Colonial Marines

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### **United States Colonial Marines**

The elite fighting force of the United Americas, the United States Colonial Marine Corps is the primary UA force on the Outer Rim and Frontier. The Colonial Marines maintain an advanced state of readiness at all times in order to provide rapid deployment to any and all commitments within their theaters of operation and beyond.

While the USCMC works in sync with the United States Aerospace Force (USASF) and sometimes in tandem with the Latin American Colonial Navy (LACN) and the Outer Rim Defense Fleet (ORDF), they are the only US military branch capable of deploying an independent dedicated task force without support from another branch. Unfortunately, the USCMC suffered severe losses at the onset of the Border Bombings—several battalions and their accompanying starships.

**O P E R A T I O N A L ㅤT H E A T E R S**

The United States Colonial Marine Corps is divided into three main Marine Space Forces (MSF) composed of calculated combat, support, and service elements that, when combined, are capable of executing both decisive orbital assault missions and sustained surface operations. Each MSF provides security for a designated operating theater, but in truth these areas often overlap— marines don’t care whose backyard the fight is in, they’re ready to hop fences as needed. In 2180 the divisions were restructured to account for the rapid expansion of the Frontier, deviating from their traditional operational territories.

> **MARINE SPACE FORCE, SOL:** Core Systems. Equipped with a second division that specifically protects the Sol system itself, MSF Sol has a major base at Rigel Kentaurus and is responsible for operations throughout the core systems, including maintaining the blockade of the ICSC border.

> **MARINE SPACE FORCE, ERIDANI:** Outer Veil, Rimward Frontier. This division operates along the Anglo-Japanese arm, the Tartarus Sector, and as deep into the Far Reach of the American Arm as Alpha Caeli. MSF Eridani also operates the only USCMC base within UPP space at 52 Tau Ceti.

> **MARINE SPACE FORCE, HERCULIS:** Outer Rim, Coreward Frontier. Under siege from both the UPP and the perpetrators of the enigmatic Border Bombings, MSF Herculis protects the American Corridor, Advance, and the hotly contested Borderline Region—as well as the Coreward American Arm. Recently, reserves have been activated and sent to Herculis to augment their forces.

**C O M M A N DㅤB R E A K D O W N**

Each marine division is further broken down into regiments, battalions, companies, and platoons. It’s at the platoon level that the PCs start to get involved. This command structure has existed since the inception of the Colonial Marines, although a proposed restructuring of units down to the fireteam—changing a team from two marines to three—is on the table.

**P L A T O O N**

A USCMC platoon is composed of 20 Colonial Marines, a commanding officer, and an adjutant— plus four dropship support personnel.

**COMMAND TEAM:** A Colonial Marine platoon is run by a platoon commander that controls two sections. Usually a Lieutenant or Captain, the platoon commander is assisted by either an officer of lesser rank or a service synthetic with a non-combatant rank equivalent to Warrant Officer. Sometimes the platoon commander will accompany a section into combat, taking the sergeant’s place in the APC and bumping them to squad commander.

**S E C T I O N**

A platoon is divided into two sections. Each section typically has a dropship, an APC, two squads, plus a support team and a tactical team.

**SUPPORT TEAM:** The support team drops your ass in the frying pan and then pulls you out before you fall into the fire. They keep the dropship hot and ready for dust off.

**TACTICAL TEAM:** The tactical team supports the section by providing coordination, cover fire and extraction. A sergeant or senior officer coordinates their team from the APC’s TAC center with their driver ready to assist the squads as needed. If the section sergeant intends to accompany their squads, a gunner will sometimes be assigned to the tactical team. In special circumstances, the command team may enter the field of operations and command the section from the APC.