Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (Necros)

"We go feet first, sir!"

- Shock Troops to Major Antonio Silva, aboard the UNSC Pillar of Autumn.

The Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (more commonly referred to as "ODST") are an elite group of UNSC Marines that specialize in special warfare tactics. Their method of infiltration by orbital drop allows them to conduct missions against targets that other conventional forces cannot approach undetected.

The ODSTs are one of the primary Special Operations units of the UNSC, and is under the command of UNSC Special Operations Command.

The concept of Shock Infantry
Shock troops are infantry formations and their supporting units, intended to lead an attack. Shock troop is a loose translation of the German word "Stoßtrupp". The units which contain assault troopers are typically organized for mobility, with the intention that they will penetrate through enemy defenses and attack into the enemy's vulnerable rear areas or unprotected/least protected flanks.

Although the term "Shock Troop" became popular in the 20th century, the term is rarely used explicitly, as the strategic concepts behind it have become standard contemporary military thinking.

Origins
The idea of inserting highly trained troops behind enemy lines from high altitude atmosphere has its roots in the paratroopers of 20th and 21st century fame, who dropped frequently behind enemy lines to capture strategically important targets in anticipation for a larger advance by more conventional and numerous military forces.

Such troops were first used prior to World War II by Italian and Soviet forces, but the first serious application of the doctrine was seen in 1940 by the German Air Force in World War II to overrun the Allied positions in Denmark, the Netherlands and the legendary Eben Emael fortress in Belgium. Paratroops were also used to capture the entire island of Crete. Later, during the Battle of Normandy (Operation Overlord) on June 6th 1944, when two American Airborne Divisions and one British Airborne Division landed behind enemy lines in Normandy, France on D-Day and again in Operation Market Garden. Although they were only marginally successful, they proved the concept of paratroops as useful and effective in large scale warfare.

The Shock Troopers also contain traits seen in the Reconnaissance Battalions of the United States Marine Corps during the First and Second Gulf War. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion served as the United States' shock force on the push to Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Heavily armed, and traveling in HMMWVs and LAV-25s, they eliminated enemy positions for infantry and armored forces from America, Britain, Australia, Poland, and other Allied nations. In addition to their earlier Marine counterparts, they also seem to have characteristics from various NATO and former-Warsaw Pact Special Operations units, such as the US Navy SEALS, British SAS, and the Russian Spetsnaz.

However, the first true instance of dropping Humans from orbit took place during the Martian Campaign of 2163, where UN Marines were dropped onto Mars in support of UN forces against the Neo-Communist Koslovics. The ODST's seem to have "always been a part of the UNSC." It may be that the participants of the Argyre Planitia Campaign were the predecessors to, or early members of, the first ODST units. Further developments were being made to the ODST program in the 2490's, with progress looking shaky, prompting the development of the Cyclops powered exoskeleton. Ultimately, however, the ODST's would supersede the Cyclops, becoming the UNSC Marine Corps' most effective Special Operations troops.

Human-Covenant War
ODSTs were known to be operating as early as 2525. The first and most elite division of ODSTs were the 105th Orbital Drop Shock Trooper Division, nicknamed "Helljumpers", and quickly gained a reputation as a brutal and effective fighting force. They are often referred to as the elite and seem to have a class of their own, often coming right after the Elites, Spartans, and Brutes.

Barring the personnel of the SPARTAN-II Program, ODSTs are one of the most effective forms of troops available to the UNSC, and the expectations placed on ODST units made them all-volunteer outfits, with some outsiders regarding such volunteers as 'crazy'. By 2552, their strength had swelled to a greater number of divisions in an attempt to fill the demands of the Human-Covenant War.

Some ODSTs actively participated in training the SPARTAN-IIs, but the efficiency of the program was demonstrated when a single adolescent SPARTAN-II killed three ODSTs and left the other one severely wounded during an exercise. These fatalities resulted in ODSTs developing a strong disdain for the SPARTANS, as they were felt to be not even worthy of being called Human. The SPARTANS were very frequently referred to as "freaks" by Major Antonio Silva's opinion, to the dismay of John-117.

Operations
"It's like a postcard: Dear Sarge, We're kicking ass in outer space, wish you were here."

- ODSTs, referring to Sergeant Major Johnson, after killing a group of Kig-Yar snipers on Installation 05''.

Shock Troopers are known for their unusual methods of insertion, including orbital drops onto terrestrial environments.

Similar to their Infantry counterparts, the ODSTs maintain units of varying strength aboard many UNSC vessels and Installations. ODST units were present aboard the UNSC Atlas, the UNSC Spirit of Fire, the UNSC In Amber Clad, the UNSC Pillar of Autumn, the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, and Cairo Station.

They also drop into areas under heavy fire, or are heavily guarded by enemy troops in order to clear out any enemies and set up LZs for Pelican dropships to land or deploy other UNSC reinforcements. ODSTs are recognized as a key element in setting up landing zones and it is speculated that without them, the Pelicans would not be able to carry out air assaults. An example of such scenarios may be observed when the Battle of Installation 05 began. The Marines of the 7th Battalion of the 105th Division, accompanied by MCPO John-117, cleared a landing zone so that Pelicans could drop off light armored vehicles, and eventually land heavy armor after land forces set the bridge down. Shock Troops were also crucial in the Battle of Installation 00, when the 7th Battalion again aided John-117 in breaking a hole in the Covenant line, thus creating a landing zone for the, which allowed a forward base to launch an armored assault. Due to the nature of their missions, the ODSTs are also recognized for the heavy casualties they take. They are tough and highly trained soldiers that make sure they get the job done.

The Shock Troopers perform highly specialized, small scale, high-risk operations such as:
 * Deep Ground Surveillance (or Long Range Reconnaissance): Patrols in small groups, in uniform, usually far behind the enemy lines. While DGS units may direct air or artillery strikes against enemy positions, they strive to be unobserved, and have only self-defense, not DA, capability. Groups engaging in surveillance deep behind enemy lines, are commonly known as "Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols" or LRRP's.
 * Direct Action: Short-duration strikes and other small-scale offensive actions conducted as a special operation in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments and which employ specialized military capabilities to seize, destroy, capture, exploit, recover, or damage designated targets. Direct action differs from conventional offensive actions in the level of physical and political risk, operational techniques, and the degree of discriminate and precise use of force to achieve specific objectives.
 * Unconventional Warfare: Military and paramilitary operations, normally of long duration, predominantly conducted by indigenous or surrogate forces who are organized, trained, equipped, supported, and directed in varying degrees by an external source. It includes guerrilla warfare and other direct offensive, low visibility, covert, or clandestine operations, as well as the indirect activities of subversion, sabotage, intelligence gathering, escape and evasion.
 * Counter-Terrorism Operations: The response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.
 * Counter-Contraband Operations: Missions undertaking the recapturing of smuggled/stolen goods.
 * Personnel and Special Equipment Recovery/Capture: The recovery/medical treatment of friendly personnel in combat environments, as well as the capability of capturing high valued individuals and any equipment. This was the original mission that the rookie and his team were supposed to accomplish. They were ordered to secure the superintendent (an AI) to prevent any leaks of information to the occupying Covenant forces.

ODSTs are recruited from the Special Operations Groups of all the nations and colonies of the Unified Earth Government. Since the first group of “handpicked volunteers” was activated, these shock troopers have been conducting orbital drops ever since.

As such, its entrance requirements serve as a third layer of screening upon two more, where applicants would have theoretically failed to pass. Recruits would, therefore, already have extensive experience in conducting the types of high-risk missions that the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers typically perform, which is only supplemented by the additional training. Companies are usually comprised of six-to-eight Combat Teams, with each containing ten-to-fourteen Operators, each of whom has a specific function, able to excel at specific mission-sets while still retaining the flexibility to deal with any situation. While they are not a part of the UNSC's conventional forces, such as infantryman from the Army or Marines, they do conduct joint operations; and tend to be "force multipliers" - increasing the effectiveness, willingness, and morale of those they fight alongside.

Unlike some conventional forces, the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers has absolutely no age or gender bias, on the condition that the candidate meets the physical and mental requirements they are guaranteed the opportunity to train for selection into the unit.