Gunther's Characters

[Gunther]

Name: Liam Donnelly
Nickname: "Sharkey"
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Position: Guide

Appearance: unkempt. Liam has light brown messy hair and wears a thin whispy beard and mustache. He doesn't care for shaving. He has deep penetrating blue eyes that seem to look right through a person as if he knows what they are thinking. Liam wears T-shirts and jeans with a black leather jacket. The jacket appears brand new and is one of his finer possessions. He typically wears an old pair of black leather combat boots and has several tattoos over his body.



Personality: Liam is a no-nonsense man who really never paid much attention to his appearance. His voice is gruff and hands are calloused from working on the docks or on ships at sea. The texture of his hands mirrors his personality -- gruff.

Liam is defined by determination. Once he sets his mind to doing something, he will doggedly pursue the task until the goal is achieved, even if he has to die to accomplish it. As a testament to his daughter determination he's still alive.

Liam's vices include cigarette smoking and whiskey. When intoxicated, Liam is a bad drunk, looking to pick a fight with anyone near him.

Biography: Liam grew up in the Dallas, TX suburb of Garland. His father worked for the Union Pacific railroad and spent most of his time working, drunk in a bar or sleeping. As a child, encounters with Donnelly Senior usually were brief and meant Liam was meeting the backside of his old man's hand. Life was rough for Liam, but he made his own way. He doesn't take crap from anyone and if someone tries, he gives it right back; more than they probably wanted to deal with.

Liam spent eight years in the US Navy and learned a few languages along the way. Liam has always had an affinity towards learning foreign languages. He does know the languages necessary for the current mission. It was one of the reasons he was hired for the job.

After the navy, he spent the next fifteen years working as a longshoreman in New Orleans, LA as well as trips at sea aboard merchant ships. During Liam's many trips abroad his curiosity with foreign languages and the customs of new places piqued his interest. Liam quickly became known as the person who knew where the best places in the worst places were. He also established several contacts around the world which facilitated his ability to get whatever it is he desired.

Special Item: Colt M1911 .45 ACP with Ivory pistol grips. The pistol had been given to him by his grandfather before he passed away.


Used in: Exodus and the Secret of the Voynich Manuscript (OOC)
Adventures of the Exodus

[Gunther]

The Reaper Squad


Squad Leader - Name: Clayton Morris

Nationality: American
Age: 38
Rank/Title: Gunnery Sergeant, USMC/Squad Leader, PMC
Military Occupational Specialty: 0300 Infantry
Appearance: "The Riddler" stands 5'11", and weighs 195 Lbs. He is of African American descent. Clayton Morris is of excellent physical condition with very short hair; maintaining a USMC standard High and Tight haircut. If he were to allow his hair to grow, one would see gray hair in his beard and on his temples.




Skills/Abilities:
- Served as a Marine Squad Automatic Rifleman, Grenadier, Team Leader, Squad Leader, and member of a Marine Special Operations squad.
- Airborne School
- Force Reconnaissance School
- Marine Special Operations Course (MARSOC)
- Light Infantry Leader's Course (PMC sponsored)
- experience driving an AAV-7 and EFV
- USMC Physical Fitness Score: 295 of 300.
- Expert with the M4 Carbine hitting 40 of 40 targets at his last Range Qualification
- Proficient with M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M320 Grenade Launcher, M9 Pistol, M2 .50 cal HB Machine Gun, M240 Machine gun, M14 Rifle and M16A2 Assault Rifle.

Equipment:

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing two each 30- round magazines for the M4 Carbine, a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Clayton has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries a lensatic compass, a Green whistle, grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, binoculars (7x50mm) and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has nine 30-round magazines that are all full (270 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his USMC digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Clayton has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 30-round magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
Assault vest (Loaded): 20 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 54 Lbs.

Personality:
Clayton Morris is serious about his work. He knows that survival is dependent upon his ability to play close attention to detail and to insure those personnel he is charged with preparing for combat take their training seriously as well as the preparation requirements for combat. When in combat, Clayton Morris is "Serious as a Mother Fuckin' Heart Attack" and that is what he will tell you. When he is not on an operation, not training or not on duty, Clayton Morris is a fun-locing Marine with a great sense of humor. His sense of humor earned him the sobriquet of "The Riddler"; known for making folks laugh.

History:
Clayton Morris is originally from Cleveland, OH. He worked for his uncle for a few years before deciding to go into the military. He spent 16 years in the US Marine Corps, leaving the Corps on the new "Early Retirement" package. After he retired, he realized that his missed the lifestyle. It was one of those situations where he hated it when he was doing it, but loved it when he wasn't doing it. This piqued his curiosity about Private Military Contractors. He joined Blackwater Global Inc two years ago. He has seen numerous combat situations in the Middle East serving as a PMC and as a Marine.

Clayton's duty assignments include:
- Squad Automatic Weapon gunner, B Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (3-1), 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Camp Pendleton, CA (1994 - 1995)
- Grenadier, C Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines (1-4), 31st MEU, Okinawa, Japan (1995-1997)
- Promoted to Corporal 1 Jan 97.
- After being promoted to Corporal, Clayton attended the US Army Airborne school at Ft. Benning, GA.
- Attended Marine Force Recon Training on Camp Pendleton and Coronado, CA in early 1997.
-Team Leader, D Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, CA
- promoted to Sergeant 1 Mar 99.
- Squad Leader, A Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd MarDiv, Okinawa, Japan 1999
- promoted to Staff Sergeant, 1 Mar 2003.
- Assistant Platoon Sergeant, B Company, 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd MarDiv, Camp Lejeune, NC 2003
- Attended Marine Special Operations Course (MARSOC) 2006 - 2007. This is a 7 month course conducted at Camp Lejeune, NC. During the Course, Clayton Morris received intensive language training in Farsi.
- Member of A Company, 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion 2007 - 2010.
- Promoted to Gunnery Sergeant in 2008.
- In 2010, he took an early retirement from the USMC.

In 2003, many units from the 2nd MarDiv saw action in Iraq, the 2nd Recon Battalion remained at Camp Lejeune. Between 2007 and 2010, A Company, 1st MSOB saw at least a half dozen operations in Afghanistan searching for Osama bin Laden as well as intelligence gathering operations in areas of Iran. But there are no records of those operations in Iran.

While serving with the PMC, Clayton has been serving in Kandahar providing security to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) operating in the Afghanistan theater of operations. His squad of PMCs has made contact with the Taliban on several occasions.

Relationships and Acquaintances:
TBD

A Team Leader - Francisco Alvarez

"Frank", 28, 5'10", 180 Lbs. Hispanic (Mexican) from East Los Angeles, CA. Frank spent 8 years in the USMC before becoming a PMC which he has been doing for the past year. Frank's MOS was 0300 Infantry and he attended Airborne, Force Reconnaissance Training as well as MARSOC. Frank finished his career as a Staff Sergeant. He scored a 286 on his last Physical Fitness test and scored 38 of 40 on the M4 Carbine qualifying him as expert. Frank is proficient with M4 Carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M320 Grenade Launcher, M9 Pistol, M2 .50 HB Machine gun, M240 machine gun, M14 Rifle and M16A2 Assault Rifle.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M4 Carbine (laser range finder and 7x50 scope), and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing two each 30- round magazines for the M4 Carbine, a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Frank has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries a lensatic compass, a Green whistle, grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, binoculars (7x50mm) and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has nine 30-round magazines that are all full (270 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his USMC digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Frank has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 30-round magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
Rifle: 6.9 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 20 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 52.9 Lbs.

Light Machine Gunner - Luke Maloney

"Money Bags", 24, 5'11", 185 Lbs, Caucasian (Irish/German) from South Boston, MA. Luke spent 4 years in the US Army in MOS 11B Infantry. He has also received training in Airborne, Ranger, and Air Assault courses. Luke left the Army as a sergeant. He scored 283 on his last PFT and recorded a score of 285 of 300 on the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Luke is proficient with M4 Carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M320 Grenade Launcher, M9 Pistol, and M240 machine gun.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (laser range finder and 7x50 scope), and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing one each 100- round box magazines for the M249 SAW, a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Luke has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has five 100-round box magazines that are all full (500 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his US Army digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Luke has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 100-round box magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
SAW: 22 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 25 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 83 Lbs.

Grenadier - Li Zheng Pao

"Dynamite", 27, 5'7" 162 Lbs, Asian (Chinese) from San Francisco, CA. Li spent 6 years in the US Army in MOS 13B Combat Engineer. He also received training in Airborne, Ranger, SFQ-Combat Engineering and Explosives Ordnance Disposal. Li has been a PMC for the past three years. Li left the Army as a Sergeant and holds a 3rd Degree black belt in Kempo Karate. Li is proficient with M4 Carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M320 Grenade Launcher, M9 Pistol, M2 .50 HB Machine gun, M240 machine gun, M14 Rifle and M16A2 Assault Rifle.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M4 Carbine (laser range finder and 7x50 scope) with the M203 under-barrel Grenade Launcher, and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing two each 30- round magazines for the M4 Carbine, 16 slots containing a variety of 40mm grenades (HE, WP and Illum), a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Li has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries a lensatic compass, a Green whistle, grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has nine 30-round magazines that are all full (270 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his USMC digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Li has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot, Demolition Specialist's crimping tool & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 30-round magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
Rifle/w M203: 9.9 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 25 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 70.9 Lbs.

Rifleman - Logan Billings

"Montana", 25, 6' 3", 215 Lbs., Caucasian (English/German) from Topeka, KS. Logan spent 6 years in the USMC in MOS 1371 Combat Engineer. Logan also received training in Airborne, Force Reconnaissance, sniper school and MARSOC. Logan has been a PMC for the past year. His last PFT, he scored 300 and qualified 40 of 40 on the M14EBR Rifle as an expert. Logan is proficient with M14EBR Rifle, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M320 Grenade Launcher, M9 Pistol, and M4 Carbine.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M14EBR Rifle (laser range finder and 7x50 scope), and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing two each 20- round magazines for the M14EBR Rifle, a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Logan has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries a lensatic compass, a Green whistle, grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has nine 20-round magazines that are all full (180 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his USMC digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Logan has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot, Demolition Specialist's crimping tool & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 20-round magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
Rifle: 11.2 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 20 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 67.2 Lbs.

B Team Leader - Xuan Nguyen Tran

"Doctor Tran", 29, 5'5", 145 lbs, Asian (Vietnamese) from Chattanooga, TN. Xuan spent 8 years in the USMC, his MOS was 0300 Infantry. He attended Airborne, Force Reconnaissance training as well as Air Naval Gunfire Training; providing him the skills to call in Indirect fire support from Artillery, offshore (off-planet) gunfire and Close Air Support. Xuan has spent three years in the PMC. His last PFT, he scored 278 and qualified 29 of 40 on the M4 Carbine as a Marksman. Xuan is proficient with M4 Carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M320 Grenade Launcher, M9 Pistol, M2 .50 HB Machine gun, M240 machine gun, M14 Rifle and M16A2 Assault Rifle.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M4 Carbine (laser range finder and 7x50 scope), and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing two each 30- round magazines for the M4 Carbine, a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Xuan has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries a lensatic compass, a Green whistle, grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, binoculars (7x50mm) and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has nine 30-round magazines that are all full (270 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his USMC digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Xuan has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 30-round magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
Rifle: 6.9 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 20 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 62.9 Lbs.

Light Machine Gunner - Norman Felton

"Iceman", 27, 6'2", 205 lbs, African American from Bronx, NY. Norm spent 7 years in the USMC in MOS 0300 Infantry. He also received training in Airborne and Marine Force Recon. Norm attained the rank of Sergeant prior to leaving the Corps and has been a PMC for the past two years. Norm is proficient with M4 Carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M320 Grenade Launcher, M9 Pistol, M2 .50 HB Machine gun, M240 machine gun, M14 Rifle and M16A2 Assault Rifle.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (laser range finder and 7x50 scope), and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing one each 100- round box magazines for the M249 SAW, a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Norm has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has five 100-round box magazines that are all full (500 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his US Army digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Norm has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Items carried in his pack:Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 100-round box magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
SAW: 22 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 25 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 83 Lbs.

Grenadier - Calvin Dade

"Mastermind", 25, "5'9" 165 lbs, African American from Marietta, GA. Calvin spent 6 years in the US Navy in MOS 8403 Marine Force Recon Corpsman. He also has training in Airborne and Special Warfare Operator (SEAL teams). Calvin left the Navy as a HM2 or Petty Officer Second Class and has been a PMC for the past year. Calvin scored a 300 on his last PFT and qualified Sharpshooter with the M4 hitting 35 of 40. Calvin is proficient with M4 Carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M320 Grenade Launcher, M9 Pistol, M2 .50 HB Machine gun, M240 machine gun, M14 Rifle and M16A2 Assault Rifle.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M4 Carbine (laser range finder and 7x50 scope) with the M203 under-barrel Grenade Launcher, and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing two each 30- round magazines for the M4 Carbine, 16 slots containing a variety of 40mm grenades (HE, WP and Illum), a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Calvin has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries a lensatic compass, a Green whistle, grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has nine 30-round magazines that are all full (270 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his USMC digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Calvin has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Corpsman's Aid Kit: two sand splints, four rolls of medical adhesive tape, four chest seals, three tourniquets, penlight flashlight, six absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches), 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes), thirty antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram), twelve antiseptic wipe packets, ten packets of aspirin (81 mg each), one blanket (space blanket), one breathing barrier (with one-way valve), three instant cold compresses, four pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large), four hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each), Scissors, four pressure bandages, two roller bandages (3 inches wide), two roller bandages (4 inches wide), ten sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches), ten sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches), Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass), four triangular bandages, IV Kit and Tweezers.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 30-round magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
Rifle/w M203: 9.9 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 25 Lbs.
Aid Kit: 12 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 82.9 Lbs.

Rifleman - Diego Montoya

"Castro", 24, 5'9" 170 Lbs, Hispanic (Cuban) from Miami, FL. Diego spent four years in the US Army in MOS 68W Combat Medic. Diego also has training in Airborne and Ranger. He left the Army as a Specialist and has been a PMC for the past two years. Diego scored a 290 on his last PFT and qualified Sharpshooter with the M14EBR hitting 37 of 40 targets. Diego is proficient with M4 Carbine, M9 Pistol, M14 Rifle and M16A2 Assault Rifle.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M14EBR Rifle (laser range finder and 7x50 scope), and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing two each 20- round magazines for the M14EBR Rifle, a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Diego has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries a lensatic compass, a Green whistle, grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has nine 20-round magazines that are all full (180 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his USMC digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Diego has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot, & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Medic's Aid Kit: two sand splints, four rolls of medical adhesive tape, four chest seals, three tourniquets, penlight flashlight, six absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches), 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes), thirty antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram), twelve antiseptic wipe packets, ten packets of aspirin (81 mg each), one blanket (space blanket), one breathing barrier (with one-way valve), three instant cold compresses, four pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large), four hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each), Scissors, four pressure bandages, two roller bandages (3 inches wide), two roller bandages (4 inches wide), ten sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches), ten sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches), Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass), four triangular bandages, IV Kit and Tweezers.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 20-round magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
Rifle: 11.2 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 20 Lbs.
Aid Kit: 12 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 79.2 Lbs.

C Team Leader - Stanley Zalinski

"Pole Dancer", 26, 6' 1", 200 Lbs, Caucasian (Polish) from Brattleboro, VT. Stan spent 8 years in the US Army with MOS 11B Infantry. He has also attended Airborne, Ranger, and Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQ) specializing in Light Weapons. Stan attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and has been with the PMC for the past four months. Stan is proficient with M4 Carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M320 Grenade Launcher, M9 Pistol, M2 .50 HB Machine gun, M240 machine gun, M14 Rifle and M16A2 Assault Rifle.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M4 Carbine (laser range finder and 7x50 scope), and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing two each 30- round magazines for the M4 Carbine, a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Stan has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries a lensatic compass, a Green whistle, grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, binoculars (7x50mm) and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has nine 30-round magazines that are all full (270 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his USMC digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Stan has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 30-round magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
Rifle: 6.9 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 20 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 62.9 Lbs.

Light Machine Gunner - Gordon Andrews

"Phantom", 26, 6'0", 195 lbs, Caucasian (English/Norwegian) from Portland, ME. Gordon spent 6 years in the USMC in MOS 0300 Infantry. He also received training in Airborne and Marine Force Recon. Gordon attained the rank of Sergeant prior to leaving the Corps and has been a PMC for the past two years. Gordon is proficient with M4 Carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M320 Grenade Launcher, M9 Pistol, M2 .50 HB Machine gun, M240 machine gun, M14 Rifle and M16A2 Assault Rifle.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (laser range finder and 7x50 scope), and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing one each 100- round box magazines for the M249 SAW, a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Gordon has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has five 100-round box magazines that are all full (500 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his US Army digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Gordon has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot, ten 12" zip ties pre-looped to form expedient handcuffs & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 100-round box magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
SAW: 22 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 25 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 83 Lbs.

Grenadier - Tyler Matthews

"Caveman", 25, "5'11" 185 lbs, Caucasian (Scottish/Dutch) from Phoenix, AZ. Tyler spent 6 years in the US Army in MOS 11B Infantry. He also has training in Airborne and Ranger. Tyler left the Army as a Sergeant and has been a PMC for the past year. Tyler scored a 300 on his last PFT and qualified Expert with the M4 hitting 39 of 40. Tyler is proficient with M4 Carbine, M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, M320 Grenade Launcher, M9 Pistol, M2 .50 HB Machine gun, M240 machine gun, M14 Rifle and M16A2 Assault Rifle.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M4 Carbine (laser range finder and 7x50 scope) with the M203 under-barrel Grenade Launcher, and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing two each 30- round magazines for the M4 Carbine, 16 slots containing a variety of 40mm grenades (HE, WP and Illum), a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Calvin has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries a lensatic compass, a Green whistle, grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has nine 30-round magazines that are all full (270 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his USMC digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Calvin has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot, ten 12" zip ties pre-looped to form expedient handcuffs & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 30-round magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
Rifle/w M203: 9.9 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 25 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 70.9 Lbs.

Rifleman - Arjun Pai

"Animal", 24, 5'10" 180 Lbs, Indian (Sikh) from Providence, RI. Arjun spent four years in the USMC in MOS 0300 Infantry. Arjun also has training in Airborne and Ranger. He left the Army as a Corporal and has been a PMC for the past two years. Arjun scored a 290 on his last PFT and qualified Expert with the M14EBR hitting 40 of 40 targets. Arjun is proficient with M4 Carbine, M9 Pistol, M14 Rifle and M16A2 Assault Rifle.

Items carried on person: Current USMC digi-combat uniform, tan combat boots, black weight lifting gloves, a NCStar CBG2911 tactical back pack, color green, M14EBR Rifle (laser range finder and 7x50 scope), and M9 Semi-automatic pistol (trijicon night sights), Night vision device (attaches to helmet), and Dragonscale Armor. Olive Green Combat Assault vest, two olive green canteens at the rear left and right along the waist, four pouches containing two each 20- round magazines for the M14EBR Rifle, a tactical holster on the right outer thigh for the M9 pistol, a first aid kit, a butt pack attached to the rear and a camel back hydration system. Arjun has a Kevlar construction helmet shaped like the German Falschirmjager helmet of WWII. In his pockets he carries a lensatic compass, a Green whistle, grease pencils, black ink pens, a small notebook, protractor, and three rolls of black electrical tape. In his butt pack; one MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat) broken down, cleaning rag, weapons cleaning kit, Cleaner, Lubricant & Preservative (CLP) bottle. He has nine 20-round magazines that are all full (180 rounds), four magazines for the M9 (60 rds). He wears a current state of the art smart phone and blue tooth communication system hardened to withstand EMP attached to the left forearm. When he is not wearing his helmet, he wears his USMC digi-camo cover. Attached to his helmet is a set of Goggles (Sun, Wind and Dust). Arjun has a Gerber Mark II Survival knife attached to his assault vest, a Gerber boot knife at the top of his right boot, ten 12" zip ties pre-looped to form expedient handcuffs & a Leatherman tool on his belt.

Items carried in his pack: Three MREs, one extra set of combat fatigues, foot powder, sunscreen, four empty 20-round magazines, five Black T-shirts in zip lock bags, seven pairs of wool socks in zip lock bags, wet weather poncho, poncho liner, four bungee cords with hooks, three rolls of OD green duct tape, two hundred feet of 550 Lb parachute cord, one brown towel, a two-quart bladder canteen attached to pack, Intrenching tool (E-Tool) /with carrier, a climbing harness, locking D-ring, figure eight descender, various military snap links, four small spools of trip wire with four small nails inside each spool, Nomex hood.

Combat Load:
Rifle: 11.2 Lbs (loaded)
Pistol: 2 Lbs (loaded)
Assault vest (Loaded): 20 Lbs.
Pack: 34 Lbs.
Total: 67.2 Lbs.

[Gunther]

Small Unit Tactics

Ranks
Commissioned officers are essentially appointed by the nation they are providing services for. Generally, they are commissioned either for a specific obligatory term or for life. Most nations have a mandatory retirement age which could be anywhere from 60 to 65. During wartime, this policy, like any other can be lifted.

Commissioned officers are leaders, but spend the lionshare of their time as managers. For combat arms units this is managing training. They need to know how to manage time, resources, terrain and personnel. Officers take both the blame and the credit for everything their unit does and fails to do.

You will never see an officer performing mission specific tasks in combat arms. You will never see officers as Snipers, Machine gunners, grenadiers, anti-tank gunners, RTOs or mortar gunners. They manage these assets, not operate them. That job is left to the lower Enlisted Men (EMs) and in some cases junior NCOs.

Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) are the back bone of any army. They are the ones who actually get the work done. The NCO is the first line supervisor for the lower EMs. They are the badasses you read about in history books. If you want your character to be a badass, make him an NCO. Forget about the officers. They don't do shit. The NCOs are the real heroes. You hear about the officers only because they get the credit for what the NCOs do.

Enlisted Men (EMs) perform specific jobs. The NCO supervises a group of EMs and/or junior NCOs and insures that the combined efforts of different specific jobs compliment one another for a collective task. The EM must be disciplined and focused on his job. He must do what he is told to do without question. If he had a problem with what an NCO tells him to do, he needs to wait and bring the issue up when the time is appropriate. He does NOT question an NCO or Officer's decision in the middle of a firefight. That is a certain recipe for disaster.

US Military Rank insignia
Comparison of British Military Ranks and US Ranks
Rank Insignia of the German Armed Forces
Ranks in the French Army
Ranks in the French Navy
Ranks of the French Air Force
PLA Ranks
PLAN Ranks
PLAAF Ranks
Russian Military Ranks

You will notice that the title, "Warrant Officer" is considered an enlisted man in some nations while in other it is neither an officer or an NCO, but a professional artisan in his chosen profession.

The time it takes for advancement will vary from nation to nation. If you are serious about your role play, do some research online here to see how long it takes to go from Lieutenant to Captain or Staff Sergeant to Colour Sergeant. As a point, I once witnessed someone write up a CS for a 22 year old to be a Captain in the US Army. Having been a Captain in the US Army, I almost fell out of my chair laughing at that. In the US as with other nations, one must have a college degree to be considered for commission. Most folks are graduating from college at age 22 and you can't be a Captain until after you have spent time as a Lieutenant. This is what the advancement criteria looks like in the US Army. Based on this chart, an officer will be a Lieutenant for four years before promoted to Captain. If the officer graduated from college at age 22, the minimum age for a new Captain is 26. In all due respect, you don't want a new Captain, you want an experienced one; at least a year or two. So, make him a tad older.

Please don't confuse a navy captain with an army captain.

The Rifle Squad

Have you ever wondered how many soldiers were actually in that squad of yours? Well, you can do pretty much anything as long as it makes sense. If you are one of these individuals who wants to know but doesn't have a clue, then please stick with me here and pick up your shot-o-brains.

Whatever number of soldiers you choose for your squad it must remain consistent with the other squads you are role playing with. Therefore, if there are five people RPing squads, in two or more platoons, then all five squads should be organized the same. You may have "slots" empty due to casualties (KIA & WIA) or soldiers on leave, but the basic outline or structure of the organization should be the same.

There are two schools of thought on squad organization that I will discuss here. The first is the European version used by most nations in the world and the American version. The European version consists of a Squad Leader, Assistant Squad Leader, Machinegun team and an assortment of riflemen armed with an assortment or rifles, carbines, grenade launchers and man portable anti-tank weapons. The American squad has two or three fire teams and a squad leader. Each fire team consists of a team leader, a light machine gun, a grenade launcher and a rifleman.

The Soviet Union used a small squad for their dismounted squads in their mechanized infantry formations. The squad consisted of seven soldiers as depicted below:
1. Squad Leader - Sergeant armed with a rifle and a bayonet
2. Assistant Squad Leader - Corporal /w rifle and bayonet
3. Machine gunner - Senior Private /w light machinegun (LMG) and a pistol
4. Assistant Machine gunner - Private /w rifle and bayonet (the gunner and Asst gunner split the ammo between the two; typically 400 rounds per man.)
5. Grenadier - Senior Private, Rocket Proppelled Grenade (RPG), rifle and bayonet
6. Riflemen - Private, rifle and bayonet
7. Riflemen - Private, rifle and bayonet

The British and French Squads are similar to the former Soviet squad with eight men:
1. Squad Leader - Sergeant armed with a rifle and a bayonet
2. Assistant Squad Leader - Corporal /w rifle and bayonet
3. Machine gunner - Senior Private /w light machinegun (LMG) and a pistol
4. Assistant Machine gunner - Private /w rifle and bayonet (the gunner and Asst gunner split the ammo between the two; typically 400 rounds per man.)
5. Grenadier - Senior Private, Rocket Proppelled Grenade (RPG), rifle and bayonet
6. Rifleman - Private, rifle and bayonet
7. Rifleman - Private, rifle and bayonet
8. Rifleman - Private, rifle and bayonet

The French divide the squad into two elements; the support team and the assault team. The Support team consists of the ASL, MG, AMG and Gren. The Assault team consists of the SL and three riflemen.

You could very easily take this organization and substitute weapons for other systems like a shotgun, a SMG, carbines, light AT weapons or a sniper rifle. During WWII, the British and American squads were organized like the current European version with 10 or 12 men per squad.

The US Army Light and US Marine Corps Infantry squads are different only in that the US Army Light Infantry formations employ two fire teams while the USMC employs three. Prior to the invention of the underbarrel grenade launcher, there were five soldiers in the fire team. A USMC rifle squad during the Vietnam war consisted of 16 soldiers while a US Army Light Infantry squad consisted of 11. Once the M203/M16 replaced the M79 grenade launcher, they both eliminated a slot in the fire teams reducing the number of soldiers to 13 in the USMC and 9 in the US Army Light formations. The US Army Light Infantry Squad looks like this:

1. Squad Leader - Staff Sergeant, rifle, bayonet
2. A Team Leader - Seregent, rifle, bayonet
3. MG gunner - Specialist, M249 SAW, bayonet
4. Grenadier - Specialist, Rifle/GL, bayonet
5. Rifleman - Private First Class, Rifle, bayonet
6. B Team Leader - Seregent, rifle, bayonet
7. MG gunner - Specialist, M249 SAW, bayonet
8. Grenadier - Specialist, Rifle/GL, bayonet
9. Rifleman - Private First Class, Rifle, bayonet

Another difference between the US Army and USMC squads is the leadership. The USMC use Sergeants for squad leaders and corporals for team leaders. While the USMC uses the same 13-man squad for their amphibious assault formations (Mech), the US Army does not. The best way to look at the US Army mechanized squad is to view the platoon.

Mechanized Infantry Platoon:

The Platoon has four Infantry Fighting Vehicles or Armored Personnel Carriers.
While the IFV has three crewmen, the APC has a crew of only two. The IFV has a driver, gunner and track commander (TC). The APC has a driver and a TC. The TC also mans its single infantry weapon. The gunner on the IFV may be responsible for two or more various weapon systems while the TC need only worry about one.

Each vehicle in the platoon has six dismounts and a leader in addition to the 2 or 3 vehicle crewmen. The Platoon Leader, who is a Lieutenant and carries a rifle and bayonet is the TC for his track when the platoon is mounted. Once the vehicle dismounts, he travels with the dismounts and a Sergeant takes over as TC of his track. The Platoon Sergeant, who is a sergeant first Class carrying a rifle and bayonet will also dismount with the platoon and leave a sergeant in the TC seat of his track. The other two vehicles will have a Section Sergeant in the TC seat while moving and a Sergeant takes the seat when the platoon dismounts. The Section Sergeants are Staff Sergeants who carry a rifle and a bayonet.

An IFV platoon looks like this:
Team B (Vehicle Crewmen)
4x Track Commanders - Sergeant, rifle & bayonet
4x Drivers - PFC, rifle & bayonet
4x Gunners - Specialist, rifle & bayonet

Team A (dismounts)
1. Platoon Leader - Lieutenant, rifle & bayonet\
2. Platoon Sergeant - SFC, rifle & bayonet
3. 1st Section Sergeant - SSG, rifle & bayonet
4. 1st Squad Leader - SGT, Rifle & bayonet
5. LMG gunner - SPC, SAW & bayonet
6. Grenadier - SPC, rifle/GL & bayonet
7. AT gunner - SPC, rifle, SMAW & bayonet
8. Rifleman - PFC, rifle & bayonet
9. Rifleman - PFC, rifle & bayonet
10. 2nd Squad Leader - SGT, Rifle & bayonet (PL TCs this track)
11. LMG gunner - SPC, SAW & bayonet
12. Grenadier - SPC, rifle/GL & bayonet
13. AT gunner - SPC, rifle, SMAW & bayonet
14. Rifleman - PFC, rifle & bayonet
15. Rifleman - PFC, rifle & bayonet
16. 2nd Section Sergeant - SSG, rifle & bayonet
17. 3rd Squad Leader - SGT, Rifle & bayonet
18. LMG gunner - SPC, SAW & bayonet
19. Grenadier - SPC, rifle/GL & bayonet
20. AT gunner - SPC, rifle, SMAW & bayonet
21. Rifleman - PFC, rifle & bayonet
22. Rifleman - PFC, rifle & bayonet
23. 4th Squad Leader - SGT, Rifle & bayonet (PSG TCs this track)
24. LMG gunner - SPC, SAW & bayonet
25. Grenadier - SPC, rifle/GL & bayonet
26. AT gunner - SPC, rifle, SMAW & bayonet
27. Rifleman - PFC, rifle & bayonet
28. Rifleman - PFC, rifle & bayonet

European mech units use the same squad organization of eight soldiers for their dismounts. They also use four vehicle platoons like the Americans. Some nations deviate from this standard by employing three or five vehicles in a platoon. Reconnaissance units often employ six to eight vehicles per platoon.

Light Infantry Platoon
The Light Infantry platoon consists of the PL, PSG, Radio/Telephone Operator (RTO), three rifle squads and either a weapons squad or two machine gun teams. At one time the weapon squad also contained two AT gunners employing a Medium Anti-Armor Weapon.

You can mix other weapon systems in or out of a platoon as needed.
5.56mm assault rifle: This weapon is best used in built up areas, mountainous terrain, forested terrain, rolling hills, jungle and any restrictive terrain. Patchwork terrain like Western Europe is best suited for this rifle. The 5.56mm has a Maximum effective range of 460 meters and true combat effective range is 200 meters. US Army trains out to 300 meters while USMC train out to 500 meters.
7.62mm Assault rifle: The same as the 5.56mm AR above but should also include wide open terrain. If you are operating in terrain where a 500+meter shot is common, then use the 7.62mm AR. The projectile is heavier and has a better chance of hitting a target at 500 meters than the 5.56mm projectile. You may simply replace one rifle or carbine in a squad or fire team with a 7.62mm AR.
U/B Grenade Launcher: The purpose of the GL is to place suppressive fire into dead space. Dead space is defined by terrain that the squad cannot see. This may be behind a small hillock, a depression, draw or ravine obscured by higher terrain.
Light Machine Gun (LMG): This is a 5.56mm Full automatic Machine gun. Squads/Fire teams are organized around one LMG. The LMG is intended to place high volumes of sustained fire on point or area targets. They also provide direction to the rest of the soldiers in the squad/team.
Shotgun: If you are operating in built up terrain; houses, factories, warehouses or other such buildings, you will need at least one 12 gauge shotgun in your squad. They work well for opening doors.
Carbines: 5.56mm carbines work best for built up terrain; houses, factories, warehouses or other such buildings, because the soldier can maneuver the shorter carbine around inside closed quarters easier than a rifle. The difference between a carbine and a rifle is the length of the weapon.
Sub Machine Gun: 9mm/45 cal SMGs are also best used in built up terrain. They provide a high volume of fire in tight close quarter battle (CQB) areas.
Sniper Rifle: 7.62mm is the most commonly found sniper rifle on the battlefield today. The UK and various other organizations around the world including USSOCOM use the caliber .338 LAPUA cartridge. The .338 has a greater range than the 7.62mm and is much more cost effective than the .50 caliber (12.7mm). The 12.7mm (.50 cal) rifle is used to engage vehicles and fortified structures. A .50 cal round will penetrate the armor of an IFV/APC, but will not penetrate a MBT armor. It will also penetrate cinder blocks and brick walls. The .50 cal is not used to engage personnel.

Other weapon systems that may be available to soldiers in a rifle squad include:
Fragmentation grenades
White Phosphorus grenades
Smoke Grenades (various colors)
CS Grenades
M17 Claymore Anti-Personnel mines
M72 Light Anti-Tank Weapons (LAW)
AT-4 Anti-Tank Weapons
C4 explosives
Blasting caps
Detonation cord (entire length of det cord blows up almost simultaneously)
Fuze cord (fuze cord burns at about 1 cm every 2 seconds.)
Anti-personnel mines
Anti-Tank mines
Trip wire
Parachute flares (various colors)

Patrol order
1. Situation

a. Enemy: brief description of enemy in the area.

b. Friendly: brief description on friendly in the area.

2. Mission: the who, what, where and when of the mission must also include the commander's intent.
3. Execution:

a. Concept of the operation.

1. Maneuver: order of movement and movement formation used.

2. Fire support: what is available and priority of fires.

b. sub unit missions: the who, what, where and when of the sub units. must also include the commander's intent.

c. Coordinating instructions

1. Times of departures and returns.

2. Primaries and alternate routes.

3. Departure and reentry of friendly areas.

4. Organization for movement.

5. Actions at danger areas.

6. Actions on enemy contact.

7. Rally points.

8. Actions in objective areas.

Prepare for Combat
This task is accomplished every time the squad receives a combat mission. The squad leaders receive the mission from the platoon leader. The squad leader ensures that he clarifies any questions about the mission and coordinates with platoon personnel as needed.

The squad leader performs the mission analysis to identify the intent of the platoon leader and the company commander (two levels up). He identifies specified tasks, implied tasks, mission essential tasks, constraints and limitations, and the purpose. The squad leader produces a restated mission statement that contains the unit's mission-essential tasks and the purpose for which they were assigned. Also, a tentative time schedule using backwards planning method is developed.

Once the squad leader has completed his mission planning, he will issue a warning order to his entire squad, which will contain several items. He will prepare the restated mission statement, known information about the enemy, what equipment/weapons are needed for the mission, assigns individual responsibilities regarding special equipment and weapons, designates the chain of command in his absence, states when, where, and to whom the operations order will be given and gives the warning order as clearly, concisely and completely as possible.

Squad members concurrently perform readiness, maintenance and functional checks under the supervision of their leaders. They check all weapons, communications equipment, any special equipment, individual gear packed per SOP and test fire weapons, if the situation permits. The squad leaders start developing the operations order and will at some point receive a complete platoon operations order from the platoon leader.

At the direction of the platoon leader, the squad leader conducts a recon of the objective. If time or the situation does not permit a physical recon, a map reconnaissance will be done as a minimum. Based on the recon, the squad leader confirms or modifies his tentative plan and completes the operations order. The squad leader then gives the entire squad the operations order. If possible, he gives the operations order overlooking the terrain the squad will be operating on or constructs a sand table to explain the operation.

After issuing the order, the squad leader will ensure his men are getting the equipment needed, the equipment is being maintained, weapons are ready and any special tasks that were assigned are being accomplished. Once the equipment is ready, if time allows rehearse any mission essential tasks or tasks that are not clear to everyone. Prior to departing for the mission, a pre-combat inspection will be conducted. This will cover having the individuals jump up and down for noise discipline, answering mission-related questions of soldiers to ensure they understand their part and the squad's part during the mission, and check the combat load and special equipment to ensure it meets the load guidance of the squad leader.

Any changes to the operations order or original plan will be done by the squad leader issuing a FRAGO (Fragmentary Order). This will include situation, mission, element tasks and if needed, changes in task organization. The squad will report any combat critical information to the platoon when any of the following situations take place: enemy contact, terrain information, changes in the squad operations order, changes in friendly situation, initiation of actions by the squad, or friendly information from other units that the platoon cannot monitor. After you have notified the platoon of any changes, ensure that the information is disseminated to the squad members.

Spot report
SALUTE
S - Size
A - Activity
L - Location
U - Unit
T - Time
E - Equipment

Weapons Ranges
M16 - 460 m
M79/M203 - 350m (area) 150m (point)
M60/M240 - 1100m (area)
M2 .50 cal - 1800 m
M72 LAW - 200 m
90 MM recoilless rifle - 400 m
106 MM recoilless rifle - 1100 m
60 MM mortar - 3490 m (min. 70 m)
81 MM mortar - 4595 m (min. 70 m)
4.2" Mortar - 5650 m (min. 920 m)
TOW - 3000 m
TOW II - 3750 m
Dragon - 1000 m
105 mm howitzer - 11,000 m
155 MM howitzer - 14,600 m
8" howitzer - 16,800 m
175 MM howitzer - 32,700 m

Fire request
1. Identification. According to the current Signals Operating Instructions (SOI), identify the fire direction center and yourself.
2. Warning. Adjust fire, grid coordinate, polar and known distance.
3. Target location and direction. Direction should be given in mils.
4. Target description.
5. Method of engagement. Variable Time Fuze (VT in effect or Victor Tango), White Phosphorus (WP Willy Peter). Danger close: 600 m for artillery and 400 m for mortars.
6. Method of control. Adjust fire, at my command, fire for effect and time on target (TOT).
Example of a call for fire:
November 77, this is Victor 89 adjust fire, over... Victor 89, this is November 77, adjust fire out.
November 77, this is a Victor 89, November Hotel 67349023, 800 mils, over.
Victor 89, this is November 77, November Hotel 67349023, 800 mils, out.
November 77, this is Victor 89, 20 infantry dug in, Victor Tango in effect, over.
Victor 89, this is November 77, 20 infantry dog in, Victor Tango in effect, out.

When adjusting rounds give vertical adjustment first then horizontal adjustment. Use the bracketing system to make the vertical adjustment; 400, 200, 100, 50 fire for effect.

Occupy Objective Rally Point
The squad conducts a long halt 200 to 400 meters, terrain dependent, from the tentative ORP. During the long halt, if a machine gun team is assigned, it will be positioned to cover the most likely direction of enemy approach. The squad leader informs the A team leader that he will be conducting a recon of the tentative ORP. The squad leader also informs him who he is taking with him and leaves a 5-pt. contingency plan. The squad leader will take one man from each team to act as security and one man from each team to recon and relay information back to the team as to its location in the ORP.

If there is a man portable radio available, it will go on the recon with the squad leader. Once the patrol leader leaves for the recon the A team leader readjusts the perimeter. The recon team checks the ORP for suitability and to ensure no enemy is near. The ORP should provide cover and concealment, be easy to defend for a short time, be away from natural lines of drift, easily located and be close enough to the objective to minimize control problems. Also, the area should be out of sight, sound and small arms range of the objective.

Once the recon is complete, the recon party will depart from the ORP leaving the security team in place. The patrol leader brings the rest of the squad forward to the ORP and the fire team representative brings each team to their exact location in the ORP. The patrol leader, at this time will designate each team's sectors of fire. The team leaders will place two soldiers to each position forming 1/3 circle and ensuring it is tied in with the other fire teams. The team leader takes up a position either in the center of his team or with one of his team members. The squad leader is in the center of the 360°perimeter for control with an RTO, if available.

Once this is accomplished, the squad leader is free to conduct his recon for whatever mission/task he is being assigned. Before leaving for the recon, the squad leader leaves a five point contingency plan with the assistant patrol leader.

Rally Points
A Rally point is a place where patrol can; reassemble and reorganized if dispersed during movement, temporarily halt to reorganize and prepare prior to actions at the objective, temporarily halt to prepare to depart from friendly lines, or temporarily halt to prepare to reenter friendly lines. A rally point will be established 400 meters on the near side and far side of all danger areas. Every 400 meters or so, depending on the terrain, the patrol leader will establish enroute rally points in case there's a break in contact.

Actions to be taken at Rally points must be planned in detail. The plan must provide for the continuation of the patrol as long as there is a good chance to accomplish the mission. A twig will be left in the rally point with one whittled end pointing in a direction that is 90° greater than the actual direction taken. If the patrol moved at a Magnetic azimuth of 45° the twig will be pointing at 135°. Its patrol left at 307°, the twig will be pointing at 37°. This twig will also have a number of notches carved in it representing the number of soldiers that made it to the rally point plus two. If 10 soldiers made it back then 12 notches will be on it. This twig will tell any stragglers how many people linked up here and where they went.

There are two techniques for actions at Rally points. The assembled patrol members will wait until a set number of men arrived and then go along with the mission under the senior man present, a minimum of four but it will depend on the mission. This plan is good for a reconnaissance patrol when few men may be able to accomplish the mission.

The second technique dictates the assembled patrol members will wait for a set period of time, after which the senior man present will decide whether or not to continue the patrol, based on troops and equipment available. This will be the plan when a minimum number of men or certain items or equipment, or both, are needed to accomplish the mission. The time limit will depend on whether any time restrictions are placed on the patrol's movement. Security is always the highest priority and will be maintained constantly.

Five point contingency plan
Prior to leaving the patrol, the patrol leader (PL) gives this to the assistant patrol leader (APL):
GO TWA you and me
G - Going. Where the PL is going
O - Others. Who the PL is taking with him
T - Time. Time the PL should be gone
W - What. What happens if the PL does not return
A - Actions. Action on enemy contact, you and me. Action to be taken by you, the patrol. Action to be taken by me, the PL.

Movement formations

Squad/Fire Team wedge video
Squad movement formations

Traveling Formation: this formation is used when contact with the enemy is less likely to occur. This formation will be used by squads when moving behind the LD/LC (Line of Departure / Line of Control) or behind friendly lines.



Traveling Overwatch: this formation will be used when contact is likely. This formation will be used forward of the LD/LC.


Bounding Overwatch: this formation is used when contact is expected, when the squad feels the enemy is near; movement, no worries, reflection or even a hunch.


File/Column: this formation is used when the unit is traveling in built up areas, restrictive terrain or during hours of low visibility. US Army units refer to this as Ranger File.


Note: in all of these formations except Bounding Overwatch, light and noise discipline must be maintained at all times. Communications must be maintained at all times between the squad leader and team leaders, and team leaders and individuals. The distance between each individual is dependent upon the terrain, whether, and light conditions. As a rule of thumb the distance is 10 m. In order to have communication between every member in the squad, everyone should look at the man in front of or behind him every 100 m. Communication signals; arm and hand signals are repeated by everyone in the formation. This ensures that all signals are understood.

In all formations, the last man in the wedge or file is rear security for the movement. When going from Traveling to Traveling Overwatch, the squad leader gives the arm and hand signal for Traveling Overwatch, Bravo Team drops back 30 more meters behind Alpha team, so the distance between the two fire teams is approximately 50 m. The squad leader drops back so he is just forward of the Bravo Team leader for control.

The squad will designate special teams within the squad; demolition team, aid and litter team, and POW search team. The aid and litter team carries five extra first aid packets and a spare poncho in order to create a makeshift litter if necessary. The POW search team will carry POW tags to identify prisoners and equipment. This team is also responsible for searching prisoners of war. If machine guns or RTOs are assigned to squads, they will travel with the squad leader for his control and rapid deployment.

When the Squad Leader determine it is necessary to use Bounding Overwatch, the squad should halt. Next, the Squad Leader designates an initial overwatch team and bounding team. Usually the lead fire team is the initial overwatch team. Each man assumes a position that gives him cover, concealment and a good field of fire to support the bounding element. The squad leader must inform the overwatch team the route that the bounding element will take. The SL must tell the bounding team where to move and what to do when they get there. Bounds should be no more than 150 meters and never more than line of sight from the overwatching team. The Squad Leader moves with the Overwatching element. In the case of three fire teams, the third team will remain with the Overwatch element. Once the bounding team has arrived at a location 150 meters in front of the initial overwatch element, the overwatching team will advance to the forward team. One fire team will join the existing overwatch while one of the previous overwatching teams now becomes the bounding team. The fire teams continue to leap frog forward until they have arrived at their destination or come under fire. If Machine guns or other supporting elements are moving with the squad, they will travel with the SL and provide fires with the Overwatch.

The point team consists of the Point Man, who looks for hazards that are at eye level or below. His primary focus is on mines, booby traps and ambushes. The Slack Man, covers the Point Man. He should be slightly to the left or right and behind the point man. He is looking for hazards from eye level and above. His primary focus is on snipers. The Team Leader is carrying a lensatic compass. He knows the azimuth and distance the unit is moving and is the land navigator for the team. He will provide guidance using hand and arm signals to the point man to insure he is traveling in the right direction. The Support element is prepared to provide supporting fire if the point team comes in contact. The Squad leader, with a lensatic compass supervises the point team to insure they are traveling in the proper direction.

Squad Line: This is used when the squad goes into the attack. Everyone forms one line and heads toward the enemy or attacks the objective.

Actions at Halt
While traveling in the wedge formation and the squad leader determines a need for a halt, he gives the hand and arm signal for halt - flat hand raised next to head with palm facing forward. The point man takes a knee and points his weapon in the direction of travel. Every man behind him alternates taking a knee facing left or right, one step away from the direction of travel. If the halt is going to be longer than fifteen minutes, the squad members should assume a prone position. The last man in the formation will turn and cover the direction the unit just came from. If there is a machine gun team traveling with the squad, the MG team moves to the rear and becomes rear security.

Occupy Patrol Base

Actions at Danger Areas
Linear Danger Areas, under five meters: Patch to the road
Once the pointman detects a danger area he will give the hand and arms signal for halt or freeze and the signal for danger area. The squad leader moves forward and makes a quick assessment deciding to use "Patch to the road" and signals by pointing at his left shoulder and giving a thumbs up.

The pointman moves up to the edge of the danger area and orients down the trail with his right shoulder facing the trail. He should be observing the area along the trail looking for a possible ambush situation. The second man moves up and assumes a position next to the pointman (back to back) facing in the other direction with his left shoulder facing the trail.

The pointman double times across the path, takes a knee, and covers that area with his left shoulder facing the road. The third man comes to the edge of the path, takes a knee next to the man that is already there, facing the same direction and allows the second man to double time across the path. The second man takes the pointman's position so that the pointman can continue in the direction of travel and carry on with the mission.

As each man approaches the edge of the danger area, the same thing occurs as with the number two man and number three man. Once everyone is across, the last man initiates a head count. This technique is used so a patrol and mission is not slowed down. It is supposed to be performed rapidly and cautiously.




Linear Danger Areas, over five meters: Near Side Security
Once a danger area has been detected, the pointman gives the hand and arm signal for halt or freeze and the signal for danger area. Each squad member drops to one knee or freezes in place and points their weapons outward. The squad leader moves up to the point and makes a quick assessment determining to cross the danger area. The squad leader turns and signals the near side security (two soldiers from Alpha Team chosen by the squad leader during the patrol order or the operations order) forward and tells them where to position themselves for security. They should be positioned left and right as far out as necessary.

Once the near side security is in place, the squad leader signals for the far side security which consists of two men from the Bravo team, to come forward. The squad leader tells the far side security and the pointman how large of an area they need to clear. The far side security and the pointman double time across the danger area. The pointman centers himself on the area to be cleared with one man on his left and one on his right. The men on both sides face 90°away from the direction of travel and move in that direction far enough to clear the area. Once they reach this point, they face back to the point. All three men move up approximately 5 meters, then the two outer men face 90° forward and move back to where the pointman is. The far side security men are looking for mines, booby traps or possible ambushes. Once the three men are back together they face forward and move up another 5 meters and repeat the process until the area specified by the SL is cleared.

Once the area is cleared, the three men return to the edge of the danger area. The far side security take a position near the edge of the trail covering in their assigned direction at the edge of the cleared area. The pointman makes eye contact with the squad leader and gives him a thumbs up to indicate that the area is cleared. Then the pointman moves to the edge of the cleared area and drops to one knee to provide security to the front of the squad along the direction of travel. This also makes it easy for the squad to reform behind him.

The squad leader then has each remaining member double time across one at a time and reform on the pointman. The squad leader is the last man to cross. Once he has crossed he signals for the near side security to withdrawl between the two members of the far side security. They immediately rejoin their fire team. Next, he orders the members of the far side security to rejoin their fire team. The squad leader executes a head count as he moves forward and then the squad continues the mission.

This technique is slower than "Patch to the Road", but provides increased security during the crossing. The near side rally point is the last rally point designated before arrival at the danger area the far side really point is always 400 m past the danger area.



Small Open Areas, under 200 meters: For small open areas, the best option is to bypass the area and continue the mission. Use 90 degree turns to your path and only count forward steps for your pace count when determining distance traveled.

Large Open Areas, over 200 meters: For large open areas, where there is no easy method to bypass, use Bounding Overwatch movement formation so that security is provided for those elements moving forward.

Actions at the Objective
Once an objective has been taken, the squad should push past the objective at least 50 meters. Then they will establish the hasty defense using a tight 360°perimeter. Alpha team will take from 12 to 4:00, Bravo team will occupy from 4:00 to 8:00 and Charlie team will occupy from 8 to 12 o'clock. 12 o'clock is always the direction of travel or direction of attack.

Once in place, the fire team leaders will get an ACES report from their key members and then report this to the squad leader. The squad leader will in turn submit his ACES report to the platoon leader and await further instructions.

After analyzing the ACES report, the squad leader reestablishes the chain of command and redistributes ammunition. The POW team searches prisoners and equipment, and tags them, providing rapid transportation for prisoners to the rear for questioning. The squad leader identifies KIAs and WIAs, providing transportation to the rear through medevac or any other means available.

ACES Report
A - Ammunition. Each soldier reports how much ammo they have left to their team leader.
C - Casualties. Take note of any KIAs or WIAs incurred during the attack.
E - Equipment. Any equipment missing or all accounted for?
S - Sensitive Items. Any sensitive items lost? all accounted for?

Squad Area Reconnaissance

Conduct an Ambush

An Ambush is a violent attack relying on the element of surprise intended to deny the enemy access to an area or to disrupt his movement along an anticipated avenue of approach. The soldiers in the ambush must be camouflaged completely and must adhere to noise discipline; meaning everything is taped down to prevent any rattling or banging noised. Generally soldiers jump up and down to determine if are carrying any noise makers.

The squad has been assigned the mission of conducting an Ambush. The Squad will be organized into three elements. They are the Security element, Support element and Assault element.

For the squad, the security element will consist of three men. One is left flank security, one is right flank security and the third is rear security. The Support element will consist of the highest casualty producing weapon. In a Light Infantry Platoon this is traditionally the General Purpose Machine Gun. The Assistant Patrol Leader, controls the Support Team. The assault element consists of the squad leadership and everyone else.

In a USMC Rifle Squad set in 1967 the Squad looks like this:

Security Element consists of three soldiers from C Team.
Support Element consists of the C Team Leader and the MG Team.
Assault Element consist of the Squad leader, A Team and B Team.

The squad moves to and occupies its ORP (Objective Rally Point). The squad leader will gather the three-man security element plus one man. The Squad leader will provide the Asst Patrol Leader (C Team Leader) with a five point contingency plan. The Squad Leader advances to the ambush site, looks it over and if it suitable, establishes the ambush.

1. Squad Leader leaves the 3-man security team in position at the ambush site.

2. Squad Leader returns to the ORP and brings the rest of the squad up to the Ambush site.

3. SL places the MG team in the center and spreads the assault team on either side.

4. The APL (C Team Leader) is positioned next to the MGunner to initiate the ambush.

5. When the enemy walks into the Kill zone, the MG initiates the ambush. The rest of the Assault team fires into the Kill zone. Throw hand grenades if they are available.

6. Everyone fires for a pre-determined time 1-2 minutes. When the MG stops firing, the assault element gets up and assaults through the kill zone.

7. If anyone is still alive in the Kill Zone, squeeze the trigger twice (double tap) to the chest or head and advance to the far side of the Kill Zone. Insure everyone is dead; gather up all weapons and/or Priority Intelligence Requirements. Blow the weapons in place as you are leaving.

8. The pre-designated demo team (B Team) will have a block of C4, blasting cap, 8” fuse wire and a firing device prepared ahead of time. Place the explosives on the weapons and yells, “Fire in the Hole!” The first time, the demo man yells “Fire in the Hole!” the Support team moves to the ORP at the double time. When the demo man says it a second time, the Assault element minus the SL moves to the ORP. When the demo man says it a third time, he pulls the pin and he, the SL and the security element all move to the ORP at the double time.

9. The Squad remains in the ORP until after the explosives are detonated. Then they continue with the mission.

Platoon Raid
A raid is a surprise attack performed with intensity and violence against a position or installation for a specific purpose other than seizing and holding the terrain. It is conducted to destroy a position or installation, destroy or capture enemy soldiers or equipment, or free prisoners. A raid patrol retains terrain just long enough to accomplish the intent of the raid. A raid always ends with a withdrawal off the objective and a return to the main body.

Raids are characterized by the following:
• Destruction of key systems or facilities (Command and Control centers, logistical areas, other high value areas).
• Provide or deny critical information.
• Securing of hostages or prisoners.
• Confusing the enemy or disrupting his plans.
• Detailed intelligence (significant ISR assets committed).
• Command and control from the higher HQ to synchronize the operation.
• Creating a window of opportunity for the raiding force.

Depending on the objective, a Raid Patrol can be conducted by a Squad, Platoon, Company or Battalion. For this SOP, I will discuss the Platoon Raid.

Planning.
The US Army Light Infantry platoon consists of 34 soldiers organized into a Plt HQs, two 2-man MG teams and three 9-man rifle squads with two 4-man fire teams each. The dismount element of a Mech Infantry platoon consists of 27 soldiers, not counting the attached Medic. The mech platoon is organized into two Sections with two 6-man squads in each plus the Plt HQs. There are not GPMGs that can be dismounted. For a mounted Mechanized Infantry Company, the raid would involve using their M2 Bradleys in a supporting role.

Plan for the patrol to occupy an Objective Rally Point (ORP) which is along the primary route to the objective. The patrol will pass through the ORP on their way out of the objective area. The ORP should be located 200 - 400 meters from the objective or one terrain feature away.

Plan indirect fires or CAS mission to engage the objective area immediately following a successful departure of the Objective.

Keeping to the Light Infantry platoon suggested above, the platoon should be organized into three elements.
- Assault Element
- Support Element
- Security Element

Duties of Each Element
The assault element is the combat patrol’s decisive effort. Its task is to conduct actions on the objective. The assault element is responsible for accomplishing the unit’s task and purpose. This element must be capable (through inherent capabilities or positioning relative to the enemy) of destroying or seizing the target of the combat patrol. Tasks typically associated with the assault element include:
• Conduct of assault across the objective to destroy enemy equipment, capture or kill enemy, and clearing of key terrain and enemy positions.
• Deployment close enough to the objective to conduct an immediate assault if detected.
• Being prepared to support itself if the support element cannot suppress the enemy.
• Providing support to a breach element in reduction of obstacles (if required).
• Planning detailed fire control and distribution.
• Conducting controlled withdrawal from the objective.

Analysis of METT-TC, particularly for a raid, may result in the requirement to organize a separate breach force. At times this may include breaching an obstacle.

Additional tasks/special purpose teams assigned may include:
• Search teams – to find and collect documents, equipment and information that can be used as
intelligence.
• Prisoner teams – to capture, secure, and account for prisoners and detainees.
• Demolition teams – to plan and execute the destruction of obstacles and enemy equipment.
• Breach team – to create small-scale breaches in protective obstacles to facilitate the completion
of the patrol’s primary task
• Aid and litter teams – to identify, collect, render immediate aid and coordinate medical
evacuation for casualties

The support element suppresses the enemy on the objective using direct and indirect fires. The support element is a shaping effort that sets conditions for the mission’s decisive effort. This element must be capable, through inherent means or positioning relative to the enemy, of supporting the assault element. The support force can be divided up into two or more elements if required.

The support element is organized to address a secondary threat of enemy interference with the assault element(s). The support force suppresses, fixes, or destroys elements on the objective. The support force’s primary responsibility is to suppress enemy to prevent reposition against decisive effort. The support force—
• Initiates fires and gains fire superiority with crew-served weapons and indirect fires.
• Controls rates and distribution of fires.
• Shifts/ceases fire on signal.
• Supports the withdrawal of the assault element.

The security element(s) is a shaping force that has three roles. The first role is to isolate the objective from enemy personnel and vehicles attempting to enter the objective area. Their actions range from simply providing early warning, to blocking enemy movement. This element may require several different forces located in various positions. The patrol leader is careful to consider enemy reserves or response forces that, once the engagement begins, will be alerted. The second role of the security element is to prevent enemy from escaping the objective area. The third role is to secure the patrol’s withdrawal route.

There is a subtle yet important distinction for the security element. All elements of the patrol are responsible for their own local security. What distinguishes the security element is that they are protecting the entire patrol. Their positions must be such that they can, in accordance with their engagement criteria, provide early warning of approaching enemy.

The security element is organized to address the primary threat to the patrol—being discovered and defeated by security forces prior to execution of actions on the objective. To facilitate the success of the assault element, the security element must fix or block (or at a minimum screen) all enemy security or response forces located on parts of the battlefield away from the raid.

An example of organizing a Light Infantry Platoon for a Raid is here:
Assault Element: PL, RTO, 1st Squad, 2nd SL, A Team, 2nd Squad. These sixteen soldiers will advance across the objective firing at the enemy with the intent of completing whatever mission higher HQs assigned the patrol for this raid. The Assault element contains an Aid/Litter team, Demo Team, Intelligence Collection Team and EPW Collection Team. The Aid/Litter team is prepared to provide first aid and coordinate for casualty evacuation (CASEVAC). The Demo Team will have at least one pound of C4 explosives, detonation cord, Fuse Cord, blasting caps and an ignition/detonation device. Always separate the Explosives from the blasting caps. They should be carried by two separate individuals. The EPW collection Team carries flex cuffs or field expedient flex cuffs prepared to detain enemy prisoners of war for immediate evacuation to the rear. Intel Collection Teams will gather up any documents or items relevant to the mission and keep them for safeguarding to the rear.

Support Element: two 2-man MG Teams, PSG, B Team, 2nd Squad. These nine soldiers will initiate the raid by placing a high volume of deadly fire on the objective in order to keep the enemy pinned down. They will be given a specific duration of time to maintain this overwhelming fire; typically 60 seconds of hell. The PL will provide a signal when the Support Element should shift fire away from the Assault Element and/or lift fires completely.

Security Element: 3rd Squad broken down into two fire teams assigned to watch the two primary avenues of approach into the objective area. They may establish small ambush sites or be prepared to conduct a defensive withdrawal in order to delay an enemy advance.

Additional personnel/units may be attached for specific missions.
Examples:
- Additional Machine gun teams.
- Lightweight Company mortars (60mm)
- Larger Anti-Armor Weapon teams (Javelins)
- Snipers
- Intelligence Analysts
- Combat Engineers
- Fire Support Specialists
- UAV operators


Raids are normally conducted in five phases:
• Approach the objective.
• Isolate the objective area.
• Set conditions for the assault element.
• Assault the objective.
• Tactical movement away from the objective area.

Approach the objective.
The Patrol Leader (PL) designates a primary and an alternate route toward the objective. In the event the primary route is compromised, they can use the alternate route. During the planning phase, the PL will designate a surveillance team which the PL will bring to a position near the objective for them to watch the objective for any events that may cause a change in mission. The Surveillance Team should be at least two people and never one person. The PL should have at least one other person with him on the reconnaissance so that he is not alone for the return to base.

Isolate the objective area.
The objective is isolated by employing the Security Element which may be conducting ambushes along most likely avenues of approach into the objective or establishing blocking positions using obstacles.

Set conditions for the assault element.
The Support element attempts to pin down the enemy on the objective making it easier for the Assault element to perform its task.

Assault the objective.
The Assault element charges across the objective killing everyone who puts up resistance. Once the objective is secure, they begin working on their specified task, whatever it may be.

Tactical movement away from the objective area.
Once the intent of the Raid is complete, then the Assault Element begins movement away from the objective. The PL will use some signal to alert everyone that the mission is complete and it is time to leave. It could be a voice command or if that is not feasible a parachute flare or a whistle will work.
Examples:
One Long Whistle Blast or Green Star cluster: Mission Complete
One short whistle Blast or yellow star cluster: Assault Element is moving to the ORP.
Two short whistle blasts or red star cluster: Support Element is moving to the ORP.
Three short whistle blasts or white star cluster: Security element and PL are moving to the ORP. If items are to be detonated on the objective, the Demo team should remain with the PL in order to pull the pin on the detonation device just before they leave with the PL and the Security Element.

Once the Patrol/Platoon has consolidated on the ORP, the Squad leaders should give the Platoon Leader their LACES report (Liquid, Ammunition, Casualties, Equipment, Sensitive Items Report). This will tell the PL if he has everyone he brought with him and what condition they are in. He should report this to higher headquarters. Time spent in the ORP during the exfiltration should be kept to a minimum. The LACES to higher headquarters could be given while moving as well as the call for fire by Indirect Fire Support or by Close Air Support should happen as the patrol is leaving the ORP. The Patrol should then follow a pre-designated route back to friendly lines. This route should be different than the route they took to get to the ORP and the Objective. This is to ensure the Patrol does not walk through an enemy ambush waiting for their return.

Conduct Break Contact Battle Drill
When a squad or platoon comes under fire and are either ordered to break contact with the enemy or are forced to break contact, These are the steps the element takes in order to break contact. It is necessary to move as rapidly as possible to a location that is covered and concealed from the enemy.

if the squad is moving in a file formation and the contact is immediately to the front, the squad will use the Australian Peel method to break contact as depicted below. If the squad has contact to the right or left, the squad will use buddy team bounds to break contact as depicted in the linked video. Each fire team will be organized into two 2-3 man buddy teams. The soldiers in a buddy team cover each other during movement. When one man is moving, the other man is firing. Or, in this case, when one buddy team is moving, the other buddy team is firing.



The Australian Peel
1. The squad leader gives the hand and arm signal to break contact and/or yells, "Break Contact!" 2. The squad leader pulls the pin on a smoke grenade (pop smoke) and tosses it between the enemy and his own squad in an attempt to obscure the location of friendly forces.
3. The squad leader orders a direction and distance, or a terrain feature, or last rally point for the movement of the squad.
4. The first man in the squad throws a fragmentation grenade at the enemy and then points his weapon in the direction of the enemy and fires on full auto at them or rapid fire until his magazine is empty. Then he runs back through the column of friendlies to take up a position to the rear that will enable him to cover his squad mates.
5. Each man in turn repeats the step that the lead man did. He throws a hand grenade and empties his magazine before running toward the rear.
6. As the members of the squad peel back out of contact, the squad leader will watch for enemy reaction. If the enemy pursues, the squad will continue tossing grenades, emptying magazines and running until they have arrived at their last rally point and/or they have successfully broken contact with the enemy.
7. Once the squad has consolidated at the rally point, a head count should be taken to insure everyone is present. Redistribute ammunition to insure everyone has equal amount of ammo. Remain at the rally point only briefly and move out in an unanticipated direction to get away from the enemy.
8. Continue mission.

React to Contact Battle Drill

Squad Attack

Squad/Platoon Defense

[Gunther]

Name: Nicolas "Nick" Harman
Species: Human
Age: 28
Rank: Lieutenant
Skills: Kensei


Appearance: Nick is 6'2" tall and weighs 200 Lbs. Nick is physically fit and shaves his head. He has dark skin and brown eyes. He speaks with a French accent.

Personality: Nick is generally quiet and keeps to himself. He refrains from passing judgment on other people until after they've opened their mouths and proven to those present how stupid they truly are. Nick will help out someone who appears to be fumbling with a problem as long as they don't take advantage of his kindness. Once someone takes Nick for granted, he sort of "writes them off" as useless and wants to have nothing to do with them. For those individuals who Nick has "written off" he reserves a not-so-friendly nickname, "Bobo". Someone who at least appears to be trying but with difficulty is referred to as "Bubba".If the person happens to be a superior officer, then he avoids them when possible and provides only curt responses to their questions. Breaking contact with this individual becomes a priority.

History: Nick has studied Martial Arts since he was five years old. At age 12 he received his first black belt in Okinawan karate. By age 15, he was introduced to the sword and fell in love with the elegance and grace a person with a finely crafted sword can be. He trained himself in the way of the sword; mind, body and sword until he became qualified to be called a sword master or the Japanese term, "Kensei". He has only recently achieved this status, we believe the ceremony was held about three weeks ago. His instructors have assisted him to develop into an efficient killing machine. He received his 3rd degree Black belt in Okinawan karate at age 20.

Nick was born in Saint Etienne (Saint Stephen, France). His parents got into politics, but his family had all worked at the Weapons Manufacturing industry in St. Etienne; Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne(MAS). French is Nick's native language, but he learned to speak English and German in school. After graduation from High School, he attended a military academy and was commissioned as an Ensign in the military of planet Earth at age 21. He excelled in combat skills from shooting to hand to hand combat; with swords being his specialty. He is also adept at small unit tactics.

Items carried on person: Current black and gold duty uniform, highly polished black combat boots, M5 Laser Carbine which fires a green colored laser bolt. The carbine has four settings; safe, stun, semi (harm) and full auto (harm). The semi auto and full auto settings are used in a combat situation. when on full auto, the carbine fires at a rate of 700 bolts per minute. The carbine has a laser range finder and 7x50 scope. He also carries a M21 Semi-automatic laser pistol which also fires green bolts. Naturally, Nick carries a collapsible katana sword.

[Gunther]

Appearance: Jacob stands 5' 10" tall (178 cm) and weighs about 174 lbs (79 Kg). He has long unkempt brown hair and blue eyes. His beard is scruffy with symmetrical patches of gray hair on this chin. Jacob is in fairly decent shape; slender and his hands are calloused from work.

Name: Jacob Carpenter (nick: Jake)
Age: 35
Nationality: United Kingdom
Birth Place: Bellingham, England
Affiliation: Community
Profession: Construction (Carpentry, Masonry & Plumbing)
Personality: Jake is a quiet pensive man. He is confident and knows himself well. He can be prone to outbursts when provoked or exhausted.
Biography: Jake was born in North West Northumbria in the village of Bellingham. He attended local schools in or near Bellingham and graduated from the Queen Elizabeth High School in Hexham. After graduation in 2003, Jake joined the Royal Marines and spent four years in uniform as a member of 45 Commando.

In the four years, Jake was with the Royal Marines he traveled to Northern Ireland, the United States, Norway and to Afghanistan. In January 2004 his unit deployed to Northern Ireland for 6 months in support of peacekeeping operations, returning home in June. In September 2004, Jake deployed with 45 Commando to the United States training with US Marines at 29 Palms, California and later at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Centre, high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Jake trained in cold weather warfare in mountainous conditions. In 2006 Jake was promoted to Lance Corporal and given the added responsibility of leading three other soldiers. That same year, Jake and 45 Commando was deployed to Norway for further arctic training. Later that year, the unit deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Herrick. Jake's job in Afghanistan was to work alongside Afghan National soldiers and help them learn their trade as soldiers. The unit recovered from Afghanistan in April 2007 and Jake left the military the following June.

He found employment with Bellway, one of the largest construction companies in the United Kingdom. He quickly learned the trades of Carpentry, Masonry and Plumbing. Since the company he worked for was located in Dudley, north of New Castle upon Tyne, Jake relocated to the region living in a flat in Longbenton.

In the first year of living in New Castle, Jake met Meridith Brine who he fell in love with and married 20 months later in September 2010. Jake and Meridith made a lovely couple. Jake often referred to his wife as "Meri" or her nickname, "Pep". Their first bairn, William was born in October, 2011 and their second, Michelle was born in April, 2013. Bill and Shelly were well adjusted young children.

As the outbreak of dragons grew, Jake's fears and apprehensions broadened. In late 2013 with a newborn and a two year old, Jake took his young family to Alnwick Castle about 40 Kilometers north of where he lived in New Castle on Tyne. The presence of dragons frightened everyone. Jacob and Meri were most concerned with taking care of William and Michelle. The small community grew and grew over the years, but then the dragons' presence increased snatching people who dared to walk far from the protection of the castle walls. Late in 2018, Meri was taken by one of the more aggressive dragons, who earned the name, "Red" or "The Red King" for his dark reddish hue.

Life after the death of Meri is filled with darkness for Jake. The knowledge that his two young children ages 7 and 8 keep him going. If not for them, Jake would undoubtedly fall into a state of depression. Occasionally, something will remind Jake of his "Pep" and he is forced to find solitude.

Other: Because he needs to look after his son and daughter, Jake would prefer that they just left the dragons alone. The thinking is, that hopefully, the dragons would leave them alone as well. Jake preaches that no one should be alone, everyone should move in pairs or more, armed and avoid open areas.

On a scavenger mission, Jake acquired a few tools to help him fend off the dragons. One was a L129A1 sharpshooter rifle, chambered in 7.62mm. He was able to gather up two boxes of 7.62mm ammunition or 840 rounds. He has fired a few of these, but has most of this stash left. He also have 12 20-round magazines for his rifle.

[Gunther]

Appearance: Tony Collins is an impressive looking man at 6' 4" tall and weighing just under 250 Lbs. His body is sculpted to perfection from more than 20 years of body building and weightlifting. He is of African descent with dark skin and has taken to wearing a goatee since he left the army. Tony wears black combat boots, black combat trousers a black body armor, elbow and knee pads and a black Patrol cap that is normally worn backwards. He also wears black weight lifting gloves.

Name: Anthony "Tony" Collins
Age: 40
Nationality: British
Birth Place: Matlock, UK
Personality: Quiet, disciplined and focused. He can be jovial at times.
Biography: Tony grew up in Matlock, the county seat of Derbyshire in central England. Tony had a difficult time as a young man, getting into fights often and in trouble with the law. He lost his father at the age of 10 and his mother had a difficult time raising the unruly youth. As a teen, Tony was a bad egg and had a dark cloud hanging over his head.

Tony joined the British Army right out of High School. The Military corrected his attitude and he was able to channel his energies in other ways. He got into body-building and excelled physically, tactically, technically and academically in many ways in the military.

Tony served as an Infantryman with 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (2nd Paras) at Colchester Garrison from 1988 to 1991. At the conclusion of this assignment, Tony then went to 1st Paras Training Battalion as a Lance Corporal. He assisted instructors at the Parachute training school until he was promoted to Corporal in 1994.

After six years in the Army, Tony felt comfortable as a soldier and knew this would be his career. He then applied for and was accepted into Special Air Services Selection. SAS selection lasted 19 weeks; Tony would agree that this experience was the toughest of his life and would prepare him for what was yet to come.

He spent six years in SAS with Air Troop, B Squadron, 22 SAS Regiment and saw many covert operations around the globe and at home in the interest of the crown. In 2000, Tony was promoted to Sergeant and given his own SAS Team to command. When the British got involved with the American's Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003), Tony's SAS team was dropped near Basrah prior to the Allied forces crossing the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border and conducted Long Range reconnaissance and Surveillance activities on Iraqi Army units in the area.

In late 2003, Tony was promoted to Colour Sergeant and left the SAS. This time he was assigned to 3rd Para where he served as a Platoon Sergeant. The unit had recently recovered back from Iraq when Tony joined them at Colchester Garrison. In 2006, the 3rd Paras were deployed to Helmond Province, Afghanistan. Colour Sergeant Collins saw extensive fighting with the Taliban in July and August of that year. The fighting continued throughout the deployment, but nothing was as fierce as those first two months. Two years later, the unit recovered back to Colchester where Tony found a promotion to Warrant Officer 2. This promotion elevated him to Company Sergeant Major of No. 1 Company, 3rd Parachute Battalion.
After 20 years in the Army; either in the SAS or the Paras, Tony was content with his life. When he wasn't training with his unit, he was lifting weights. Keeping his body in top shape is extremely important to Warrant Officer Collins. He left the Army and joined the Division as a means of working on his skills on a more global level.

[Gunther]

UNF Registry File


Name: Eric Sapp
Serial Number: UNF-89722-359
Rank: Captain
Date of Birth: 30 March 1992
Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts (USA)

Height: 74" (6'2")
Weight at 1G: 200 Lbs.
Eye Color: brown
Hair Color: black
Physical Description:
Eric Sapp is of African American descent He is physically fit; diet and exercise are important to him. He lifts weight six days a week and runs distances six days a week with sprints on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Eric exists on a 2200 calorie a day diet; eating five small meals a day. Eric has a thin black mustache that stops short of the ends of his mouth. Eric wears his hair skinned on the sides and back with a small layer of wiry black African hair on top of his head; a hairstyle known as "high and tight".

Psychological Assessment:
Eric Sapp is a well adjusted man who works well under pressure. He is calm and cool under most situations. Eric is very analytical, taking time to study a situation before jumping right in.

Eric has an ascetic face and his facial expressions are considered emotionless and severe. He prefers to not attract too much attention to himself. He tends to behave in a self-restrained manner with strangers, always maintaining a long psychological distance. His speech is clear and logical and he always follows a logical progression. He also has a tendency to emphasize key words. When defending his concepts and ideas during a confrontation his logic can become solid and absolute. He cuts out all irrelevant details that may cloud the argument.

Although the first impression of Eric Sapp is that he is emotionless, when inspired during conversation an emotionality previously unseen begins to emerge. His eyes begin flashing with a fanatic light and his passion increases as the conversation progresses. However, he still tries to maintain self-control. Eric will sustain conversations only if he finds them interesting. He prefers to remain silent rather than give an opinion on a subject to which he is indifferent.

Service Record and Remarks:
Eric Sapp was born in 1992 at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Brighton, a borough of Boston, MA. His father was a professor of aeronautical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. Eric had a fairly easy upbringing, scoring high marks in class and excelling in athletics. He was a Star Wide Receiver for his High School. His discipline in school and teamwork on the football field, gave him a recommendation to the US Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, CO in 2010.

Even though the Klinat Union interrupted the landscape of all of earth's infrastructure and its military, Eric completed his education, graduating from the USAF Academy in 2014. He attended Pilot's school as an Ensign. By this time, all the nation's Air Forces and Armies of the planet adopted the naval ranks to maintain uniformity.

In 2016, Eric married his high school sweetheart, Carla Knight. Initially, Carla followed Eric to his duty stations. In 2017, she gave birth to Eric Sapp, Junior and two years later in 2019, Carla gave birth to Clarice Sapp. After the birth of their second child, Carla agreed to return to Boston and lived with her family in Brighton.

He was initially assigned to an F-22 Squadron. He was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade in 2015 and Lieutenant in 2017. At the age of 25, Eric was given command of a Squadron of F-22s and a promotion to Lieutenant. Five years later he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and given command of a Strike Group in the United Nation's 5th Strike Wing. The Squadrons, Groups and Wings also transitioned out of the now obsolete F-22 and given strike fighters which could attain extremely fast rates of speed while traveling in outer space. The Klinat Union shared technology was unbelievable. Eric Sapp felt right at home in the cockpit of this new strike fighter.

At the age of 35, Eric Sapp was promoted to Commander, the normal progression rate for officers of the United Nations Forces. Fast track is only four years from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander and four years from Lieutenant Commander to Commander. With the announcement of the Achilles class mothership, UNFS Earth Commander Sapp was chosen to command the 3rd Strike Wing. He was promoted to Captain shortly after his elevation to Wing Command.

3rd Strike Wing

Wing Commander: Captain Eric Sapp
Executive Officer: Commander Leslie Snipes
Wing Maintenance Officer: Commander Li Wu Zheng

8 ships per Squadron - 24 per group - 72 total ships

7th Group Commander: Lieutenant Commander Robert Mbutu
19th Squadron Commander: Lieutenant Ali Topcu
"Five Aces"
20th Squadron Commander: Lieutenant Roman Czerepuszko
"Iron Lancers"
21st Squadron Commander: Lieutenant Niels O'Reilly
"The Stooges"
Lieutenant Johan Wernher KIA

8th Group Commander: Lieutenant Commander John Higgins
22nd Squadron Commander: Lieutenant Katerina Ninkovic
"Flapjacks"
Lieutenant Ivan Stupenofsky KIA
23rd Squadron Commander: Lieutenant Vitorina Paladino
"Outlaws"
Ens. Qiang Huan
24th Squadron Commander: Lieutenant Griegor Milenkovic
"Gypsies"

9th Group Commander: Lieutenant Commander Gerard Dupont
25th Squadron Commander: Lieutenant Edouard Marchand
"le' Escadrille Marne"
26th Squadron Commander: Lieutenant Iqbal Ram
"Emerald Fighters"
27th Squadron Commander: Lieutenant Jamila El-Hashem
"Golden Dragons"
Ens. Daisuke Kata KIA

Used in: Surrender to the Stars

[Gunther]

Name: Joseph "Joe" Filion (AKA: "Fill" or "Big Joe")

Age: 47
Height: 71"
Weight: 205
Physique: soft in the middle, but otherwise average to above average strength for a middle aged man.
Ethnicity: 3/4th French Canadian and 1/4th Chocktaw Indian
Skin Tone: fair, but tans well in the summer time. Attributable to his Native American heritage.
Eye Color: blue
Hair Color/Length: dark brown/high and tight
Facial Hair: prefers clean shaven, but has let the beard grow in some due tot he conditions.

Appearance: Joe looks younger than he really is. This is a quality he inherited from his mother. Once when she was 47 years old, someone asked her why she married such an older man. Dad was 50 at the time and he always looked older due to a rough life of beer drinking and working on the railroad. The older William Filion had lost his father when he was 10 in 1947 and that had a negative impact on him as well. Mom appeared 40, so they must have at least looked 20 years apart.

Joe typically wore either golf shirts or T-shirts and jeans with a soft brown leather shoe before the invasion. He wears a gold/silver colored Seiko wristwatch and his wedding ring. He also wears the dog tags that were issued to him when he was in Basic Training thirty years ago. Today, he wears the older US Army BDUs; relics from his past life. He is outfitted two of his children with these uniforms as well. Joe also wears the familiar black and gold baseball cap depicting the Fleur d'Lis of the New Orleans Saints.

Joe has a leathered appearance to his skin and a few scars under his clothing you cannot see when he is dressed. There is a small scar, front and back on his left shoulder. They were gifts from a Cuban rifleman on the island of Grenada in 1983 when Joe was 19 years old.

Strengths: - Joe possesses an organized mind coupled with years of experience in small unit tactics as well as Battalion and Brigade level operations.
- Joe is an expert shot with rifle and pistol.
- Joe has an uncanny sense of direction.

Weaknesses: - Joe becomes miserable and angry if not allowed to sleep at least six hours straight uninterrupted. This makes him difficult to work with when he gets like this.
- Due to three ear infections in the left ear over the past five years and a failure of the left Eustachian Tube to drain properly, his hearing is 10% impaired in the left ear.
- Joe can be lazy if not properly motivated.
- Joe is easily distracted.
- He tends to remember things just a little wrong.

Quirks: Joe talks too much. He tends to be overly friendly and may divulge personal information that is irrelevant to what is going on at the moment. He is susceptible to the TMI bug.

History: Joe was born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana about 27 miles east of the Texas border along Interstate 10. His father, William spent thirty years in the employ of the Union Pacific Railway (UP) out of Lake Charles. His father either worked locals out of Lake Charles yard or ran the Sunset Route between Houston, TX and New Orleans, LA. Joe swore that he would never work for the railroad. Since the age of 10, Joe has been reading Military History. It is his fascination. Before the invasion, Joe received regular subscriptions from Military History Magazine, World War II and Military Heritage Magazine.

After graduating High School in 1982, Joe enlisted in the US Army. He attended Infantry Basic Combat Training (BCT & AIT) on Sand Hill, Ft. Benning, GA later that year. Upon graduation from Basic and AIT, Joe attended the Airborne School, also at Ft. Benning. Immediately following the four weeks of physical fitness training associated with earning the silver wings or Parachutist's Badge, Joe Filion was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 75th Rangers at Ft. Lewis, WA. Instead of being shipped to Washington, the Army wisely sent him to the Ranger School at Ft. Benning, since he was already there. Ranger school was an extremely challenging institution spending two weeks at Camp Darby on Benning, two weeks in Dahlonega, Georgia's Mountaineering school, two weeks in Eglin Air Force Base's Jungle training and two weeks at Ft. Bliss, Texas' desert training. Ranger school teaches the student small unit tactics (squad and platoon level) in extremely miserable conditions. The students sleep maybe two to five hours in a 24-hour period and it is rarely consecutive. They also eat roughly one or two meals worth of food a day. When the eight weeks of Ranger School was complete, Joe Filion was lean at 170 Lbs and spent the next year or so with the 2nd Rangers at Ft. Lewis.

In October, 1983, Private First Class Joe Filion found himself on the tiny Island of Grenada in the Caribbean where the Rangers helped to liberate an American Medical School and thwart a Cuban attempt at establishing a Communist weapons cache on the island. The Americans found enough stores of small arms to arm every citizen of Grenada eleven times over. During the fighting on Grenada, a 7.62mm slug from a Cuban AK-47 entered his shoulder, missed the bone and exited his back; what is known as a "through and through". It was a clean shoot that would heal up quickly. The wound was enough to end Joe's visit to the tropical island paradise.

In 1984, Joe changed duty assignment again and was assigned to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 36th Infantry (Mechanized), 3rd Armor Division at Ayers Kaserne, Kirch Göns, West Germany. He hated being in the Mechanized Infantry, but it appeared to be the way to go. Joe often referred to the M113 Armored Personnel Carriers he and his squad mates rode in as "steel coffins".

In the summer of 1985, his three years of active service ended and he returned to Louisiana. Due to his veteran status, he was able to put himself through college at Louisiana State University (LSU). He also joined the Louisiana Army National Guard that September. At that time, the LAANG had a program that if you attended a state college and you were a member of the guard, your tuition was free of charge. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science graduating in 1990. Due to military schools, he ended up spending a year longer than planned in school.

In Joe's opinion, the National Guard in 1985 and 86 was weak, professionally and the solders lacked discipline. It disgusted him when he saw the long hair, dirty boots and uniforms missing patches. For Joe had been drilled to respect and appreciate the uniform while on active duty. He wore the Ranger scroll on his right shoulder (combat patch) and the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) over his left breast pocket along with the Parachutist's badge. He also had the Ranger tab on his left shoulder over the 256th Infantry Brigade patch. Specialist Filion's uniform was always starched and pressed, his Corcoran jump boots were spit shined and he always wore a high and tight haircut; still does.

In 1987, Joe Filion graduated from the state's Officer Candidate School (OCS) and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant (Reserve) in the Louisiana Army National Guard. While an officer in the guard, Lieutenant Filion served as a Rifle Platoon Leader, Heavy Mortar Platoon Leader, Executive Officer, Company Commander and various Battalion staff officer positions including Personnel Officer, Supply Officer, Communications Officer and Assistant Operations Officer. From 1993 - 1996, He commanded A Company, 3rd Battalion 156th Infantry Regiment at Ft. Polk. It was an hour drive to drill every month, but Joe didn't mind. He thoroughly enjoyed his time as an Infantry Captain and Company Commander. During the Infantry Officer Advanced Course (IOAC) at Ft. Benning, GA, Joe wrote his Battle Analysis on the 1st battalion 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division's actions at Nijmegan, Holland in September, 1944. He also gave a presentation on the Battle of Santiago, Cuba in 1898.

In his civilian life, Joe worked as a Police Officer for Lake Charles Police Department. He hired on at age 21 after he left the Army. The department was busy, but it was relatively quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of New Orleans to the east or Houston to the west. He occasionally traveled to either of those two cities for excitement. On one of his trips to Houston, TX, he met a young woman named, Pamela Grant who he fell in love with. In 1994 at the age of 29, Joe and Pam married and moved into their home in Sulphur, LA. Joe retained his employment with the LCPD. Pam worked at Saint Elizabeth's Hospital in Beaumont, Texas. She worked in the CT department (CAT Scans). Due to the demand for qualified health professionals, Pam's salary was far greater than Joe's; at least twice as much in annual figures.

At the end of 1994, their first child, Theresa (Terry) was born. In the summer of 1996, Joseph (Junior) arrived. In the fall of 1997, Lillian (Lily) arrived and two and a half years later the youngest, Isabella (Bella) was born in April, 2000. The children have lead normal lives attending Sulpher public schools. Due to Pam's elevated salary and the introduction of children into the family, Joe agreed to quit his job with LCPD and become a stay at home parent.

From September, 2001 - April 2002, Joe deployed to Bosnia, Herzegovina with his National Guard unit in support of the NATO Operation Joint Forge. Pam had to take a leave of absence from the Hospital to look after her four children during Joe's absence from the family. Joe found this deployment extremely boring compared to his first deployment to Grenada less than 20 years earlier. He ended up working as a Battle Captain for the 29th Infantry Division (Light) in the Division Operations Center. His job was to maintain situational awareness of all significant events occuring in his division's Area of Responsibility (AOR) and report these to the Division Commander and his staff. He was also responsible for producing a daily report to SFOR headquarters in Sarajevo and Seventh Army Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany. Every day was the same. There were very few and rare occasions of excitement and significance during this deployment. In September, 2001 he was in the mobilization station at Ft. Polk, LA when the World Trade Center was struck by airliners. The world seemed to change that day.

In 2003, Joe hadn't seen a promotion to Major and grew tired of his commitments to the guard. He wanted to return to his family; maybe return to law enforcement or write a book. Even with the fighting going on in the Iraq, Joe never believed the US would deploy National Guard Combat Arms units to the Middle East. He retired in August and "took up a pen" to write novels. Actually, he worked on a PC, but who's counting?

During his time in the Army, Joe qualified expert with the M16 or M9 Pistol every year for the last twelve years. In 1994, he had picked up both an AR-15 and a .38 caliber revolver, which he used for target shooting. He became very well adept at both weapons. As his kids got older, he purchased rifles for them and the family frequently went shooting together. Terry has a 12-gauge shotgun and Joe Junior has a M4 Carbine with bull-pup stock. Both assault rifles are semi-automatic. Joe Junior also carries a 45 caliber M1911 pistol.

In 2006, Pam took a position as Director of Radiology at the Methodist Hospital in Houston. By this time, Pam's salary was in the six figure range and more than four times when Joe earned as a Police officer.

On the day the earth stood still; when the invasion took place, Joe's wife Pam was working at the hospital in Houston. The city was leveled and all of its human inhabitants were exterminated. Joe found himself alone with his four teen-aged children who were now 12, 14, 16 and 17 years old. Joe and the kids were devastated by the loss of their wife/mother. Realizing the desperation of the situation, Joe armed himself and his older two kids. They all loaded up the family's 2008 Honda Odyssey and headed off to find other groups of survivors. They ended up with the Bayou Legion. Joe Junior is occasionally referred to as "Little Joe" while his dad is either "Fill" or "Big Joe".

Supplies: Joe left the guard with a complete set of TA-50 field gear including three ruck sacks, Load Bearing Equipment and Combat assault vest. He still has his old BDU uniforms which he, Joe Junior and Terry wear. Joe left the military before the new Army Combat Uniform (ACU) was issued. The younger girls wear jeans and T-shirts of normal 12 and 14 year olds. Joe carries a Gerber mark II survival Knife and a leatherman's tool. Joe Junior carries an M9 bayonet and a leatherman's tool. Lily and Bella each retained a few barbie dolls that they enjoy playing with. The older two were also equipped with US Army issue field gear. Joe has a Kevlar helmet, but he never wears it. He prefers to wear a baseball cap depicting the New Orleans Saints logo and colors; black and gold. Each member of the family has a sleeping bag and the family has a six-man sleeping tent they use when they stop. A cooler is used to store food when they have it. A few Stephen Ambrose books, Military History magazines and other such literature litters the floor of the minivan. Joe and his kids have sufficient numbers of magazines for their weapons; at least a dozen or more and Big Joe has a Lensatic Compass along with several Topographical maps of the Louisiana area.


Arsenal:
Joe Filion "Big Joe": AR-15 & .38 caliber S&W revolver
Joe Filion Jr. "Little Joe": M4 Carbine & M1911 Pistol
Terry Filion: 12-ga. Mossberg shotgun
Lily Filion: None
Bella Filion: None

AR-15 Assault Rifle with the overhand adapter sling kit:


.38 Cal S&W Revolver:


Little Joe's M4 Carbine:


Little Joe's M1911 Pistol:


Terry's 12-ga. Mossberg shotgun:

Used in: Falling Skies - The Bayou Resistance (OOC)
Falling Skies - The Bayou Resistance (IC)

[Gunther]

"Shikou wo karanisuru, katachi ga naku nari, mizu no youni ni naru."
[Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless--like water.] - Bruce Lee

Name:Takagi Kichirō
Clan: Unicorn Clan
Class: Shugenja [mage/priest]
Ring: Water
Gender: Male
Age: 35

Appearance: Kichirō is 5'8" (68"), slender and lean. He is bald with a small patch of hair at the back of his head forming a braided ponytail roughly 18" in length. Kichirō Takagi is considered a handsome man with well-defined facial features. He wears a thin goatee, black in color. His eye color is brown with hints of a green and orange. Kichirō wears long violet colored silk robes with silver decorative trim. He occasionally wears a tanned cowhide leather vest with lamb's fur lining and a similar cap, when the weather is inclement.

Personality: Kichirō is focused and reticent. He cares for all living beings and is saddened by loss and hardship. His sadness is not crippling and Kichirō will do whatever he can to allay the suffering. He is soft spoken; reserving speech only for when questioned.

Honor: 6

Skillset:
- Has an excellent command of Martial arts in the gōngfu discipline.
- highly skilled in the use of the Bō stick which is used to harness ones ki rather than to use as a weapon. It can be used as a weapon for self defense, but Kichirō would never offensively strike someone.
- Fair skill in the use of the Tui-fa.
- he possesses exceptional agility.
-Through meditation, he focuses his and regains his energies.
- His Ki focuses elemental powers of water, channeling the ways of a healer.

Kichirō's Spell consists of known spells and spells he has acquired and is currently studying. These are still yet unfamiliar and he is working toward understanding their use. These are studying spells.
Spellbook:

Known Spells

Blessing of Healing - Kichirō must be focused and within 10 feet of a wounded friend and heal a small amount of their wounds. There is no material component for this spell. Kichirō must utter or think "Sano" and focus upon the recipient of this healing spell. It is a low level spell which will stop bleeding, in some manner; maybe cauterizing the wound and restore breathing. The wound is still exposed and subject to infection. The reverse of this spell enables Kichirō to inflict a small amount of damage upon an enemy. Kichirō must utter or think the "Lanio" in order to inflict a small wound upon an enemy. The wound will ooze with blood and is subject to possible infection.

Blessing of Purity is a water spell which calls upon blessings of Amaterasu to cleanse the target from any disease, illness, or poison. Amaterasu was the first sun. She was wife to Onnotangu (the first moon), the mother of the Kami, the mother of all of humanity, and chief of the Fortunes. This spell requires a material component consisting of a dried sunflower petal and a spoken word that Kichirō must utter, "Percuro Morbus Amaterasu." Kichirō must be undisturbed to cast this spell. It requires a full five minutes of focus for the spell to take effect. Then the recipient will need rest for a minimum of 12 hours to be free from the disease or illness.

Breath of Suitengu is a water spell allowing Kichirō to make the target able to breathe water. Each person intending to breathe underwater must have a piece of Ocean Kelp. Kichirō then must utter the words, "Aquam Spirare" and the user will be able to breather underwater. The spell lasts for no more than two hours. At the conclusion of the two hours, the user must swim to the surface or suffer death by drowning. This is a one-time use only for the kelp. It cannot be used over and over again.

Calm Mind This spell soothes the minds of those affected by fear, temporary insanity, confusion or other forms of mental distress. It also acts to slow the heart rate down to help the person regain control over their faculties. Kichirō must point at the intended friendly target and utter an incantation for this to work. This spell has no material component. Kichirō must look at the person he wishes to calm and utter or think, "Mulcerem Cor, Mulcerem Mens". Kichirō cannot cast this spell on himself and is vulnerable to fear or confusion spells.

Cross the Veil of Sleep - Kichirō is able to send messages to others in the form of dreams. At the beginning of the casting, Kichirō names whom the message is intended. Kichirō must know the identity of the recipient. For example, Kichirō could send a dream to the governor of a province, even if he has never met the man, since there is only one governor of that province. However, he could not send a dream to the sake-maker of a village in that province, since there might be several sake makers in that village.

The material component for this spell is to burn incense and Kichirō must inhale the aroma in order to cast this spell. Kichirō then must utter or think the words, "Intrare Somnium" in order to cast the spell. Upon completing the physical casting of the spell, Kichirō falls into a deep, trance-like sleep. At this point, his spirit leaves his body and travels instantly to the recipient. Thereupon, Kichirō is able to enter the dreams of the recipient and deliver his message unless the recipient is magically protected from spirits. If the recipient is awake when the spell is cast, Kichirō can choose to remain in his trance-like sleep until the recipient goes to sleep or he can choose to cancel the spell. Kichirō does not learn anything about the current activities or whereabouts of the recipient, only whether he is asleep or awake.

Once Kichirō enters the dreams of the recipient, he can deliver a message of any length desired which the recipient remembers perfectly upon awakening. The communication is one way--the recipient cannot offer information or ask questions of Kichirō. Neither can Kichirō gain any information by observing dreams of the recipient. Once the message is delivered, Kichirō's spirit returns instantly to his body. If the body is disturbed in any way while using this spell, Kichirō's spirit becomes lost. The body remains in its comatose state until some means is found to rejoin Kichirō's spirit with his body, such as a restore kamispell.

The reverse of this spell, nightmare allows Kichirō to send a hideous and unsettling vision to his victim. The identity of the victim must be known as stated above and the victim must be asleep. The nightmare prevents restful sleep and can cause damage. Since the victim is unable to sleep, he is fatigued as if he had not had the night's sleep and is unable to focus on spells (if a caster).

Detect Taint is a water spell which allows Kichirō to sense the presence of Shadowland's Taint. Taint is the process of physical and mental corruption gained by entering or associating with the Shadowlands, oni, or the practice of maho, or blood magic. The taint is a physical manifestation of Jigoku's hold on the mortal realm. Possession of a small piece of jade is required for the protection from the harmful effects of Taint.

Kichirō only need utter or think, "Corruptionem" to sense the presence of Taint. There is no material component. The spell will tell Kichirō if there is any Shadowland's Taint within a hundred feet of his location. He won't know in what direction, how far, or in what quantity, but that it is present.

Ebbing Strength is a water spell that allows Kichirō to sap the strength of a victim, strengthening a second target including self. The material component for this spell is a Cherry blossom flower petal. Kichirō must focus on the target and think of the recipient of the spell while uttering or thinking "Sakura" for this spell to work. The effects of this spell last for one hour.

Fortunes Turn is a water spell which allows Kichirō to divert a projectile. When Kichirō or one of his allies who happen to be standing within 10 feet of Kichirō, he can cast this spell by uttering or thinking "Defendite Oblecto". This spell will cause one to three projectiles to fall harmlessly to the ground. This is an instantaneous spell. It does not remain in effect like a shield spell. It is cast for a specific threat, has an effect and is spent. If there are successive incoming missile threats, Kichirō would have to repeatedly cast this spell for each attacking missile.

Freedom of Water is a water spell which allows Kichirō to free the target from any temporary paralysis or related magic. Kichirō must utter or think the following words, "Saliva Libertatus" and then spit upon the intended target. Kichirō's saliva is the material component that will free the target from paralysis or immobilizing spell. This is an instantaneous spell and does not protect the target against future immobilizing spells.

Gift of the Kami is a water spell which allows Kichirō to encourage the target enhancing his abilities in combat. There is no material component for this spell. Kichirō must think about the recipient who must also be standing in his line of sight and utter or think the words, "Optimal Peritias" for it to take effect. The recipient hears the voice of someone he or she loves telling them they are the greatest at whatever they do inside their head. These words, make them feel wonderful inside and their abilities are heightened to where they perform slightly better than they have ever performed in their life. When the exhibition of skill is over, the recipient will be very proud of their accomplishment and be struck with awe by their worthy conduct. The spell lasts for one half hour and does not need to remain in visual contact with Kichirō for it to remain in effect. The recipient is very pleased with him or herself.

Hands of the Tide is a water spell allowing Kichirō to alter the positions of any creatures within the area of effect, teleporting them to a new positions. Kichirō can cast this spell on any human or creature that is within a hundred yards of his location. This spell can affect two to ten people or creatures at one time. There is no material component. Kichirō must utter or think "Concio Portage" while focusing on those individuals who are displacing. If only two persons are affected, then the spell will have one person swap places with the other. If the spell is affecting ten people. Five people who are in close proximity of one another will swap places with five different creatures or people who are all standing in proximity of one another. This is an instantaneous spell that has no residual effects.

The Inner Ocean is a water spell allowing Kichirō to become living water for a brief time. The material component for this spell is Ocean Kelp. Kichirō must insert the kelp in his mouth and think, "Aquam Vivam". Upon uttering or thinking these words, he becomes water. Any objects aimed at him, will pass harmlessly through him including fists and swords. He can travel at an advanced rate of speed along bodies of water like rivers, lakes or oceans while in this form. The spell lasts for no more than two hours and can be canceled sooner if Kichirō desires.

Kharma is a water spell which allows Kichirō to encourage the Fortunesto to intervene on behalf of the target, begging that his soul be restored and new life granted. A soul somewhere else in Rokugan awakened to the fact that he was in actuality a reincarnation of the character, and was drawn to fulfill the target's destiny.

The fortunesto or the Seven Fortunes existed before Kami fell to Rokugan. The Tribe of Isawa worshipped them, and they in return protected the Tribe and kept the practice of blood magic, maho, safe. When the Kami Shiba saw the Seven were not wicked gods, he begged Hantei to beseech their mother Amaterasu to accept the Seven Fortunes among their pantheon and greet the Isawa as allies. She agreed, but only as long as the Seven Fortunes always watched over her mortal children of Rokugan. In spreading themselves over so wide a populace, the Fortunes could no longer keep the blood magic free of Jigoku's touch as they once had.

The legends said the Seven Fortunes of Good Luck rode through the sky on a golden chariot that bestowed good luck on whoever saw it. Other said they were inside a boat. The Fortunes had both a peaceful and a wrath¬ful aspect. The peaceful aspect was that of a large, pleasantly smiling figure sitting on a pillow. The wrathful aspect was pictured with black skin, flam¬ing eyes and fangs, often swinging a sword.

The Seven Fortunes of Rokugan are:
Benten - Fortune of Romantic Love
Bishamon - Fortune of Strength
Daikoku - Fortune of Wealth
Ebisu - Fortune of Honest Work
Fukurokujin - Fortune of Wisdom and Mercy
Hotei - Fortune of Contentment
Jurojin - Fortune of Longevity

In order to cast this spell, Kichirō sacrifices a large portion of his Ki. He must draw a seven pointed star in the earth and place the body in the center of the star. On each point is a lit candle and incense is burned to attract the Seven Fortunes and the Kami. Kichirō enters a deep meditative state and prays to the Seven forunes of Rokugan for their intervention. Depending on the Seven Fortunes, the spell may take ten minutes or ten hours. Once the spell is cast and the targeted character has resurrected, he will be extremely exhausted and must sleep a minimum of 12 hours. Kichirō also will be depleted of his Ki and physically exhausted. Kichirō will require sleep and a chance to meditate. The corpse that this spell is cast upon must be located and cast no more than 12 hours after the time the Kami left the body. Otherwise, the Kami will have crossed over and will not return to its body.

Kingdom Beneath the Sea is a water spell which allows Kichirō to call upon the relatives of Shiba's wife, the ningyo. A group could walk into the sea at any point along its coastline and emerge at any other point along Rokugan's coast.

The Ningyo, or merpeople, are one of the Five Races that ruled the world that became Rokugan after the Great Sleep of the Naga. They are connected with the Water Element.

Ocean Kelp is inserted into the mouths by each member of the party who all hold hands while Kichirō utters or thinks, "Ningyo Sub Aqua Viatores". By his lead, the group walks into the water and re-emerges from the water at a destination the group imagines in their mind. If they all cannot agree upon the same place, the spell will deposit the group at a midpoint between any discord in destinations. It is best if the party all agree upon where to end up.

Mend the Spirit is a water spell which allows Kichirō to dispel any magical effect from the target. This spell works on inanimate objects that have been cursed or magically enchanted. Kichirō must hold or place his hand upon the ojbect and utter or think "Obigo Magus" for this spell to work. The spell is instantaneous and will not prevent future spells being cast upon the item. Once the spell is removed, it is gone permanently unless someone recasts the spell.

Minor Blessing of Inari is a water spell which allows Kichirō to make contaminated food or water suitable for eating or drinking. Kichirō must use water that has been blessed by Inari which is lightly sprinkled on teh contaminated food or water to make it potable or safe for human consumption.

In order to Bless the water, Kichirō must utter a simple prayer to Inari over the water. Inari then gives his blessing to the water which can be sprayed over contaminated food and water to make it pure again.

The simple prayer:
"Inari, fortune of rice, your gift of water brings life and freshness to the earth; it washes away our corruption and brings us eternal life. I beseech thee now to bless this water, and to give us your protection. Renew the living spring of your life within us and protect us in spirit and body, that we may be free from corruption and come into your presence to receive your blessings."

Minor Blessing of Purity is a water spell which allows Kichirō to make the target immune to poison. Kichirō requires the bead-like flower bud from a Lily of the Valley to cast this spell. He will utter or think, "Venenum Immunitatem" which consumes the flower bud and makes the Kichirō's target immune to poison for two hours. One flower bud is required per target spell is cast at.

Moment of Peace is a water spell which allows Kichirō to heal wounds by touching the living being. The Material Component for this spell is the small green pea like fruit that grows on a Hackberry tree, found abundant in the mountains to the north and west of Rokugan. Kichirō uses a powdered version of the hackberry pea which is sprinkled on the wounded target. Kichirō then utters the words, "Consano Vulnus" to effect the spell. The spell will close open wounds and leave them closed to infection, restore the circulatory system to function properly and restore consciousness. The target is exhausted and must rest for a few hours after the spell is cast. Kichirō also must rest to regain lost Ki from casting this spell. He can cast this spell twice before he is thoroughly depleted of Ki.

Osaku's Lifeblood is a water spell allowing Kichirō to summon an immense vertical barrier of turbulent water, barring all movement through the wall. With a piece of jade in his possession and his Bō stick held in both hands over his head, Kichirō can summon a vertical barrier of turbulent water over forty meters in height and forty meters in width or the dimensions of the space they are in if smaller. Kichirō must call to Suitengu in these words, "Suitengu Impervius Moerus Lympha". Upon completing the last syllable of the spell, Kichirō then stabs the earth with his Bō stick and drops to one knee with his right hand flat on the ground palm down. The vertical barrier of turbulent water rises up out of the ground at a distance of 10 meters from Kichirō and lasts for two hours. At the end of this time, the spell can be recast or the water will simply fall and saturate the earth.

Path to Inner Peace is a water spell allowing Kichirō to use his own energy to heal. With a jade in his possession, Kichirō can cast this spell by uttering or thinking, "Pax Medeor" and placing is hands upon the wounded target. The spell will close open wounds and leave them closed to infection, restore the circulatory system to function properly and restore consciousness. The target is exhausted and must rest for a few hours after the spell is cast. Depending upon the seriousness of the wounds of the target, Kichirō will be severely depleted physically and must sleep to regain his health and Ki. There is no material component. Kichirō's own Kami is the source of the healing power.

Reflective Pool is a water spell allowing Kichirō to observe any area that he was familiar with, looking in a pool of still water. Kichirō can use any vessel or damned portion of a stream where the water is perfectly still; without ripples for this spell. He places three drops of Seaweed Extract into the stillwater and utters or thinks the words, "Placidum Aqua Revelare..." and names the location he is looking for. The spell will then show a current scene of any location in the world (Rokugan) that Kichirō has visited. The spell will last as long as Kichirō needs it to last and can be visible to all who see the water while the spell is active. It resembles the appearance of moving pictures in real time.

Stand Against the Waves is a water spell which allows Kichirō to grant the target additional speed during combat, so he would perform several attacks while his enemies are still striking the first. The material component for this spell is dried pig's gall bladder crushed into a fine powder form. Kichirō blows a pinch of powder at his target and utters or thinks, "Amplio Peritea". The spell cast is instantaneous and imbues the recipient with the ability for time to appear as though it is slowing down for them. They can react to a swing or an attack four times faster and execute three attacks and/or defensive moves upon an opponent before their opponent can make one. The beneficial effects of this spell last for half an hour and when the spell wears off the recipient exhausted. Kichirō can recast the spell for an additional half hour, but most humans won't be able to sustain more than an hour fighting and moving at this enhanced level. The recipient would collapse into a long sleep once the effects wear off.

Strength of the Thunders is a water spell allowing Kichirō to double the height of the target, making him a giant. There is no material component for this spell. Kichirō need only utter or think the words, "Homo Grandis" while holding his Bō Stick over his head with both hands. He then taps the recipient about the torso with the staff and the recipient will grow to twice their size. A man of 6' would quickly grow to 12' in height. Their clothing is equally enchanted and stretches to accommodate for the new size. The spell lasts for two hours or when Kichirō cancels it and the fabric will retract with the spell in reduction. Although the spell does take into consideration for armor which is assumed to be the recipients clothing, it does not make weapons grow with him or her. They will remain the same size.

Strike of Flowing Waters is a water spell allowing Kichirō to bestow the power of the swiftly flowing river, so the target's attacks flow through and around armor. increases chance to hit and damage; negating effects of armor. Kichirō can apply this spell in two manners. The first is to place three drops of Seaweed extract upon the friend's weapon to imbue it temporarily with this spell for up to two hours. Kichirō must also utter, "Peto Vere Secta" while placing the drops on the weapon. The second method involves placing the three drops of Seaweed extract upon the friend's tongue and uttering or thinking, "Peto Vere Secta" to temporarily imbue the friend with the ability to always strike his opponent where his armor is not protecting him/her regardless of weapon used. The Seaweed Extract has a foul bitter taste and has been known to cause a few to vomit from its terrible after taste.

Suitengu's Surge is a water spell allowing Kichirō to cast a ray of lethargy-inducing energy which numbs the reflexes of the target. The material component for this spell is dried puffer fish liver crushed to a powder form. Kichirō must utter or think "Relaxo Non Illud Faciunt" while focusing on the target of this spell, then blow a pinch of powdered puffer fish liver at him/her. The powder does not need to reach the target, just blown in the general direction. The target will feel as though they are enduring one of the worst hangovers of their lives. Their will to continue depletes to nothing. The natural instinct for self preservation is seriously degraded. The weight of their weapons feels like four times heavier than normal. The effects of this spell only last five minutes at best, but can provide sufficient time for an ally to subdue an opponent. Every application to the same target gets progressively shorter duration of effect. A second application of this spell would only last two and a half minutes and a third application would last one minute and fifteen seconds.

Summon Water is a water spell allowing Kichirō to create a small amount of water. 1/2 to 1 gallon of water is created. The material component for this spell is ocean kelp. Kichirō will hold one leaf of ocean kelp in the palm of his hand and utter or think, "Procudo Aqua" and a 1/2 to 1 gallon skin of water will appear in Kichirō's hand. The ocean kelp is consumed during this spell. It is an instantaneous spell and would need to be recast for additional supplies of water. The water is fresh and free of any impurities. Why, it just might be the best damn tasting water a person has ever had.

Sympathetic Energies is a water spell which might transfer any one existing spell effect from Kichirō to a willing target. It is very useful, as the target could be affected by spells that would otherwise only affect Kichirō. Kichirō first must be under a spell he has cast upon himself and then targets a someone with a pointed finger uttering or thinking the words, "Tralatio Habitus Super..." (name the person targeted for spell). Whatever spell is transferred will leave Kichirō and now be upon the target. The spell effects and endurance will remain the same for the target as they were for Kichirō.

Tides of Battle is a water spell allowing Kichirō to excite the local kami to assist his army (party) and carry it to victory, enhancing the abilities of each individual. Kichirō must smoke a special herb that is intoxicating to breath while uttering or thinking, "Kamis, Roboro Nostrum Impetus" (attack) or "Kamis Robor Nostrum Defensa" (Defense). It may take the spirits several minutes to come to the side of the friends, but when they do, they bring zeal and vigor in their attack and/or defense. All friends/allies of Kichirō who are within fifty feet of him will feel the effects of this spell by imbuing the party with the ability for time to appear as though it is slowing down for all of them. They can react to a swing or an attack four times faster and execute three attacks and/or defensive moves upon an opponent before their opponent can make one. The beneficial effects of this spell last for an hour. Meanwhile, Kichirō's reaction time degrades by 50% and everything is wonderful. He is very happy and sees many pretty colors. He no longer feels pain or worry in the world. The intoxicating fumes of the herb will wear off in a few hours. Another side effect is that Kichirō will be hungry.

Torrential Rain is a water spell which causes a significant downpour of rain. Ocean kelp is the material component for this spell. Kichirō can cast this spell by calling upon Suitengu with the kelp in the palm of his hand. Kichirō utters, "Suitengu Etesia Aqua". Suitenga will comply with the request and make a torrential downpour of rain to unleash over a one-square kilometer area centered on Kichirō for twenty minutes. The ocean kelp is consumed during this spell.

Walking Upon the Waves is a water spell allowing Kichirō to transmute the target, with the ability to tread on any liquid as if it were firm ground.There are two material components for this spell. The first is that each targeted member must carry a small piece of jade on their person. This is to insure they are each pure. The second is three drops of Seaweed Extract placed on the target's tongue. Kichirō then utters or thinks the words, "Vecto Super Aqua" to all persons carrying the jade and with three drops of seaweed extract on their tongue. Once cast, all targeted members can walk across any liquid surface as though they were treading on solid ground. The spell will last for one hour or when Kichirō cancels the spell. If Kichirō should be rendered unconscious during the use of this spell, the spell is canceled and everyone under its effect will fall into the liquid.

Wall of Bamboo is a water spell which creates a wall of dense bamboo, to magically spring up. The material component for this spell is a splinter of bamboo. Kichirō holds his Bō Stick in his left hand and the splinter of bamboo in his right hand. He utters or thinks the words, "Dellium Moerus Fio". The words should be uttered repeatedly until the wall emerges. It may take two to three minutes for the wall to appear. When it does, a wall of bamboo two feet thick appears towering twenty meters in height and fifty meters wide appears before Kichirō approximately fifty meters in front of him. The dimensions of the wall may be smaller if he is casting inside an enclosed space. An opponent would either have to move around this obstacle or cut their way through it to bypass. the bamboo splinter is consumed during the casting of this spell.

Wisdom and Clarity is a water spell allowing Kichirō to read at twice normal speed and remember everything he read. Kichirō must place three drops of Seaweed extract upon his tongue and utter or think, "Sapientia et Claror" to cast this beneficial spell solely upon himself for two hours. Kichirō will retain all of what he reads with perfect clarity. This spell does not work in reading his own spell book and/or in learning new spells.

Yuki's Touch is a water spell allowing Kichirō to cause a body of water to freeze in a way of his choosing, forming ice shapes. The material component for this spell is a white rose petal. Kichirō must hold the rose petal in hand and drop it into the water as he utters or thinks, "Aqua ad Gelu, Ponte Transire". Upon casting the spell, the rose petal is lost and the body of water, regardless of the current temperature will turn completely into ice for up to one hour or when Kichirō cancels the spell. The area of effect is never more than that with which is needed. Kichirō could never turn an entire lake, Sea or Ocean into ice; a path across a river, pond or stream would be sufficient.

Current spells studying (Additional Spells may be added by Kichirō as they are encountered in a campaign or RP thread. Once Kichirō feels comfortable with a spell, acquring confidence with his casting ability it will be moved to the Known spells list above. But that will only happen after he has had some unforseen accidents or mishaps.)

Crushing Waves is a water spell which forms a rough wave that crushes the shugenja's enemies. The wave wells up from the ground, rushing to crash upon an opponent with incredible speed and force. With a piece of jade in his possession and his Bō stick held in both hands over his head, Kichirō can summon a wave of turbulent water up to twenty meters in height to rise up out of the ground. Kichirō must call to Suitengu in these words, "Suitengu Impervius Unda Procella Lympha". Upon completing the last syllable of the spell, Kichirō then thrusts forward with his Bō stick and immediately spins the stick into an overhead downward attacking slash movement into the earth. The crashing wave of turbulent water rises up out of the ground at a distance of 20 - 40 meters from Kichirō and immediately crashes down upon all enemies nearby. The crashing wave will sweep away any person caught in it regardless of friend or foe. It is imperative that Kichirō be careful not to employ it too close to his friends. The crashing wave will have the same effect on his targets as it would if they were attempting to surf in the ocean and were knocked off their boards; a few may drown, a few may be knocked unconscious or none at all, but they all will be gasping for air, panting and disoriented when the water begins to dissipate.

Heart of Mortality is a water spell allowing Kichirō to create a bond between Kichirō and any one willing target. Kichirō would know where the target is, and could cast any spell on him if the distance is less than a mile. If the distance exceeds a mile the spell will instantly break.

To create this bond, Kichirō and the target must both expose a fresh wound enough to draw a small sample of blood. Kichirō then mixes the drops of blood together and utters or thinks, "Sanguis Vincuilum". This spell links Kichirō and the target together as one. They cannot know each other's thoughts or control each other's motor abilities, but now Kichirō can cast spells upon his binding at a range up to one mile away instead of the limits prescribed in the spellbook. Most of these call for the target to be within fifty or a hundred feet. This spell will last up to six hours and cannot be canceled by Kichirō.

Regrow the Wound is a water spell allowing Kichirō through physical contact to heal the wounds of the target until he has no further injuries. There is no Material Component for this spell. Kichirō utters or thinks the words, "Inari, Traductio Per Mea Venas! Sana Hic Kami!" repeatedly to effect the spell. The spell will close open wounds and leave them closed to infection, restore the circulatory system to function properly and restore consciousness. The target is invigorated after the spell is cast. Kichirō must rest to regain lost Ki from casting this spell. He can cast this spell ten times before he is thoroughly depleted of Ki. It may take up to one hour of casting to heal certain individuals of their wounds depending upon how serious they are.

Remove Blindness/Deafness is a water spell allowing Kichirō to cure blindness or deafness. Kichirō will add three drops of Seaweed Extract to a bowl of mud. He then must bless the mixture as if he were blessing water. Smear the mud over the target's eyes and/or ears to completely conceal the flesh. Next, Kichirō will utter or think the following words, "Sanatio Oculus" (cure vision) or "Sanatio Aures" (cure deafness). The casting time of this spell takes a half hour after the spell has been cast. Any attempt to remove the mud or open the eyes prior to this time, will reverse or negate the effects.

The Ride Through the Night is a water spell allowing a target horse to run at a gallop for the duration of the spell or until dawn. It does not need food, water, or rest. The material component for this spell is Hackberry Fruit powder mixed with Seaweed Extract in water. Kichirō utters or thinks the words, "Equus Optimal Peritias" while focusing on the bowl of water which includes the Seaweed Extract and Hackberry Fruit Powder. The recipient horse will drink the water, when it is ready and is then imbued with the ability run straight through the night without fatique. In the morning, when the ride is complete, the spell is broken, the horse is relaxed and rested, but is no longer enhanced in any way. The problem with this spell, is that some horses may not want to drink the water if it smells bad or they are not thirsty. This could delay a trip.

Ring of Water is a water spell allowing Kichirō to make a mystical dome tracing the water kanji in the air, radiating pale blue light. Those inside the dome are heartened and bestowed with teleportation abilities. The dome moves along with Kichirō.

Kichirō holds a Lily of the Valley flower bud (pea-like) in his right hand and his Bō Stick in his left hand. He then draws the water kanji, as depicted above in the air repeatedly while uttering or thinking, "Portage Repostus Locus". This will create the radiating pale blue dome which is approximately ten feet in diameter, so make your buddy smile. Once the group is ready to move, Kichirō must then utter, "Conduco" while thinking of the destination. The spell is instantaneous and all persons inside the blue sphere will arrive at the destination unharmed and in the same condition they left. If a person is half in or half out of the sphere, they will still be able to teleport to the new location without problem.

Summon Water Spirit is a water spell allowing Kichirō to summon a small Water spirit which obeys Kichirō's commands. Kichirō must have a piced of jade in his possession and needs a Lotus Petal to cast this spell. He utters or thinks, "Nympha Adsignatos Surge". When the spell is cast, a bright light erupts from the ground next to Kichirō. A well spring pops up into the air with water surrounded by a mystical cloud. Within sixty seconds, the cloudy vapor takes on the shape and appearance of a large human man standing just under seven feet in height. It has no real definition; with swirling limbs and body outline. A light blue hue surrounds the spirit or kami.

The water spirit will protect Kichirō during combat by placing a barrier of rushing water in front of any hostile combatant attempting to get near him. The Kami also deflects any missiles hurled at Kichirō. The water spirit's weakness is fire and earth. Earth based weapon, will slow the Kami down into a sludge until it cannot stand anymore. Then it melts back into the earth. Fire magic will make it steam and evaporate. Air and void have no effect upon the kami.

When Kichirō is not in combat, the kami can carry up to three hundred pounds worth of encumbrance and keep up with the party. It does not complain. If the Kami is encumbered and a battle erupts; it is needed to protect its master, the kami will drop its burden and perform its assigned tasks. Kichirō can dispel the Kami whenever he wishes.

Symbol of Water is a spell hard to perform, even harder to cast on a summoned object, but burns fear into all nearby. This spell requires a serious level of focus and concentration. Kichirō must not be distracted when casting this spell. He must also have a piece of jade in his possession to cast this. This spell requires Kichirō to make a request to Jigoku, god of evil. It is contrary to his teachings and thus far, Kichirō has feared attempting to study this spell. He does not know why he has not shredded it from his book. The jade protects Kichirō from being consumed by Jigoku, but any conversation with the evil kami can only lead to pain and suffering.

To cast this spell, Kichirō must utter or think, "Jigoku, Compleo Timor" with extended arms and fingers, while focusing on the individual or group of individuals targeted directly in front of him. Violet colored sparks will emanate from Kichirō's finger tips and strike those targets standing within Kichirō's forward sixty degree point of view. The Spell will only affect up to ten creatures. They will all view Kichirō as the most horrific and terrifying beast they have ever seen. It will cause them to do whatever it takes to get away from Kichirō. They are deathly afraid of him and must run away. They have no conscious desire to remain if they ever did and can only run away. The spell does wear off in an hour, but every time they see Kichirō they can only feel a slight angst towards him as though he were evil. They can never trust Kichirō if the situation ever changes.

As for Kichirō, he will lose one point of Honor when using this spell. As the saying goes, "One aw shit, ruins a thousand attaboys."

When Two Become One is a water spell which merges the spirits of a mount (horse) and its rider. The rider controlls the body of the horse as if it were his own. The rider can attack with the horse's hooves.

The Material component for this spell is a Lotus flower petal with three drops of Seaweed extract placed on top. The flower petal is placed in the hands of the rider who must stare into the horse's eyes. The eyes are the window to the beast's soul. Kichirō will utter or think, "Homo Bestia Unum". The horse and rider must stare into each other's eyes for several seconds up to thirty for the spell to take effect. Slowly elements of both spirits will cross over and intermingle within both corporeal life forms. When the spell is cast, the horse and the rider are truly one mind, body and soul. The rider can feel the strength of the horses limbs, controlling their movement from his own mind. He can use the horse's hooves as weapons if necessary. It is a thrilling feeling to run like a horse and be one with the animal.

If the beast dies during a conflict, the connection between man and beast is lost, but the rider is deeply saddened. He has just lost a very close sibling. If the rider dies during combat, the beast also terminates. The horse cannot survive without its rider. This connection can only be severed by a qualified shugenja.

To sever the connection, Kichirō places another Lotus petal treated with three drops of seaweed extract into the rider's hand. The rider and beast stare into each other's eyes and Kichirō utters or thinks, "Homo Bestia Divido". The separation lasts up to one full minute. The two cannot break their stare even if they wanted to. They are now locked into each other's eyes. Both rider and horse experience excruciating pain throughout their entire body like their exoskeletal system is being ripped from their body. It is a very painful ordeal. Once the separation is complete, both man and beast are exhausted and must rest before moving on. For the rest of their lives, the man and the horse will admire and worship one another. They will be friends forever.

The World is Not Heavy is a water spell which helps the target to recognize that the material world is but an illusion and does not weigh upon the ethereal spirit, so the target is not at all encumbered by whatever he is carrying.

Kichirō must have his jade in his possession to protect him from taint or effects from the shadowlands and Omi. This spell opens himself up to corruption especially if casting upon himself. The Lotus petal and the Hackberry flower powder are both used in this spell. Kichirō must sprinkle the Hackberry powder upon the lotus petal and utter or think, "Lux Ut Pluma". This spell is cast instantaneous and causes the target to feel as though any conceivable weight he is carrying is as light as a single feather. The effects of this spell last for two hour. When the effects wear off, the target returns to his normal fatigued fat self. There is no penalty in strength or exhaustion.

Advantages:
- is an avid herbalist.
- is a fair Alchemist/potion maker, able to craft medicinal potions used in curing illnesses and disease from flowers and herbs.
- is a good sake maker, crafting a special brand of rice wine or sake that is at a parity of some potent whiskeys.
- Has the ability to cast those spells not requiring a material component by thinking it in his mind. Does not need to utter to vocal command. This only applies to Known spells.
- can write Caligraphy.

Disadvantages:
- Due to the nature of his calling and ongoing quest, Kichirō is unable to use any weapons in an offensive manner. He may defend himself or his friends, but he cannot use any edged blades at all.
- Kichirō does not wear armor other than the clothing on his back.
- Since Kichirō is positively inclined, others attempt to take advantage of his kindness.
- Has taken a vow of poverty and celibacy.
- Although, he can cast spells silently, he must utter the vocal component of those spells he is studying until has grasped them complete.

Equipment: Kichirō wears long violet colored silk robes with silver decorative trim. He occasionally wears a cowhide leather vest with lamb's fur lining and a similar cap, when the weather is inclement. He carries a Bō stick which he uses as a walking stick and he wears Tabi on his feet. This is a sock/boot that is made of cotton around the ankle and leather around the foot. It is a thin layer of leather and serves only to protect the foot. The Tabi is one piece.

Kichirō carries a small pack containing items needed for spell casting, flasks of oil, food, small wooden smoking pipe, candles, incense, flasks of water, flint and tinder, parchment, quill and ink, spell book and a bed roll. He carries only a few pieces of gold to be used for replacing consumed supplies. His vow of poverty does not allow him to carry more than 10 gold pieces at any time. There are two Mahogany Tui-fa attached to his pack.

His spell casting supplies include a small pouch containing dried sunflower petals, a small pouch containing more than two dozen Ocean Kelp leaves, incense sticks, a small pouch of Cherry Blossom flower petals, a pouch of Lotus petals, a dozen small candles, a small pouch containing Lily of the Valley flower buds (pea-like), more than a dozen small pieces of jade (one or two inch pieces), three vials of Seaweed Extract, a small pouch containing finely crushed Hackberry Tree fruit powder, a small pouch of finely crushed dried pig's gall bladder powder, a small puch of finely crushed puffer fish liver powder, several splinters of bamboo, half a kilogram of Cabanerō (intoxicating smoking herb), and a small pouch of white rose petals.

History:
Kichirō spent his first five years with his family in the Northern village of Akami. Kichirō's grandfather suffered a defeat at the hands of a member of a rival family within the Unicorn clan. His actions brought shame upon the family. As a result, the grandfather's eldest son was obligated to give up his eldest son (Kichirō) to the local monastery to become a priest in an effort to rid the shame cast upon the family name. As part of his commitment to the temple, Kichirō then had to swear off his family, severing all ties with them. Regardless of the lack of contact with the family, they remain full of pride for their son.

From an early age, Kichirō was destined to become a priest of the Iuchi Order. He has lived at the Temple since he was five years old and has been studying gōngfu since he was six years old. A majority of his teachings have been religious in nature. He was taught to sacrifice his own desires over those of others. He feels no material attachments to this world. He has harnessed his inner energy or Ki through the element of water. Kichirō's purpose is to heal as many people as he can in this world. He will defend his friends by providing them with beneficial abilities and defensive techniques in order to preserve their life for the pursuit of their goals.

Much of his time is spent in deep meditation communing with the kami and strengthening his energies; his Ki. This is where he gains the ability to cast any of several different spells contained in his spell book. He maintains the book where he annotates his spells in his pack. It includes both those spells he knows and those he is studying. Each time he encounters a new spell, he must spend time focusing on this spell which is written in his book. After several hours and in some cases days, of practice, he is able to hone this new spell and use it when needed.

When Kichirō was 25 he took a vow of silence for one year. When his year was up, he had successfully completed the vow and was allowed to leave the temple at will. He remained with the temple for an additional six years before he took up a personal quest. With the temple leaders' permission, he began a personal quest to heal as many people in the outside world as much as possible. He has been on this quest for the past three years.

During his time with the Temple, Kichirō has studied his religion, armed (Bō stick and Tui fa) and unarmed combat (gōngfu) as a means of allowing his energy to flow through his being and his spirit, caligraphy, herbalism, sake-making and healing potion making.




Used in: Army of Ronin (OOC)

[Gunther]

Name: Aditya Je'kal
Race: Elf
Kingdom: Ali'tian
Age: 190 (appears 19 year old human)
Gender: Male
Physical Appearance: Aditya keeps his dirty blonde hair short cropped and generally neat in appearance. If the length reaches his shoulders, he gets a trim. His eyes are dark blue and piercing. An object of his stare might believe his eyes to be piercing his or her very soul. His skin is very fair and smooth. It appears as though he has not worked a day in his life or exerted himself in anyway. He is strong, as strong as a 190 year old elf should be, but his physical strength is not exceptional by any means; more average. His agility on the other hand is considered excellent and has aided him in his youth in winning several sporting events with other elves in his age group.

Aditya typically wears white undergarments; trousers and a blouse cinched up by a leather belt at the waist. His footwear consists of either a mid-calf soft leather boot with fur at the top and small tassels or poms at the rear of the boot or a knee-high black hard leather boot used for riding. He also has a pair of soft leather sandals, similar to moccasins that he wears around the palace. He wears a golden necklace depicting the icon of his father's family. It is a symbol of <Fill in blank>. Aditya generally wears either a red or dark purple tunic over the white under blouse and then a violet robe with or without a hood over this attire.

When he goes into battle, which has happened on a few occasions, he has a full set of layered steel armor. His arms, chest, hips and lower legs are covered by the layered steel armor. His back, thighs, groin and neck are covered by mail armor. He wears a pointed steel helm with a mail skirt at the rear of the helm to protect the back of his neck. The layered armor allows him to move freely and improve agility when dressed in armor. Many of the pieces of his armor are adorned with red and gold colored silk for ornamental purposes.

Character Bio: Aditya worships his father, Adrastos Je'kal as most sons do, but the casual observer may not detect a few differences between the two. Aditya admires his father's power, intelligence, diplomatic skills, generosity, martial prowess and his bearing. On the other hand, Aditya is selfish, pompous and arrogant. He is intelligent to the point where he knows to listen to his advisors, but will always seek glory; attempting to triumph his name whenever possible. Aditya seeks to build a glorious reputation for himself as not only a skilled warrior, but as a talented leader of Elven warriors. The only times Aditya is generous is when it serves his own purpose. He would never miss an opportunity to boast his accomplishments.

Aditya passionately hates humans especially the Northern Khar variant. He does not care for dwarves or the southern Norivanian humans. He is however curious about the Oolarg from Mallik and would like to learn more about them. They are very reclusive, which only piques his interest.

Although he passionately hates the humans in the North, he tolerates his father's position. It would be a lie to say he is not waiting for the day when his father passes the crown to him, but he is in no hurry to have his father assassinated. He remains devoutly loyal to his father. He would never consider committing patricide or contracting someone else to do it for him. He does love his father.

It is known in the north that Aditya does not share his father's compassion for the Northmen. For those in the North who appreciate the tentative peace, they remain silent, not wanting to upset the delicate relations with the Elves. For those men desiring a return to troubled days when warriors swept down from the frozen north and raided the Elven forests, this could be an opportunity to return the world to the way things used to be. Their lust for battle may be renewed with the son elevated to the Ali'tian Throne.

Aditya believes the Elves are racially superior to humans and dwarves. Half-Elves; those of mixed bloodlines are scum, something to be scraped off ones boot before stepping inside a dwelling. Half-Elves do not deserve to be at court let alone hold any positions of responsibility.

Aditya has not yet bound with a dragon hatchling. During the preceding Dragon moon festivities, Aditya was stricken with an ailment that had him bed ridden. He was forced to remain in bed with a fever. The illness weakened him physically and made him delirious. He was near death during this illness, but his constitution and desire to live pulled him through.

Aditya has ridden horses since he was very young and is considered an excellent horseman. He also has trained on the use of the Elven Bow which he has acquired an exceptional skill level in its use. His bow of choice is an ornate Elven construction made from the finest Osage wood available in the Mörka Forest. This forest is located east of the Insjön Blod Lake. The Lake was at many times in the history of the Ali'tian and the men of the North reddened by the blood of both peoples.

Aditya did train on the use of the sword and acquired an above average skill level in its use. He has always preferred ranged or mounted combat over melee fighting. He has also begun training at the novice level on the use of natural magical arts. He can prepare a small sample of potion that provides a boost in energy to anyone who drinks it. Some have given it the name Aditya's energy drink. It does not provide a huge boost, but enough to overcome mild fatique, not enough to tip the scale in a fight toward the user.

The military leaders of his father's house have trained him in the Martial Arts of a Leader of men. He has studied complex engineering systems and understands basic tactics for maneuvering large formations of elves on the battlefield. He is a strong proponent for the combined arms techniques for integrating foot soldiers, heavy swordsmen, longbowmen, Light Rangers and mounted Dragon Riders in combat. He sees himself as a Mighty Elven Warrior King who will one day rule all of Khar, in a nation devoid of humans and dwarves.

Meticulous in appearance and attire, Aditya demands that the servants pay special attention to his clothing which is usually either white, red or dark violet in color. He becomes aggravated or seriously annoyed if his articles of clothing are not well taken care of.

Having never ridden a dragon, Aditya is secretly fearful about the experience. He would never express this feeling outward or say anything that might make him appear weak, but the fear does reside within. In that same breath, he is excited about the upcoming Blood Moon festivities. He has no idea what dragon will choose him. He knows it will happen. He has considered the various dragons and is kind of hoping for a black dragon to compliment his lithe agile abilities. He sees himself as a mounted archer toppling his enemies from the saddle wielding his Osage Bow.



Used in: The Dragon Moon (IC)