Alliance SpecForce
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Covert Operations
- "Your candidacy for SpecForce training is itself the mark of a superior soldier."
- ―From the standard acceptance holo to SpecForce candidates
The Alliance SpecForces - Special Forces - were founded as an elite and mobile military organisation during the early days of the Rebel Alliance. They are, with the Alliance Sector Forces, the Rebellion's analogue of an Army, and the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps.
It was obvious to the Alliance High Command that the Rebellion would not be able to match the Imperial Army and Stormtrooper Corps one-for-one, so instead trained its personnel as specialists who could employ a variety of tactics that would undercut the advantages of strength in numbers. As a result, SpecForce consists of commando-trained soldiers who cover a range of roles specialisms, and operate in small, mobile units.
History
Though militia forces existed within the Rebel Alliance prior to the Battle of Yavin, the organisation only began to take its current shape following the appointment of General Crix Madine as it's leader. Madine had previously been responsible for forming the Storm Commandos on behalf of the Empire, and focussed his skills and experience on training Rebel soldiers in how best to adapt their tactics to accomodate the Alliance's smaller numbers.
Wilderness Fighters from SpecForce saw a great deal of service over the course of the Galactic Civil War; specialists in cold climates were employed extensively on Hoth, while a specialist force of forest specialists were involved in the mission to the Sanctuary Moon of Endor. SpecForce Marines meanwhile were deployed on numerous vessels, particularly on missions to procure new fighters and ships for the Alliance Fleet, stealing them directly from the Empire.
When General Madine died at Endor, command of SpecForce ultimately passed to Torrsk Oruo'rel. Also the lead spokesperson for the Bothans within the Rebel Alliance, he personally participated in a joint Fleet-SpecForce operation to liberate Bothawui from Imperial forces. With the planet freed, he made arrangements for SpecForce to recieve a new headquarters on the planet, alongside the newly located Alliance High Command.
Training
Very few regular soldiers were capable of becoming SpecForce troopers, though many applied. They underwent intensive scrutiny to test their mental and physical fitness, as well as their abilities and loyalties; new applicants were intensively scrutinised by Alliance Intelligence as part of its security measures. Recruits were already military trained; many were former Imperial personnel who had made it past Intel's screening.
Following selection, they went through an intensive drop-camp to weed out the weaker candidates, before being trained further in advanced tactics that would enhance their existing skills. They were trained in a broad range of weapons and equipment, so they could use whatever the Alliance was able to procure at the time; they also learned specialisms beyond their basic military training to make them more versatile. Some commandos saught reassignment and retraining within SpecForce, gathering skills and experience from multiple Regiments to expand their effectiveness.
Even when deployed into service, SpecForce commandos remained under intensive training to keep them on top form, and to update them with the latest Imperial tactics, proceedures, and technology.
Structure
SpecForce Command is led by a singular General, who oversees the organisation's galaxy-wide operations, and serves as the Supreme Commander: part of the Alliance High Command.
Beneath that, SpecForce was divided into regional Divisions, each one consisting of seven specifically-numbered Regiments, each with a particular specialism. These sections were largely administrative however, with nothing larger than a Company in size typically operating as a distinct unit.
A Company, led by a Captain or Major, was typically identified with aurebesh letters, and was either an Order of Battle Company (OBC), or Taskforce Company (TFC). An OBC consisted of personnel of a particular Regiment, and was generally used for administrative purposes - to identify which Company in which Regiment a unit belonged to. A TFC meanwhile combined units from various Regiments, in order to function as a self-contained military force unto itself; these were the typical operational units of SpecForce.
Platoons, typically led by a Lieutenant, were identified numerically. They typically contained four Sergeant-led Squads of five to fifteen troops, which were further broken down into four-man Fire Teams. However, unit sizes, structure, and composition varied wildly from unit to unit, and even from mission to mission.
Divisions
SpecForce Divisions come in two key forms. Certain Divisions - led by a (Lieutenant) General - are deployed as stand-alone commands, typically headquartered on one of the Alliance homeworlds, such as Dac or Sullust. Others meanwhile are not directly led by a SpecForce officer, and are instead placed under the authority of a Sector Force, answering directly to its commander.
- 5th Division, "Fighting Fifth" - considered (by themselves at least) to be something of an elite within SpecForce, the 5th is currently assigned directly to SpecForce Command, giving it a more elite and specialised scope of operation. The Division's 1st Regiment is home to the elite Taskforce Company Wesk, while it's 5th Regiment was home to Taskforce Company Cresh.
Regiments
Typically led by a Colonel, each SpecForce Regiment consists of commandos trained in compliance with a specialism in a particular field of operations. Regiments are numbered consistantly across all Divisions, so that referencing a SpecForce commando's Regiment number is equivalent to identifying their specialism.
- 1st Regiment, "Marines" - known as SpaceOps or Marines, these Troopers are trained in combat that involves deployment to or from spaceborne platforms. They are usually adept at extravehicular operations, zero-g combat, and boarding operations. They have a reputation for being the most gung-ho of the SpecForce denominations.
- 2nd Regiment, "Pathfinders" - trained to make clandestine drops into enemy territory, they operate undercover to establish beachheads and other resources that might be beneficial to the Rebellion, and to perform reconnaissance in advance of the arrival of other units. Pathfinders are often experienced Jump Troopers and Paratroopers, able to deploy from high altitude in situations where a secure landing zone could not be guarenteed.
- 3rd Regiment, "Guerillas" - specialised in combat operations on highly developed and industrialised worlds, the Urban Combat Specialists as they are sometimes known were trained in hand-to-hand and close quarters combat, as well as demolitions. They are easily recognisable by their grey uniforms, intended to blend in easily with urban surroundings.
- 4th Regiment, "Rangers" - the Wilderness Fighters are the wilderness counterparts of the Urban Combat Specialists, trained to operate in terrains ranging from the thick forests and jungles found on the likes of Yavin IV and Endor to the barren wastes and temperature extremes of Tatooine and Hoth. Usually, particular squads or platoons would specialise in a specific climate, allowing the parent unit to cover a broad spectrum. The Rangers are the only SpecForce division to maintain an independant Repulsortank unit, without the involvement of any other SpecForce Regiments.
- 5th Regiment, "Infiltrators" - covert operations specialists, the SpecForce Infiltrators were chosen from the most fundementalist anti-Imperial members of the Rebellion, and operated as secret agents, spies, and covert strike teams. The Regiment often worked in conjunction with Alliance Intelligence and Alliance Special Operations.
- 6th Regiment, "Gunners" - the Heavy Weapon Specialists specialised, not surprisingly, in heavy weapons. Troops were generally divided into two groups: "Gunners", who specialised in vehicle-mounted weapons; and "Vanguards", who dealt more with portable heavy weapons such as grenade launchers and anti-mechanized weapons. They were usually deployed in a support capacity, providing anti-personnel and anti-aircraft protection to other SpecForce units.
- 7th Regiment, "Technicians" - made up of several denominations beyond mere Mechanics and Technicians, they provided the bulk of the support capacity for SpecForce. They included Drivers and Pilots for walkers and speeders; Interrogators for when Alliance Intelligence specialists were unavailable; communications and sensor operators ("Scanners"); and procurement specialists ("Scroungers"), among others.
Dorn Force
An experimental unit, Dorn Force was created as the SpecForce alternative to the Mission Groups operated by SpecOps: an autonomous unit designed to operate independently, but that - as part of the SpecForce command structure - would be far better suited for joint missions with other SpecForce units. They are currently assigned directly to SpecForce Command, under the supervision of General Torrsk Oruo'rel; and while not officially part of any Division, they work closely with the Fighting Fifth.
