Basic information[]
Established a few years after the Seven Hour War, the 241st was initially a conscript regiment like any other. Just a few years after formation however, the regiment was subject to an administrative decision to make it a testbed of sorts for any ideas that might feasibly improve the performance, and lower the desertion rates, of other conscript formations. This status, combined with more encounters with Xen creatures and rebel ‘scum’ than tends to be average for conscript forces, eventually caused the men (and what few women there are) of the 241st to become somewhat insubordinate, to the point of a few Civil Protection overseers being found with standard-issue M9 bayonets in their back. The relative unruliness among the ranks and the 'fragging' of CP personnel just so happened to coincide with the Combine military administration’s latest idea – the embedding of soldiers from the Transhuman Arm of the Overwatch within conscript divisions in a bid to bolster combat effectiveness as well as to make the Combine regime even more intimate to its draftees. Whether due to this initiative achieving genuine success or the transhuman troops simply being more likely to 'discipline' the more uncooperative members of the regiment, the number of backstabbed overseers decreased threefold, making Combine officers confident that the 241st could once more be sent into the fray as a cohesive combat unit. A review into wider adoption of the embedded Overwatch scheme has been repeatedly delayed (with the cumulative amount of time by which the review has been postponed currently standing at two years), meaning that the 241st is the only conscript unit with such arrangements in place.
Another initiative is the recognition of 241st personnel who held loyalist status at the time of recruitment or who have since become supportive of the Combine regime. These personnel are given all manner of special treatment; better-tasting rations, combat equipment of superior quality, shorter periods of time between promotion etc. Loyalist status is a prerequisite for holding an OF rank in the 241st, and most squad leaders are drawn from the loyalist cadres.
Training[]
Partly due to their nature as a testbed for all manners of 'innovation' attempts, the soldiers of 241st Regiment are trained to a somewhat higher standard than most Conscript Regiments (though it is still inferior to OTA and Civil Protection training). Citizens who are inducted into the 241st undertake a 10-week period of basic training followed by an additional training period for each recruit's particular role (e.g. 12 weeks for combat infantry training); the end result is a soldier who can hold his or her own in combat with a reasonable degree of proficiency and motivation. Members of the loyalist cadres are trained for a longer period of, on average, three to four weeks, with their curriculums being somewhat more advanced compared to that of the average trooper; there also exists a separate training program for attached Civil Protection personnel since they already have a good standard of physical fitness and firearms proficiency as a result of their CP training and are merely required to learn those skills that are vital to the front-line soldier.
Equipment[]
Handguns[]
- Beretta 92FS
- M9 Pistol
- M9 General Officer's Model
- M9A1 Pistol
- M1911A1 Pistol
- M15 General Officer's Pistol
- M45 MEUSOC
- USP Match
- UU.45 ACP Sidearm [Tentatively designated D114, loyalists/CPs and OFs only]
Rifles and carbines[]
- M16 Series
- Model 727 Carbine
- M4A1 Carbine
- M16A2 Rifle [With fully-automatic modification]
- M16A4 Modular Weapon System [With fully-automatic modification]
- M21 Sniper Weapon System
- M24 Sniper Weapon System
- Overwatch Standard Issue Pulse Rifle [OTA attachés only]
- SR-25
- Mk 11 Sniper Weapon System
- UU 5.56mm Modular Weapon [Tentatively designated MRS-4, loyalists/CPs and OFs standard-issue only]
- UU 7.62x51mm Sniper Weapon [Tentatively designated M-2000D]
- XM29 OICW
SMGs[]
- MP5
- MP7 [CPs and OTA attachés only]
Machine Guns[]
- FN Minimi
- M249 SAW
- FN Minimi Para
- M249 Para
- M2HB-QCB Browning
- M60 GPMG
- M60E1 GPMG
- M60E4 GPMG
- Mk43 GPMG
Shotguns[]
[N.B. that these are primarily used as breaching weapons and as such are almost never used in isolation]
- Benelli M4 Super 90
- M1014 Shotgun
- Mossberg M500
- Mossberg M590
- Mossberg M590A1
- Remington Model 870
- SPAS-12 [CPs and OTA attachés only]
- UU 12G Close Quarters Weapon [Tentatively designated S1000, loyalists/CPs and OFs only]
Flame Projectors[]
- M2 Flamethrower [Loyalists/CPs and OFs only]
- M202A1 Flame Assault Shoulder Weapon
Explosives[]
- AN-M14 TH3 Incendiary Hand Grenade
- AN-M83 TA White Smoke Hand Grenade
- BGM-71 TOW
- C4
- M112 Demolition Block
- M183 Demolition Charge Assembly
- FGM-148 Javelin [Limited usage, even when the operator is reminded of the direct-attack mode]
- FIM-92 Stinger [Even more limited usage than the Javelin]
- M1A3 Bangalore Torpedo
- M7A3 CS Riot Control Hand Grenade
- M18 Colored Smoke Hand Grenade
- M67 Fragmentation Hand Grenade
- M72 series
- M72A5 Light Anti-Tank Weapon
- M72A9 Light Anti-Structures Missile
- M79 Grenade Launcher
- M136 AT4
- M203 Grenade Launcher
- M203A1 Grenade Launcher
- M203A2 Grenade Launcher
- MK3A2 Offensive Hand Grenade [Primarily for OTA attachés]
- UU 40mm Underbarrel Weapon [Tentatively designated DGL103, loyalists/CPs and OFs only]
Melee[]
- M9 Combat Bayonet
- M11 EOD
- UU Civil Protection Stun Baton [Loyalists/CPs and OTA attachés only]
Vehicles[]
- Bradley series
- M2A2 ODS Infantry Fighting Vehicle
- M2A3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle
- M6 Linebacker Air Defense System [Limited usage 'as is'; normally rearmed to M2A3 standard]
- Cadillac Gage V-150 Commando
- HMMWV series
- M977A2 Ambulance
- M1025A2 Armament Carrier
- M1026A2 Armament Carrier
- M1035A2 Ambulance
- M1097 Heavy HMMWV Avenger
- M1114 Armament Carrier
- M1151 Enhanced Armament Carrier
- M35 Cargo Truck
- M113 series
- M113A3 Armored Personnel Carrier [Limited usage]
- M163 Vulcan Air Defense System
- M939 Truck
Individual Equipment[]
[N.B. that this section only applies to the Conscripts themselves; OTA attaches use standard OTA equipment, with the exception of the uniform which is of a green-and-blue colouration. Also, this is quite an extensive list.]
- All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment
- AN/PRC-77 Portable Transceiver [Radio telephone operators only]
- AN/PRC-148 Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio
- Ballistic Hearing Protection
- Chemical light sticks
- Cleaning and maintenance kits for weapons, canteens, clothing etc.
- Combat boots with spare laces [Identical in construction and appearance to Altama Jungle WX 10.5" boots]
- Combat Vehicle Crewman’s Helmet [Vehicle crew only]
- Fire starting kit [Consisting of waterproof-and-windproof matches with striker board and waterproof container, magnesium block, flint striking rod, one-handed fire starter, and tinder material]
- Identification Tags
- Individual First Aid Kit [Consisting of field dressing (carried separately from other IFAK components), gauze and elastic bandages, sterilised gloves, combat application tourniquets, surgical adhesive tape, nasopharyngeal airway, burn ointment, first-aid spray with anti-septic properties, adrenaline autoinjector, resuscitation mask, and antihemorrhagic/hemostatic agent. N.B. that specialised medical personnel are issued with a more advanced selection of first aid equipment, including UU Medkits]
- Individual Water Purification System [Consisting of Millbank-type filter bag, 1-litre collection bags, purification tablets, safety indicator strips, and personal filter straw]
- M1 Flexible One Quart Water Canteen with Stand, Cup and NBC Cap
- M17 Protective Mask
- M22 Binoculars
- M40 Protective Mask [Officially standard-issue alongside the M17, but primarily used by loyalists/CPs and OFs in practice]
- M1950 3H Lensatic Compass
- Meal, Ready to Eat with knife-fork-spoon set, can-opener, flameless ration heater, hexamine stove, and mess tin [N.B. that while rations may sometimes be packaged in the same manner as a C-Ration/Meal, Combat, Individual or a K-Ration, the actual content of the rations are of MRE standard. Loyalists/CPs and OFs have their own MRE menus which are packaged accordingly,and may also be issued with Civil Protection rations.]
- Modular Sleep System [Consisting of waterproof breathable bivy cover, lightweight sleeping bag, cold-weather sleeping bag, and compression storage sack] with sleeping mat and blanket
- Multitool [With needlenose and regular pliers, wire cutter, hard-wire cutter, stranded-wire cutter, wire stripper, saw, electrical crimper, serrated knife, spring-action scissors, ruler, diamond-coated file, can and bottle opener, bit driver, and small and large screwdrivers]
- MX-991/U N47 Flashlight
- MX-994/U N49 Flashlight
- Notebook with holder and stationery [All components designed to be used in all weather conditions. Not necessarily carried during actual combat...]
- OG-107 Battle Dress Uniform [Consisting of t-shirt, combat underwear, warm-weather socks, combat jacket, combat trousers, M1965-type waterproof jacket, patrol/field cap, and boonie hat. N.B. that loyalists/CPs and OFs receive uniforms made from moderately superior material.]
- OG-107 Extended Cold Weather Clothing System [Consisting of cold-weather undershirt, cold-weather underwear, cold-weather socks, shirt and trouser liners, cold-weather waterproof-and-windproof shirt, cold-weather waterproof-and-windproof trousers, cold-weather gloves, extended-cold-weather waterproof-and-windproof parka, and extended-cold-weather waterproof-and-windproof trousers. N.B. that loyalists/CPs and OFs receive uniforms made from moderately superior material, though insulative, waterproof, and windproof properties remain identical.]
- OG-107 Mission Oriented Protective Posture Suit
- OG-107 PASGT vest [CP and OF variant bears Combine claw insignia on the front]
- Paracord [Rated for a minimum of 550 pounds]
- PASGT or MICH helmet with OG-107 cover [Loyalist/CP and OF variant bears Combine claw insignia on the front]
- Personal hygiene kit
- Sun, Wind, and Dust Goggles [N.B. that a separate model is issued to vehicle crew; prescriptive lens fitment is available for personnel wearing prescription eyewear]
- Survival bag
- Tent kit [Consisting of OG-107 sheeting, OG-107 shelter-halves, tent pole, tent pegs, and bungees. Shelter-halves may be used as ponchos.]
- Tri-Fold Hand Entrenching Tool
- UU Civil Protection Protective Mask [CPs only]
- Waterproof adhesive cloth repair/sniper tape [Capable of withstanding a 100mph wind at minimum]
- Weapon slings and/or lanyards
- Wire saw
Notable Deployments[]
- Battle of White Forest
- Various skirmishes in the Outlands
- Battle of Voroschi