Confederate Drop Trooper Corps



Confederate Drop Troopers are the elite shock troops of the Black Star Confederacy, fanatically loyal and answerable directly to Emperor Thorn.

Formed into the Drop Trooper Corps, drop troopers operates alongside Army and Navy units, as well as alone.

History


The Drop Trooper Corps was established in 986 BBY, 14 years after the Unification War. Until 4 ABY, it consisted of a single Legion, composed of roughly 5,000 individuals, organized in the 1st Drop Trooper Legion (AKA the Black Devils), and was charged with assisting the Army in planetary assaults and boarding actions. Despite theoretically being a separate entity, it effectively remained a part of the Army.

All that changed in 4 ABY. Due to an increase in pirate attacks and several uprisings on Confederate planets, President Piel Tomanns decided he needed loyal and efficient soldiers, and ordered an expansion of the Drop Trooper Corps. The number of Drop Troopers was increased from one to fifteen Legions (roughly 75,000), and they were removed from Army control. The decision to expand the Drop Trooper Corps was a controversial one, but is was vindicated during the Battle of Drillaria, where the drop troopers proved their mettle.

Between 4 ABY and 12 ABY, the Drop Trooper Corps continually maintained 15 Legions spread across the Confederacy. But after the Confederacy entered the Interstellar Sovereign's Alliance (shortened to ISA), President Thorn ordered the Corps expanded to include a total of 250,000 active soldiers, or 50 Legions. After the attack of the Uul'Ba-Rai in 13 ABY, Thorn authorized the adoption of Carapace armour, significantly increasing the toughness of the average drop trooper.



The drop troopers employed Carapace armour during the Isis Conflict (a war against the Isis Empire, who had violated ISA laws and attacked a fellow member, the United Systems Alliance), the annexation of the Jade Worlds Sector, and most of the Grey Worlds Conflict (a war against a nearby pirate realm known as the Grey Worlds Alliance).

When that war ended, the Confederate High Command recognized the need for shock troops, especially if the Xen'Chi discovered the Confederacy. The Drop Trooper Corps was expanded to include two million active soldiers (200 Legions), their training regime was made even harsher, and they were given new armour and weaponry.

Today, the Confederate Drop Troopers are among the best and most dangerous troops in the galaxy, able to defeat almost any enemy.

Organization


The Drop Trooper Corps is not directly tied to the Confederate Army, and maintains its own command structure, ranking system and support facilities. Drop troopers are loyal only to Emperor Thorn himself, and only follows orders from Army and Navy personnel at their discretion.

The basic unit of organization is the individual trooper. Each drop trooper is assigned a number for tactical purposes. This number includes the personal number of the trooper, as well as his legion; eg TR-135-154, which identifies the trooper as Trooper 135 of the 154th Legion. Within his own legion, however, the trooper would be referred to as TR-135. Troopers are organized into squads (10), companies (100), regiments (1000), legions (5000) and corps (50,000). A company commander could give command to any regular officer over any given squad.

Training
Drop trooper training is divided into two areas, Basic and Advanced. All recruits must graduate both courses in order to call themselves drop troopers.

Once graduated, drop troopers may apply to join the Assault Troopers or the Black Legion.

Basic Training
Basic Training consists of a 24 weeks course. Individual courses are spread out as follows:


 * Physical and Mental Conditioning/Training: Weeks 1-4
 * Basic Training: Weeks 5-10
 * Weapons Training (Sniping, Marksmanship, Assault): Weeks 11-13
 * Physical and Mental Conditioning (Second Round): Weeks 14-16
 * Field Training (Cursory medical, tactical education): Weeks 17-19
 * Integrational Tactical Training (Cooperative tactics with navy, local defense * forces, etc.): Week 20-21
 * Physical and Mental Conditioning (Third Round): Weeks 22-23
 * Final Exam (Series of 24 Individual, Squad and Platoon - Oriented Simulations): * * Week 24

Recruits that pass their final examination then go on to Advanced Training. At the end of basic training, recruits are fully capable of performing as soldiers with partial education in field medicine and officer-level tactics - allowing any squad member to function as a squad leader on the occasion of his commanding officer's death, and allowing for any squad leader to function as a company commander in the event of the same.

Advanced Training
Advanced Training consists of a - weeks course. Individual courses are spread out as follows:


 * Heavy/Special Weapons Training: Week 1-2
 * Offensive Warfare Tactics (Siege, Mobile Warfare, others): Weeks 3-6
 * General Defensive Tactics: Weeks 7-9
 * Physical and Mental Conditioning (Fourth Round): Week 10
 * Shipboard Defensive Tactics: Weeks 11-12
 * Guerilla Tactics : Weeks 13-14
 * Urban Warfare Training: Weeks 15-18
 * Crowd/Riot Control Training: Weeks 19
 * Deep Space Combat and Boarding Tactics: Weeks 20-22
 * Physical and Mental Conditioning (Final Round): Week 23
 * Final Exam (Series of 30 Individual, Squad and Platoon - Oriented Simulations): Week 24

At the end of this 11 month training regime, the graduated drop trooper is among the best trained elite warriors in the galaxy. He is, thanks to intensive training and biochemical alteration, in perfect physical shape, usually surpassing the physical strength of even the healthiest of his peers. Due to constant emotional conditioning and indoctrination, the soldier is entirely loyal to the Emperor and is conditioned to withstand the traumatic experience of war. They are not mindless killing machines, however - every trooper retains a sense of humanity and compassion to temper their killing edge. Standard procedure dictates that every drop trooper retake his examinations every subsequent year. Should he fail, he is required to retake basic training, advanced training, or both as the need demands.

Officers
Drop trooper officers are graduates from the Black Star Academy. In battle, commissioned drop trooper officers wear standard armor with rank insignia to indicate status. Non-commissioned officers are identified in the field with shoulder pauldrons instead of the standard rank squares worn over the armor. For non-combat situations, all drop troopers wear a grey tunic and pants dress uniform including a cap, boots, gloves, shoulder chain, and standard rank squares.

Weaponry
The Mark IVb Boltgun is the standard issue weapon of the Corps. Before these powerful weapons were designed, the drop troopers used standard BR7 "Vampire" blaster rifles and AT-1 blaster pistols. All drop troopers, excluding those assigned to heavy or special weapons, carries a Mark IVb along with a Mark IVc sidearm.

All drop troopers also carry several concussion grenades and thermal detonators, all designed to appear inconspicious. There are no visible controls on the grenades, and their operation is a closely guarded secret.

Some drop troopers also carry heavy or special weapons (usually between two and four in a squad, depending upon the objective). These include weapons such as the shoulder-carried HRB-4 heavy repeating blaster, with a firing rate of about 900 rounds per minute; the W.A.S.P. ion grenade rifle, an effective weapon against most enemy armour; or the RG-2 rail gun, a weapon capable of penetrating almost any target.

Armour
''Main article: Mark IV Power Armor

Until recently, the drop troopers wore carapace armour, but they have now switched to the much more formidable Mark IV Battle Armor.

Mark IV Power Armour consists of four parts: the helmet, which features a comm-link and a targeter system among other things; the torso and shoulder plates, which feature such things as a life signs monitor; the groin and legs, which include gyroscopic stabilisers; and the backpack power unit, containing a miniaturized sub-atomic power plant.

This armor protects the troopers from very harsh environments as well as projectiles, standard blaster bolts, and impact weapons. Even if a blaster bolt should penetrate the armor, the damage caused would be significantly decreased by the armor. Standard pistols and some heavy weapons are ineffective against Mark IV Power Armor.

The armor is totally enclosed and self-sustaining, allowing for operation in almost any climate for extended periods at a time.

Extra
In addition to their weapons, drop troopers also often carry personal sensors or long-range comm-links.

They also carry 5-7 magazines for their main arm, and at least two extra magazines for their sidearm. Some drop troopers also supplement their armament with an AT-2 blaster pistol, mainly as backup if they run out of ammunition for the bolter weapons. While not strictly legal, it is overlooked by drop trooper officers.

Specialized Drop Troopers
There are several subgroups in the Drop Trooper Corps with training and equipment for particular mission profiles.


 * Assault Troopers: drop troopers armed with close combat weapons and using jetpacks.
 * Black Legion: drop troopers specialized in covert warfare.