Free Marine Corps

## The Free Marine Corps

* **Name:**Free Marine Corps
* **Unit Type:**Conventional Military/Rapid Response
* **Command Staff:**General Austin St.James, Commanding Officer, Colonel Andrea Faulkner, Executive Officer, Commodore Donovan Asher, Naval Attachment Commander.
* **Headquarters:**Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba, Borinquen , Caribbean League .
* **Unit Rating:**7
* **Threat Rating:**Moderate to High
* **Estimated Known Strength:**See File Below

### Summary

Formed during the UCAS /CAS  split in 2034, the Free Marine Corps were once considered naïve idealists unable to change with the times. Now known as one of the most honorable, reliable, and capable units in the world, they still adhere to the traditions and ideas of the old United States Marine Corps . When they first formed, they had approximately 150 members. Today they have almost three thousand with armor, aviation, and naval units. Such a force could be useful in future endeavors, provided we can keep their ideals from getting in the way.

* *I just want to say that I’ve never met a better bunch of hard-charging, insane, never-say-die types in my life (aside from myself, of course). They followed me into hell and back over ten years ago and I love them for it. A great big OOOOHH RAAAH to any Devil Dogs out there! -Kane*
* *Can we ban Kane from posting when he's drunk? -Icarus*
* *Good luck with that -/devgrrl/*

### Unit History

The Free Marine Corps is the brainchild of Colonel Thaddeus Sorenson and Major Travis Hamilton, former commanders of the Twenty-Fourth Marine Expeditionary Unit and Third Marine Air Wing respectively. Like many Marines at the time, they were conflicted about the split. Many were loyal to the corps’ ideals and their brother marines instead of the so-called leaders. Scores of marines didn’t like the idea of a possible second civil war and fighting their marine brothers. To remain true to their principles, they decided to save their beloved corps by breaking away.

The separation of the military assets was a logistical nightmare. It took almost a year to complete, and during that time several units and pieces of equipment went missing. It was during this time that Colonel Sorenson, Major Hamilton, and several other conspirators enacted their plan. With the help of a Parris Island sergeant (see below:Gunney Wayne) and a few freelance operatives, the paperwork of approximately 295 marines from the Twenty-Fourth MEU, Third Air Wing, various other units, and recent basic training graduates were altered. According to UCAS and CAS commands, these marines simply decided to join the other nation per the separation agreement.

* *Because the UCAS didn’t have the facilities ready to deal with the influx of troopers in its new UCASMC headquarters in Annapolis  or training facility at Quantico , they made an agreement to “time-share” Parris Island. Every thirteen weeks, use of the facility switches between the two nations, and a dedicated maintenance unit facilitates the changeover. The idea proved so successful that the Quantico facility was re-tasked, and the time-share continues to this day. -Sunshine*
* *It’s also an open secret that the Free Marines still have a few plants at Parris Island to keep an eye out for new recruits. At least four percent of the Parris Island graduates end up Free Marines, mostly the disenfranchised and the “troublemakers.” And because the Free Marines are subtle about recruiting, the UCAS or the CAS doesn’t crack down. -Hard Exit*

The same tactic was also used to help re-allocate needed supplies. Several crates of gear, weapons, and vehicles (most of them scheduled to be overhauled or scrapped anyway) were lost within the system. Their greatest accomplishment during this operation was the acquisition of the marine transport vessel *USS Green Bay*. These Marines and allies in the Navy simply boarded the *Green Bay* with “orders” to sail her from the reserve fleet base at Norfolk to the Washington Naval yards for reactivation. After Major Hamilton and his air assets were loaded, they set sail. All records of the ship were destroyed two hours later. With personnel, equipment, vehicles and a purpose, they were now truly Free Marines.

* *Again, neither the UCAS nor the CAS wanted to admit that they lost a ship and risk a war over it. So the CIA  was tasked with sinking her. Several attempts were made, but all failed. It was decided to just let the Free Marines have their trophy -Thorn*
* *Marines weren’t the only ones to jump ship at the time. A lot of sailors also disgusted by the split were more than willing to join up with the FMC. The Green Bay’s fi rst FMC skipper was a former lieutenant commander who had been repeatedly passed over for promotion because she was an ork and refused to kiss any ass. Mom was just the kind of squid the FMC was looking for. -Sounder*

The Free Marines spent their first few years collecting bounties and taking the occasional contract for Amazonia . But their largest financial success during their early years was a support contract with the Spanish Government for Operation: Desert Angel. Most of the revenue they collected went into keeping the *Green Bay* afloat and fending off various pirate attacks. Their recruiters back at Parris Island kept a small but steady stream of recruits coming in to replace aging Free Marine members. After the 2055 Compensation Riots in DeeCee , the Free Marines received a massive number of recruits, and for the first time their numbers surpassed one thousand. With the *Green Bay* unable to hold one thousand marines, Colonel Sorenson used his contacts in the Carib League to acquire the abandoned Roosevelt Roads Naval Base in Ceiba, Borinquen. The Free Marines were then reorganized and those not actively serving on a contract were tasked with refurbishing Roosevelt Roads.

* *Whoa, wait a minute—I thought that the Free Marines were only about three hundred strong? I figured they had support personnel, but over a thousand combat troops? How the hell did I miss that? -Picador*
* *With all due respect, we go to great lengths to obfuscate our true numbers and combat capabilities for a multitude of reasons. And I am sure you will understand why I do not go into how we accomplish this. Still, we do appreciate being informed of this fi le and will take appropriate actions. -Devil Dog One*
* *\*Laughs ass off\* Picador, you don’t know the half of it. Hey Devil Dog, on behalf of me and Kat: Semper Fi! -Kane*
* *Oooh-rah. -Devil Dog One*

The Free Marines’ biggest expansion came in the early 2060s. In 2061, while standing on the bow, the pirate known as Kane  sailed the *USS Iwo Jima* into Roosevelt Roads and offered them a job. In exchange for the *Iwo Jima* and over one eighty million nuyen, the Free Marines agreed to be the backbone of a rescue operation Kane was planning in Aztlan . Six months later, Kane, 315 Free Marines, and several freelance operatives assaulted a secret compound just outside of Bogotá. The objective was achieved, but the Free Marines met heavy resistance during egress and suffered almost forty percent casualties during a fighting withdraw with Aztlan forces. Aztlan casualties were estimated in the thousands. After the operation, the Free Marines spent the next year using their profits to refit and rearm. the *Iwo Jima* was also brought up to full battle readiness.

In 2062, houngans (voodoo  magic practitioners) from New Orleans alerted their Carib League counterparts of an impending attack by shedim  spirits and their metahuman allies to displace them. According to various rumors and reports, this operation could have sent ripples through the entire magic community if successful. Having fended off a similar attack the previous year (and despite heavy losses), the New Orleans houngans offered to assist. The Free Marines were contracted to provide transportation and protection from New Orleans to the Carib League. While planning the operation, the Free Marines discovered that the *Green Bay*’s sister ship, the *USS New Orleans*, was docked near the city New Orleans as a museum ship. Deciding to use it as a decoy, the Free Marines hired several shadowrunners to secretly make the *New Orleans* ready to sail and disguise it as the Green Bay. Despite their efforts, the ruse was unsuccessful and the *Green Bay* was forced to fight off multiple attacks before reaching Roosevelt Roads. The Free Marines then spent two nightmarish months fighting alongside the houngans before the shedim threat was eliminated. Even though the *New Orleans* failed in her intended role, the Free Marines kept and brought her back to combat readiness.

* *It was my understanding that the shedim were looking to create a safe haven and find a way to create another gateway back to their home realm. Can anyone corroborate? -Winterhawk*
* *No. I went to Roosevelt Roads and tried to talk to the Free Marines there about it. They were polite, but I got the hint very quickly it would be in my best interests to drop the subject and head home. Immediately. -Elijah*
* *If the Free Marines have one weakness, it’s their relative lack of magical support. Supposedly, the FMC has only sixteen total magicians, but they have a large number of adepts. That helps, somewhat. -Mika*
* *I wouldn’t worry about them. After ‘62 the FMC have a lot of friends in the voodoo community to call on in a pinch, and the Marines are very protective of them. -Frosty*

During Second Crash Crash 2.0 , the Carib League was relatively untouched, but the Free Marines helped with search and rescue and peacekeeping assignments. Still flush with revenue from the Aztlan and shedim operations, the Free Marines concentrated on training and further expansion for the rest of the decade. In 2068, General Sorenson retired to Borinquen and the new CO, General Austin St. James initiated a program that would allow the Free Marine Corp to eventually field 10,000 marines as a complete Expeditionary Strike group. To facilitate this, two new *Hunt*-Class vessels the *Independence* and *Coronado* were purchased in 2072 with negotiations pending for two more. Older equipment and vehicles were slowly being phased out and put into storage. Currently, the Free Marines are training with the new ships and equipment at Roosevelt Roads.

* *You know, for all the firepower they have, they should be out there giving the bigger merc outfits a run for their money instead of piddling around in the Carib League. I’m honestly surprised they aren’t fighting in South America right now. -Clockwork*
* *There’s no way they would work for either side. Amazonia’s lack of military chain of command would drive them nuts, while Aztlan is just … well, Aztlan. -/devgrrl/*
* *How the hell would you know? Anyway, I’ve heard the Free Marines are putting out feelers, seeing what’s out there because they’ve just about reached their limit of expansion until they get more revenue coming in. Guess the bank’s almost empty. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when they finally break out. -Glitch*
* *Hey, speaking of breaking out; if they’re so high and mighty goodie-goodie, why are they on such good terms with Kane? He is a ruthless, bloodthirsty bastard after all (no offence). Are the Free Marines really hypocrites? -Slamm-O!*
* *We and Mr. Kane have an understand. I'll leave it at that. -Devil Dog One*

### Capabilities

In keeping with their tradition as heirs of the USMC, the Free Marine Corps have molded themselves into a highly capable rapid-response force. Their naval assets in particular give them advantages few paramilitary forces can match in terms of mobility and firepower. To take full advantage of their various assets, the Free Marines use a combined-arms approach in a coordinated effort of air, ground, and naval forces to achieve an objective.

Capable of a variety of mission profiles, the Free Marines prefer assaults and conventional operations over unconventional/guerrilla ops with their favorite method still the amphibious landing. For missions where such landings are not possible, the Free Marines are more than capable of air-cavalry assaults and standard movements. The Free Marines have also been known to use their transportation assets for various relief efforts.

In the past few years, the Free Marine command has initiated a modernization program to stay competitive. Still, much of their equipment is still second hand or obsolete. Outsiders see this as a detriment, but Free Marines have embraced this and make up for the lack of modern equipment with intense training. This training has elevated the skills of the average Free Marine to near those of most Special Forces and created a very unique mindset. Individual Free Marines are highly motivated and tenacious (bordering on fanatical) individuals who take every advantage in combat. One Aztlan commander once wrote about a Free Marine: “When he ran out of ammunition, he used his knife. When he lost the arm holding the knife, he used his hand and feet. When we got close, he used his teeth. It took over fifty rounds to finally kill him and he still took sixteen more of my men with him to the hell where he was spawned.”

Many insiders believe that if the Free Marie Corps continues at their current rate of expansion, they will become the newest top-tier mercenary unit in the world within a decade.

### Notable Free Marines

* **Gunnery Sergeant Marion J. Wayne:**A veteran even before the formation of the Free Marines, Gunny Wayne was a hand-to-hand combat and Drill Instructor at Parris Island before the UCAS/CAS split. Despite being a dwarf , Gunny Wayne seems four times larger than he is. Physically he is just over average height for a dwarf, but he is almost twice as wide with thick muscles. Those who underestimate him do so only once. Gunny Wayne faced prejudice early in his career and overcame it by simply beating down any obstacles. He believes that pain is the ultimate teaching tool and doesn’t hesitate to use it when necessary. During his first tour as a DI at Parris Island, Gunny Wayne was forced to “educate” three troll recruits when they attacked him after lights out. When the MPs arrived, they found the gunny asleep and the troll recruits battered and bloody, cleaning their boots. When Colonel Sorenson and Major Hamilton hatched their plan, Gunny Wayne was one of their first volunteers. When the Free Marines formed, they assigned Gunny Wayne the task of keeping the troopers in top fighting form, an assignment he’s had to this day although he leaves most of the day-to-day training to his cadre of DIs.