Colonial Marine Corps (CMC) FAQ

The Colonial Marine Corps (CMC) is a branch of the military separate from the Colonial Fleet. It is responsible for ground warfare and naval security. Elements of the CMC are found across all Fleet vessels and stationed on all Colonial worlds, serving as a rapid response force to maintain civil order and planetary security.

One Marine company, Bravo Company, has been assigned to the Battlestar Cerberus. In addition to being responsible for internal ship security and boarding actions, it can function as a complete infantry group in major military actions during emergency situations.

Note that a Marine company aboard a battlestar has very little reason to utilize sniper teams, mortar platoons, and heavy weapons platoons. While they may keep a fair number of heavy weapons in storage, what is primarily a heavily armed and well-trained police force should not — at least initially — be running around with anti-tank rifles.

There are three "light" platoons aboard the Cerberus, each comprised of four standard-sized squads. Three platoons are Military Police units and the last is a standard Marine Rifle Platoon.

The Watch

The Marine Officer of the Watch

The most senior Marine officer on duty is assigned the title of Marine Officer of the Watch (MOW). The MOW functions as the commanding officer of all Marines currently on duty and is responsible for resolving any problems that may require Marine involvement. She is subordinate to all members of the Combat Information Center, even if the CIC is staffed by Fleet personnel of lower rank.

The MOW can issue orders to Marines not normally under his command. However, if the MOW cannot resolve a situation or if the situation warrants further attention, it is her responsibility to activate the next-senior Marine and transfer the title to that individual. All Marine officers rotate through taking turns as MOW.

A Sentry's Responsibilities

The General Orders for Sentries exist in the Colonial Marine Corps and applies to all Marines on guard duty. The text of these orders is provided here:

1. I shall guard everything within the limits of my post and quit my post only when properly relieved.
2. I shall obey my special orders and perform all of my duties in a military manner.
3. I shall report violations of my special orders, emergencies, and anything not covered in my instructions to the Marine Officer of the Watch.

Only the company commander, the MOW, or a military officer of grade O-5 or above may prematurely relieve a sentry of his or her post, and only with proper after-the-fact documentation. Any order given to a sentry that would compromise his or her duties as outlined by the General Orders may be ignored and reported to the MOW. Finally, sentries are expected to be seen, not heard, and should not carry on conversation or otherwise convey the impression of lax attention.

Watch Duties

Each day is divided into three eight-hour watches, each of which is manned by a platoon. The odd platoon out does training exercises and devotes one fireteam on each watch to supplement security on any civilian ships that might be present. The platoons rotate so that no one platoon is constantly stuck with the night shift, and so that each gets a turn for training.

Because a squad is cumbersome to maneuver aboard ship, the operational unit during condition three cruising is the four-Marine fireteam. In a typical watch, four fireteams perform fixed patrols in critical areas, two fireteams perform roving patrols throughout the ship, two fireteams provided to civilian security, and one fireteam remains in the Security Hub to act as a rapid response team.

Fireteam 1: CIC & Engineering
Fireteam 2/3: Port/Starboard Hangar Bay
Fireteam 4: Gun Gallery and Flight Control
Fireteam 5/6: Roving patrol
Fireteam 7/8: Assigned to a civilian ship for security detail, supplemented by one fireteam from the fourth platoon
Fireteam 9: Alert team stationed in the Security Hub.

Active military policemen are usually given some autonomy to perform their own actions but are subject to assignments as dictated by the MOW. They typically form security details to investigate disturbances not serious enough to warrant an alert team.

Detainment and Arrest

Any officer may arrest an individual of equal or lower rank in accordance with military law. Military policemen, being enlisted, are not entrusted with the power of arrest. However, they may perform a similar action, called detainment, which has the same physical effect as an arrest: the individual is placed in irons and transported to the brig.

Detainment, unlike arrest, is non-binding and lasts for a maximum of three hours. During this time, the detaining MP is expected to contact the detainee's commanding officer, who will then make a decision on whether to arrest or not.

Military Police

The missions of the Military Police detachment are enumerated as follows:

1. Maintain order aboard ship
2. Keep control of small arms lockers
3. Police the brig
4. Provide for the safety and escort of prisoners
5. Monitor critical ship locations
6. Investigate crimes aboard ship, if directed

The Master-at-Arms

The chief MP NCO aboard a ship is the Master-at-Arms. Although the Master-at-Arms supervises the military police staff, he ultimately answers to the battalion S2. Military Police are the only enlisted group empowered to detain individuals. In fulfilling the first duty, the Master-at-Arms coordinates sentry rotations with each platoon sergeant to ensure that the battlestar is adequately guarded and patrolled. This is one of the few established routines that does not involve officer participation.

The Master-at-Arms maintains the battlestar's internal security on two major levels: by securing all arms and arms lockers and by protecting the brig. For a better idea of his duties, please consult the following website.

To do his duties, the Master-at-Arms is given the following perquisites and responsibilities:

Access to personnel from other marine platoons for the express purpose of internal security, including maintaining the security of the above specific departments (through coordination with the other platoon leaders).
Control the dispensation of armaments in accordance to military policies, unless otherwise dictated by command.
Control the movement and conditions of prisoners within the brig in accordance to military policies, unless otherwise dictated by command.
Provide recommendations regarding potential compromises in security to command, including personnel traffic.
Investigation of criminal activities that may have occurred on the ships.
Supervision of the other marines in the Military Police detachment.
Civilian/military incidents. If civilian, they are routed through security personnel on each ship. All military personnel are under the jurisdiction of the MPs.

Credo of the Military Police

I am a soldier and proud member of the Military Police Corps Regiment.
I am Of the Troops and For the Troops.
I believe there is no higher calling than to assist, protect, and defend my fellow soldiers, their families, and the basic ideals that guarantee our freedom and our way of life.
I am always ready to help individual soldiers retain or regain their dignity.
I assist commanders in performing their missions, safeguarding their commands, and maintaining discipline, law and order.
I am proud of the Military Police Corps Regiment and fully understand the awesome responsibility given to all military police soldiers.
At the same time, I am humble because I know that I am a servant of the Colonies.
To perform my duties properly, my honesty, integrity, and courage must be balanced by competence, alertness, and courtesy.
I know I am constantly in the public eye and my behavior sets the standards of excellence of my fellow soldiers.
To my unit, my commander, and myself, I promise sustained, just and honorable support.
To the Colonies, the Corps and my Regiment, I promise the skills of my training, my physical ability, my mental initiative, and my moral courage, for I am a soldier in the Military Police Corps.

Combat Medicine

There are no such things as "Combat Medics" on this MUSH. In real life, the United States Marine Corps does not use them and Battlestar Cerberus follows accordingly. Instead, the CMC employs Navy corpsmen on their missions, all graduates of the Fleet School of Medical Services. Two types of corpsmen exist: enlisted corpsmen (certified Emergency Medical Technicians) and officers (Physician Assistant - Certified). Both are part of the Medical Department and treat the Chief Medical Officer as their department head; however, during Condition One, they report to their assigned Marine platoon and accompany these units into action.

A corpsman serving in a Marine unit is for all intents and purposes a Marine, and is treated like a Marine by other Marines and by everyone whom he has contact with. The CMC's belief that "Every Marine is a Rifleman" applies to corpsmen as well. Corpsmen have to learn to carry a rifle and how to use it effectively. For a Corpsman to be effective he has to earn the right to be regarded as a fellow Marine, and that can be an eye opening experience to many Navy Corpsmen unfamiliar with Marine Corps ways. For a Corpsman to be effective in a Marine Corps unit he has to be someone that the other Marines know and trust. He has to be able to lay down cover fire, dig a hole, or do whatever other Marines in his unit are doing toward accomplishing the mission.

Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT)

The Marines stationed aboard the Cerberus have access to a small MOUT facility on Deck 12 that provides variable training scenarios and set-ups. Because the Marines aboard a battlestar are primarily concerned with policing and defending hallways, training typically focuses on actions aboard ships. However there are materials available to simulate house-clearing and very limited ground operations. During these exercises, live fire is strictly prohibited under any circumstances. Training is to be conducted using either paintballs or laser simulators.

One option, similar to paint, that Marine chars may choose to employ is a variation on the Canadian product called 'Simunitions' (LINK) that uses soap rather than paint. It hurts, but not horribly. Face, groin, and neck protection are required, but the rest of the equipment doesn't breath as well as they claim and its unnecessary unless you have zero tolerance for pain. Replacement guns are used, but the training provided is as realistic as can be done - right down to the feel of the gun firing and the associated noise.

Uniforms

Vehicles

A listing of vehicles employed by the Colonial Marine Corps can be found on the Ground Vehicles page.

Airborne Operations

Information discussing the capability of the current and prior fleet (pre-Warday) to conduct Airborne operations can be found on the Airborne Delivery page.

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