UNSC Airbourne Corps

The UNSC Airbourne Corps is a corp of the UNSC Marine Corps. It is head by Lieutenant General Lloyd Thomsom. The UNSC Airbourne serve a similar role to the ODST, deployed in pods, however they arn't suicidal. Instead, they mostly perform missions behind the enemy lines, destroying anything that would hinder a major assault, such as anti air cannons and tanks. UNSC Airbourne Corp soldiers are refered to the traditional Paratrooper.

Background
The UNSC Airbourne Corps were formed as requested by the Unified Earth Government, by the UNSC, in 2170, as a corp in the UNSC Marine Corps, reducing the risk of sending a regular Marine into a drop pod was far too risky. At the beginning, the corp consisted of two divisions, UNSC Expeditionary Airbourne Division and the UNSC Elite Airbourne Division. It would later expand to eight. Most recruits would be those who attempted to make it into the ODST, but just didn't cut it. The UNSC assigned ex ODST officer Liuetenant General Andy Smith, to head the newly formed unit.

An average fireteam would consist of six soldiers, with the exception of specialist teams, which would only consist of two. With a fireteam carrying rifles, one carrying SMGs and the specialist, it would form a squad of fourteen. Platoons would usually consist of three squads, making it 42. A company would have at least three platoons, giving the company leader 126 men at his disposal. 10 companies would be organized into a brigade of 1260, with ten of those brigades organized into a division of 12,600.

Missions are high risk, though not to extent of the ODST:


 * Deep Ground Surveillance or Long Range Reconnaissance -- The UNSC Airbourne conducts these types of operations in small numbers. Comparable to the role of the UNSC Marine Force Reconnaissance, they'd step up an observation to keep an eye on enemy positions. More dangerous but operations are left to the ODST.


 * Pre Assault Raids/Direct Action -- The UNSC serve in Pre Assault Raids, destroying anything vital to the enemy. Dropped from ships in pods, they conduct missions once again similar to the UNSC Marine Force Reconnaissance, blwoing up bridges, roads, anti aircraft guns etc. The UNSC Airbourne is famous for this, with many of these operations winning vital battles.

After they're performed these missions, they're usually attached to the regular marines.

Orgins
Since World War Two, the idea of dropping soldiers from the sky was greatly admired. Paratroopers would perform something heroic which would win a battle and even win a war. The fact that they could be dropped behind enemy lines to destroy vital targets was facinating.

During the Interplanetary War, the UN Marine Corps, the predecessors to the UNSC Marine Corps, were deployed from orbit in pods. The first example of this was during the Martian Campaign. Many of these soldiers would become early members of the ODST and the UNSC Airbourne. In 1970, along with the ODST, the UNSC Airbourne was officially formed. The first corp leader was Liuetenant General Andy Smith, a veteran in the war.

Pre Human-Covenant War
The UNSC Airbourne, in this time of peace, had very little action. Instead, it's purpose was moved to garrision new colonies. Action would come in 2192, where on a planet known as New London insurgents blew up several UNSC Army installations and took control of the entire planet. The UNSC Expeditionary Airbourne Division was dispatched to defeat the rebels. Dropped from the UNSC Stargazer, they spearheaded an assault with the goal of capturing cities in a small continent, on the eastern part of the equator. This was was easily accomplished. The division would later be assigned to capture another continent in a final push, winning the insurgency. Soon, several more seperations occured, leading to the creation of three new divisions, the UNSC 82nd Airbourne Division (named after the former American unit), the UNSC 101st Airbourne Division (once again named after a former American unit) and the UNSC 1st Airbourne Division (named after the former British unit). The UNSC Elite Division was renamed the UNSC Air Assault Unit (AAU). Three more would be later created, including the UNSC 6th Airborne Division in 2213, the UNSC Harvest Paratroopers in 2470 and the UNSC Reach Paratroopers in 2416.

For years the corps fought against insurgents and rebels of all sorts but the Inner Colony Wars would be their biggest challenge yet. In the Inner Colonies, the growing Reach Freedom Front, or the RFF, started to increase it's terrorist. The UNSC Reach Paratroopers, along with marines and the other branches, including colonial militia, were left to fight the RFF. Soon, the insurgency spread to other colonies. The UNSC Airbourne was called in five major battles,. These battles were the Raid on the Asteroid Belt, the Second Battle of Mars, the Invasion of Reach, the Great Epsilon Eridani Campaign and OPERATION:Angel's Dtrike, along with several smaller battles.

Insurrection and Human-Covenant War
When the Insurrection begun, the UNSC Harvest Paratroopers would be the first to fight a war against rebel forces in Harvest. Two UNSC Frigates and three Destroyers were boarded. It's entire crew was captured and a ramsom was asked, along with a safe passage to go into slipspace. The UNSC Harvest Paratroopers were dispatched to capture the ships. Before they were sent into combat, the ODST were sent to rescue the prisoners. After their job was done, the paratroopers did their job and killed every single rebel. Longsword fighters finished off any escape pods.

Crushing other rebels, the UNSC Airbourne would finally recieve a large scale role during Operation: TREBUCHET, including the aftermath of the capturing of the rebel leader Watts in 2225 on Eridanus Secundus by Spartans and once again with Spartans, crushed Jericho VII rebels. Other battles in the operation included the Insurrection of Harvest, the Outer Colony War and the Mars Breakaway.

In 2225, the Human-Covenant War begun, with the Covenant attacking Harvest. The UNSC Airbourne division UNSC Harvest Paratrooper were not present, being stuck elsewhere. The divisions were forced to move away from rebels and instead of going on their traditional offensive were moved to defensive on other worlds. They fought in hundreds of battles, including the Fall of Reach, although they were late for the battle, the Invasion of Coral and the Second Battle of Earth. They were also attached to marines during the Battle of Installation 00. They never met the Flood until Installation 00 and like many marines, were entirely new to it.

Today, the UNSC Airbourne remains a strong fighting unit.

Body Armour
The body armour is exactly the same as the ODST. However it has camo to suit it's environment unlike the standard black. This not only makes them blend in but it also helps you tell the difference between a paratrooper and a shock trooper.

Human Entry Vehicles
The Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle abbreviated SOEIV is a tear-drop shaped pod made of Titanium-A, Lead Foil and coated with ceramic skin. The SOEIV is the signature piece of equipment used by the UNSC Airbourne and the ODST and is known for its risks and intense heat which has garner the ODST nickname Helljumpers.

Armed Assault Boats
Armed Assault Boats were aircraft used by the UNSC Navy and Marine Corps, to deploy troopers for air assaults. However, the armed assault boats proved to be ineffective, taking heavy fire once within ground firing range and were also very slow. At some point they were replaced by the SOEIV.

Paratrooper Assault Carrier
The Paratrooper Assault Carrier is a converted Albatross which is designed to carry 14 HEVs. The PAC is supposed to make seperation from a squad almost impossible, however their is a risk of being shot down by AA, which is why the drop is extremely high. The only differance is that it's dropped a little bit more lower then from a spacecraft.

Weapondary
The UNSC Airbourne standard rifle is the M392 Designated Marksman Rifle. It is currently the last non-UNSC Army unit to use this weapon. The sidearm is a M6J Carbine, once again making UNSC Airbourne the only non-UNSC Army unit to use one. However the second fireteam in each squad uses a M7S Caseless Submachine Gun instead of the M392. The specialist fireteam either uses the M247 General Purpose Machine Gun, modified to be easier to move and equiped with a bipod, plus a M392 or a M41 Surface-to-Surface Rocket Medium plus a M392 or a Anti-Vehicle/Assault Weapon plus a M392.

Organisation

 * UNSC Marine Corps
 * UNSC Airbourne
 * UNSC Airbourne Expeditionary Force
 * UNSC Air Assault Unit
 * UNSC 82nd Airbourne Division
 * UNSC 101st Airbourne Division
 * UNSC 7th Airbourne Division
 * UNSC Harvest Paratroopers
 * UNSC Reach Paratroopers

UNSC 82nd Airbourne Division (named after the former American unit), the UNSC 101st Airbourne Division (once again named after a former American unit) and the UNSC 1st Airbourne Division (named after the former British unit). The UNSC Elite Division was renamed the UNSC Air Assault Unit (AAU). Three more would be later created, including the UNSC 7th Airborne Division in 2213, the UNSC Harvest Paratroopers in 2470 and the UNSC Reach Paratroopers in 2416.

Trivia

 * One of the most famous members was Private Thomas Reace. He fought at the Second Battle of Earth and saved thousands of life by going out alone to confront the Convenant with a sniper rifle. He was reported MIA and in honer of him, the Thomas Reace Cross was named after him.