TABLE OF ORGANIZATION AND
EQUIPMENT
TYPICAL OF COMBINE MOBILE INFANTRY
MOBILE INFANTRY ARMORED BARRACKS- Battlesuits were usually maintained in a specialized powered combination lift / maintenance rack array which weighed fully twice as much as the battlesuit itself and occupied three times the cubic volume. Utilizing these units, a technician could perform routine maintenance, upgrades, or repair battlefield damage to a power armor suit with relative ease. These maintenance units were often mounted by squad (a group of five racks), generally two squads to a armored barracks building. The low, squat buildings, only a small part of which existed above ground, were often called "mausoleums" or "crypts" by the non-armored soldiers due not only to their design, but inside the suits were stored in a slightly reclining position, almost as if they were 'dead'. Lit by various luminescent green and red lights, the effect of visiting a funeral parlor was only heightened.
Each MI "mausoleum" was a fully self contained facility; powered by a compact coreactor with backup high density power cell and battery storage media that could supply full combat power to the installation for up to 72 hours at a time. Armored solar cells on the roof of the building could extend this even further, if they weren't damaged. The installation was heavily armored, compartmentalized, reinforced, built to withstand severe shock, and was home to forty-five personnel at a time; two complete squads and their support / command group. Generally there were two airlock entrances to the installation and an emergency escape hatch built into the roof (complete with an explosive bolt system which would unlock and eject the one meter thick plug of BPC and laminated composite material). Both airlocks had full decontamination systems installed. The first airlock was slightly larger than man sized, intended for unarmored or lightly armored infantry and personnel to enter and leave the installation while the second airlock was large enough to handle a full squad of five power armored soldiers, their drones, and all of their gear with some room to spare. This airlock was a combination of airlock and hydraulic lift, elevating the squad through a set of huge armored sliding doors in the roof of the installation. The armored infantry airlock opened and exited onto the low roof of the installation from which the squad could step down or bounce away. Returning squads merely bounced onto the roof of the installation and let the massive lift lower them into the installation for the decontamination procedure.
Squad-The basic unit of battledress and dedicated weapons equipped infantry available in the Combine Table of Military Organization (CTMO) is the squad, the smallest element of combat operatives and the lowest on the CMTO. Each squad consisted of five soldiers, their equipment, dedicated weapon systems, three Ibarra M38C heavy repeaters loaded with dual feed cassettes (usually a mixture of HyVeloc KEAP, KEAPER, and anti-personnel rounds), two Thompson 4TD heavy support networkable weapons systems (with attendant tethered drone sights, twin 100 round cassette and dual onboard tactical microprocessors to help take the load off of the accompanying use and interface with SquadNet), and fifteen tactical drones (generally Generation 2 Evolution Mark I or Mark II, but some later advanced drones were available for specialized missions or sometimes picked up in ORPHAN mode from KIA or MIA squads).
Positions in the squad were referred to by number, One through Five, followed by a rank, and a name such as One Enlisted Miller or Four Corporal Rogers. The numbers referred to position within the squad; one was APW, two was PWS, three was HWOSS, four was COM, and five was HWOSS. Positions within a squad were advertised by number. Positions within a squad were available through cross training and direct request, subject to CO's approval. Most MI were cross trained in all slots, many also specialized in one or two and as such, sought out those slots when available, tagging them for future assignment when they were not.
Each squad is usually equipped with a transportation asset in the form of a LGEV-PC. Squads joined together for Spec Ops may share transportation assets or pool their assets and call upon or be assigned to a larger mode of transportation like a GEV-PC for the transport of several squads at one time. Squads permanently assigned to a GEV capable form of rapid transport were often referred to as 'lift capable' or 'lift' infantry.
Platoon- The Combine platoon consists of four squads (20 operatives). It is commanded by a Lieutenant, assisted by a Sergeant who were referred to by the titles of Platoon Lieutenant One and Platoon Sergeant One. The PLIEADS system is fully implemented among the squad net systems at the platoon level.
Company- The Combine company consists of four platoons (80 operatives, 16 squads). A Company will also include its own dedicated support staff (15 operatives) of armorers, equipment repair, and maintenance officers. The support staff will not follow the Company into the front line, but will be nearby for emergency repair, or located at a base where they can set up 'shop' for units operating out in a field. Several companies might pool their support staff into a common area which will service all present companies as required. The Company is commanded by either a Captain (common) or a Major (less common) with the title of Company Captain One or Company Major One.
Battalion- The Combine battalion consists of four Companies (320 operatives, 64 squads) under the command of a Lieutenant Colonel and a support staff of 60 technicians and 8 to 10 logistics / admin personnel (who almost never go 'into the field' but instead act as liaisons with the special tactical / strategic equipment at the command post).
Regiment- A Combine regiment consists of four battalions (1280 operatives, 256 squads) and is usually commanded by a Colonel or higher.
Specialized Mobile Infantry
Sniper Teams -Two unit sniper teams, the smallest operating units of the Combine battle field organization, consisted of a soldier acting as Spotter, and one operating as the Sniper. The sniper / counter-sniper teams (SCSTs) were usually referred to as 'Wraiths" due to their high precision in removing choice targets and their ability to remain virtually undetectable. Sniper teams were generally equipped with standard sidearms, suit integrated recon/intel packs (usually the McNara or Buclauren modules, but some were equipped with the limited issue Sturm Smith Daniel Mod 5C packs toward the end of the fall of Neurope), dedicated Mark III-C tactical drones modified for the enhanced Cyclops Adaptive Visual Enhancement (CAVE). Each team member was fully cross trained in the other position as well, and could operate as either Sniper or Spotter. Teams were usually only split if one position became a casualty, but sometimes members were rotated out for training purposes. Wraith team members were the most individualistic of all Combine powered infantry. The Sniper was equipped with a very heavy barrel Ibarra model specialized for long range accuracy while the Spotter carried the standard loadout. Both members of the Wraith teams wore the lighter, more mobile scout battledress often with Mod 2 flight pack upgrades for superior mobility.