Equipment and Roster for Bravo Team, 2nd Battalion,
USCM
Below is the Table of Organization and Equipment for the detachment
of United States Colonial Marines deployed to the Hadley’s Hope colony on planet
LV-426.
Background
Hadley’s
Hope was a terraforming colony funded by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Its
primary function was operating and maintaining the nuclear powered atmospheric processing
station, colloquially known as a “shake and bake colony.” It consisted of
between 60 and 70 families.
In
2179, contact was lost with the colony. There was reason to suspect this was the
result of an infestation by a particularly deadly species of xenomorph, which
prompted the decision to ask for military assistance. Two civilians accompanied
the detachment; Carter Burke, a representative of Weyland-Yutani and Ellen
Ripley, a former freighter pilot who had prior experience with the suspected
species and was brought along as an advisor.
Command
Lt. Gorman, Scott- Lieutenant Gorman was an inexperienced officer, the
deployment to LV-426 being only his second mission. He was a meticulous officer
who liked doing things “by the numbers.” He possessed a broad knowledge of
military procedures and technology but had difficulty when situations on the
battlefield presented unexpected variables. Lt. Gorman was a newcomer to the
unit and the only “outsider” among the Marines. This, no doubt, hindered his ability
to command effectively.
MSGT Apone, Al-Master
Sergrant Apone, an experienced veteran of the Marines, was the senior enlisted
member of the detachment and second in command after Lt. Gorman and also
commanded the team’s 1st squad when on combat operations. Apone could be a stern taskmaster when
preparing for a mission but he had the respect of the Marines under him. In the
rear he often maintained a joking, fatherly relationship with his Marines.
Only a certain kind of person would
agree to put themselves in cryogenic sleep and travel across the galaxy only to
reawaken to strange, usually dangerous worlds while the life they left behind
passed them by. Apone understood the kind of personalities best suited to their
mission and allowed his Marines some degree of freedom in their appearance and demeanor
though he still held everyone to the highest standards when it came to performance.
First Squad
PFC Hudson, William- Hudson
was a combat technician. His duties as such included operating the squad’s
motion tracker, hacking through electronic doors and navigating any computer
systems the Marines might encounter as part of their mission.
Hudson’s
enlistment was drawing to a close, having only 4 more weeks on his enlistment at
the time of the deployment to LV-426.
Hudson was known for his sense of humor, being able to make jokes even
in the grimmest situations. He also complained quite a bit but always did his
job in the end. His sarcasm was a thorn in MSGT Apone’s side, especially when
dealing with officers. Apone frequently had to reprimand Hudson. Despite this,
Apone had a soft spot for Hudson, tolerating more from him than most NCOs would
and referring to Hudson as his “little buddy.”
PFC Vasquez, Jenette- Vasquez
was the heavy weapons operator for 1st Squad, carrying the M56
Smartgun. Her attitude and sense of
humor were sarcastic and could be borderline disrespectful, especially toward
any officer that she viewed as incompetent. However, she took her job
seriously. She maintained excellent physical fitness and kept her weapons and equipment
well maintained.
She and
Hudson maintained an ongoing friendly rivalry often making jokes at the other’s
expense. She was close with Pvt. Drake, her counterpart and the heavy weapons
operator in 2nd Squad.
Pvt. Crowe, Tim-Pvt.
Crowe was a relatively quiet member of 1st Squad. Other than his
chiding of Pfc. Frost for his generally pessimistic attitude, Crowe tended to
stay to himself.
Pvt. Wierzbowski,
Trevor-Like
his fellow squad mate, Pvt. Crowe, Wiersboswki was reserved and quiet.
Second Squad
Cpl. Hicks, Dwayne-Corporal
Hicks was a cagey veteran and assisted
MSGT Apone in the running of the unit. He also commanded 2nd Squad
on missions. Hick’s greatest asset was his ability to stay cool under pressure
and make quick decisions under fire. He
was also practical and discouraged useless heroics. Given the choice between a
firefight or bombing a target from orbit, he would choose the latter if it were
an option.
Hicks
also believed in being prepared. In addition to the standard issue pulse rifle,
Hicks also carried a modified Ifhica Model 37 shotgun that he kept handy “for
close encounters.”
Cpl. Dietrich, Cynthia- Medical
Corpsman Dietrich was assigned to Bravo team as their medic. In the field she
was expected not just to patch up any wounded Marines but also provide medical
care to any civilians the team might encounter. She had a very dry wit that could hide her
compassion.
PFC Drake, Mark- Private
Drake was the heavy weapons operator for 2nd Squad, carrying the M56
Smartgun. He had a generally grim
attitude but could crack a smile for his closest friend and counterpart, PFC
Vasquez.
PFC Frost, Rico- Private
Frost had a good sense of humor that masked his oft times pessimistic outlook.
He often voiced misgivings and “bad feelings” about missions at their outset.
In addition to being a rifleman he was qualified to drive the team’s APC.
Support
Cpl. Ferro, Collette- Ferro
piloted the team’s UD-4 "Cheyenne" Dropship. Her job was to ferry the
team safely into and out of battle and provide air support when necessary.
Piloting such a craft was no small feat as she would have to transition from
the zero gravity of space into many different kinds of planet gravities and
atmospheres, all the while carrying a full cargo of missiles, Marines and even an
armored APC.
Ferro
knew the value of precision and could have a short temper with anyone running
behind schedule. Otherwise she
maintained the calm demeanor of a veteran pilot.
PFC Spunkmeyer, Daniel- Private
Spunkmeyer was Ferro’s co-pilot aboard the team’s dropship. Though the craft
could be piloted by a single person, utilizing the ship’s full combat abilities
required a second person. Spunkmeyer’s primary job was maintenance of the ship
but he was a fully qualified pilot himself.
Hyperdine Systems, Model 341-B, Bishop-An
android (though he preferred the term “artificial person”) attached to the
combat team, Bishop’s duties encompassed a wide array of responsibilities. He was expected to be fully proficient in the
operation of all of the unit’s vehicles, fully versed in Marine procedures,
perform maintenance on equipment and, when needed, act as the team’s science
officer. Had he not been assigned to military duty, Bishop would have been a
capable researcher in any laboratory and possessed an apparently very human
curiosity.
Although
he was a synthetic, and did not even hold military rank, Bishop was fully a
member of the crew who deployed with the team on missions. His programming
expressly forbade him from harming any human which meant he was unable to participate
in any actual fighting. However, his
actions often displayed bravery that went beyond his programming as he would
selflessly put himself in harm’s way for his team mates, if the situation called
for it.
Weapons
M41A Pulse Rifle
The
standard infantry weapon for the USCM, the M41A fires a standard 10x24mm
caseless light armor piercing projectile. It has a maximum effective range of 500
meters and a rate of fire of 900 rounds per minute. It typically uses a 99
round magazine. Consumption of ammunition is monitored through a digital
counter on the side of the weapon. The weapon is usually fitted with a U1
grenade launcher. It has a 4 round magazine and fires M40 High Explosive Dual
Purpose grenades.
M40 HEDP grenade
The
standard grenade used by Colonial Marines. It is usually fired from the U1
grenade launcher. However, it can also be hand thrown. The red cap can be
flipped open, revealing a depression switch. Activation triggers a 3 second
fuse.
M240 Incinerator Unit
This
fearsome weapon, issued at least on the squad level, is used against enemy
infantry, alien lifeforms and fortifications. It uses s highly condensed liquid
fuel that is ignited as it leaves the barrel. Though it can be attached to a
traditional back pack mounted fuel tank, traditionally it is fueled by a smaller
attached canister, making the weapon lighter and easier to reload quickly.
VP 70 Combat Pistol
The
standard side arm for the USCM. It is blowback operated, double action, and fires
a 9x19mm Parabellum round. It is typically outfitted with an 18 round magazine.
M56 Smartgun
This is
the standard squad level machine gun used by the Colonial Marines. It fires the
10x28 mm high explosive armor piercing round at a rate of 1,200 rounds per
minute. The weapon is used in conjunction with a stabilizing arm and the M56
combat harness and head mounted sight. That sight connects to the weapon’s
infrared sight which allows the gunner to fire accurately from the hip or
around barriers.
UA 571-C Automated Sentry Gun
Marine
combat team’s often deployed with automatic robot machine guns that could be
used to guard specific areas or create choke points for enemy forces. They are equipped with M30 cannons which fire
the same ammunition as the M56 Smartgun. The sentry guns are tripod mounted and
utilize thermal imaging tracking. The
weapon can be left to operate independently or be operated remotely by its monitoring
console which also records ammunition consumption.
Equipment
Armor
Standard
issue for Colonial Marines is the M3 Pattern Personal Armor. In addition to providing
ballistic protection, the armor can be outfitted with biomonitors that transmit
each Marine’s vital signs back to their respective command post. The armor is
often fitted with the TNR shoulder lamp.
Also
standard issue is the M10 Ballistic Helmet. In addition to providing protection
from light weapons and shrapnel, the helmet is fitted with a built in
communications headset, drop down infrared sight and a camera that transmits a
live feed allowing a commander to remotely view the battle from each Marine
simultaneously. USCM pilots use the Mk 30 tactical helmet.
M314 Motion Tracker
This scanner
is used to discern moving targets within its range in a 360 degree arc. Location
of targets is displayed on a screen. Distance to target is communicated both
through the screen and the tracker’s signature ping. The tracker is issued at
least on the squad level.
Miscellaneous equipment
Other
equipment typically used by Colonial Marines and issued on the squad level or individually
include the M3 hand welder, M-94 marking flares, and infrared binoculars.
Vehicles
M577 Armored Personnel Carrier
This
light armored personnel carrier is designed to carry up to 12 Marines in
addition to 2 crew members. It can also act as a mobile command post with a
full array of computers and sensors. It can also provide fire support with its
twin 2x RE700 Gatling cannon and retractable Boyars PARS-150 phased plasma
cannon. The M577 has to provide a
balance between protection and versatility. Its armor is by necessity thinner
than more heavily armored carriers as it was designed to be light enough that it
can be picked up and carried into battle by the Cheyenne Dropship.
UD-4 "Cheyenne" Dropship
This
rugged and versatile ship is designed to deliver Marines quickly from space to
the ground. It can also carry the M577 APC and can deploy the APC and take off in
a matter of seconds, decreasing the amount of exposure to both Dropship and the
deploying Marines.
The
Dropship can supply tremendous air support being armed with a variety of
weapons; GAU/113B Gatling canon, 32x Mk
16 Banshee 70 rockets that are housed in retractable pods; two other
retractable pods that have 14 hard points that can fit an array of missiles and
bombs.
The
ship can be flown by a single individual but ideally it operates with a two
person crew, pilot and copilot, to take full advantage of its tactical
capabilities. The Marines of Bravo team deployed with 2 gunships named Bug Stomper
and Smart Ass.
Conestoga Class troop transport
These
transports are designed to carry Marines and equipment over the vast depths of
space and deploy the Marines from a low orbit and wait. Once the crews are
deployed, the ship is designed to operate automatically staying in orbit until
the crews return. It can also be operated remotely if needed.
The
ship has cryogenic chambers for its crew to stay in stasis over long interstellar
journeys. In addition to Marines, the hangers can hold, and deploy
dropships. The ships can be outfitted
with an array of weapons’ including lasers, rail guns and orbital strike
nuclear weapons.
Cool to see some of those lesser known photos!
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