Orbital Drop Shock Troopers

The Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (or ODSTs for short) are a special forces unit of the UNSC Marine Corps. Barring the personnel of the SPARTAN programs, ODSTs are the best troops available to the UNSC.

History
ODSTs were operating as early as 2525. The expectations on ODST units made them all-volunteer outfits, with some outsiders regarding such volunteers as 'crazy'. By 2552 their strength had swelled to a number of divisions in an attempt to fill the demands of the Human-Covenant War.

Some actively participated in training the SPARTAN-IIs, and the efficacy of that program was demonstrated when a single SPARTAN-II killed three ODSTs during an exercise. These fatalities resulted in some enmity between the two groups of elite soldiers. Friction was heightened by the stunning success of the SPARTAN-II program, whose members proceeded to accumulate more confirmed kills than "any three divisions of ODSTs."

Operations
When assaulting a planetary target from orbit ODSTs were trained to employ 'unorthodox' means of insertion. Those requiring stealth could be accomplished by 'jumping' from an orbiting ship and using a parachute once within the atmosphere. However, their hallmark method was in the form of Human Entry Vehicles, a particularly hazardous means of reentry.

Similar to regular marines, the ODSTs maintain units of varying strength aboard many UNSC vessels and installations. ODST units were present aboard the UNSC Atlas, the UNSC In Amber Clad, the UNSC Pillar of Autumn and Cairo Station.

Equipment
In addition to using standard marine equipment, ODSTs were issued with special issue combat dress.

Notable Actions
ODSTs were embarked on the UNSC Pillar of Autumn when she discovered Alpha Halo. An ODST group led by Major Antonio Silva was later instrumental in frustrating Covenant attempts to purge the ring-world of the Pillar of Autumn's survivors.

Members of the 7th Orbital Drop Shock Trooper Battalion would later drop from UNSC In Amber Clad onto Delta Halo.

List of ODSTs
Sorted by rank, then alphabetically if rank unknown.
 * Major Antonio Silva
 * First Lieutenant Melissa McKay
 * Second Lieutenant Dalu
 * Second Lieutenant Oros
 * Master Sergeant Lister
 * Company Sergeant Tink Carter
 * Gunnery Sergeant Pete Stacker
 * Gunnery Sergeant Waller
 * Sergeant Corly
 * Sergeant Parker
 * Corporal Locklear
 * Lance Corporal "Snaky" Jones
 * Private First Class Hosky
 * Private Marie Postly
 * Private Satha
 * Al-Thani
 * Butkis
 * Dawkins
 * "Doc" Valdez
 * Jones
 * Murphy
 * O'Brian
 * Suzuki
 * Yutrzenika

ODST Units

 * 105th Orbital Drop Shock Trooper Division
 * 7th Orbital Drop Shock Trooper Battalion

Trivia

 * The machimina Another Day at the Beach featured ODSTs.