Background
The Marine Corps is the branch of the GSU Military that is concerned with the rapid deployment of infantry across various planets, as part of warfare or expeditionary operations conducted by the navy. Marines are often fielded with the most advanced technology the military has to offer, including the use of starships for transport, armour and weapons technology.
The best soldiers among this branch are handpicked to become part of the Corps’ subdivision, the Elite Commandos. Elite Commandos are rewarded with even more advanced armour and resources, and are known to be deployed on missions deemed too high risk, even for marines.
Training
As with army recruits, marines are required to be at least 18 years of age and pass mandatory psychiatric evaluation as well as fitness tests. However these tests are notably more stringent. Afterwards, recruits undergo six months of training where they are taught advanced-level training to handle firearms of all kinds and close quarters combat (CQC). In addition, recruits are also taught to wield weapons produced by known alien species. Basic courses on how to pilot small craft are also included in the training course.
They are taught battlefield tactics and strategies while undergoing exercises in environments designed to simulate different terrains and climates, many which may be inhospitable to human life.
As with the army, recruits who demonstrate exceptional skills in a specific area during or after training may be offered an advanced specialisation program. For instance, a trainee who excels with sniper rifles will have the opportunity to undergo specialised sniper training. The same goes for a trainee who demonstrates an affinity for explosive ordnance,who will be recommended for a demolitions course, and so on.
After completing training and graduating, Privates receive their personal APEX armour and are issued their preferred firearms. Afterwards, they are deployed across GSU territory as needed.
Elite Commandos
A sub-branch in the marine corps, the Elite Commandos stand as the pinnacle of warfare, a force forged through sheer skill, experience and even more gruelling and bloody training. They are drawn from a very small pool of the most exceptional marines, after which their skills are further refined and sharpened to produce an elite soldier capable of matching a squad of marines in combat proficiency.
Despite the advent of the supersoldier Praetorians and more recently the Omega Legionnaires, the Elite Commandos retain their irreplaceable value as precision shock units who are relied upon to succeed where others fail - even at the cost of their own lives. It is arguable that they remain humanity’s best soldiers even despite the existence of the Omega Legion. As even war evolves, the Commandos remain indispensable - not because they are the strongest or the fastest, but because they are the most lethal where it matters most.
It is recognised that there is something of a feud between certain Commando divisions and the Legionnaires, though this rivalry appears to be mostly one-sided on the Commandos’ part.
Training
Commandos are handpicked from a small pool of marine candidates who have demonstrated exceptional capability as soldiers even compared to their peers. Should the subject accept the offer, they are taken off duty to undergo a further three months of advanced training specifically tailored to emulate the most high-stress situations a human being can possibly experience.
The training is said to be bloody, brutal and absolutely gruelling with a mortality rate that remains classified. A soldier is either broken by this training or refined into an even deadlier one than before. At the end of it, graduates are issued with upgraded APEX power armour.
Technology
[GSU Firearms]
[GSU Armour]
Rank Structure
Enlisted Ranks
Marines
Private: Base Unit.
Corporal: Fireteam Leader (4 Men).
Sergeant: Squad Leader (5 Men).
Gunnery Sergeant: Assistant Platoon Commander (3 Squads).
Master Sergeant: Assistant Company Commander (3-6 Platoons).
Sergeant Major: Assistant Battalion Commander (Up to 5 Companies)
Elite Commandos
Note: As Elite Commandos are specifically trained for quick-and-efficient deployments, they mostly operate independent of existing Marine forces, even if both are deployed to the same area. However in cases where Commando and Marine forces have to work together, Commando units can either overrule or share the authority of their rank-equivalent Marine counterparts depending on the orders given by the operation’s supervising CO.
Sergeant: Commando Base Unit.
Gunnery Sergeant: Commando Squad Leader.
Master Sergeant: Commando Platoon Leader.
Sergeant Major: Several Platoons.
Officer Ranks
Marines
Lieutenant: Platoon Commander.
Captain: Company Commander.
Colonel: Battalion Commander.
Brigadier: Regiment Commander (1000 Men).
General: Division Commander (6000+ Men).
