Operation: HOT EAGLE

The idea of dropping special forces soldiers behind enemy lines is not a new one. World War One and Two saw the idea come into its fruition, with airborne "Fallschirmjäger" paratroopers being conceived and deployed to produce effective results by both the Axis and the Allies. Throughout the Twentieth and Twenty-First centuries, the concept of dropping soldiers from planes was further perfected, and by the early Twenty-Second century the idea was an integral part of modern warfare. The next evolution of the concept would be just as revolutionary - the dropping of troopers from orbit, completely circumventing conventional missile defence and other anti-air measures. The idea would produce stunning successes on Mars during the UNSC's campaign against Koslovic forces, and would set military doctrine for the next four hundred years. Codenamed Operation: HOT EAGLE, the operation was a joint operation between the URNA Army Rangers and Marines, and British Commonwealth SAS units, launched from the Carrier over Argyre Planitia.

United Republic of North America

 * URNA Rangers
 * URNA Marine Corps

British Commonwealth

 * British Special Air Service
 * Australian Special Air Service Rregiment
 * New Zealand Special Air Service

Remarks

 * "Four Army units, one Ranger and three SAS, and one Marine unit, but what everyone remembers is that the Marines took part. So much for unbiased journalism."
 * "Imagine sitting in a grey metal pod, flames licking past you outside, hoping you don't get hit by AA flak, missiles, shrapnel, or even just bounce off the atmosphere. That can happen, you know. Now imagine doing that four hundred years before they perfected the SOEIV technology. Those guys must have had b...er, hearts of steel."
 * "Hot Eagle, huh? No wonder the Marines got the credit - the provided the techniques and equipment. The UNMC also developed the first military dropships. They had a lot of firsts back then."
 * "Imagine the look on the Koslovics' faces as they saw flaming fireballs streaking towards them, and the fiery wrath of the UNSC leaping out to tear them apart!"