105th Shock Troops Division

The 105th Shock Troops Division is an Orbital Drop Shock Troops special operations force of the UNSC Marine Corps and part of the Marine Corps Special Operations Command. The division conducts missions for both Unified Special Warfare Command and Naval Special Warfare Command through UNSC geographical and space regions. Known as one of the most elite fighting forces in the UNSC Armed Forces, the 105th Shock Troops Division has participated in many battles and campaigns throughout its years of service. The 105th Shock Troops Division is also known as the Helljumpers and their insignia is a "Gold Comet."

Mission
The 105th's mission is to provide a special operations force to accomplish special operation missions assigned by the Unified Special Warfare Command, Naval Special Warfare Command, and Geographic Combatant Commander through their Theater Special Warfare Command. The Marines within the 105th are to assist with a variety of directives that range from direct contact with enemy troops to training colonial militias in special operation techniques. The 105th Shock Troops Division coordinates their deployments with the Unified Special Warfare Command and Naval Special Warfare Command, with engagement priorities throughout their assigned regional command.
 * Direct Action
 * Hostage Rescue
 * Special Reconnaissance
 * Unconventional Warfare
 * Counter-Terrorism
 * Counter-Insurgency
 * Counter-Contraband
 * Personnel Recovery

Organization
Under the command of a two-star General, the 105th Shock Troops Division has four active-duty Shock Troops Regiments that can conduct special operations. Each Shock Troops Regiment is led by a Colonel who oversees operations throughout the Battalions, Companies, and Platoons under his command. A Lieutenant Colonel leads a Shock Troops Battalion, there are four Battalions under each Regiment. Shock Troops Companies are led by a Major and there are four Companies under each Battalion. A Captain leads a Platoon; there are four platoons with each company. Within each platoon, there are five squads, four squads are focused on direct action and missions alike, while one squad specializes in special reconnaissance and similar missions for the company.

Each Regiment and Battalion have a Headquarters and Service Company. In contrast, Companies have a Headquarters and Service Platoon to assist the command and control element with overseeing operations and missions. In the event of augmenting units from the Support Group, Engineer, Light Armored Reconnaissance, Force Reconnaissance/ODST, and Space Assault Battalion, each Regiment is capable of becoming a Regimental Combat Team which is led by the Regiment Commander. The 105th Shock Troops Support Group is led by a Colonel and assists with assigning ODST Combat Service Specialists who specialize in fields like logistics and transportation along with ODST Capabilities Specialist who assist with intelligence, fire mission support, Explosive Ordnance Disposal and, a variety of other fields. Each Shock Troops Regiment has its own Support Group Battalion to staff enablers with platoons. The 105th Shock Troops Training Center is led by a Lieutenant Colonel who oversees the training of potential Marines to join the 105th Shock Troops Division and existing members who wish to attend more courses and schools to enhance their career as an ODST. For the 105th Shock Troops Engineer, they assist with mobility, counter mobility, survivability, and combat engineering support. The 105th Shock Troops Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion is a Light-Armored Vehicle Battalion capable of providing forward vehicular reconnaissance and capable of providing fire support for other vehicle battalions nearby. The 105th Force Reconnaissance/ODST and 105th Space Assault Battalion are the two special operations capable battalions assigned to the 105th Shock Troops Division. Both focus on mission-specific deployments to assist the command when they are deployed with a Marine Expeditionary Unit as an ODST Special Purposes Force or with a 105th Shock Troops Battalion.
 * Headquarters Battalion
 * 2nd Shock Troops Regiment
 * 9th Shock Troops Regiment
 * 19th Shock Troops Regiment
 * 26th Shock Troops Regiment
 * 105th Shock Troops Support Group
 * 105th Shock Troops Training Center
 * 105th Shock Troops Engineer Battalion
 * Shock Troops Heavy Transport Squadron 105
 * 105th Shock Troops Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion
 * 105th Force Reconnaissance/ODST Battalion (SOC)
 * 105th Space Assault Battalion (SOC)

Activation
Following the colonization of Reach in 2362, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Commanding General of Marine Corps Special Operations Command, and Commanding General of the ODSTs held a joint meeting with their staff to discuss the establishment of a Shock Troops Division in the Epsilon Eridani system. The three Generals expressed their desire to have a Shock Troops Division located at a strategic location to respond to threats that a Sol system Shock Troops Division was not capable of responding to in time. An officer from the ODST's staff suggested the 105th Shock Troops Division as its name and soon, the 105th Shock Troops Division began its preparations for becoming the first Marine Special Operations Force unit outside of Sol system.

Assessment and Selection
The Assessment and Selection program, better known as Selection among the training cadre, is a three-week-long program that looks for the right candidates. The first phase is known as the physical test that looks at the candidate's physical strength, toughness, and ability to perform combat maneuvers. Only getting four hours of sleep, candidates are pushed to their limits so that the cadre can see the true characters of each candidate being assessed. The physical week is the one section where many candidates washout and voluntarily withdraw; it has been noted for being one of the hardest weeks among training cadres in the UNSC Marine Corps. The physical week also serves as a baseline for each candidate, telling the cadre where the candidate is not strong and looking for ways to improve it soon.

The second phase is known as the academic, which is a week-long section focused on the candidate's intelligence, mental resolve, and critical thinking skills. From classroom lectures to psychology exams, the medical staff of the cadre is looking to see if candidates can think during a high-stress situation and command fellow troops. The physical intensity is dialed down to let the candidates focus more on their academics, but wants to keep the body weak to ensure the medical staff can make an accurate assessment. After an academic week, the final week includes an oral board and a final physical test to determine if the candidate should be in the 105th Shock Troops Division. Interviews are held by the senior and command staff of the cadre to determine the true fate of the candidate. After passing Selection, candidates move onto ODST Qualification Training.

ODST Individual Training Course
The 105th Individual Training Course is a three-month-long course focused on developing a candidate's fundamentals in fitness, tactics, combat techniques, and mental toughness. After candidates pass through Selection, the intensity of training is more focused on the mind of the candidate rather than their ability to reach time limits and status quo. The ITC pushes to help develop candidates into capable ODSTs that can conduct a range of missions within a Drop Jet Platoon. In the Fitness Section, the training focuses on hand-eye coordination, teaching candidates to become more endurance, and taking care of their bodies. Medical Officers from the training cadre teach health courses and assist the candidates by employing tactics throughout their training. The Tactics Section educates ODSTs on basic Shock Infantry techniques and developing plans to conduct special operation missions. Members from the 105th and ONI Section One teach ODSTs how to read maps, tell time without watches, navigate areas, create plans in a small team and, execute tasks throughout several environments. Tactics lead right into Combat Techniques, which then helps the candidates stimulate what they learned in tactics and add a combat element. All of the candidates learn field skills such as Survival, Evade, Resistance, Escape, Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Fire Mission Support, and Communication Techniques. The Final Section, known as Mental Toughness, runs the candidates through a test to see if the candidate can perform the tasks they have learned throughout the ITC. Often put against the training cadre, the candidate is forced to use all of the knowledge he accumulated in three months to pass through the final test. After passing the ITC, the candidate becomes an ODST and earns a spot at the ODST Troop Training Phases to join a Drop Jet Platoon.

Phase One
Known as the Small-Unit Tactics Phase, the two sections focus on fireteam and squad tactics with candidates to determine how they work together. The first section consists of fireteam exercises where the candidates learn how to conduct missions in a small team of four personnel. Emphasis is placed on building trust and respect among those in the fireteam to execute complex special operation tasks under stressful scenarios. The Fireteam section includes live-round exercises such as room clearing, maneuvering on targets across various geographical lands, and honing skills as a team. Other exercises include the usage of tactical training rounds to stimulate fireteam battles better with the help of the 105th ODST Combat Training Unit. The three-week-long section builds into the squad section which brings in another fireteam to build trust and comradery with other ODST candidates. The squad section lasts another three-weeks and ends with the new squad preparing for Phase Two.

Phase Two
The Platoon and Company phase of ODST Troop Training allows candidates to train within an ODST Drop Jet Platoon; candidates continue to perform stimulated special operation missions with the platoon. The Platoon section of ODST Troop Training is the first time ODST candidates can interact with active-duty members of the division. The two-week training period gives time to the platoon to assess and educate the new candidates on how to employ their training. Following the end of the Platoon section, new candidates have joined the 105th Shock Troops Division and prepare for the Company Section. By the Company Section, the five platoons are working together to stimulate combat operations along with doing work-ups for the next deployment. Company exercises include stimulated shock infantry maneuvers, conducting missions with various elements, and using critical thinking to produce effective plans in a short amount of time.

Phase Three
Battalion and Regiment training come in last, they are considered the last Phase for a newly-minted ODST before deployment. The Battalion section focuses on four companies working together to conduct special operations for the UNSC Marine Corps. Battalion troop training includes wargaming against other battalions within the division and, participating in joint capability exercises with the UNSC Army. Battalion training is often done with a variety of units within the Division to keep ODST skills sharp. The Regimental Section is the last and final section of ODST Troop Training, which focuses on a full deployment of a Regiment. Training largely reflects what's done during the Battalion section but heavily focused on the geographical terrain as to where the Regiment is deploying. The Regimental Section is conducted one-week till deployment and ensures that all ODSTs are prepared for their deployment.

Advanced Training
The 105th Shock Troops Division encourages ODSTs to continue attending courses and schools to become better fighters and thinkers for the Division. Many ODSTs attend schools within their assigned MOS to become more skilled and specialized while others build themselves up as well-rounded service members. The Marine Corps Special Operations Command holds several courses and schools to give ODSTs a variety of options to choose from, such as advanced special reconnaissance, master breacher, assaulting, and advanced driving courses. The UNSC Air Force often trains ODSTs in combat medicine, conducts Search and Rescue Capability Exercises, qualifies Joint-Terminal Attack Controllers, and simulate transorbital operations for Space Assault Battalions. ODSTs often attend SERE Courses through the Air Force due to their dedicated SERE's program. The UNSC Army offers a host of schools that range from Reconnaissance and Surveillance Leaders Course, Ranger School, Long-Range Target Interdiction, Advanced Reconnaissance, Target Analysis, and Exploitation Technique Course. The UNSC Army often assists with providing crucial special operations educations to ODSTs to ensure they have a strong background in their field of expertise. The UNSC Naval Special Warfare Command provides a wide range of maritime, EVA, individual skills development, and vessel boarding techniques such as the Naval Special Warfare Sniper School, Advanced EVA tactics, and close-quarters battle aboard ships.

The Office of Naval Intelligence Section One assists with training ODSTs in intelligence and target identification along with helping select ODSTs become case officers. Section One also assists in teaching ODSTs how to operate undercover and ways to produce actionable intelligence, giving students the best chances to gather the best information for fellow ODSTs in their company. Officers who attend Section One courses can often serve as a liaison officer later in their career and become a spy handler within the Division during deployments. Section One courses and schools are considered the most elite where veteran ODSTs attend after spending a number of years in the Division.