 1st Strike Group
		- SRNS Intrepid BB (F)
		- SRNS Waterloo BC
		- SRNS Jutland CH
		- SRNS Dionysus CL
		- SRNS Hera CL
		- SRNS Domitian CVL
	+ 7th Destroyer Squadron
		- SRNS Cardinal Richelieu DD
		- SRNS Edward Pellew DD
		- SRNS David Farragut DD
		- SRNS Pierre-Charles Villeneuve DD
	+ 1st Expeditionary Legion
		- 1st Expeditionary Unit
			* SRNS Bunker Hill FFO
				+ I Corps/1st Battalion/Battalion Headquarters C&C Element
				+ I Corps/1st Battalion/1st Infantry Regiment
				+ I Corps/1st Battalion/2nd Infantry Regiment
				+ I Corps/1st Battalion/3rd Infantry Regiment
				+ I Corps/1st Battalion/1st Armored Regiment
				+ I Corps/1st Battalion/1st Logistic Brigade
				+ I Corps/1st Battalion/1st Mobile Fire Support Regiment
				+ I Corps/1st Battalion/1st Combat Engineer Regiment/Alpha Company
				+ I Echelon/1st Fighter Division
				+ I Echelon/1st Gunship Division/1st Dropship Wing
				+ I Echelon/1st Gunship Division/2nd Dropship Wing
				+ I Echelon/1st Gunship Division/1st Combat Lift Wing
				+ I Corps/1st Battalion/1st Force Reconnaissance Regiment/Alpha Company
		- 2nd Expeditionary Unit
			* SRNS Olympus Mons FFO
				+ II Corps/1st Battalion/Battalion Headquarters C&C Element
				+ II Corps/1st Battalion/13th Infantry Regiment
				+ II Corps/1st Battalion/14th Infantry Regiment
				+ II Corps/1st Battalion/15th Infantry Regiment
				+ II Corps/1st Battalion/4th Armored Regiment
				+ II Corps/1st Battalion/5th Logistic Brigade
				+ II Corps/1st Battalion/3rd Mobile Fire Support Regiment
				+ II Corps/1st Battalion/1st Combat Engineer Regiment/Echo Company
				+ I Echelon/5th Fighter Division
				+ I Echelon/2nd Gunship Division/1st Dropship Wing
				+ I Echelon/2nd Gunship Division/2nd Dropship Wing
				+ I Echelon/2nd Gunship Division/1st Combat Lift Wing
				+ II Corps/1st Battalion/1st Force Reconnaissance Regiment/Bravo Company
* 2nd Joint Task Force
	+ 2nd Strike Group
		- SRNS Vanguard (F)
		- SRNS Hastings BC
		- SRNS Leyte Gulf CH
		- SRNS Athena CL
		- SRNS Perseus CL
		- SRNS Diocletian CVL
	+ 8th Destroyer Squadron
		- SRNS Thomas Cochrane DD
		- SRNS Zheng He DD
		- SRNS Isaac Hull DD
		- SRNS Oliver Hazard Perry DD
	+ 2nd Expeditionary Legion
		- 3rd Expeditionary Unit
			* SRNS Colnara
				+ III Corps/1st Battalion/Battalion Headquarters C&C Element
				+ III Corps/1st Battalion/25th Infantry Regiment
				+ III Corps/1st Battalion/26th Infantry Regiment
				+ III Corps/1st Battalion/27th Infantry Regiment
				+ III Corps/1st Battalion/7th Armored Regiment
				+ III Corps/1st Battalion/9th Logistic Brigade
				+ III Corps/1st Battalion/5th Mobile Fire Support Regiment
				+ III Corps/1st Battalion/1st Combat Engineer Regiment/India Company
				+ I Echelon/9th Fighter Division
				+ I Echelon/3rd Gunship Division/1st Dropship Wing
				+ I Echelon/3rd Gunship Division/2nd Dropship Wing
				+ I Echelon/3rd Gunship Division/1st Combat Lift Wing
				+ III Corps/1st Battalion/1st Force Reconnaissance Regiment/Charlie Company
		- 4th Expeditionary Unit